Thursday, July 17, 2014

Redshirts, a game about social media, includes some sexism intentionally


(post edited 7/28/14 for grammar and because I didn't originally include a title)

This article:
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/208555/Learning_about_community_and_inclusiveness_with_Redshirt.php
...  describes both an interesting game and an interesting situation that arose because of it: the designer set out to write a game that would comment on social media as a way of interacting with others, but got criticized by a player for some of the -- intentional -- sexist content. The game includes a stereotypically sexy-alien race, which suffers more sexist attention.  The developer's response? Add a trigger warning to that race choice. Which seems eminently reasonable... but she got criticism for THAT action, by those who felt she caved somehow.

Oh, and the game's name is Redshirts, and so it operates as a reaction to the idea of a future utopia, as well.


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