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But we know what these scenarios are implying, especially with the "mad doctor." It's easier for a wider audience to feel sympathy for Madison because she is a woman [whom we are want to feel her emotions vicariously] because we've seen this scenario "x" amount of times before.
The fact that she isn't a hyper-sexualized figure is one thing, but to act like the game doesn't have some nested issues with gender and sexism is another."
Woman forced to strip in order to "play ball" with criminal type.
Woman invited to an old man's strange home and a torture/rape scenario is played out.
Now I'm not saying Heavy Rain is a sexist game. But saying that Madison page doesn't conform to recognized gender stereotypes and/or is a tasteful portrayal of women in media [especially cinema]. Gonna have to call bull on that one homie.
[And this is coming from someone who really likes what Heavy Rain was "trying" to do.]"
Nice conversation starter Marcel and nice work Rob!
I'm gonna try and help out here by saying people like myself and Suriel Vazquez [among others] have spoken at great length about Skullgirls and why people in the FGC -- and people outside of the FGC, have issues with the game. [ref: http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=9090034 ref 2: http://mygenforsale.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2011-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&updated-max=2012-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&max-results=50 ]
Here's why Suriel's piece is so important:
"I totally understand that my style is not for everyone. The art style is more of a cartoon exaggeration, both in proportions and poses, with several inspirations mixed in. I would be pretty content if Skullgirls was a small project and had a niche following. If you enjoy the style of this game, I can never thank you enough for your support and welcome you to our world with open arms. If you have too much of a problem with Skullgirls, then this game isn't for you. To each their own. I'm ok with that notion, and would generally prefer to stay out of public discussions."
Something just happened there. A writer who was genuinely concerned about a game we [FGC and all other gamers alike] "could" have been interested in only for the very developer to be dismissive and literally go into hiding about questions that could push the discussion further.
This has existed since the days of Street Fighter, even if Marcel Hoang sees that series in a much fonder light. We've [us dudes, men, bro-hams] have always widdled down these characters to their caricatures, sex and stereotypes. Look no further than T-Hawk and Dhalsim.
But we can do better and some games, heck...even Skullgirls has Peacock, have actually done better. King of Fighters has recently made news, and had always been a focal point of sexualized characters and sexist imagery [which are two seperate discussions by the way]. This one game has muscle bound men, a "be-jugged" Mai, but on the other end we see a Vice, King and Mature. Women, who are attractive, but aren't showing [superficially and traditionally] why they are attractive.
I say this as someone who has documented the FGC in Ohio for almost 10 years. I've played in tournaments and I've written about this and other subjects in the gaming realm. It helps to have a better, stronger, more poignant opinion ... if you aren't just visiting.
I've was around to see the Kotaku's, Destructoid's and [insert random blog site here] rip the FGC a new one after Aris' outburst and to see the community split between people who supported his words and those that didn't. People within the community know that what he did was wrong, and we don't appreciate people outside of the community painting us all as basement-dwelling misogynist -- though some of us are. I've never been more proud to be a part of this writing community IN ADDITION TO the fighting game community. Some of the best people I've ever met.
So as I said earlier, I'm just trying to help. I sent your piece to Mike Z. Hoping he'll respond or someone from Autumn/Reverge will respond. The best/worst thing about Skullgirls, is that it was made by someone from the fighting game community, so it stings a little more to see these guys be so dismissive.
But I think we are getting better."
He's had a history of writing some sensational stuff and have it come off as "just for the clicks." It'll be interesting to see if he develops as a better writer, but this all comes off as:
I left a big site. I need people to notice me. I'll ruffle feathers by writing about a topic that is low-hanging fruit."
I was merely commenting on this vacuum of arguments people like Goldstein make. Ultimately art is best judged in hindsight and not art can nor should be "good art.""
You work in an industry that hires and fires on a whim, probably not a good idea to start specifically naming names, Inafune knows this, fanboys don't.
Moreover, everyone knows of the traditional methods the Japanese games industry still clings too, Inafune isn't wrong for bringing up the broken structure. He actually should be applauded for it. Notice there weren't any of his peers who disagreed?
Also, Chris Kohler is one of a handful of people that is making it a point to actually talking directly to these people. Which is actually something you could do Ethan. As much as we like to chastize lazy journalism, "talking about" the people being talked about isn't adding much to the conversation either.
Lastly, we're all passionate about games. Whether we play them, write about them, or make them. It's probably a good idea to gauge your strong suit. If you don't know much about the industry, ask those who are in it, as opposed to copying links from notoriously inaccurate sites [VGChartz: http://gamejournos.com/post/10170679488/vgchartz-week-day-two-part-1-pax-2010] to bolster your statistically-driven post.
Japan and the Japanese games culture is awash in traditional values, values that we "use" to find endearing. So when there is an uncertainty [which even American gamers acknowledge] it's important to have notable voices like Inafune have the ability to speak out, even if he can't be specific."
