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Friday, August 1, 2008
First Friday Drinking Game
 If you're a dedicated FFDG player, you may find yourself wondering where the hell summer went--hard to believe August is already here! August means different things for different people--some are dreading the ever-approaching school year, some are desperately trying to find a new place to live after clinging to the last few days of their lease, while others are just happy to realize that there end of the blistering heat is in sight. If you belong to any or all of these groups, First Friday Drinking Game is right for you! We've taken on Fighters in the past, and now it's time to zero in on the Soul Calibur series. Released just recently, Soul Calibur 4 is the perfect game to take your mind off your end-of-summer problems and just beat somebody up--follow these rules and you'll have the added bonus of being sloshed while doing so: 1 drink every time Nightmare says something particularly badass 2 drinks for "THE DAAHHKNESS" 1 drink every time the final boss makes you want to break your controller in half 1 drink every time you think it's about time for Maxi to come out of the closet 1 drink each time Kilik wields his staff in a suggestive manner (overcompensating much?) 1 drink every time Voldo enthusiastically performs a pelvic thrust 2 drinks if it's up close to the screen 1 (obligatory) drink each time breasts defy the law of physics 1 drink every time the game upskirts Sophitia 1 drink every time Raphael talks in SCII (what's up with his voice?) 1 drink each time Siegfried says something emo 1 drink for every interactive cutscene you screw up And finally: Finish your drink if you realize you've gotten used to the sight of Ivy's unrealistically YOOGE boobs (because it is a sad, sad day) Warning: Excessive drinking during gameplay may result in delusions of being a large-breasted harbinger of the nastiest of beatdowns. Play with caution! Think I forgot something? Suggest a rule in the comments section! What drinking games do YOU want to play every month? If there is any genre or specific game you want featured in FFDG, drop me a line at PlasmaRit at gmail dot com. Labels: Fighter, First Friday Drinking Game, PlasmaRit, Soul Calibur
Friday, July 25, 2008
Linkfest: Fat Princess Edition
 There's been a lot of talk about the new PSN game Fat Princess that had been announced at this year's E3. Check out these sites to read all about it: Feministe - Well, that was bound to happen Feminist Gamers - Fat Princess Shakesville - I Write Letters I especially like the alternative ideas Might Ponygirl and those in the comments have suggested to reduce the tiring stereotypes in the original game. What are your opinions? Happy reading, and have a good weekend! Labels: Linkfest, PlasmaRit, Stereotypes
Friday, July 18, 2008
Women Worshipers
 There are a lot of different flavors of sexism out there, and very much like garbage, they each have their own unique stench. Some are so obvious you can smell them from a mile away, while others you don't notice until you get right up close to them. There is a type of sexism that I liken to the smell of mold--perfumey sweet, with a curl of nausea about it. That would be the Women Worshipers. To the untrained eye, Women Worshipers may not seem sexist at all. They proclaim their love for women, going so far as to say they're better than men, even if said Women Worshiper is a man himself (which many of them are). And while loving women isn't the problem, it's the reasons they have for loving women: because women are naturally so pure, so chaste and nurturing--so much better than violent, aggressive men. Women have a natural instinct for being caring, peaceful, and selfless, according to them. Okay, some may ask, so what's wrong with that? Isn't it nice that people think of women as being so great? Women Worshipers think of women in such a way that it puts women on a pedestal from which we can't budge. It reduces women's humanity and turns us into an unrealistic symbol of All That is Right in the World. I see this attitude often when it comes to female characters in video games. For example, when I was doing research for my article on the character Krystal from the Star Fox series, I came across a similar attitude toward her: many of Krystal's fans love her not only because she's a pretty blue fox, but also because she is "kind," and "caring." Which is all true: Krystal goes out of her way in both Star Fox Adventures and Assault to save planet Sauria. However, those same fans were dismayed about her character development in SF Command. In my article "There's Something About Krystal," I talked about how I love that Command revealed Krystal's stubborness and desire to get even after Fox unfairly breaks her heart; I love that it gives her flaws and makes her more than just a 2-D love interest and sex appeal for the Star Fox series. Those fans who were dismayed about Krystal's newly-revealed traits because she was no longer a perfect ambassador for peace and love. They were putting Krystal on a pedestal, unhappy that she was showing her selfish side. There are many more female video game characters treated this way by some fans, such as Shadow Hearts's Alice and Xenosaga's MOMO. Women Worshipers can be trouble in many ways. For instance, because they expect women to be perfectly good and peaceful, if a woman displays aggression or selfishness, for example, she is being un-womanlike, and the Women Worshiper may be hostile toward her. However, one of the most troubling aspects about Women Worshipers revolves around the subject of sex. Women Worshipers tend to think of sex as a sinful thing--something a woman would never actively want and should protect herself from it, acting as a gatekeeper to men. If a woman does want to have sex, she is labeled a slut. Extreme Women Worshipers may take the Goddess Image of women to such an extreme that they justify rape and/or are turned on by it; after all, women are naturally chaste, so a "proper" woman who has sex before marriage is one that is raped, not one that consents. This keeps the woman pure while still making her sexually available. I consider Women Worshipers to be one of the most dangerous kinds of sexism: they effectively dehumanize women and reduce them to symbols of virtue and objects to acquire. To make mistakes, to get angry, to have flaws is human, and those who want a woman who is flawless do not want a woman who is human. Labels: PlasmaRit, Sexuality, Stereotypes
Friday, July 11, 2008
Chipping the Glass Ceiling
 One of the main issues in the gaming industry is that there are relatively few women in it. Many folks would claim that this discrepancy is because women just aren't interest in video games, but we've learned that the real culprit is the difficulty women face trying to break into such a male-dominated industry. Fortunately, there are scholarship programs out there that are designed to help even the odds--and two of them have just found winners. 2007's Game Career Guide shows that only 9% of game artists are women and make on average over less than $10,000 per year than male game artists. In light of this information, Notes on Game Dev started the Aspiring Women Game Artists Contest--a contest that was judged by such female leaders in game art and education as Heather Kelley, Sheri Graner Ray, and Christin McKee. Last week, the winners were announced: Amy McDonough Jones and Erin Robinson will receive a fully paid grant for the Accredited Game Art Certificate Program at Sessions Online School of Game Art, the right to use the NoGD Grand Place Award Winner digital seal in their future portfolio, a one-year membership to the International Game Developers Association, and a one-year subscription to Game Developers Magazine. Runners up Elise Motzny and Lesa Wilcox will also receive the right to use the NoGD Grand Place Award Winner digital seal and the Game Developers Magazine subscription. Just a few days ago, Sony Online Entertainment announced the winner for their G. I. R. L. Game Design Competition. Contestants were asked to submit an in-game design, original concept art and two essays. Winner Julia Brasil will receive a $10, 000 tuition scholarship toward her education at The Art Institute of California -- San Francisco and a paid internship of up to 10 weeks at the Sony Online Entertainment studios of her choice in Austin, Denver, San Diego, or Seattle. I hope programs like these can help women break into the gaming industry with a little more ease, but we still have a long way to go. Keep it up, everyone, and congratulations to the winners! via Women Gamers Labels: Getting it Right, PlasmaRit, The Industry
Friday, July 4, 2008
First Friday Drinking Game
 It's July, and it's gettin' hot--and we also have the benefit of this month's First Friday Drinking Game falling on the Fourth of July! And by the magic of the internet, I have ninja-posted this article on Friday before your very eyes! Whoooosh! And to go along with all of that Independence Day-partyin', why not throw a little Guitar Hero in there? It goes great with ribs and beer, the likes of which will get your friends pumped up all the more while you rock out for them. Add a little twist to the party with this month's FFDG and your friends will proclaim you the Goddess of Rock before asking to crash on your couch for the night. 1 drink for every bad cover song you play 2 drinks if you couldn't tell the cover song was a cover 1 drink for every blatant corporate advertising you see 2 drinks if said corporate advertisement is on a dancer chick 1 drink if one of your friends tries to break out GH: On Tour 2 drinks if s/he tries to look cool while playing it 1 drink whenever your wrist starts hurting from all the badass jamming (to dull the pain) 1 drink each time Lou kicks your ass 2 drinks each time you attempt Dragonforce's "Through the Fire and the Flames" 1 drink each time one of your friends just then notices the animations were done by that Gorillaz dude 1 drink every time you fail to initiate your Star Power and end up just flinging your guitar around 1 drink for every song that has long periods of time without any guitar-playing 1 drink for each song you play that is sung by a woman (if you don't want to drink much) 1 drink for each song you play that is sung by a man (if you want to get smashed) And finally: Finish your drink for every song you play by a band/artist who isn't white--'cuz there ain't that many in GH Warning: Excessive drinking during gameplay may result in wild guitar domination and impromptu mosh pits. Play with caution! Think I forgot something? Suggest a rule in the comments section! What drinking games do YOU want to play every month? If there is any genre or specific game you want featured in FFDG, drop me a line at PlasmaRit at gmail dot com. Labels: First Friday Drinking Game, Guitar Hero, PlasmaRit
Friday, June 27, 2008
Colonization: Fun 'n Games
 Sid Meier's Civilization series comprises of turn-based strategy games with a focus on growing a budding nation. Begun in 1991, the games take place in a variety of eras--you can build an empire as far back as 4000 BCE and nurture it long enough to witness World War II. The series has proven to be very popular over the years, gaining a loyal fanbase and even winning a few awards along the way. In 1994, Sid Meier released a game called Colonization: Create a New Nation. Players choose from four European nations--England, France, Spain, and the Netherlands--and set sail for the Americas (or "The New World," as the game calls it). The object of the game is to foster a colony and eventually gain independence from its mother country. Sid Meier is preparing to rerelease this game in the form of a Civilization IV standalone expansion sometime in 2008. I was a bit taken aback at the sight of a game about colonization, although I probably shouldn't have been surprised. The idea of a game about conquering other civilizations and stealing their land is pretty tasteless to me, but unfortunately many Americans don't view colonization that way. I found that most people tend to see it through an Elementary School History Lens--you know, when you were taught how the plucky, pure future Americans who could do no wrong went on a journey for freedom and were buddy-buddies with the Native Americans? The original Colonization game handles Native Americans in a very interesting way. Players can choose to either befriend the natives (who in turn teach them skills and help defend the colony) or wipe them out entirely. Unlike other Civilization games, Colonization focuses on trade and community interaction rather than more militant aspects. If the player defeats a native community, they gain treasure and land; however, it also severely affects their final score. Players can also send peacemakers such as Ben Franklin or Pocahontas to native communities to further improve relations or gain recruits. Unfortunately, this recruiting typically involves converting said recruits to Christianity. Each European country has different skills when it comes to interacting with the natives. For instance, France generates tension with native communities at a lower rate, while the Spanish have a 50% military bonus against them. The Spanish military bonus in particular is rooted in history: Spain's military was sent to colonize the Americas after the Reconquista, which left an eager military rearing for action. This ultimately lead to the destruction of many legendary Native American tribes. Sid Meier helps to raise the issues with colonization by punishing the act of attacking native communities; however, there is an issue with being able to avoid doing this. By providing the option of being completely peaceful with the Native Americans, Colonization risks perpetuating the Elementary School History Syndrome associated with the colonising America--that we were all just good buddies with the natives. It conveniently sidesteps the cruelty and abuse Native Americans received at the hands of the colonists. The remake can and should address this issue, along with some sort of penalization to demonstrate the impact colonization had on Native Americans. The Civilization series has been repeatedly criticized for its elitist nature. Historian and anthropologist Matthew Kappell published an essay entitled "Civilization and its Discontents: American Monomythic Structure as Historical Simulacrum" that spearheads this issue. In the essay, Kappel explains how the series uses American myths concerning colonization and domination of the Americas (such as the conquering of the frontier) as a foundation for its premise. Other critics have pointed out how Colonization in particular skirts the issues of slavery, particularly the Spanish hacienda system which forced many native tribes into slavery. Removing these aspects of the colonists further paints them with a monochrome coat of goodness and innocence. It is reprehensible that colonists are so often portrayed as brave heroes earning what land is rightfully theirs--games such as Colonization only perpetuate this myth so common among Americans and Europeans. How about a game about colonization from the natives' perspective? Battle against an army of white folk claiming the land you've lived on for centuries to be theirs--now that's a game I'd play. For another opinion on this game, check out The Cutscene--but avoid the comments if you want to stay in a good mood. Labels: Civilization, PlasmaRit, Race Issues, RTS
Friday, June 20, 2008
Prince of Persia: The Alabaster Sands of Time
 There are certain words and phrases we hear every now and then that immediately put us on alert--things like "fire" in a building, or "bomb" at the airport. I think we can all agree that "video game movie" is another one of these phrases. We learned the hard way with the Super Mario Bros. movie, but now we've come to expect the side of cheese that comes with our favorite video games adapted for the big screen. And thanks to directors like Uwe Boll, video game movies are pretty much expected to bomb in the box office.Even now, I think back on some of those movies and shiver. Mario Bros.? Even as a young child, I regarded it with a mixture of fascination and horror. Final Fantasy? Pretty but hollow. Alone in the Dark? Horrifyingly bad. The Silent Hill movie stands head and shoulders over the rest in my book--a veritable best of the worst. Overall a long history ranging from meh to brain-snappingly horrible. And now we've got a Prince of Persia movie coming along; scheduled to be released in 2009, it's currently being filmed in Morocco. When I first heard about Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time being in production, several thoughts flashed through my mind. First, of course, was whether or not ol' Uwe had gotten his hands on it. A quick Google search relieved my fears: Mike Newell is in the hotseat this time. Sure, he directed my least favorite Harry Potter movie, but anyone besides Uwe is a major step forward. Next came that little red flag that goes up whenever any video game movie comes out; that feeling that I shouldn't get too excited since it's more than likely going to suck. Then I started thinking about it a little more, and I realized that Prince of Persia may be the first video game movie in the United States to feature a person of color as the main character (let me know in the comments if I'm mistaken). In an industry that features mostly white characters, I was happy to see Prince of Persia selected for its own movie. So, I went on my naive little way, looking forward to seeing the end product of this movie--until I got a load of who will be the leading actors. First, let's take a look at these characters straight from the source, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time for the Playstation 2:  That would be Prince Dastan, the noted Prince of Persia, and Princess Farah, the daughter of the Maharajah. Now let's see who will be playing them in the movie adaptation. First up is--  . . . lily-white actor Jake Gyllenhaal playing Prince Dastan. Okay, my bitter side is trying to reason that casting wanted a familiar face for the lead role, so the more minor role of the renamed Tarmina must at least look Indian-- --oh. It's lily-white actress Gemma Arterton. What the hell, movie?Prince of Persia is a miss right from the get-go. They take one of the maybe two games in existence with a majority cast of people of color and they whitewash them until they're practically blinding us with their whiteness. I don't have anything against Gyllenhaal or Arterton, but the idea that these two are playing a Persian man and an Indian woman respectively makes me laugh and cry at the same time. There is waaay to much history behind white people playing people of color in movies for me to be okay with this decision. Get it together, people! Minority actors don't bite, and it's not going to kill you to find a lesser-known actor. This movie was a great chance to shine the spotlight on more actors of color, and I'm incredibly disappointed Disney didn't take the opportunity. Only time will tell if Prince of Persia can pull video games out of their crappy history, but it definitely hasn't pulled the movie history out of theirs. Labels: PlasmaRit, Prince of Persia, Race Issues, Video Game Movies
Friday, June 6, 2008
First Friday Drinking Game--Late Night Edition
 June has finally arrived with the glorious summertime in tow. While schools have let out and vacations are drawing near, it is also getting unbelievably hot out--which is what makes the coolness of the night so darn inviting. Now is the perfect time to get some friends together for a little late-night First Friday Drinking (Game)! The release of Metal Gear Sold IV is tantalizingly close, so this month we'll be raising our drinks to the entire Metal Gear series. Whether your playing a marathon or just dusting off MSG II, you can follow these simple rules with any combination of good ol' Metal Gear. Play long enough and you'll be Solid Snaking it in no time: 1 drink each time Snake has a smoke 1 drink for each cutscene that lasts longer than ten minutes 1 drink for each additional cutscene minute 1 drink every time Otacon cries 2 drinks every time Fortune whines about being invincible (we get it, already!) 1 drink for every cardboard box stealth mission 1 drink every time the sound of someone discovering you scares the bejesus out of you 1 drink whenever Psycho Mantis freaks you the fuck out 2 drinks whenever the Sorrow freaks you the fuck out 3 drinks if you find yourself missing Mei Ling 2 drinks for every torture scene 3 drinks if said torture scene involves at least partial nudity 1 drink each time Solid Snake stares at boobs (yes, posters and magazines count) 1 drink after Olga dies (make sure it's real vodka--RIP, girl) 2 drinks whenever you learn something about a character that makes you REALLY uncomfortable And finally: Finish your drink when you beat the game and still have no idea what's going on Warning: Excessive drinking during gameplay may result in false notions of badassery to the point that you grow a snappy math teacher's mustache. Play with caution! Think I forgot something? Suggest a rule in the comments section! What drinking games do YOU want to play every month? If there is any genre or specific game you want featured in FFDG, drop me a line at PlasmaRit at gmail dot com. Labels: First Friday Drinking Game, Metal Gear, PlasmaRit, Stealth
Friday, May 30, 2008
Video Games: They're Coming for Your Man
 If there's one thing we're all aware of, it's how much the media hates video games. Sure, there is the occasional praise-worthy article, but these are merely small islands in a vast ocean of disdain. The media has portrayed video games as mind-rotting, youth-corrupting harbingers of the apocalypse, which I've covered in some detail in the past, but there is another threat that video games pose to humanity; yes, one that targets the very fiber of our being. Video games tear relationships apart. Do a simple Google search of the keywords "video games relationship," and you'll be faced with a wall of links deploring how the hubby won't get off the X-Box and ways to rescue him from the dark clutches of those "stupid games." Link after link, websites spread the tale of soul-sucking consoles and how, if you don't watch out, your husband will be next, chickie. Video games are the reason you can't spend time with your significant other, and it is your job to save him. As with the old Harbingers of the Apocalypse deal, video games are nothing more than the most recent scapegoat in a long history of excuses--in this case, for poor relationships (see also: sporting events, other "male-centric" hobbies). Never is it that the husband must take responsibility for his neglect; rather, it's solely up to the wife to save him in some way and reunite the couple, whether it's seduction, force, or a healthy dose of If You Can't Beat 'em, Join 'em. After all, those poor men don't realize what they're doing, right? They should be taken care of. Which: no. Hubby knows exactly what he's doing, just like when he spends all night at the bar or with his friends. The relationship is not faring well, and he's wanting out. If he doesn't want to stick around and make an effort himself to spent time with you, then it's time you jumped ship too. This is exactly why Rachel Shukart's article at Salon.com is so very hard to read. The article depicts how Shukart's marriage has reached the darkest depths of despair--thanks in large part to her husband's love of video games. After her attempts to get his attention fail (which include screaming at and flashing him), there seems to be no hope to reconcile their relationship until Rock Band enters the scene. She plays it with him, and bam! Relationship all better. "But Plasma!" you say, "you just spent three paragraphs saying the media blames video games for tearing people apart! Rock Band brought them together!" Yes, niggling voice, Shukart does thank Rock Band for saving her marriage. So what's the problem? Shukart joined her husband in an activity that he enjoys, rather than the both of them choosing a separate activity they both would. Granted, she did starting liking Rock Band when she played it, but women in our society are so often encouraged to get interested in their husband's hobbies rather than vice versa--or, heaven forbid, find something they both like. What's more, Rock Band can only be a bandage over the real relationship problems they're having, and without any active work from both of them, it's only a matter of time before they're fighting over the instrument controllers in divorce court. I understand that a lot of this article was probably exaggerated for humor, but, and this may just be me, that tactic only works when the end result is funny. The end result in this article however, was a grand cornucopia of stereotypes--desperate, nagging woman reconciles relationship with slovenly man-child by chilling out and doing what he enjoys. And that leaves one hell of a bad taste in my mouth. Plenty of feminist blogs have covered this article and why it rubs them the wrong way, too. Read what they have to say at Feministe, Feminist Gamers, and Pandagon. Each blog provides some great analysis, so check them out! Labels: In the News, PlasmaRit
Friday, May 23, 2008
Women in the Industry: They Exist, Donchaknow
 Gamasutra has started a new feature on their website called the Gamasutra 20, a twenty-item list concerning any gaming-related subject they'd like to spotlight. They're starting out with an unranked list of twenty women in the gaming industry today. No, Jade Raymond isn't the only one out there, in spite of what the news might tell you. This list is not some thrown-together nod to women in gaming, either. It's a twenty-one-paged article that features each woman in wonderful detail, including their job title, a career overview, major accomplishments, innovation (what new twist they've injected into the industry), and a few words about them from their peers. There are younger women and older women, those newer to the industry as well as veterans, and women working in a spectrum of gaming genres. The list features women who are currently making a significant impact on the face of gaming today. The article also notes how difficult it was to compile the list--not for lack of candidates, but because there were so many women to choose from. The gaming community today would have one believe that gaming is a Boyz Only club, but the stereotype just isn't true. It's a little known fact that there are many women working in the gaming industry, and many of those women hold very important positions in their companies. What I really love about this article is that it does help dispel this Boyz Only myth; it presents a list of role models that other women and girls aspiring to enter the gaming industry can look up to and know they're not going in alone. My only quibble is that, while the list is quite diverse, it seems awfully whitewashed; what a great opportunity this could have been to spotlight some women of color working in the gaming industry. I encourage all of our readers to check out the article; it really is top-notch. Labels: Getting it Right, PlasmaRit, The Industry
Friday, May 9, 2008
Quick Hit: Casual Games for the Cure
 The bastion of casual games Popcap is currently running a fundraiser in honor of Mother's Day this Sunday. Thirty percent of the price of each game sold on their website will go to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, a major combatant in the fight against breast cancer. The fundraiser will continue through this Sunday, so if you're planning on getting some Popcap games, now's the time to do it! Get your mama hooked on some Bejeweled--it's the gift that keeps on giving. If casual gaming's not your thing, feel free to donate directly to the foundation here. Labels: PlasmaRit
Friday, May 2, 2008
First Friday Drinking Game
 May is finally here, with summer just around the corner. The release of Mario Kart Wii last weekend was the excuse we all needed to get to the summertime slackin'--even if we students still have a few finals left. The Mario Kart series has been a foundation of my gaming history since I was in preschool, and aside from the occasional spin-outs, it's only gotten better with age. In celebration of the new release, I've compiled a list of drinking game rules you can use on any Mario Kart game you want to drink to. Sure, drinking and driving is never a good idea, but it's totally worth playing Rainbow Road while you're sloshed. 1 drink for fucking up a shortcut jump 1 drink for attempting Super Mario Kart's Rainbow Road 1 additional drink for each fall on Rainbow Road 1 drink if you try to wrangle up 16 people for a grand prix in Double Dash 2 drinks when (not if) your online opponent signs out early in a race in MK DS 1 drink every time Toad talks with his Country Guy Voice in MK 64 2 drinks for Toad's Cracked-Out Voice in Double Dash 1 drink per collision with a cow/penguin/mole/other assorted animal 1 drink per fall into ice, chocolate, lava, water, or endless pit 2 drinks for accidentally using an item instead when you're trying to hold it behind you 3 drinks each time you trade an awesome item for a crappy green shell 1 drink if your online opponent snakes through and entire course in MK DS 1 drink if you get hit by a blue shell 2 drinks if you get hit by it on a jump And finally: Finish your drink if you decide to play Toad's Turnpike in Extra Mode while drunk--if you're going to "I'm cool to drive" through a course that involves semi trucks hurtling at you, you may as well go all-out Warning: Excessive drinking during gameplay may result in severely-affected driving skills and an increased likelihood of getting fishooked by Lakitu. Play with caution! Think I forgot something? Suggest a rule in the comments section! What drinking games do YOU want to play every month? If there is any genre or specific game you want featured in FFDG, drop me a line at PlasmaRit at gmail dot com. Labels: First Friday Drinking Game, Mario Bros., PlasmaRit
Friday, April 25, 2008
Women's Gaming Community: Are We Being Heard?
 1up.com has a great article up that discusses how online forums influence game makers and marketers. The idea is that important gaming folk have been discovered combing through gaming message boards and forums online in order to learn how gamers feel about certain games, marketing ideas, and game developers themselves. The article talks about several interesting examples of this phenomenon, which had me thinking about our neck of the woods. If game developers read through the typical gaming message board, do they read feminist gaming blogs as well?Fortunately, I've had first hand experienced with that: after I wrote an article about ICED, the computer game focusing on deportation in the United States, the game developers Breakthrough left a comment under it: Hi, We just wanted to say that we greatly appreciate your positive post. Reading comments like yours in response to our game helps us continue to do our work in an environment that doesn't seem to see that immigration is a human rights and due process issue. Thank you again! -Breakthrough http://www.breakthrough.tv I had not contacted Breakthrough before or after writing the article, which indicates to me that they were actively searching for internet activity surrounding their game. They may not have come across Girl in the Machine primarily to read about feminist issues, but there are wonderful implications about this phenomenon: Breakthrough read what a feminist blog had to say about their game. Who's to say Breakthrough is alone in this respect? Other game developers are more than likely Googling their own games to discover the public's opinion about them. There are feminist and women's gaming blogs sprouting up and discussing popular video games every day, providing a widespread, powerful voice for women's issues in video games. The more we women blog about women's issues in games, the more likely game developers will come across them and--hopefully--take our opinions into account. This is our chance to tell them what they're doing right and what needs to be changed. So blog on, women gamers. --Iris Directory Logo from the Iris Gaming Network Labels: Getting it Right, PlasmaRit, The Industry
Friday, April 18, 2008
Linkfest: The Good, the Bad and teh Awesome
Hello, all! There's been interesting bits of info floating around the 'net, and when a bunch of them crop up, Linkfests are due. This week I've found links that can be easily placed in The Good, The Bad, and Teh Awesome categories. So while you're not busy with preparing for finals or spending time out in the blessed sun, give these links a click. The Good: Crafty Rock Band Etsy's a great place to go if you're shopping for any unique handmade items. Being a crafty gamer myself, I was delighted to see someone selling crocheted drum kit cozies for X-Box 360's Rock Band. Unfortunately, these in particular have been sold, but it's a great idea in itself: you can keep you drum kit in top quality and still play to your heart's content without driving your partner nuts from all the plastic-on-plastic drummin'. If you're crafty and a Rock Band drummer (or know someone who is), you can make your own. Imagine the possibilities! One-up mushroom drums, neon-pink drums, Metroic drums--okay, I don't even have Rock Band, and I want some Metroid drum cozies. Sweet. The Bad: Head-Slicing or Man-Kissing? GayGamer picked up a poll from WhatTheyPlay.com asking the question "As a parent, which would you find the most offensive in a video game?" The choices were "A graphically severed human head," "A man and woman having sex," "Multiple use of the F-word," and "Two men kissing." The most offensive was the man and woman sex with 37%, but guess which choice came next? Would it be the severed human head with the emphasis that said head was severed graphically? Sadly, no: 27% of parents answering the poll said "Two men kissing" was most offensive to them, while 26% chose the severed head. Really? Most of these parents would rather let their child watch someone's head get graphically cut off than the sight of two men kissing? They'd rather let their child watch and act of violence and hatred over and act of love and compassion (even if it's seen as immoral)? The mind, it boggles. Teh Awesome: Frag Dolls Make World Record Frag Dolls Kitt, Sarin, and Jam made it into the Guinness Book of World Records for the "Longest continuous play of a single FPS." They played Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2 for 24 hours straight, and others who participated in the marathon donated money to Breakthrough Breast Cancer. Gaming marathon? World records? Money to charity? Breaking stereotypes? Smells like awesome to me. Plasma out. Labels: LGBT, Linkfest, PlasmaRit
Friday, April 11, 2008
Asperger's and "Video Game Addiction"
 A recent study conducted has concluded that those players with signs of "video game addiction" have symptoms similar to those with Asperger's Syndrome, a mild form of autism. This study comes to us from the psychology professors Drs. John Charlton and Ian Danforth, who presented their findings at the British Psychological Society's Annual conference on April 3, 2008. Naturally, I am skeptical of most studies conducted about video games, so it's important to get to the bare bones of each one that crops up. Why don't we filter this study through my patented GitM Study Bullshit Filter: Who were the Subjects? Charlton and Danforth used a total of 391 subjects, 86% of whom were male. They are also identified as "computer game players," but that's pretty much it. There is no indication of an age bracket or any other description of these people. While the size of the subject pool is better than a lot of studies I've seen concerning video games, it's still not large enough to justify any findings, in my opinion. What was the Equipment? None of the article's I've perused about this study mention any of the equipment Charlton and Danforth used. As far as I could tell, the study was either an interview or a survey, as the subjects were "questioned." There is also no mention of what those questions were, only that said questions were asked to determine whether these subjects showed any degree of "video game addiction," and the relationships between said addiction, "high engagement, and personality." What was the Subjects' Task? Considering this study was not an experiment but rather an interview/survey, the subjects only had to answer questions. As for how many, there's no way to tell in the article; it focuses much more of its attention on the results found rather than the process of the study itself. What are the Results? Charlton and Danforth claim that the data they found "supports the idea that people who are heavily involved in game playing may be nearer to autistic spectrum disorders than people who have no interest in gaming." They also note that those subjects found to have symptoms of "video game addiction" do not themselves have Asperger's, but that they share similar traits, such as "finding it easier to empathize with computer systems than other people." What was the Point? Honestly, there really doesn't seem to be--didn't we already know that people who spend a gross amount of time playing video games aren't socially savvy? First of all, the idea of "video game addiction" has not been accepted as a real disorder, so the basis of the study itself is unfounded. Second, Charlton and Danforth made no definitive link between video game addiction and Asperger's, even stating in the article itself that none of their subjects fit the criterion for diagnosis of Asperger's. The only reason for the existence of this study that I can see is to stigmatize video games even more now that other studies are dispelling the link between video games and violent behavior. This study seems to imply that playing more video games will give you Asperger's. It doesn't even entertain the idea that, maybe, those people will Asperger's-like symptoms are attracted to not only video games but other forms of entertainment that don't involve direct human interaction. Overall, Charlton and Danforth's study told us nothing new about video games and sure as hell won't cause me to lose any sleep. Labels: In the News, PlasmaRit
Friday, April 4, 2008
First Friday Drinking Game
 Oookay, folks--April is here! The weather's finally getting warmer and the end of the school year is fast approaching for us student-types. Unfortunately, these warmer days are divided by sad bouts of anti-cavorting rain. What to do on days like these? Why, have a round of First Friday Drinking game of course! Thanks to its ten-year anniversary, Final Fantasy VII games and movies have been popping up everywhere, including the recent release of Crisis Core for the PSP. Many longtime fans of the original FF VII have found many great things about these new additions--as well as an equal amount of things to drink to. I've compiled a list of rules you and all your friends can follow while you enjoy your favorite (or least favorite) showcase of the FF VII universe. Fun Tip: Turn out the lights and add a green glowstick to your favorite mixed drink for that authentic Mako feel! (Note: Drinking the liquid from said glowstick will also add to that authentic Mako feel but is not recommended. Trips to the Life Stream may result.) Anyway, onto the rules: 1 drink every time a Shinra employee does something wacky 1 drink for each time someone crashes through a church roof (stack FF VII media for ultimate effect!) 2 drinks every time Hojo speaks in his Crazy Old Man Scientist voice 3 drinks every time Zach sounds a little too much like Tidus ("I'm trying, I'm trying!") 1 drink for every censored cuss word 1 drink for every hilarious translation error 2 drinks for "This guy are sick" 2 drinks every time a friend is surprised Sephiroth isn't the main villain of FF VII 1 drink for every word you realize you've been mispronouncing all this time (no drinks if you still think you're right) 2 drinks if it's a name 1 drink for every character you encounter named "[color] the [synonym of same color]" 1 drink each time Vincent poses in a badass way in DoC 1 drink every time Lucrecia says "I'm sorry" 1 drink for each zipper found on your favorite character's outfit 1 drink for every materia that looks as big as someone's head (or bigger!) 1 drink every time post-experiment Cloud needs to be saved 2 drinks if he's in a wheelchair And finally: Finish your drink when Tifa, a competently skilled fighter, engages in a slap fight with Scarlett Warning: Excessive drinking during gameplay may result in lingering doubts about your past and the realization that you're not as awesome as you thought you were. Play with caution! Think I forgot something? Suggest a rule in the comments section! What drinking games do YOU want to play every month? If there is any genre or specific game you want featured in FFDG, drop me a line at PlasmaRit at gmail dot com. Labels: Final Fantasy, First Friday Drinking Game, PlasmaRit, RPG
Friday, March 28, 2008
The Great Debate
 I've always been a console kind of girl. While I have cheated with a fair collection of PC games, in the end I always find myself crawling back to my first love. Sure, there are lots of really great PC games out there, and it's not the games I have a problem with. It's the PC itself. The biggest problem I have with PC games is compatibility. Having a three year-old laptop, it's simply not able to play a majority of the new games out today. I learned this the hard way when I received Neverwinter Nights 2 for Christmas two years ago--even with the graphics at their worst, the game was slow and jaggy as hell. It was pretty much impossible to play. Most new laptops are being created with a graphics card that is not compatible with Neverwinter Nights 2 as well as most games I already own, and if I want a Mac, I'll also have to kiss all my old games goodbye. Sure, I could always go with a desktop for ultimate PC gaming, but a travel-ready computer is vital, and I don't have the cash to have both, let alone a brand spanking-new laptop. I'm dreading the newest WoW graphics upgrade for fear it will render my account useless. Consoles do not have this problem. Sure, the games are only compatible with the consoles they're made for, but you are guaranteed that they'll continue to work no matter how long you have the console. Plus, they're significantly cheaper than buying a souped-up desktop that needs to be updated every year. Games made for the Playstation 2 at the end of its life have breathtakingly beautiful graphics compared to the PS2's debut games with zero mandatory upgrades.  Of course, there are a few things PCs can do that I wish consoles could, the most important being patches. In a PC game, if a level's screwed up in any way, the company can release a patch to fix it. Patching also gives the players themselves the freedom of creating their own patches and mods that can transform a game from typical to sexy to completely insane. The gay bar mod for Oblivion is a great example of this. If a console game is glitched, however, you're pretty much screwed. Primal, unfortunately, has quite a few glitches that can make gameplay maddening; patching could have made it a much more enjoyable game. Now that newer consoles have internet access, I hope it's only a matter of time before developers create patches for their future games to solve this annoying problem.There you have it: my completely biased ruling that console games are better than PC. What kind of games do you prefer, and why? Labels: PlasmaRit
Friday, March 21, 2008
Zero Suit Scandal
 Super Smash Bros. Brawl was finally unleashed to the public last week--and to my delight, right smack in the middle of my Spring Break. And for that week I experienced the peaceful life of a hermit, serenely kicking ass in front of my Wii with little food, drink, or sleep. So deep was my meditation in front of that glorious flickering screen that, alas, there was simply no time for updates last Friday. Adventure mode in particular is fun and engaging, and being the Nintendo fangirl that I am (hell, I grew up on the stuff), each cheesy cutscene left me in giggles. After a few stages, I arrived at the research facility, and I finally got to see Zero Suit Samus in motion. Guys? Remember, a few months ago, when I expressed the reservations I had about how Zero Suit Samus would be treated? Christ on a cracker, I was right. Practically every cutscene Zero Suit Samus is in, it seems there's a camera stuck to her boobs or her ass. They seemed inescapable, thanks to her exaggerated proportions. I felt like Lewis Black was behind me with every cutscene, shouting "Ass-ass! Titties-titties-ass-ass!" I couldn't wait to get her Power Suit so I could stop speculating how uncomfortable it would be to wear such a frighteningly vaccumm-sealed suit. But it wasn't just the creepy camera-ogling, either; Zero Suit Samus has a distinctly more feminine air to her, even if she's just standing in one place. The body language she emits before and after she obtains her Power Suit are jarringly different.  As a fighter, Zero Suit Samus isn't too bad. She's much faster out of her suit, which is nice, but as a hardcore Metroid fan I feel I must nitpick here. Isn't her Power Suit supposed to make Samus faster and more agile than the average human? I would understand if Zero Suit Samus were easier to knock off screen, but I'm not convinced she would be faster without her suit. The laser whip thingy she carries isn't as SexySexy Danger as I had anticipated, thank god, but it is significantly girlier than Power Suit Samus's grappling beam. Overall, Zero Suit Samus is certainly not a downgraded version of Power Suit Samus, in spite of her cheesecakey tendencies. For that I applaud Nintendo.However, I am still disappointed in Super Smash Bros. Brawl for confirming my fears about Samus. She was the only human female of the Smash Bros. series who wasn't superfemme, but now Nintendo, like Activision did with Guitar Hero III, has succeeded in feminizing all of its female characters. Ugh, I'm going to go beat up some Waddle-Dees. Labels: Body Language, Fighter, Metroid, PlasmaRit, Sexuality, Super Smash Bros.
Saturday, March 8, 2008
First Friday Drinking Game: Saturday Edition!
 The beginning of March signals the coming of many wonderful things. For those of us in the northern hemisphere, spring is just around the corner; for students, Spring Break looms tantalizingly close. But for American gamers, Super Smash Bros. Brawl is coming to our shores! In celebration of this wondrous event, we'll be raising our glasses to the Smash Bros. series for this month's First Friday Drinking Game! . . . . . . what? Okay, I know it's technically Saturday, but I'm not changing the graphic. Moving on! 1 drink for every Snorlax that smashes you to oblivion 2 drinks for reaching a death match 3 drinks if you lose said death match 1 drink if you are a Sheik whore 1 drink each time Jigglypuff/Mr. Game and Watch kills you 2 drinks if a random Arwing blows you away 1 drink for dying from a Bob-Omb 2 drinks for stepping on your own land mine 1 drink if you KO the wrong Ice Climber 1 drink each time you miss a player with your hookshot/grappling beam 1 drink if you KO yourself because you're too distracted by the look of the stage 1 drink for choosing any stage that includes water 2 drinks if that water is a fast current And finally: Finish your drink if you plan on trying to upskirt Peach or Zelda when Brawl comes out. Seriously creepy and gross. Warning: Excessive drinking during game play may result in an inability to find your character on the screen and may result in suicidal KOs. Play with caution! Think I forgot something? Suggest a rule in the comments section! What drinking games do YOU want to play every month? If there is any genre or specific game you want featured in FFDG, drop me a line at PlasmaRit at gmail dot com. Labels: Fighter, First Friday Drinking Game, PlasmaRit, Super Smash Bros.
Friday, February 29, 2008
I Can End Discrimination
 Browsing through GamePolitics, I read an article about a unique PC game called ICED, or "I Can End Deportation." Created by the human rights organization Breakthrough, the game is meant to "spark dialogue and create awareness of unfair U.S. immigration laws on detention and deportation." In the game, players follow the life of one of five teenage immigrants as they are pursued by U.S. immigration officers. The object of the game is to avoid being deported and become a full citizen of the United States. I read through Dennis's post excited to see that such a game had been created; even better, it's available for free download on the Breathrough website. Aimed at high school and college students, ICED is providing a valuable source of information for those who may not be aware of the problems immigrants face in America. ICED has already faced scathing attacks in the media, such as on the website InfoWars: "An Indian woman, Mallika Dutt, has released a video game that essentially trains illegal aliens how to sneak across the border and avoid border patrol agents and cops… As the average Mexican or Latin American does not have access to a video game console, let alone a television, the game is more practically geared toward an effort to inculcate middle class Americans into the belief that illegal immigration is a human rights issue, never mind open borders and the influx of third world people is a globalist plot to turn the United States, soon to become part of a North American Union, into a feudal slave labor gulag based on the China model. It has absolutely nothing to do with human rights." The paranoia, the stereotyping, the viciousness of the post is staggering. Even more alarming, several comments on GamePolitics's post about ICED are not much better:"I’ll consider this once the immigration officers are playable. Immigrant youth need savage beatings." "That sounds like a very stupid game If you’re not a citizen of the US, come here legally and wait 7 years and then you can become a citizen, it’s not that hard. If you come here illegally, then you should be beaten or deported immediately." “Whats next a game where u play as an al-qaeda member in america and u can kill americans? "It's obvious what all of these people have in common: they simply can't read. ICED is not about illegal immigrants, and the game has nothing to do with sneaking across the border. The focus of the game is how fucked-up immigration laws can kick an immigrant out of the country for practically no reason, illegally here or not. Playing the game or even reading the post completely would tell you that. Comments like the ones above prove how important a game like this is in our judgmental society--the very word "immigrant" can send the masses foaming at the mouth in hatred, and the vitriol practically spills out of the computer screen. Access to information is vital if we can make any kind of change, and I think this game is a very important step in that direction. Immigrants (especially illegal ones) have nearly no voice, and they deserve to be heard. Read GamePolitics' follow up article for Dutt's amazing response to InfoWars. Labels: Getting it Right, In the News, PlasmaRit, Race Issues, Stereotypes
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