Why is it anybody that doesn't want politicized games automatically a shitty person to you? You're acting like a child. I don't play games because they are high art. I primarily play grindy MMOs and loot games because I want to click a mouse and watch numbers go up. Games I play aren't making a statement OR if they are, I'm not gleaning one from them. I don't play games like Last of Us or Wolfenstein because I couldn't give less of an eff about a game that prioritizes its storytelling over gameplay and that are also finite. I like games that I can dive into and lose hundreds of hours to because gaming is my way to pass time. It's not a medium I use to engage with messages. If I want to do that I will read a book or article, or watch a movie. I guess throw me in the pile with the GGers then?
This is a good post. It inspired some new ideas for me that I'd like to expand on.
I am interested in the juxtaposition between simple acts like grinding in a game and more complex and engaging acts like furthering a narrative. How being fully invested in the former while not caring much for the latter can put you on the "wrong side" of some people.
Using Super Mario Bros as my first example I think it is often assumed that the player is playing the game because they actually want to rescue the princess and that's what keeps them coming back. If you asked "what is Super Mario Bros about" then the answer could be "it's about rescuing a princess". The player may say "well I want to rescue the princess so lets-a go" (and that's why you're the hero we need right now).
However the player may not consider the princess at all. Maybe the reason for playing Mario is not to rescue the princess but to kill time on a Saturday afternoon or to relax after a hard day at work. It could be both too but whatever it is the player will know what they want from the game.
You CAN get what you get from the game and being happy with that BUT expressing that sentiment? Tut tut tut. There are many people who want to tell you what you should be getting from the game (and why that's a good thing).
In a game like Breath of the Wild there can be stretches of several hours where I am not engaging with the story of the game or even the themes presented. I'm just messing around. Achieving nothing more than relaxing myself. The game may be political but I am playing it in an apolitical fashion.
None of this means that the games are not "political". Sure there are narratives and hidden layers and if one was asked to write and essay on Mario or Zelda for high school homework then I'm sure they'd be able to do that. However, the relationship between the game and the player can be more complex than that.
Does a player who ignores the political context of a game automatically get less out of the game? I would argue no. Speedrunners get something out of Breath of the Wild just the same as someone writing a lengthy political analysis of the game gets something too (maybe it's the game we need in Trump's America).
Now, a person might read lengthy articles breaking down the politics of a certain game and may also think "jeez these articles are trash". I frequently do. You might even think "actually I just play that game for fun" and would prefer to read articles without the shoehorning of political commentary.
Here is the "gotcha" though. Being "apolitical" is in and of itself a political stance. I'm sure everyone has heard the old argument that "Atheism is a religion"?
So if you are "apolitical" then guess what? THAT'S POLITICAL.
I bet you're still thinking "but dude when I play Elder Scrolls Online I just like to roam the world and level up and see what's going on" but you're just putting your head in the sand to ignore the realities of the modern world (and that's a problem).
You see in the real world, just like in an MMO, other people are trying to prove that they have more knowledge of the game than you. They are out to prove that they are better than you. Better than anyone.
What's the best way to show that? Well, we could shame you for not thinking deeply enough about the game. You're just playing Mario at the surface level. You jump and run and enjoy the music. Oh, how droll.
>> I << on the other hand understand the toxic message that Mario sends to society at large. The Damsel in Distress. The gender stereotyping. The overt display of toxic masculinity. Please listen to my lecture about how tropes in video games harm women in the real world. Actually forget the "please". If you don't want to listen, or you don't want to agree, then you are just burying your head in the sand. Maybe you are one of
those gamers?
After all, if you're just playing Mario for the fun of it and nothing more then isn't that just tacit approval of the real evils in society?
We play games for fun or to relax. These people though? These people are better than us.
These people are combing through the historical records to prove that if you thought there were only white people in Bohemia in 1403 then you are wrong! That medieval RPG you are playing? It's, like, sooooo problematic!
You want to read articles that are all about the games and don't come across like they were written by a passive aggressive Social Studies major? If the answer is yes then maybe you're secretly one of those Gamergate supporters, huh?
I know, I know. You never harassed anyone. I get it. Still, doesn't doing nothing mean you are complicit?
So they sneer at your desire to just play FarCry 5 and have a fun time after work. They deride your desire to read articles about FarCry 5 that aren't utter tripe from so-called "journalists" whining about the games politics.
The Division isn't FUN, my friend, it's PROBLEMATIC! (and here are 10 reasons why, number 8 will SHOCK you)
Like you, I thought "well I'm not interested in politics". WRONG ANSWER!
You see everything is political and if you aren't interested in politics then that's just tacit approval of all the bad things in this world.
"No seriously, I'm just not into politics". GOTCHA! That's an alt-right... um... what's that term we would started using about a month ago... insta... intro.. incel! Incel. That's an alt-right, incel, dog-whistle buddy. Go straight to jail!
You're just passing the time with your electronic toys while the world burns. You're part of the problem.
OR maybe reaching the next level really is apolitical. Maybe looking at the sights and listening to the sounds is apolitical too.
Sometimes a jump is just a jump. A record time is just a record time. Beating the next boss is just your plan for a Friday evening and nothing more.
Or maybe you just support Gamergate. :p