I love video games. I've genuinely been playing them for as long as I can physically remember. I teethed myself on a Sega Mega Drive, have preserved every single console and game I have ever owned, from Streets of Rage 2 right up to Destiny. Before I had to go to work like a normal functioning human being, I would spend every waking moment with a controller in my hands, and the experiences I've played through have been some of the most emotionally engaging, fun and challenging experiences I have ever witnessed. Hell, I'm even working on a video game!
And recently, I haven’t wanted to go anywhere near games.
And recently, I haven’t wanted to go anywhere near games.
You could probably base that on a number of things: A lack of time to play outside of work and social life, running this website as a new hobby, growing up and becoming a different person, general laziness; This list goes on. All valid, all somewhat true. But I reckon it’s more than that. The world of the video game has changed since the days when Disney movie tie-in used to be incredible. It’s not enough to play games and enjoy them nowadays. The culture surrounding games, how we interact with them and how we observe them has changed almost irreversibly in the past couple of years, and not all for the better.
In this series of article, I want to explore what's making me put down the pad and some other things that make me want to carry on playing, so that I can answer the question...
Is this The Death of Video Games?
In this series of article, I want to explore what's making me put down the pad and some other things that make me want to carry on playing, so that I can answer the question...
Is this The Death of Video Games?
WARNING: This series contains opinions. If others people opinions offend you for some stupid reason, it’s probably best to not carry on reading. What I’m going to say about games isn’t right, nor is it wrong: It’s an opinion. It certainly is not a quantifiable black-and-white declaration of certain righteousness. If you still take issue to that, I suggest growing up and dealing with it, you big babies.
Okay, let me lay the cards out on the table right here: GamerGate is a fucking mess.
Now I’ve used the G-word, no doubt there are already people threatening to dox me or asking that I check my privilege, but GamerGate pissed me off immensely. Not because of the subject matter, or the behaviour of those involved (Although, we can pretty much agree that everyone acted equally like twats), but because it happened.
Gamergate was a controversy that caused a social divide and made it unacceptable to enjoy games because they were games and were fun. This is the first of my problems; Fun didn’t even come into it.
Okay, let me lay the cards out on the table right here: GamerGate is a fucking mess.
Now I’ve used the G-word, no doubt there are already people threatening to dox me or asking that I check my privilege, but GamerGate pissed me off immensely. Not because of the subject matter, or the behaviour of those involved (Although, we can pretty much agree that everyone acted equally like twats), but because it happened.
Gamergate was a controversy that caused a social divide and made it unacceptable to enjoy games because they were games and were fun. This is the first of my problems; Fun didn’t even come into it.
Image Credit: gavgreene.files.wordpress.com
Nowadays, it seems like you can’t make a successful indie game unless you’re exploring some deep part of the human condition. Games like Depression Quest shoots its load in the title like a big blue-balled cry for attention. "Ooh, guys, my game is all about my battle with depression and how depression is a bad thing!". No shit, Sherlock, it's about depression!
For some reason, any game that was worth a damn during GamerGate were games made by people claiming the 'gamer' identity was dead and who wanted to use games as a vehicle for social justice issues. Look, I’m not saying that issues can't be interesting or insightful, but it’s not something that compels me to pick up a controller and play. I mean, we’ve come to a point where somebody made a puzzle game about his dad abusing him, for fucks sake.
Speaking as someone who is leaning developing games right now, I sympathise even less with this kind of SJW click-bait bullshit. Look, we all have our problems and our demons; I get that, lord knows I have mine. But I'm not picking up your game because I want to lobby for a certain issue or a certain right. I'm picking up the game because you've made something worth playing. A cool mechanic, a fun story, a co-op game for my friends circle, ESCAPISM; THIS makes me want to play a game. If I want to lobby for your niche issue, I'll pick up a fucking picket sign and join the mob.
For some reason, any game that was worth a damn during GamerGate were games made by people claiming the 'gamer' identity was dead and who wanted to use games as a vehicle for social justice issues. Look, I’m not saying that issues can't be interesting or insightful, but it’s not something that compels me to pick up a controller and play. I mean, we’ve come to a point where somebody made a puzzle game about his dad abusing him, for fucks sake.
Speaking as someone who is leaning developing games right now, I sympathise even less with this kind of SJW click-bait bullshit. Look, we all have our problems and our demons; I get that, lord knows I have mine. But I'm not picking up your game because I want to lobby for a certain issue or a certain right. I'm picking up the game because you've made something worth playing. A cool mechanic, a fun story, a co-op game for my friends circle, ESCAPISM; THIS makes me want to play a game. If I want to lobby for your niche issue, I'll pick up a fucking picket sign and join the mob.
Image Credit: cinemablend.com
Image Credit: gamerheadlines.come
Thing is, the two sides of the picket line during GamerGate was like asking me to choose between hot piss in my eyes or eating a literal faeces salad; neither option was great.
On one hand, you have despicable human beings like Anita Sarkeesian and Jonathan McIntosh, who manipulated people into giving them literally thousands of dollars for a critical video series, which then failed to deliver on content and releases to focus on paid talks (Which they get more money for cancelling, which they have), who then cry foul and slaps the blame on the so-called patriarchy as soon as she’s bought to question about it. On the other hand, people who flagged this issue up also thought it was a fully acceptable idea to send these people death threats, or call swat teams to game streamers houses on fake terror threat calls, thinking that it will either silence them or intimidate them to stop engaging in the thing they love, which is obviously not cool.
If you took GamerGate as the defining event it was perceived to be, then anyone who even remotely likes games is seemingly an arsehole. And that’s my quandary; In most cases, I don’t fancy being labelled an arsehole because I like playing games. And I just want to talk about why games are great.
On one hand, you have despicable human beings like Anita Sarkeesian and Jonathan McIntosh, who manipulated people into giving them literally thousands of dollars for a critical video series, which then failed to deliver on content and releases to focus on paid talks (Which they get more money for cancelling, which they have), who then cry foul and slaps the blame on the so-called patriarchy as soon as she’s bought to question about it. On the other hand, people who flagged this issue up also thought it was a fully acceptable idea to send these people death threats, or call swat teams to game streamers houses on fake terror threat calls, thinking that it will either silence them or intimidate them to stop engaging in the thing they love, which is obviously not cool.
If you took GamerGate as the defining event it was perceived to be, then anyone who even remotely likes games is seemingly an arsehole. And that’s my quandary; In most cases, I don’t fancy being labelled an arsehole because I like playing games. And I just want to talk about why games are great.
Here's a question: Why is the conversation rarely ever over the art of game design, or the theories of why we play, or what engages us in a video game? There are people like Extra Credit and Game Theory who produce fascinating content that makes me think more about gaming. But no, Everything has to be a social issue these days.
It’s cool to learn about how game mechanics pull us in and make us care about the seemingly mechanical task of playing games. What isn't interesting is when some bint decides to profit off saying games are misogynist by generating a press hullabaloo because ‘gaems r sexists guise’, pocketing the money, not using it on her actual production and literally going out the next day and giving into the stereotypes she hates by buying new shoes with her crowd fund money. Oh, and then making a sub par, bare bones feminist video series that is still far from completion, which never actually outright proves that games are misogynist, but instead offers the opinion of two very, very misinformed and stupid people.
Here’s a thought; I shouldn't even have to fucking talk about misogyny in video games unless you've actually made a game with a misogynist character in it, hopefully to show that misogyny isn't cool. If you seriously believe that people are making video games in order to make your life as a woman worse, then consider the following:
A) You’re out of your tiny tree,
B) The whole world does not revolve around you being female, despite how society has made mistakes in the past over equality for females. Equality starts with those who wish to set the example. If the example is bitching about it day and night and calling for a zero discussion policy on your opinions, how can you expect the opposition to act? And finally,
C) If the personal views of one of the many, many people who make video games conflict with your personal agenda, that's not your problem. Play the game, make your own mind up. If you stop playing the game because of a certain personality you disagree with having a hand in its creation, you give up your right to critically comment on it. Again, play the game, then make your own mind up.
It’s cool to learn about how game mechanics pull us in and make us care about the seemingly mechanical task of playing games. What isn't interesting is when some bint decides to profit off saying games are misogynist by generating a press hullabaloo because ‘gaems r sexists guise’, pocketing the money, not using it on her actual production and literally going out the next day and giving into the stereotypes she hates by buying new shoes with her crowd fund money. Oh, and then making a sub par, bare bones feminist video series that is still far from completion, which never actually outright proves that games are misogynist, but instead offers the opinion of two very, very misinformed and stupid people.
Here’s a thought; I shouldn't even have to fucking talk about misogyny in video games unless you've actually made a game with a misogynist character in it, hopefully to show that misogyny isn't cool. If you seriously believe that people are making video games in order to make your life as a woman worse, then consider the following:
A) You’re out of your tiny tree,
B) The whole world does not revolve around you being female, despite how society has made mistakes in the past over equality for females. Equality starts with those who wish to set the example. If the example is bitching about it day and night and calling for a zero discussion policy on your opinions, how can you expect the opposition to act? And finally,
C) If the personal views of one of the many, many people who make video games conflict with your personal agenda, that's not your problem. Play the game, make your own mind up. If you stop playing the game because of a certain personality you disagree with having a hand in its creation, you give up your right to critically comment on it. Again, play the game, then make your own mind up.
Image Credit: imgur.com
Let's use myself as a poor case study: Around 50% of the people I know who play video games are women. This figure includes my girlfriend, who currently plays more video games than me. Of these women, not one of them are bothered about whether or not these games make a profuse statement about social issues. They’re playing because they’re having fun, weirdly enough. And to clarify, the reason I regularly have female players in my Destiny fireteam isn't we're lobbying for social issue #128; We play because we enjoy together, strategizing to complete challenges set by the game, learning and perfecting the mechanics of the game and engaging with the experience as friends.
To me, it feels like is that games are dying because people, normal gamers like me, are so totally disillusioned by this whole out of proportion and mis-represented social debate. Again, I come to games for escapism, not for this insanity. Look at Doom. Doom didn’t have a fucking subnarrative aimed at ethical propogation sub-culture; it was a game where you shot aliens on Mars. And if you didn't shoot the aliens on Mars, the aliens would kill you, resulting in a game over. No ulterior motives, no hidden agendas, nothing to say other than ‘if aliens on Mars want to rip you limb from limb, use a gun to shoot them’. I miss games like this; Games that didn't have to justify itself by having a message or making a ‘contribution’ to a debate. Can we not play games because we think they’re fun?
To me, it feels like is that games are dying because people, normal gamers like me, are so totally disillusioned by this whole out of proportion and mis-represented social debate. Again, I come to games for escapism, not for this insanity. Look at Doom. Doom didn’t have a fucking subnarrative aimed at ethical propogation sub-culture; it was a game where you shot aliens on Mars. And if you didn't shoot the aliens on Mars, the aliens would kill you, resulting in a game over. No ulterior motives, no hidden agendas, nothing to say other than ‘if aliens on Mars want to rip you limb from limb, use a gun to shoot them’. I miss games like this; Games that didn't have to justify itself by having a message or making a ‘contribution’ to a debate. Can we not play games because we think they’re fun?
Image Credit: i0.kym-cdn.com
I know I could have just written 'People who talk about games are why I hate games' and now that makes me part of the problem. Fact is, though, I'd love to have the discussion about game creation, inspiration for games and the all too important discussion about the effect the industry has on the consumer.
Alas, this is what we're stuck with. People complaining about people complaining about people complaining. A neverending cycle of people just constantly moaning about literally anything, and that colouring the identity of a gamer. And now I'm complaining about that. I'm a monster.
And I guess that's what I'm tired of. I should take a leaf out of my own book and 'play the game and make my own mind up'. But it becomes so much harder when on the few occasions I do managed to lose myself in a new virtual world, I find this shitty one crashing it's party.
Join me for future articles, looking at retro gaming, the farce of the Triple A game, DLC woes and the evolution of games over the past 20 years.
Alas, this is what we're stuck with. People complaining about people complaining about people complaining. A neverending cycle of people just constantly moaning about literally anything, and that colouring the identity of a gamer. And now I'm complaining about that. I'm a monster.
And I guess that's what I'm tired of. I should take a leaf out of my own book and 'play the game and make my own mind up'. But it becomes so much harder when on the few occasions I do managed to lose myself in a new virtual world, I find this shitty one crashing it's party.
Join me for future articles, looking at retro gaming, the farce of the Triple A game, DLC woes and the evolution of games over the past 20 years.
By Mike Owen
@ThatMikeOwen
The Editor in Chief of Foul Entertainment, Mike edits most of what you see on the site. He runs the production of all three of our current podcasts, he is responsible for logo, art design and site design, and does a good deal of writing across the spectrum.
@ThatMikeOwen
The Editor in Chief of Foul Entertainment, Mike edits most of what you see on the site. He runs the production of all three of our current podcasts, he is responsible for logo, art design and site design, and does a good deal of writing across the spectrum.