8mo ago

"Woke" games

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To be fair, though the early video game industry was created by and included a diverse group of people, the games themselves were made to sell their niche demographic. At the time that was young white boys. As a result not many games of the early era showcased the positive side of diversity, and often times portrayed it negatively, even if it wasn't intentional.
The past these people are comparing modern games to isn't imagined, it's real. As the gaming industry has grown to the now extremely large range of people it has, and through a shift in social culture over the years, the content, intent, and purpose of the games themselves have drastically changed.
The people who complain about "woke" games main program isn't an issue with games, but more about their inability to accept the societal and cultural changes happening around them. They refuse to accept that the types of games they loved as a kid had a lot of problematic cultural issues.
So basically they're mad that the racist and/or homophobic and/or sexist themes that they loved in old in games aren't acceptable anymore.
- the games themselves were made to sell their niche demographic. At the time that was young white boys
  In the beginning, before Nintendo started hammering the idea that video games were for kids, games were often targetted for an older audience. This is particularly true of home computer gaming, the bread and butter for the likes of Sierra and LucasArts. Even after the Nintendo there was still a lot of mature and even adult content being made, as well as content in genres less popular to children such as simulators.
  From my own experince: Sierra's Roberta Williams was the designer of the whole King's Quest series (I believe?), and I remember a lot of discussion about them (and especially hints lol) on my BBS by men and women alike, nearly all working adults. I can't speak for the entire demographic of King's Quest players but I mean people logging into BBS's probably were the main demographic lol.
- And they dont buy the game and vote Trump. (or over here the dutch dude with the weird hair.)
  In the end the videogame industry is not about being politically correct. Its about making money.
  I for one am very curious how this all will work out.
  I do think we all should "chill out" a bit about these "issues". A lot of people, everyone even, do not care what you do or don't do. Nobody wants to tell you how to live your life. But that goes both ways. And if you don't respect that you get a push back, an overreaction. And that is what's happening now.
  People see "gay stuff" (..) everywhere. The sociatal change is too much too fast and like in IT projects, we're reaching or have already exceeded, the change capability of our society.
  So ease back and it all will work out. Give it a few more years. We've come so far, maybe it is time to just sit down for a while and smell the flowers.
  Or don't, feed the overreaction some more and see if it implodes. But it can also explode in your face, its 50/50.
  
  So ease back and it all will work out. Give it a few more years. We’ve come so far, maybe it is time to just sit down for a while and smell the flowers.
  This attitude is acceptable when you're talking about something that is purely a matter of preference. I could say that to someone who tells me "Oh, it sucks that I can't eat out at 99% of restaurants, because I only eat biodynamic food, and nobody knows wtf I'm talking about with my weird dietary questions."
  When it comes to something inherent to people, which cannot be changed and causes them to face discrimination, I find this take to be naïve, at best, and entirely ignorant and dangerous, at worst. At every turn, there are people actively trying to strip women, minorities and LGBTQ+ people of their rights in spite of active pushes to ensure they don't lose their rights and can enjoy equality with everyone else. I find it rather callous to suggest that members of these groups should just chill out and hope for the best in a few years while they face potentially existential threats from complacency.
  
  The attitude works out when you're on the majority side. When you're a minority, it's basically just telling you that you don't get the same privileges as the rest. "You can have a little bit of acceptance for now, as long as you keep quiet in your little corner"

193 comments