Frybird said:
You know the thing that makes me angry about your post is that you are basically advocating against game developers speaking openly and freely about thier games.
Yes, THERE ARE so many ways he could've worded it. Yes, HE USED A STEREOTYPE to describe this game feature.
But do you really, TRUELY think he wouldn't word it better if he did come up with a better term? Give me a break.
It was a poor choice of words, yes, but that happens in an open, unscripted conversation.
And you know what? I rather have game developers slipping up from time to time than not have them speak at all.
Because that is what you seem to want. We are talking about a lead designer here, not some public relations guy with a college degree in communication. So such things will happen unless game developers are only allowed to read pre-prepared, carefully worded, politically correct statements. And we have enough of this s**t in politics.
The thing that blows my mind is that just about everyone knows what he meant, and that he didn't meant to insult anyone, but still everyone bitches about it and makes it a big thing.
INCLUDING F**KING KOTAKU, who just a week before bitched and moaned about how game developers don't talk enough to the press...well...there you have the reason why.
Games journalism comes dangerously close to being on a level with newspapers like The Sun, Bild or The New York Post, and the games community goes right along with it for falling into every blown up controversy.
I weep for my hobby and my passion.
You know what makes me angry about
your post? You're basically advocating the silencing of legitimate complaints of developers because you're afraid of how they'll
feel about it. Seriously, are you trying to tell me I don't have a right to express the fact that his words offended me because
you're fucking scared their feelings will be hurt, and that they'll hole up and never talk to us again?
You said it yourself they used a stereotype. Stereotypes
are offensive, and he deserves to get called on for it. If KFC had some sort of press conference and their speaker made some sort of joke about chicken and a certain stereotype about black people, people would get mad at them about it,
and for good reason. But you're sitting here saying "Oh, no! KFC hardly ever has press conferences! You can't complain about what they said because they might never speak to us again!"
Bullshit. I understand the gaming community has a terrible habit of making something of nothing, and it happens from both the male and female side. But I feel this is a legitimate complaint--and no, that doesn't always happen. Hell, I didn't mind what the dev of the new Tomb Raider game said about "wanting to protect her" (because in the full context of the article, I realized he was not referring to protecting her in the sense of protecting her because she's a female, but protecting her in the sense of wanting to see her through to the end and actually caring about what happens to her in-game). But this comment? No. Whether consciously or unconsciously, he gave a big middle finger to every female who plays games, and he needs to address what he said for the stereotype it is. It doesn't matter if he intended to insult anyone or not, the fact is he did, and when communicating in a public forum you have to take responsibility. That is the nature of public speaking.
Again, I realize the gaming community is probably causing developers to avoid these sorts of interviews and press conferences. But that certainly doesn't mean everybody with legitimate complaints should shut up, because even if we do that's certainly not going to stop any of the illegitimate complaints. So then rather than them getting both legitimate and illegitimate dissent, all they ever get is illegitimate dissent, and they have no reason to be careful about anything they say ever again.
Oh, and before you ask "But if you know he didn't mean to insult you, why do you want an apology from him?" I'll tell you why. It's because then I would know that he knows this isn't the 1990s anymore, and that females are a present and active force in the market and the sort of shit that might slide in his little development group is not going to slide with us.
Oh, and some alternatives which have been used MUCH more often than "girlfriend mode" when describing such game modes: Easy mode, beginner mode, relaxation mode, zen mode, novice. I could go on, but I think you get the point. "Girlfriend mode" was not the most accurate or the most prevalent term for the mode, and clearly a bit of slang he likes to use around the office and let slide during the interview.