tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18703704Mon, 29 Jun 2026 07:54:59 +0000video gamesgenderfeminismlink bloggingfandomsexismcomic bookssexualityconsumerismracismeducationrace issuesreviewsbloggingFeminist SF CarnivalX-Menpoetryetc.theoryworkinganimeJapan tripcomicshomophobiamasculinityprivilegethe beauty myththe catsNintendo DSNintendo WiiRobotechWizard WorldtheaterCatwomanPS2She-Hulkcrisisdepressionethnocentricityfamilymoney woessurvival horrortvwritingImperialismIrisPeople of Colour SF CarnivalTINcorporate culturecutewarOne Hundred Little DollsMade from beautiful high-impact styrene plastic and hard synthetic rubber.noreply@blogger.com (100LittleDolls)Blogger148125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18703704.post-2672027157119646491Wed, 13 May 2015 19:51:00 +00002015-05-14T11:29:19.811-07:00Response to the Offworld Article: Why are the stories in video games so bad?<div>
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I wanted to write a response to an(other) excellent article from <a href="; about writing in games. The article discusses why video game writing is so bad. Obviously, not every game has bad writing, but we've all played a large number of games that feel lost in their own storytelling. <br />
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I love how the article points out how “writing” doesn't equate to “dialogue” or even some sort of written text. Writing, or authorship extends to the entirety of an artwork, from the box art, the opening screen, the costume design, the color scheme, all the way to the end credits. How each element of an artwork is presented to a viewer is a choice on the creators part and communicates a message to the viewer/player. <br />
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This might be a key factor that determines creators that write great games and those who don’t. Silent Hill Shattered Memories comes to mind as a perfect example. The box art is uninspired, but as soon as you turn the game on, you are a part of the story. TV “snow” prepares us for metaphorical polygon snowscapes. We see a grainy home video of a little girl expressing, “I love my Daddy.” This moment defines the game’s thesis, and connects brilliantly with the ending, and is presented to us before we even Press Start. It's a really meaningful moment that grows in intensity based on the players advancement in the story.<br />
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(Shattered Memories overall is a great example of a well written game, one of the best I’ve played.)<br />
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The part of the article that struck me to dust off this old blog was when they mentioned theater. I make theater in Chicago and have been fascinated with the artistic connections between games and theater for years. <br />
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Video Games and theater share a key aspect that other art forms lack: gesture. The concept that every night a play will be unique. Each performance will be unique to the actor and each member of an audience will have a unique, but shared experience. This is exactly how games are designed. Each game will be played in a manner unique to the player and create a unique but shared experience with the gaming community at large. They are both art forms fixed in the present.<br />
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Good playwrights write audience experiences, they craft an event. The article points out: “Well-written games are a dialogue with the player, creating opportunities for behavior.”<br />
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I love that phrase, “creating opportunities for behavior.” This perfectly describes what great theater looks like. A good writer will craft opportunities for the actors on stage as well as opportunities for the audience. The idea of a binary division between actor and audience is simply a construct. The binary can be blurred as much as the playwright prefers. <br />
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Theater can learn from games. The game player is both actor and audience. The role of the player shifts throughout a game, and the degrees of that shift varies from game to game, and scene to scene. We watch Solid Snake confront Olga on a rainy oil tanker, soaked in the drama and pulp mysteries. But we have a say in how we see it, wiggling and zooming the camera, discovering unshaven underarms in the process. Then we directly control the fight against her, shooting (traq darts or bullets) at either her, or the shifting environment around her, crafting the battle as it happens. Winning earns us another cut scene, where we learn Snake was being recorded by a UAV. The story was watching us act out Snakes actions, while we were watching the story through our own actions. Audience and actor shift and flow into one another. <br />
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In Dragon Age Inquisition, the binary is shaved razor thin and we are both active actor and active audience during the majority of plot advancements. We not only control the fight, but the discussion before and after. We pick which lines we want to hear, not the actual line, but just the essence of one. The line itself is a surprise, and we are forced to hope our intentions are conveyed correctly. The promise of power, this hope to influence is a brilliant mechanic that replicates an actor’s objectives onstage. An actor will act in hopes to emotionally influence another actor as well as to emotionally influence the audience that is watching. The energy is sent in two directions, toward the story and toward reality. Both the story and the audience are connected, present, and necessary. Existing in the same time and place, they hold equal importance and power within the artistic event.<br />
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Games make us send our own energy into the game, and then the game sends it back at us. We are affecting ourselves, in real time, getting (hopefully) everything back that we put in. This feedback loop is rare in art, and must be respected for effective game or theater making. <br />
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The Offworld article quotes advice Will O'Neill gives in a cool piece titled <a href=" Compelling Game Narrative</a>:<br />
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<i>Read plays. They often focus on dialogue and monologues in a stylish-yet-realistic way that I think dovetails beautifully with the way that stories are typically well-told in games. To an extent, I even think theater can help you grapple with the limitations that you may face as an indie. For the sake of an audience in the distance, theater is broadly emotive in the way that your simple, non-facially-intensive character animations might also be. Sets and props are often static, simple or merely suggestive in the same way that yours probably are.</i><br />
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Awesome! He admits it’s a surface level examination, but I fully agree with his sentiment. I believe what he is trying to say is video game creators need to embrace an artistic style. He is recognizing that all art is metaphor, and that there is an artistic history and precedence to effectively use style in crafting event based art like video games. <br />
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When auteurs embrace style, their work shines. Theater is the perfect realm for video game developers to look for influence in developing and enhancing their own work and style. I would argue this influence already exists and is being used in some of the most acclaimed games. Silent Hill uses many elements as Antonin Artaud’s Theater of Cruelty, Kojima’s Metal Gear series consistently uses Bertolt Brecht’s alienation techniques, and Hidetaka Suehiro or SWERY games are in the same tradition as the Absurdist playwrights.<br />
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His examples of The Stanely Parable is also very Absurdist/Existentialist, Papers, Please borrows from an Expressionist aesthetic, and This War of Mine is like a tamer version of Sarah Kane’s Blasted. <br />
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All artists should have their own style, and there is never a one to one connection between one style or another. No artist should be stuck in the past and should always strive to break our current culture, but using artistic precedents can form a strong base and enhance the effectiveness of art. I believe that studying and seeing theater, above all other art forms, would help video game developers tremendously. </div>
2015/05/response-to-offworld-article-why-are.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shions_Glasses)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18703704.post-3565449125281022095Sat, 12 Jan 2008 01:34:00 +00002008-01-11T17:57:23.358-08:00educationfeminismworkingDaily GrindingLately I've been thinking a lot about why I've been so silent. It just sort of happened that all of the sudden I couldn't get any inclination to blog, to write, to do any sort of productive thought processing. When I started working in the clinic I thought that I'd have a lot of things to jot down, specifically about my education in college in regards to women's health versus working in the middle of it. Certainly I didn't know exactly what to expect when I started my job, and now I've learned that I can't have any expectation as to what any day is going to be like. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I've come across some shocking and difficult situations and I'm trying to learn how to deal with it. In the past I was able to write about it, but right now it's too soon.<br /><br />And it feels stupid to write it, but I'm going to anyway. I just had no idea. Studying and learning about domestic violence in college and job training is completely different from when you actually find yourself taking the blood pressure of a woman who lies to you about the bruises on her body. <br /><br />One of the best things about feminism for me has always been that it has given me a sense of hope. It has always been a revolution to me. My job and feminism intertwine and I relish that. Yet I am amazed at how far I've come down to where I only feel and notice burden--the weight of it in the lives of the women I meet, and my own that I carry with me.2008/01/daily-grinding.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (100LittleDolls)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18703704.post-7214252348430313174Wed, 02 Jan 2008 15:10:00 +00002008-01-02T07:16:45.941-08:00bloggingIt's the New Year and damn if this blog needs an updateIt's been months since I've posted. I never even considered in the past how office jobs and school fueled my internet hobby, as now when I get home I don't even want to check my email or look at my computer. <br /><br />But it's a new year and I made new resolutions and I'm typing this post on a new computer. I plan, starting now, to try to update this blog at least every other week and I'm dedicating at least one night a week to the poor (yet determined!) and important <a href=" Reporting</a>. I pinky swear.2008/01/its-new-year-and-damn-if-this-blog.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (100LittleDolls)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18703704.post-8136138398114942579Tue, 16 Oct 2007 14:51:00 +00002008-11-13T18:08:10.615-08:00racismreviewsvideo gamesPitfalls<div>Apologies for being away for so long. With the new job comes new stress due to a steep learning curve and I’m adjusting to an environment that is completely unlike anything I’ve been in before. Whereas I used to sit in a cubicle staring at the clock, I am now running around, arranging charts, answering phones and grabbing a quick sip of water or bite to eat when there’s a small break in the rush of patients. It’s definitely challenging, and I’m hoping to hit my stride soon.<br /><br />To deal with the stress I’ve broken out my used copy of Dreamfall: The Longest Journey for the X-Box. I bought it for under 20 bucks on the suggestion of my visiting and adorable younger gamer cousin. It didn’t really bother me that I didn’t first play The Longest Journey, as I’ve started a lot of series playing sequels first.<br /><br />I immediately felt that I could identify with Zoë (though not because she first appears in her underwear!). The first things that you find out about her is that she dropped out of school, broke up with her boyfriend, and moved back in with her dad. She’s lost and disillusioned, which is, I’ve found, a common emotional domain of many 20-somethings. The story of Dreamfall is excellent: it’s filled with cross-dimensional political conspiracy. While not all characters were completely developed, I noticed that there was a definite effort to give specific attitude and background to many of the NPCs—something that is usually ignored in many other games.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5121948914053997730" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="; border="0" />That doesn’t save it, however, from some huge complaints that I have. In a game that features so much diversity in its characters, I was appalled that the developers relied on some pretty insensitive and stereotypical portrayal of Chinese people. How many games do I have to play that feature a Chinese NPC wearing ancient-China style robes and hair, sporting extremely slanty eyes and speaking with a mouth full of buck teeth high-pitched and quivering English? Another aspect that confused me was how the very beginning of the game, which takes place in Tibet, features NPCs talking in their native tongue. I liked hearing an unfamiliar language. I initially thought it cool that a game that travels the world would feature different languages instead of just pretending that everyone speaks English. Yet after the first chapter in the game that completely vanished.<br /><br />There was a lot of good in Dreamfall: specially the complex story, the game’s focus on women characters, and it’s genuine diversity. While playing the game, I kept comparing it to Indigo Prophecy, and found Dreamfall much more satisfying. However, there was a lot lacking too. Despite two of the main characters being women, the game didn’t lack sexism. Despite the game’s push towards multiculturalism, it had racist elements and was specifically grounded in white privilege. While these aspects really did turn me off to the game in a lot of ways, I have to admit that I’m hooked. I ordered The Longest Journey (soon to come in the mail) and am awaiting the next installment(s) of the series. I’m anxious to continue the narrative and see if it’s shortcomings continue or are improved upon.</div>2007/10/pitfalls.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (100LittleDolls)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18703704.post-8938497027780530231Thu, 20 Sep 2007 03:05:00 +00002007-09-19T20:12:17.920-07:00feminismworkingFull-timeThe job search is over. I'm officially gainfully employed, with health benefits and everything. My official title is that of a reproductive health assistant, which means I do a little bit of a lot of things at a women's health clinic. <br /><br />I feel lucky to get the position and damn lucky to have to opportunity to work a feminist job, doing something I'm passionate about, for a company with a mission statement I agree with.2007/09/full-time.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (100LittleDolls)7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18703704.post-2955691052315682179Fri, 14 Sep 2007 14:43:00 +00002007-09-14T07:46:25.069-07:00genderreviewsvideo gamesSome of the SameYesterday my brother let me come over to do some (free!) laundry. So in the midst of suds and folding I checked out a couple of demos on his 360.<br /><br />Beautiful Katamari was first. I really like the controller for the 360 and think it’s a vast improvement over both controller models for the original Xbox. But in the context of Katamari, it was a bit awkward to play on a controller where the analog sticks aren’t side by side. I realize I’m being picky—it’s something I’m sure most people won’t have any problems with.<br /><br />It was also disappointing to see that in Katamari’s third console incarnation that the camera is still wonky. And even though the graphics are bit brighter and a bit shinier, Beautiful Katamari is the same game as the first two. I don’t think online capabilities will do much in revolutionizing the formula either. It’s sure to be some fun, but there’s no way I’d shell out sixty bucks to play a game I essentially already own.<br /><br />The demo I was truly excited to play was Eternal Sonata. This is the game I’d own a 360 for. Made by Tri-Crescendo (one of the two companies behind the Baten Kaitos games), I expect a ton out of it and its original premise of Chopin having delirious deathbed dreams. It. Is. Gorgeous. The visuals are dreamy and colorful. The music swirls and bends. The battles are fast-paced and genuinely fun. You only have a specific amount of time for your turn, so it’s similar to the Baten Kaitos series except it doesn’t feature cards. (People interested in the game probably already know about the light/dark features of battles as well.)<br /><br />Yet I was crushed by what I gleaned from the gender roles of Eternal Sonata. The demo features no story, but it’s easy to tell what the prescribed roles are for the three characters that you control. The leader of the group is Allegretto, a pretty boy with a sword. We then have Polka, our cute and weak heroine who heals and whacks foes with an umbrella. Finally, there’s Beat, an eager and adorable young boy with an oversized gun. I love me my JRPGs and am not surprised with the common gender clichés that are often presented. But seriously, I’d like to see more. That said, I don’t know if there will be other characters that might push the gender envelope, but as of this moment, I’m doubting it.<br /><br />After playing the Eternal Sonata demo, I’m left having to make a compromise that I always have to make. I know that when I do get a 360 down the line, I’ll most likely pick this game up. It has so much else going for it that I know I’ll enjoy, but I’m going to have to end up pushing the gender issues present in the game to the back of my mind. This has happened before with games that I’ve particularly enjoyed--Dragon Quest 8 and Tales of Symphonia, I’m looking at you.<br /><br />While it’s true that I’m fully capable of enjoying a game despite problematic gender presentations, I’m tired of having to make so many compromises. And I know that I’m not alone—other gamers that are queer, identify as female and aren’t white often have to make the same type of aggravating decision when it comes to choosing a game to play.2007/09/some-of-same.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (100LittleDolls)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18703704.post-7211087604055939937Sat, 08 Sep 2007 06:57:00 +00002007-09-07T22:03:45.110-07:00Robotechworking*Shudder*Scrolling through my RSS Feeds I come across some <a href=" upsetting news</a>:<br /><blockquote>Warner Bros. Pictures has acquired the film rights to the anime classic Robotech, with Tobey Maguire producing through his Maguire Entertainment.<br /><br />According to The Hollywood Reporter, the actor is considering the lead role in the futuristic tale of giant robots and alien invaders. The studio plans on the sci-fi epic becoming a tentpole franchise.</blockquote>Warner Brothers? Tobey Maguire? <i>Tobey Maguire as Rick? </i>And I can just see Minmei being cast as not-Chinese. This screams bad idea.<br /><br />And in non-nerd news, I quit my temp job this week. Here's to some self-dignity, an empty wallet, and a stack of resumes.2007/09/shudder.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (100LittleDolls)7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18703704.post-6548040178865845362Thu, 23 Aug 2007 19:01:00 +00002007-08-23T12:36:12.240-07:00corporate culturedepressionworkingRat RacingWarning: I'm about to launch into some post-grad, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">twentysomething</span>-crisis whining. <br /><br />In <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">February</span>, I was hired on as a temp-to-perm at a big corporate company. I was damn happy because a steady job with benefits seemed just out of my reach. When I started, I found that there was another temp in my department. I was a bit deflated to learn that he'd already been working for 7 months as a temp to perm, but I pushed some of my doubts aside--I sat near the HR department and saw that new people were being hired all the time. I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">figured</span> I just had to wait my turn. <br /><br />Months have gone by and I've become incredibly disillusioned and bored. I'm no fan of corporate culture, and I'm continuously stressed out because I never know which project I'm given is going to be my last. But I've been sticking with it because no matter how shitty I feel, the job is paying the bills. I have been applying to other jobs, as I want some stability and need insurance hardcore, but noting is panning out. The internship is the exact thing I've been looking for, but the organization is new and has no money as of yet to hire me on full time, though they've expressed <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">interest</span>. <br /><br />Recently the other temp in my department quit--he was simply sick of doing the same job for a year straight that is obviously integral to the operation of the department. He would inquire every once and awhile to see if the company would be interested in hiring him permanently, but they'd also turn him down. After he left, I found myself sitting in a situation where maybe, just maybe, I could move into his <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">position</span>, where the temping would be more stable, or perhaps I'd even get hired full time. <br /><br />It's not going to happen. I found out today that they already hired someone new. Not as a temp, but as a full-time, fully benefited, employee. It doesn't matter that I'm already familiar with the work or that I've been here for six months. They're not going to hire me. I asked about my job performance, and I was told that I'm doing excellent work. So I don't know what it is--maybe they think I'm too young and am therefore more likely to move on sooner than someone else? Or is it something else?<br /><br />Either way, I feel like crap. I check the job listings and nothing seems promising. My self-esteem has hit the rocks. I've developed some chronic health conditions since graduating, but have put off going to the doctor because I can't afford it, and I'm going to need to keep putting it off. Plus, I'm still endlessly stuck in temp limbo--who knows when they'll not need me here any longer?2007/08/rat-racing.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (100LittleDolls)7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18703704.post-530290356635394306Thu, 16 Aug 2007 02:51:00 +00002008-11-13T18:08:11.905-08:00comic booksconsumerismprivilegesexismvideo gamesWizard WorldThat was three days ago? A Rundown of Wizard World Chicago<div><a href=" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5099128518862034290" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="; border="0" /></a> This past weekend I set aside my internship and other responsibilities to attend yet another year of Wizard World Chicago with Shions_Glasses. It’s awesome to see every year more and more women and girls attending the con—the first year I went there didn’t seem to be a lot of us, but this year there was lots. It’s a good time to be a fan girl.<br /><br /><div><div><div><div>I don’t know if it was just me, but Wizard World seemed tiny this year. There just didn’t seem to be as many panels or booths. Hell, the Nintendo booth wasn’t even there. A shame because I was looking forward to getting some more free Pokemon cards and downloading a rare Pokemon or mystic ticket for my copy of Diamond.<br /><br />Marvel’s booth had me a bit disappointed. I’m always impressed with free swag, even if it’s just DC’s Countdown pins and Batman temporary tattoos. I was crossing my fingers for a John Cassidy X-Men poster or something like that. There was a glossy poster for Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter that was definitely cheesecakey, but a little outside my taste.<br /><br /><a href=" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5099127556789359954" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="; border="0" /></a>I was surprisingly impressed with Sony’s booth. They seemed to aiming for some accessibility by being kid friendly. The PaRappa the Rapper port for the PSP was getting a strong push, as was the strategy-RPG Jeanne D’Arc. I grabbed a gorgeous poster for Jeanne D’Arc, and Shions_Glasses was given a PaRappa t-shirt that’s about five times too large just for posing for a few pictures with the PaRappa mascot.<br /><br />On Saturday afternoon we made sure to stop by the DC booth to get Will Pfeifer’s signature. Other than that, we didn’t have too much to do with the big two. Instead of going to any of the panels we spent our time flipping through back issues and wandering around Artist Alley. We picked up about 20 issues of Gotham Cental (all for $1.50!) and grabbed Spider-Woman: Origin and the Metal Gear Solid TPB for half-off. In the Artist Alley I searched out David Mack (as I do every year) and bought the second and third volumes of Kabuki. Before we left for the evening we caught some Beck (dubbed, yuck) in the anime screening room. I’m a bit annoyed that they were only showing Funimation licensed anime this year. What about Manga and Bandai? They were there too.<br /><br />Saturday night was probably my favorite part of the convention, though it wasn’t specifically Wizard World-related. In my part of Chicago they were having a neighborhood festival, and in celebration my local comic book shop invited their regulars to come hang out and drink some beers. There wasn’t too many of us there, which was more than alright with me. I was content with talking the whole while with a woman who didn’t even stop at home to change out of her Catwoman costume. The whole experience was a bit surreal: where I grew up I bought my comics from a video rental store, so there was never a place for me to go and hang out and talk geek. <a href=" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5099128690660726146" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="; border="0" /></a><br /><br />Sunday was more of buying. For 35% off we picked up the first volume of Monster (manga is always seriously lacking at WW), Coward, the three TPB volumes of Bruce Wayne: Fugitive and Tales of the Slayers. We also stopped by Artist Alley and grabbed a copy of Winter Beard by Cathy Hannah and The Exploits of Aimless Boy by John Aston Golden, who is actually a regular at my comic book store. We waited in line for the Wheel of Doom and I won my cat a rubber band to play with (the topic I chose was Lunar: The Silver Star and they unfortunately didn’t know what the hell I was talking about) and Shions_Glasses won a hardcover book of Wizard covers, which he promptly gave away.<br /><br />It was after this point that the con went sour. We stopped one last time at the Sony booth to check out the Heavenly Sword demo. Some guys came up behind us, and one of them decided that it’d be a ton of fun to verbally harass me. I don’t feel like going into too much detail, but his comments involved such things as upskirt shots, masturbation, and rape. Unable to contain my anger, I told him to please shut the hell up, and went on to furiously explain that rape is not a joke, it’s a hate crime, etc. but as he only seemed to get more belligerent with my every response. So I went to security and he disappeared into the milling crowd. At least I can say that security did take me seriously and even profusely apologized.<br /><br />Yet getting harassed sucked any fun that was left out of the con. We did go afterward to check out the Fullmetal Alchemist movie, but it was difficult to enjoy.<br /><br />With all the internet harassment that’s been going on lately in the game and comics community—the avalanche of racist comments regarding Resident Evil 5, the hijacking of GayGamer.com, and Girl-Wonder.org getting hacked— <a href=" harassed at the con just fit in too perfectly.</div></div></div></div></div>2007/08/that-was-three-days-ago-rundown-of.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (100LittleDolls)7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18703704.post-7659311691811334149Wed, 01 Aug 2007 19:11:00 +00002008-11-13T18:08:12.436-08:00bloggingrace issuesracismvideo gamesShame on you internet, I thought you were cool<a href=" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5093834533749404978" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="; border="0" /></a><br /><div>I found a great blog today as I was reading up on Resident Evil 5 reactions. It's called <a href=";, and combines my two favorite things: art and video games into one cool blog. The <a href="; on RE5 is also stellar, as he points out many of the issues inherent with the concept of the game. The best point against the game is how the characteristics of the super zombies of RE4, transferred to a black person, creates a zombie that resembles many of the negative black stereotypes.<br />"With bulging eyes, simian super strength, and a room temperature IQ, we’ve been portrayed as savages beyond redemption."<br />What is not so cool, and that has made me as angry as a space banished Hulk, are the comments on that post. This post has gotten waaaay more attention than any of the other posts on the blog, and the majority of the comments are telling him how wrong he is. All I can think is "How dare they." What gives these people the right, to come to his blog and tell him that he is wrong; that he shouldn't be offended by obvious racist imagery. Most of the comments boil down to, "No. You don't/shouldn't feel the affects of racism, shut up!" It's inconceivable. Who else would feel the affects of the imagery in this game if not an African American. Commenter after commenter kept admitting to being white and claiming that they have never know anyone to be racist, that racism doesn't exist, and that these images of a race that they don't belong to aren't racist. Well of course you don't feel it if you're white, but it exists. It exists when you go onto an African American blog throwing your whiteness all over the place and saying not to talk about things like racism and be a good boy. Does anyone else see the absurdity in someone defending a game where a white person goes into a black space and starts wrecking havoc, when they themselves are going into a black space and wrecking havoc. This sounds like the perfect game for these people, right up their ally. It's pretty clever of the power structure to admit that racism is bad, but then also claim that it doesn't exist. This leaves those who are affected by racism without even a voice to speak out against it, because, according to the power structure, there's nothing to speak out against. A good rule to follow from now on is that if any marginalized person calls out some sort of oppression of their group, maybe everyone else should just shut up, listen, and at least consider the possibility.</div>2007/08/shame-on-you-internet-i-thought-you.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shions_Glasses)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18703704.post-5476834711342555362Fri, 27 Jul 2007 15:32:00 +00002008-11-13T18:08:12.701-08:00genderImperialismracismvideo gamesDidn't I Already write this post?<a href=" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5091921989107463458" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="; border="0" /></a> I was very excited about Rogue Galaxy when I first heard about it. Level 5 left me in love after Dark Cloud 2 so my hopes were high. However, Rogue Galaxy did not turn out how I envisioned. It falls short of Dark Cloud 2 in gameplay, story, and most importantly: feminist stuff. Dark Cloud 2 did a great job of balancing between its girl and boy characters. Max and Monica were given equal attention in both story and gameplay, thus creating a gender equality which went to defy some game conventions. Monica was fully clothed, (not counting secret cat outfit) and fought with a sword, a rarity in video games. While Max was the brains compared to her brawn, and he fought with a nontraditional weapon, an honor usually assigned to a women. Developer: "Girls can't handle anything as phallic as a sword, we better give her an umbrella."<br /><div>Because of these and other great elements that seemed to intentionally defy conventional roles, their follow up game seemed to be a sure hit. How wrong I was.<br /></div><div>[spoiler warning]<br /></div><div></div><div>Meet Lilika. The sexualized, exoticised only woman of color within your party, and one of two women out of 8 playable characters. Her origin story isn't much better. Of course the only woman of color in the game has to hail from a "backwards" tribal jungle planet. A planet that the white skinned offworlders end up saving. Jaster and friends expose to the poor savages that the god they worshiped was none other than a vile monster causing many problems in the village. So using the power of an almighty gun, Jaster helps the silly silly savages by killing their god. I've found that Imperialism leaves quite a bad aftertaste. </div><div>The character of Lilika is fairly interesting, but how can she be taken seriously while looking the way she does. I mean a tiger skin bra? Really? How can the game itself, nay, all of video games be taken seriously when characters are portrayed in this manner. This is why I get embarrassed to tell people I'm a gamer.</div><div>I had a possible ray of hope in acquiring her alternative outfits, but I should have known better. I have to say that giving the only woman of color in the game an outfit called "Royal Servant Clothes" is pretty insulting. On top of that, her bow is pretty worthless in combat. The one saving grace is that she doesn't have <a href=" ears</a>. Shame on you Level 5, I thought you were better than this. </div><div></div>2007/07/didnt-i-already-write-this-post.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shions_Glasses)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18703704.post-683856945634502845Thu, 19 Jul 2007 15:32:00 +00002008-11-13T18:08:12.810-08:00consumerismcutereviewsvideo gamesElebits are cute and creepy.<a href=" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5088932720331924066" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="; border="0" /></a><br /><div>It’s been a harried week of trying to get used to my new work load, and trying to stay optimistic in light of learning about the sad state of women’s reproductive rights and health care are in this country.<br /><br />In an attempt to either cheer me up (or to distract me from doing my work) Shions_glasses rented Elebits. I haven’t had the chance to play many Wii games. Sure, I’ve put some hours in on Wii Sports, played a bit of Twilight Princess and beat Trauma Center, but that’s been about it. I can’t afford the prince of new games, and the price of used games for the Wii hasn’t been much better.<br /><br />Elebits has a lot for me to love, namely its cuteness and penchant for making messes. It seems to borrow a lot of its atmosphere from Katamari and Pikmin. I was a bit worried about the controls, seeing that I dislike first person perspective in video games (ack, tunnel vision) and therefore suck at FPSs, but it’s actually easy to get the hang of. I still feel limited by the perspective, and probably would still prefer a behind the shoulder camera angle, but it doesn’t really impede my enjoyment.<br /><br />One complaint I do have is the voice acting. It’s worse than the first Baten Kaitos game. Hell, its worse then those budget kids’ shows on PBS. Everyone sounds creepy. And the story? Basically, a kid feels neglected by his parents and is understandably pissed about it. What better way to get back at Mom and Dad than by tearing the house apart? However, it’s not all innocent revenge. The game has been hinting that Elebits are acting strangely--dear god, are these hunks of pastel cuteness going to attack me?<br /><br />I may not be able to answer that, as we have to return the game Saturday, but I’m pretty sure that if I ever find Elebits in the bargain bin, I’m gonna snap it up. </div>2007/07/elebits-are-cute-and-creepy.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (100LittleDolls)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18703704.post-6328680184195355086Mon, 16 Jul 2007 15:40:00 +00002007-07-16T12:12:26.455-07:00E3 Reactions: We are PRI’ve never been happier with my cable TV and my unemployment than this last week. Those two factors allowed me to watch G4’s live coverage of E3. It has been a fantasy of mine to attend E3--a fantasy that hatched many intricate yet unfulfilled plans and schemes by me and my comrades. So it was a real treat to watch the big press conferences live. It was also an eye opening look into the companies that produce video games. <br /><br />Nintendo was amazing. I completely understand that Nintendo is a corporation that is out for making money and all those things that the communist in me should hate. But man oh man, if sci-fi ever comes true and corporations start ruling the world, I would totally enlist in Nintendo’s army. It was delightful to listen to corporate talking heads spouting rhetoric about inclusion. Sure, they had the required “our company is the best company in the world and invest in us” speak, but the majority of their corporate message was about the inclusion of everyone in video games. “Everyone is a gamer” was the catch phrase pushed by Reggie, Miyamoto and Iwata. I wish every billion dollar company had that motto and pursued, researched, and most importantly respected all demographics. I think respect is the main difference I felt between Nintendo’s and Sony’s presentations. Sony’s press conference was terrible. Beyond all the ho hum games (except MGS4: war commentary with vampires and cyborgs, yum) Sony had what I’d like to call a bad attitude. The conference started with the worst speaker I’ve ever seen, Jack Tretton, as his Home avatar checking out some “hot chicks.” Yep, Sony started the biggest news event of the year with some good ol’ fashion cat calling. As Jack walked outside to Home’s hub, three female avatars were standing in a line all dancing, and he proceeded to “hello ladies” them. Throughout the presentation he kept referencing the “hot chicks,” and mentioned that he hoped they would stop by his hip Home pad, which was decked out in the finest of yuppie fashion. The main message I received from Sony is that they don’t regard women as serious consumers of their products and that they love materialism. It was jarring to move from watching a woman play Metroid Prime 3 on stage to Sony’s boy’s club attitude. My assumption is that Sony was upset at the record low levels of misogyny at this year’s E3, with the lack of booth babes and Nintendo’s radical ideas. Sony just needed to make up for it.<br /><br />I am so disappointed in Sony. I used to be a huge fan of the Playstation and Playstation 2. I’ve said awful things about the N64 in my day, and only respected the Gamecube from afar. But now, I can’t see myself ever buying a PS3, and feeling a little ashamed of my past loves. Nintendo is a company I can feel alright giving money to, based on their mature look at the industry. We used to have a good thing Sony, why did you have to go and ruin it.2007/07/e3-reactions-we-are-pr.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shions_Glasses)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18703704.post-5700029482890251605Fri, 13 Jul 2007 01:52:00 +00002007-07-12T19:17:48.761-07:00consumerismsexismvideo gamesMore on Sony hating meAlice at <a href="; <a href=" the other day</a> on Sony's "Because your Girlfriend bores you shitless" ad. She also points out that there's a possibility that the ad may not be official:<br /><br /><blockquote>Beenabadbunny says, while the ads are real, they possibly don't belong to<br />Sony. A <a href=" hired-blogger</a> is denying they're official... going from N'Gai's original post, the ads are posted on AdsoftheWorld.com, which claims to showcase worldwide work; however, any user can upload an example.</blockquote><br />The blog in question, <a href=" Speech</a>, only says that "we’re reliably informed, however, it’s not a bona fide PlayStation advert."<br /><br />No names, no official press release--why am I going to believe that the ads are a fake? We all remember <a href=" so-called "hip hop" fan site</a>, right?<br /><br />Besides, even if the ads aren't official, I'm concerned that Sony isn't concerned about their image. I'd like to think that that Sony would see these ads as offensive enough to their consumers to say something, instead of releasing word on a "semi-official" blog.2007/07/more-on-sony-hating-me.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (100LittleDolls)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18703704.post-669440661642433530Sun, 08 Jul 2007 14:23:00 +00002007-07-08T07:51:26.796-07:00educationfeminismworkingGood News EveryoneI’ve landed an internship that starts next week at a brand new organization that aims to train health care workers so that they can provide reproductive health care to underserved women who desperately need it. This includes providing abortions, for access is extremely limited in the Midwest, especially for rural women and women in poverty. The organization will also provide lectures, workshops, classes, counseling and other activities. I’m ecstatic to be a part of this organization—women’s health and reproductive rights has always been an important issue to me and one that I intensely studied in college.<br /><br />For the time being I’ll still be temping 40 hours a week in addition to my internship, but as time goes on the organization that I’ll be working for may be able to take me on full time. (Fingers crossed.) I still plan to keep my fan girl fire burning—I’ll try to keep on posting here once a week, hanging out at the <a href=" boards</a> and will still be updating Jade Reporting. (You know we’re<a href="; looking for volunteers</a>, right?)2007/07/good-news-everyone.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (100LittleDolls)6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18703704.post-5477595466403492945Sat, 30 Jun 2007 03:34:00 +00002008-11-13T18:08:13.226-08:00consumerismfandomfeminismracismsexismvideo gamesWhy do you hate me Sony?A quick run down of some of Sony's advertising includes: <div><br /><div>-an American ad campaign for the PSP which <a href=" dust balls</a> that can be easily interpreted as racist caricatures of Mexican people. </div><div>-the UK's various sex-based ads on buses with slogans such as <a href=" girlfriend’s white bits here.”</a> </div><div>-the objectifying and race-based <a href="2006/07/and-award-for-most-offensive-ad.html">Black vs. White PSP ad</a> in the Netherlands </div><div>-not to mention the topless waitresses featured at the <a href=" of War II release party</a></div><br /><div>And now there's this running in India, complete with a tagline that reads"Because your girlfriend bores you shitless."</div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5081663977671729442" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="; border="0" /><br /><div>What. The. Hell. Sony. </div><br /><div>There's lots of great discussion over at the <a href=" boards</a> about the ad, along with some plans to get a letter campaign going. I'll post more info about it here when it happens. </div><div></div></div><div><div>hat tip: <a href=" f-word</a></div></div>2007/06/why-do-you-hate-me-sony.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (100LittleDolls)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18703704.post-789593995980781419Mon, 18 Jun 2007 19:34:00 +00002007-06-29T17:57:03.482-07:00comic booksfandomShe-HulkChanging of the Green GuardOne of my pet peeves in comic books is to fall in love with a character, book, and creative team, only to have it ripped from my overzealous heart. A few examples throughout my life: Rucka and Brubaker on the Batman comics, McDaniel on Nightwing, Lobdell and Bachelo on Generation X, and Vaughn on Ultimate X-Men. I understand that the changing of the guard on titles is the nature of comics and the price you pay for having superhero books that will never end. But what really gets me is when a stellar writer or team of writer and artist leave a book and are replaced by the crappiest comic book makers this side of Image. The worst case has to be Hama replacing Lobdell on Generation X. That was a shame.<br /><br />I can smell this happening again and soon to one of my favorite books out there. I was stunned about how good She-Hulk actually was and took it upon myself to pick up all of the back issues and danced when I found the trade paper backs. It wasn't a perfect run, but the comic was unique, refreshing and fun. It revitalised my love for comics after reading countless clones of over-the-top dramatic comics. But now Slott is leaving to write Spider-man, a character I like, yet I find She-Hulk to be much more interesting and in greater need of good writers.<br /><br />Slott's replacement is Peter David. I know that some might think having the guy who wrote He-Hulk for longer than I've been alive to be a good thing, but I just can't help but worry. I have my doubts that he can maintain the greatness of the book, and I know for a fact that the tone will be different. For instance, the postmodern jabs at comics and Marvel will be MIA. Marvel is lacking in great female super heroes--they need everyone they can get--and I feel that we're going to lose one more. (RIP Jean.)2007/06/changing-of-green-guard.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shions_Glasses)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18703704.post-3028436595342052028Tue, 12 Jun 2007 17:00:00 +00002008-11-13T18:08:13.464-08:00animefeminismgendermasculinityreviewssexismPaprika: Not just for Deviled Eggs<a href=" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5075251030885601730" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="; border="0" /></a>If you ever watched the A-Team, you might remember the episode where Murdock becomes a chef and keeps asking for paprika. Because of this, it became the funniest and best spice in my mind. Now I have a new reason to love it that blows the A-Team reference out of the water, a feat that I would not have thought possible. The new <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Sotoshi</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="