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[Nivim]

 This video on this site.
 That page;

[snip-video-snip]
[snip-stuffaboutvideo-snip]
ABOUT THE SERIES:
The Tropes vs Women in Video Games project aims to examine the plot devices and patterns most often associated with female characters in gaming from a systemic, big picture perspective. This series will include critical analysis of many beloved games and characters, but remember that it is both possible (and even necessary) to simultaneously enjoy media while also being critical of it’s more problematic or pernicious aspects.

This video series is created by Anita Sarkeesian and the project was funded by 6968 awesome backers on Kickstarter.com

 It might be a small thing for this place, since it's about a problem that just irritates most of us, but it's good to remember. Also, have a TED^x talk from the same author for its historical properties.

[Bdthemag]

Tropes vs. Women is a complete and utter joke, that's probably why no one is talking about it.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

Seriously, this whole thing is so radioactive I'm not touching it with a ten-foot pole, and I like arguing.

[Mlamlah]

I am filled with both a desire and hesitance to talk about the issue.

[Vector]

I feel like we've had a truly excellent awareness campaign recently, and that the next step is for companies to do something (and for gamers to put their moneys where their mouths are).  The internet has gotten one hell of a lot louder over feminist issues in games in the last while.

About Sarkheesian in particular, I have nothing to say.  To me, she's just a welcome part of the background noise making the big push.

[Max White]

No? Nobody? You guys don't want to play ball? Aww...

Over zealous feminist puts subjective viewpoint that actually has some credit to it forward.
Over zealous gamers that have seen this argument used before by people looking to ban their games give the predictable response.

You know what this actually reminds me of? When somebody says that 'To lower the chance of sexual abuse, avoid wearing revealing clothing' and there is feminist outrage. The given piece of advice itself isn't sexist and isn't blaming the victim, if a women walks down the street naked and gets raped it isn't her fault, but it still wasn't wise in the first place. But because some assholes think it is honestly ok to blame the victim and try to use what they were wearing as an excuse (And it isn't), now there is an instant given response to that sort of advice.
Same thing, people have been trying to ban games based on sexual discrimination in the past, so now gamers see anything that points to sexual discrimination as a direct assault on their games, and raise the war banner.

Moral of the lesson? Argue with the point given today, not yesterday.


Well that should stir up some flames.

[Vector]

First of all, all viewpoints are subjective >_>

Second of all, I'm not sure why we're calling Sarkheesian over-zealous.

[Max White]

When you are picking out examples, even if they are few and far between and saying 'These ones are done right, we can learn from these!' while at the same time pointing to others and saying 'These are done wrong, and here is why, and here is how to improve them', then you are actually doing a lot of good.
When you are just picking out negative examples and saying 'These are bad and you should feel bad for playing them' you are a little over zealous.

[Vector]

First of all, what if there aren't any good examples?  Is she supposed to go "Hey, look, a game where damsels aren't in distress?"  I feel like that's sort of silly.

Also, is she actually saying "and you should feel bad for playing them?"

[Max White]

Oh come now, do you mean to imply that in all of the electronic games medium, you can't find a single example of a game that isn't sexist?

And while she doesn't outright say such a thing, it is certainly implied.

[Bdthemag]

Tropes vs Women only provides shallow criticism towards sexism. Pointing out that female characters from the 80's/90's is idiotic, considering that story meant little back then and they used simple character archetypes to focus almost entirely on the gameplay.

Second of all, I'm not sure why we're calling Sarkheesian over-zealous.

She is, instead of going "Hey, this is an example of a poorly written character. This is how it should be improved." it's basically "Hey, this thing you like is bad."

First of all, what if there aren't any good examples?  Is she supposed to go "Hey, look, a game where damsels aren't in distress?"  I feel like that's sort of silly.

There are PLENTY of good examples. Saying there aren't is outright ridiculous. Anita is simply cherrypicking apparently sexist characters, saying they are sexist, then moving on.

Currently females are a minority in the video game community, it's very hard to deny this. If this minority wants to change videogames, they have to go about it in a different way. Whining and complaining will only stir up reactionaries and get them pissed off at the minority.

[freeformschooler]

Currently females are a minority in the video game community, it's very hard to deny this. If this minority wants to change videogames, they have to go about it in a different way. Whining and complaining will only stir up reactionaries and get them pissed off at the minority.

What would suggest as a "different way" then? Because I can't think of anything else other than more women trying to get hired as game designers or something.

And, on top of that, it's hard to deny that Sex Sells. For every 50 RPS commenters complaining about Miranda's butt in Mass Effect, it seems there's another 5000 silent 13 year old boys who are still giving the companies money.

[Zangi]

Part 2 out yet?  And people have already debatedargued this in the kickstarter thread.

Idjits on both sides.  Though, I'm of the opinion that the Idjits against these videos are unnecessarilyvery very loud.

[palsch]

Oh come now, do you mean to imply that in all of the electronic games medium, you can't find a single example of a game that isn't sexist?

She is doing an educational series on the usage, history and nature of certain sexist tropes within video games. Of which we have only seen the introductory video of one series focusing on one such trope.

If I were teaching a class on, say, the history of Promethian figures in science fiction literature, I wouldn't include books that didn't include such figures.

[Bdthemag]

Currently females are a minority in the video game community, it's very hard to deny this. If this minority wants to change videogames, they have to go about it in a different way. Whining and complaining will only stir up reactionaries and get them pissed off at the minority.

What would suggest as a "different way" then? Because I can't think of anything else other than more women trying to get hired as game designers or something.

Either learn to deal with it, because it's really not that big of a problem. Or they can actually point out the poorly written characters, and suggest on ways to improve them. More females in the gaming community would help too, but I doubt that will happen anytime soon. If you're the minority, don't expect the majority to completely change their hobby because you don't particularly like it.