Feb 6, 2017 at 9:39 PM
Join Date: Nov 12, 2014
Location: East Coast America
Posts: 759
Age: 24
Pronouns: he/him
So what's the deal lately with feminists hating on gamers as a whole? I just read a series of Tumblr posts talking about how "geek culture" and "gamer culture" have spawned the latest alt-right movements... which I don't understand at all because it's just blatantly untrue.
Yes, you have games like Call of Duty that can be a bit bigoted, or racist, or whatever at times. Those are bad games.
But then you have game developers like Bethesda. Let me reference a post I made on Tumblr:
Not only that, but how on Earth could you call any series of Nintendo games bigoted? I mean, sure, you could argue that Mario is a racist caricature of an Italian plumber, but that's a real stretch. You're telling me games like Pokemon or Zelda are bigoted? And Nintendo games account for at least a third of the games available on the market today.
And what about the Indy Gaming industry? What about Undertale? I swear, the people making these claims have barely even touched a videogame in their entire lives. The most they see of videogames is what the really, really big companies put out. And those games are far, far from being indicative of what the entire gaming industry is like.
So is this whole "videogamers are bigots" thing just ignorance? Or am I missing something?
Yes, you have games like Call of Duty that can be a bit bigoted, or racist, or whatever at times. Those are bad games.
But then you have game developers like Bethesda. Let me reference a post I made on Tumblr:
Bethesda’s games are reputable for their design, plot, expansive worlds, immersive lore, gameplay, music, and so much more. But one thing many people overlook is the fact that Bethesda’s games feature unbiased representations of every minority group imaginable.
Let’s start by discussing the Elder Scrolls series. There are a number of dark gods called Daedric Princes which are an integral part of every game. These gods have no true physical form, and despite their “standard” depictions, are actually gender fluid. Mephala in particular has been depicted as both a man and a woman in the series. In The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, the son of the master of the Fighter’s Guild (who is a woman by the way) is in love with another male member of the Fighter’s Guild and this relationship is not discouraged or seen as abnormal in any way. In The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, gay marriage is perfectly acceptable. In both games, racism towards the “beast-folk” (the Khajitt and the Argonians) and elves is a major theme, and racist characters are often depicted in an extremely negative light. Additionally, female characters are equally represented in every guild and in the governments of most countries (e.g. Maven Blackbriar, the most powerful businesswoman in Skyrim). And contrary to popular feminist belief, women are not always (and in fact, usually are not) portrayed in “risque” or seductive outfits. Female armor is simply designed to accommodate the female body. The purpose of a female character is not sex appeal.
I am less familiar with the Fallout series, but I will say that it seems to address, in many cases, the same political problems we have today. Women and blacks struggle to survive in the American wasteland in the same way that white men do. There are two whole questlines related to ending slavery in the Capital Wasteland during Fallout 3. Women hold political council in Rivet City, the aircraft-carrier-turned-safe-haven in Fallout 3. And once again, the fallacy of racism is tackled, this time through the Tenpenny Tower questline, which involves helping a group of “ghouls” (radioactive half-zombie humans) gain equal access to a predominantly white aristocratic resort.
Let’s start by discussing the Elder Scrolls series. There are a number of dark gods called Daedric Princes which are an integral part of every game. These gods have no true physical form, and despite their “standard” depictions, are actually gender fluid. Mephala in particular has been depicted as both a man and a woman in the series. In The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, the son of the master of the Fighter’s Guild (who is a woman by the way) is in love with another male member of the Fighter’s Guild and this relationship is not discouraged or seen as abnormal in any way. In The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, gay marriage is perfectly acceptable. In both games, racism towards the “beast-folk” (the Khajitt and the Argonians) and elves is a major theme, and racist characters are often depicted in an extremely negative light. Additionally, female characters are equally represented in every guild and in the governments of most countries (e.g. Maven Blackbriar, the most powerful businesswoman in Skyrim). And contrary to popular feminist belief, women are not always (and in fact, usually are not) portrayed in “risque” or seductive outfits. Female armor is simply designed to accommodate the female body. The purpose of a female character is not sex appeal.
I am less familiar with the Fallout series, but I will say that it seems to address, in many cases, the same political problems we have today. Women and blacks struggle to survive in the American wasteland in the same way that white men do. There are two whole questlines related to ending slavery in the Capital Wasteland during Fallout 3. Women hold political council in Rivet City, the aircraft-carrier-turned-safe-haven in Fallout 3. And once again, the fallacy of racism is tackled, this time through the Tenpenny Tower questline, which involves helping a group of “ghouls” (radioactive half-zombie humans) gain equal access to a predominantly white aristocratic resort.
Not only that, but how on Earth could you call any series of Nintendo games bigoted? I mean, sure, you could argue that Mario is a racist caricature of an Italian plumber, but that's a real stretch. You're telling me games like Pokemon or Zelda are bigoted? And Nintendo games account for at least a third of the games available on the market today.
And what about the Indy Gaming industry? What about Undertale? I swear, the people making these claims have barely even touched a videogame in their entire lives. The most they see of videogames is what the really, really big companies put out. And those games are far, far from being indicative of what the entire gaming industry is like.
So is this whole "videogamers are bigots" thing just ignorance? Or am I missing something?
