this post was submitted on 08 Nov 2024
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No, I don't think it's as simple as that. Politics are good in games when done right, but they can also be nothing more than a distraction when the narrative has huge errors or lacks and depth in general.
I mean, yeah, good writing is good and bad writing is bad.
I think the article is going against the idea that politics should be kept away from games.
Politics in games isn't the issue.
It's the concept of pushing real world politics in games that is the problem.
Sometimes they can overlap, but they needn't to. Some things are just obviously pushing the agendas of developers, instead of making it feel like a legit part of the game universe.
What do you mean by "real world politics"? Don't be shy, tell us.
I don't really get this sentiment.
Elves being racist towards dwarves is acceptable in a game, but white humans being racist towards hispanic humans is "pushing agendas"?
I fault Bioware for a lot of things, but failing to invent a fantasy equivalent of the concept of gender is not one of them. Not everything needs to be moved to an otherworldly analogy just to avoid hurting the feelings of bigots.
Games are not a fundamental right. Artists should make art that reflects their values.
Sure, but I'm not required to buy that art
Not required to what by that art?
Exactly. Instead of complaining about polictics in gaming, just spend your money elsewhere if you don't like it.
This isn’t right either. Inserting politics into anything serves that that up for discourse, and getting people discussing and thinking critically about a topic is a fantastic achievement for any medium that delves into the subject.
It’s when partisan messages about politics are inserted into a game that poses problems. Instead, video games should explore as many takes on an issue as capable in service to the story being told. Wow, it’s terrible that the horned people are aholes to the perfectly normal looking people, but how did that come to be? Is there any historical precedent where the shoe was on the other foot? I think of Jews and how 70 years ago they were facing extermination at the hands of Germans find themselves now in the position of the exterminator. How did that happen? That’s great material for exploring politics in games, to me.
And then it becomes "game is failing due to being boycotted by incels" Won't anyone think about the profit margins
Not just in games, but often times the point of the story's fake politics is to be a parable for real politics. But that's also the fun of it, even if you disagree with the story's intended message.