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TalkBack / RE:EDITORIAL: Socially Acceptable

« on: June 27, 2005, 05:21:17 PM »

Good editorial, although at this point in my life I'm so cynical that the column doesn't inspire the same feelings it did years ago. Needless to say, I've endured more than my fair share of annoyance at people's close-minded attitudes towards videogames. I can't say I blame them. The best-selling games these days seem to be the ones that re-enforce the stereotype of violent, bloody games (GTA, Halo, etc.). Even MGS3, a game I love for its excellent story, characters, and fun boss fights, falls victim to this.

There's no real solution at this point. I really wish video game publishers would venture for more imaginative, unique games in the hopes that something would capture the public's interest and broaden people's view of video games.

Cartoons STILL haven't escaped their stigma amongst the older crowd. While listening to The Simpsons DVD commentary, they mentioned that Don Rickles flatly turned down their request to guest star on an episode. Conan O'Brien commented that he believes many old people still view cartoon as a dumb kids thing after all these years.

This problem isn't isolated to video games or cartoons either. Rap music only recently hit mainstream acceptance and a lot of people still view it as garbage. That's due to the most prominent images of rap music being violent and offensive, but someone who investigates a little will find a lot of artists with real substance outside of the crude, materialistic crap out there.

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TalkBack / RE:Editorial: Playing By Party Lines

« on: January 13, 2005, 01:47:42 PM »

Quote
On the one hand, lots of guy gamers feel like girl characters are meant for the girls. They think that they're wimpy.

I think guys like that fall into the more "casual" category of gamer. I'm a huge Street Fighter fan and if I'm playing somebody who refuses to pick a girl, I know this isn't going to be a very fun match and I likely won't play them again. In a game where your character has little bearing on how the game plays or how you perform (i.e. FPS) I can see why a guy might avoid using a female character as it adds little to the experience. Otherwise, they're just missing out.  I honestly have no patience for that kind of attitude.

As for the characters you pick, I say screw it. Pick your favorite or best characters and play like you would any other time. I personally despise doing anything other than what I would naturally do in a situation. It makes me feel fake and unnatural. I think your goal in any gaming situation is to get the guys to respect you and your skills as much as they respect each other's.

However, you're going to have to contend with stereotypes about girl gamers no matter what. Most girls aren't serious gamers and we guys are used to having to take it easy on them. The best you can do is just go into the situation with a good attitude and, if need be, inform the guys that, at least as far as the game is concerned, you're a player first and a girl second.

If you want to see the opposite of the stereotypical "quick, but weak" female character, check out Makoto in Street Fighter 3: 3rd Strike. Not only is the girl quick, but she's got some real oomph to her combos. Watching a high-level player use Makoto is thrilling.