Despite my invocation of Anita Sarkeesian, I really don't want this to turn into one of those threads. Please read this entire first post and respond in the same spirit. If you want the short version, skip to the numbered bits!
I think a lot of the outrage directed at Anita Sarkeesian and her criticism of video games has to do with the fact that it is, well, criticism. It's not typically constructive or instructive; for the most part, she establishes a framework for tearing down video games with little apparent interest in building them up or pushing them forward. The perception, deserved or not, is that she doesn't want to grow the industry in truth (with new concepts and IP) so much as she wants to shame existing devs and customers into changing their ideas and preferences.
She's free to do this, of course, and people are free to love, hate, or not care about her ideas all they want. This thread isn't about any of that. This thread is about brainstorming ideas for a video game, or series of games, that would actually appeal to Anita Sarkeesian. She makes it very clear that she isn't interested in what the AAA industry is currently peddling. So what would peak her interest? Are there any existing games that might appeal to her "demographic"? If we were to create new games from scratch, what would they look like? And are there perhaps some actual good reasons why such games don't or can't exist?
A few thoughts to get the ball rolling...
1. What existing games would attract the attention of Anita Sarkeesian, and why?
The first game that comes to my mind is Gone Home. It tells a story that focuses on female characters who aren't validated by male counterparts. It doesn't rely on the most common video game mechanics (violence, action, etc.). It's not high-pressure, anxiety-producing, or competitive in any way. It's grounded and real and restrained and mature. It was also written and developed by a team comprised of at least 50% women.
2. What would a brand new game designed to appeal to Anita Sarkeesian look like?
I'm not well-suited to answer this question because I don't think she and I have much in common, but I suppose a story-heavy game with an intense focus on character development and minimal violence would fit the bill? Again, Gone Home springs to mind.
3. Are there any good reasons why such games don't exist or aren't more viable?
To be honest, I think a lot of this industry's "obsession" with violence is really nothing more than an evolutionary manifestation of input limitations. Violence is largely binary and easily grafted onto our most common control mechanisms; you pull a trigger on an input device and pull a trigger in your virtual game world. More complicated interactions with characters and environments simply don't translate very well. In fact, such interactions are usually stilted and off-putting - and subsequently financially ruinous for publishers. Maybe some of the more nuanced and (apologies in advance...) "feminine" behaviors Anita might want from video games are beyond the scope of our current input models rather than the imaginations of our creators.
Regarding the lack of female-focused (or Anita-focused) AAA titles: if Gone Home is what I picture Anita playing, aren't we dangerously close to emulating other media? I mean it's a walk-around simulator, right? There's very little that might be strictly defined as "gameplay" in Gone Home, and what's there might be easily removed or skipped over in similar offerings. At what point does it cross over into simply being an actual movie or graphic novel?
Also, how important is being tethered to a desktop or a television to someone like Anita? Do her desired gameplay experiences require the fidelity of a high-end PC/console? If not, wouldn't those experiences be better suited for mobile and web devices? Might those experiences, in fact, already be available on those more fitting platforms? Most stats point towards a lot of female gamers focusing on mobile/web gaming. Are these women playing games on these platforms because they have to or because they want to?
Anyways, my overriding purpose in creating this thread is to maybe generate something productive and positive in the gender equality discussions here. I don't like how people are constantly tearing down what's here and demonizing people for enjoying it. The far better path is to support and nurture other ideas and ways of doing things. Think outside the box, generate something Anita would be proud to play, and then explain why it would (or wouldn't) be feasible given the constraints of the hardware.
I think a lot of the outrage directed at Anita Sarkeesian and her criticism of video games has to do with the fact that it is, well, criticism. It's not typically constructive or instructive; for the most part, she establishes a framework for tearing down video games with little apparent interest in building them up or pushing them forward. The perception, deserved or not, is that she doesn't want to grow the industry in truth (with new concepts and IP) so much as she wants to shame existing devs and customers into changing their ideas and preferences.
She's free to do this, of course, and people are free to love, hate, or not care about her ideas all they want. This thread isn't about any of that. This thread is about brainstorming ideas for a video game, or series of games, that would actually appeal to Anita Sarkeesian. She makes it very clear that she isn't interested in what the AAA industry is currently peddling. So what would peak her interest? Are there any existing games that might appeal to her "demographic"? If we were to create new games from scratch, what would they look like? And are there perhaps some actual good reasons why such games don't or can't exist?
A few thoughts to get the ball rolling...
1. What existing games would attract the attention of Anita Sarkeesian, and why?
The first game that comes to my mind is Gone Home. It tells a story that focuses on female characters who aren't validated by male counterparts. It doesn't rely on the most common video game mechanics (violence, action, etc.). It's not high-pressure, anxiety-producing, or competitive in any way. It's grounded and real and restrained and mature. It was also written and developed by a team comprised of at least 50% women.
2. What would a brand new game designed to appeal to Anita Sarkeesian look like?
I'm not well-suited to answer this question because I don't think she and I have much in common, but I suppose a story-heavy game with an intense focus on character development and minimal violence would fit the bill? Again, Gone Home springs to mind.
3. Are there any good reasons why such games don't exist or aren't more viable?
To be honest, I think a lot of this industry's "obsession" with violence is really nothing more than an evolutionary manifestation of input limitations. Violence is largely binary and easily grafted onto our most common control mechanisms; you pull a trigger on an input device and pull a trigger in your virtual game world. More complicated interactions with characters and environments simply don't translate very well. In fact, such interactions are usually stilted and off-putting - and subsequently financially ruinous for publishers. Maybe some of the more nuanced and (apologies in advance...) "feminine" behaviors Anita might want from video games are beyond the scope of our current input models rather than the imaginations of our creators.
Regarding the lack of female-focused (or Anita-focused) AAA titles: if Gone Home is what I picture Anita playing, aren't we dangerously close to emulating other media? I mean it's a walk-around simulator, right? There's very little that might be strictly defined as "gameplay" in Gone Home, and what's there might be easily removed or skipped over in similar offerings. At what point does it cross over into simply being an actual movie or graphic novel?
Also, how important is being tethered to a desktop or a television to someone like Anita? Do her desired gameplay experiences require the fidelity of a high-end PC/console? If not, wouldn't those experiences be better suited for mobile and web devices? Might those experiences, in fact, already be available on those more fitting platforms? Most stats point towards a lot of female gamers focusing on mobile/web gaming. Are these women playing games on these platforms because they have to or because they want to?
Anyways, my overriding purpose in creating this thread is to maybe generate something productive and positive in the gender equality discussions here. I don't like how people are constantly tearing down what's here and demonizing people for enjoying it. The far better path is to support and nurture other ideas and ways of doing things. Think outside the box, generate something Anita would be proud to play, and then explain why it would (or wouldn't) be feasible given the constraints of the hardware.
