Bonnie RubergSure, the holidays are about love, family, and good will ... but they're also about shopping! Bonnie Ruberg comments on gamers as shoppers, and game merchandising.
Issue 24 - Video Game Merchandise
- Thread starter The Escapist Staff
- Start date
Original Comment by: Slartibartfast
I've always thought that people who buy into game merchandise are trying too hard to live full-time in their imaginary game worlds. Those characters will only ever exist as ones and zeroes, and no amount of "collectible figures" is going to change that.
I've always thought that people who buy into game merchandise are trying too hard to live full-time in their imaginary game worlds. Those characters will only ever exist as ones and zeroes, and no amount of "collectible figures" is going to change that.
Original Comment by: Scott Jon Siegel
http://xy.teSticleSgo.net
I think it has more to do with "fandom" than with escapism. I own several pieces of game merch, and I don't feel as though I'm trying to live "full-time" in my "imaginary game worlds." Mostly, I'm trying to show my pride for my favorite games. I don't even see how escapism through figures, posters, and t-shirts is feasible, unless you roleplay through those items.
http://xy.teSticleSgo.net
I think it has more to do with "fandom" than with escapism. I own several pieces of game merch, and I don't feel as though I'm trying to live "full-time" in my "imaginary game worlds." Mostly, I'm trying to show my pride for my favorite games. I don't even see how escapism through figures, posters, and t-shirts is feasible, unless you roleplay through those items.
Original Comment by: Andrea Appel (a.k.a. Alexandra Erenhart)
http://aerenhart.blogspot.com
I bought my first Zelda figures when I was 20 (is hard to find that kind of collectible items here in Chile), and the first thing my mom told me was "Why did you bought a doll"? A DOLL!?!?! It's a Link figure!!. She wasn't the only one. My whole family (the older part of it) were kinda the same.
It represents what I like, it is exactly what Scott said. They represent my preferences, and my pride of them. I show them off with my friends, I put posters on my walls of my favourite games. It shows a huge and important part of me, gaming. It isn't a fantasy, it's reality.
http://aerenhart.blogspot.com
I bought my first Zelda figures when I was 20 (is hard to find that kind of collectible items here in Chile), and the first thing my mom told me was "Why did you bought a doll"? A DOLL!?!?! It's a Link figure!!. She wasn't the only one. My whole family (the older part of it) were kinda the same.
It represents what I like, it is exactly what Scott said. They represent my preferences, and my pride of them. I show them off with my friends, I put posters on my walls of my favourite games. It shows a huge and important part of me, gaming. It isn't a fantasy, it's reality.
Original Comment by: Mark
I'm going to have to agree with Scott. I don't own a lot of game merchandise, but when I do it's mostly a means of displaying that you like it enough that you're going to decorate your house/self with it.
It's also partially a status symbol. Now that video games are becoming mainstream, publicizing the fact that you are a fan of a rare and/or old game demonstrates that you A) have been a geek longer than everybody else, and B) are proud of it. Who wouldn't wear a Star Control 2 [http://sc2.sourceforge.net] shirt, if they are geeky enough to have enjoyed it, now that they know that it's a socially acceptable thing to enjoy antisocial and obscure pastimes? (Incidentally, do they make Star Control 2 shirts? I might have to get one.)
I'm going to have to agree with Scott. I don't own a lot of game merchandise, but when I do it's mostly a means of displaying that you like it enough that you're going to decorate your house/self with it.
It's also partially a status symbol. Now that video games are becoming mainstream, publicizing the fact that you are a fan of a rare and/or old game demonstrates that you A) have been a geek longer than everybody else, and B) are proud of it. Who wouldn't wear a Star Control 2 [http://sc2.sourceforge.net] shirt, if they are geeky enough to have enjoyed it, now that they know that it's a socially acceptable thing to enjoy antisocial and obscure pastimes? (Incidentally, do they make Star Control 2 shirts? I might have to get one.)
Original Comment by: Bonnie Ruberg
http://www.heroine-sheik.com
II would say -- and feel free to correct me if I'm wrong here -- that all four of you have, in some respects, hit on a similar idea. Video games, in and of themselves, are just ones and zeros, but in owning merch we get to expand that experience into our fandom, and into our self-definition -- whether that self-definition comes through figures, shirts, or just the label of "geek" or simply "gamer."
http://www.heroine-sheik.com
II would say -- and feel free to correct me if I'm wrong here -- that all four of you have, in some respects, hit on a similar idea. Video games, in and of themselves, are just ones and zeros, but in owning merch we get to expand that experience into our fandom, and into our self-definition -- whether that self-definition comes through figures, shirts, or just the label of "geek" or simply "gamer."
Original Comment by: Jesse
Anyone else having trouble with the "exclusive" 14-day trial of EVE advertised in the latest edition? I've filled in the code and entered my e-mail twice, been informed of successful transmission, but have yet to see anything in my inbox (yes, checked the spam folder).
As to swag, I have to say I'm of the "utter waste of time" camp. At least with games...however I've been close to buying some MegaTokyo swag for quite some time...
Anyone else having trouble with the "exclusive" 14-day trial of EVE advertised in the latest edition? I've filled in the code and entered my e-mail twice, been informed of successful transmission, but have yet to see anything in my inbox (yes, checked the spam folder).
As to swag, I have to say I'm of the "utter waste of time" camp. At least with games...however I've been close to buying some MegaTokyo swag for quite some time...
Original Comment by: Tortanick
I've never brought any game related items yet, however I am tempted by the prospect of makeing myself some Star Control 2 shirts. Personally I don't think its me trying to define myself as a SC2 fan, for one thing no one would regognise it. I'd say its more the thought of sheer halarity of wearing a shirt depititing a yellow fish and the following text:
Hello to our *house*. Do you feel *better* yet?
If you are *campers* you will enjoy *the change*, but maybe not yet.
I've never brought any game related items yet, however I am tempted by the prospect of makeing myself some Star Control 2 shirts. Personally I don't think its me trying to define myself as a SC2 fan, for one thing no one would regognise it. I'd say its more the thought of sheer halarity of wearing a shirt depititing a yellow fish and the following text:
Hello to our *house*. Do you feel *better* yet?
If you are *campers* you will enjoy *the change*, but maybe not yet.
Original Comment by: Bonnie Ruberg
http://www.heroine-sheik.com
Tortanick, you bring up an interesting point about merch that 1) you make yourself and 2)no one will recognize. That really seems to fall outside the criteria of the article; hadn't thought of that
. Would you be doing it, you think, just for your own enjoyment, or is there something else involved?
http://www.heroine-sheik.com
Tortanick, you bring up an interesting point about merch that 1) you make yourself and 2)no one will recognize. That really seems to fall outside the criteria of the article; hadn't thought of that
. Would you be doing it, you think, just for your own enjoyment, or is there something else involved?
In that case, having self-designed merch would seem to fall in the exclusivity range. People like to belong, but we like even better to belong to an exclusive group. Obscure and unusual stuff alows us to have that (see John Szczepaniak's "Obscurity Below the Radar" [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/issue/23/3]), while showing our support and love for a game. Warm fuzzies all 'round.
Original Comment by: Bonnie Ruberg
http://www.heroine-sheik.com
True, true, but eventually you do need someone to identify with in order for that exclusive group not to feel like a group of one. I would imagine, for example, in everyday life, it's rather hard to find fellow Star Control 2 fans. I'm just curious whether we ever enjoy merch just as merch, just for ourselves, or whether it's always based on the relation in puts us in to other people.
http://www.heroine-sheik.com
True, true, but eventually you do need someone to identify with in order for that exclusive group not to feel like a group of one. I would imagine, for example, in everyday life, it's rather hard to find fellow Star Control 2 fans. I'm just curious whether we ever enjoy merch just as merch, just for ourselves, or whether it's always based on the relation in puts us in to other people.
Mark Wallace actually took a brief look at whether we're exclusive for the sake of being exclusive, or for some other reason, in Theory of the Gaming Class. Personally, I think it's a mix. Humans love to exclude as much as they love to be included, but we're also attracted to novelty. Whether or not novelty is a form of exclusivity is another question in itself.
Original Comment by: Bonnie Ruberg
http://www.heroine-sheik.com
Being exclusive makes us feel important - which might seem like a surface-level thing to say, but I think that it goes deeper into the question of individual existence and homogeneity. Feeling important means feeling different, means being differentiated from the crowd, means, literally being exclusive. If we open ourselves up to all people, if we're totally inclusive, we lose the sense of importance of ourselves.
http://www.heroine-sheik.com
Being exclusive makes us feel important - which might seem like a surface-level thing to say, but I think that it goes deeper into the question of individual existence and homogeneity. Feeling important means feeling different, means being differentiated from the crowd, means, literally being exclusive. If we open ourselves up to all people, if we're totally inclusive, we lose the sense of importance of ourselves.
Original Comment by: Randall Fitzgerald
http://www.ikimashou.net
I collect things because I'm nerdy like that. My collection of comics, and character figures and statues exists for my own amusment, especially considering no one ever comes into my house. I just like the stuff. If the figures look nice, I buy them. If you comic is interesting, I buy it. I don't make an effort to keep them mint, although it'd be nice if they stayed that way for future enjoyment. Sometimes I think people just need to piss on something and be bitchy. I game like a million hours a week and I buy the stuff because it looks cool, not to prove some point or be cool or whatever. I know I'm cool, so there!
Anyway, for me, the long and short if it is this: Some people decorate their houses with drapes and flowers and such, I decorate mine with wallscrolls and figurines and statues and the like. To me, those games and stories are art and they can decorate my home in a more personal manner than any Monet print or tiny Pieta replica. *shrugs* To each his or her own, I spose.
http://www.ikimashou.net
I collect things because I'm nerdy like that. My collection of comics, and character figures and statues exists for my own amusment, especially considering no one ever comes into my house. I just like the stuff. If the figures look nice, I buy them. If you comic is interesting, I buy it. I don't make an effort to keep them mint, although it'd be nice if they stayed that way for future enjoyment. Sometimes I think people just need to piss on something and be bitchy. I game like a million hours a week and I buy the stuff because it looks cool, not to prove some point or be cool or whatever. I know I'm cool, so there!
Anyway, for me, the long and short if it is this: Some people decorate their houses with drapes and flowers and such, I decorate mine with wallscrolls and figurines and statues and the like. To me, those games and stories are art and they can decorate my home in a more personal manner than any Monet print or tiny Pieta replica. *shrugs* To each his or her own, I spose.
Original Comment by: Bonnie Ruberg
http://www.heroine-sheik.com
Randall, I think that's a totally valid approach. You surround yourself with the things you like. It makes sense -- even more so when, like you mentioned, when you think of games as avisual art. I'd never thought about it on that almost purely aesthetic level. Interesting!
http://www.heroine-sheik.com
Randall, I think that's a totally valid approach. You surround yourself with the things you like. It makes sense -- even more so when, like you mentioned, when you think of games as avisual art. I'd never thought about it on that almost purely aesthetic level. Interesting!
Original Comment by: Tortanick
I'd say its like any non-merch joke shirt. I'd ware it because its funny not because its SC2. If I wanted exclutivity I'd actually design the things myself. Hmm, sounds tempting.
I'd say its like any non-merch joke shirt. I'd ware it because its funny not because its SC2. If I wanted exclutivity I'd actually design the things myself. Hmm, sounds tempting.
Original Comment by: Nathaniel Givens
Hey Bonnie, just a question. Where were you when we debated your last piece on the blog? It's a shame they posted my editorial to this past issue. I can't blame anyone put myself, of course, but I feel that of all the criticisms I have for your writing that was the weakest. Serves me right for shooting off the email right away instead of doing the blog thing first and THEN writing the editorial. You just seemed rather conspicious by your absence, and so I thought maybe you just didn't consider it professional to respond in blogs - and yet here you are.
Concerning your last piece: I don't buy much merch. In fact, I think the only merch I have is a banner from Final Fantasy VIII, and I never even played the game more than an hour or so. (So call me a poser.) I didn't look for it - I picked it up in Chinatown SF on a road trip because I happened to see it and loved it instantly. But the point is that when I bought the merch the idea of being in a group or not being a group was totally removed from the entire process. So was the concept of identity. What I like about Final Fantasy (I consider myself a fan who doesn't have time for random encounters, I followed the storylines vicariously up through X) is a complex sense of wonder and idealism - and probably escapism. I bought the banner wall scroll because it was a way for me to experience the same feelings that I got when I had a chance to play, watch cut scenes, etc.
So it wasn't really about belonging or not belonging to a group at all - it was an intrinsically personal experience. I think maybe sometimes that's what motivates us to buy merch. I mean, there's a difference between tshirts, jackets, and patches (which are by definition part of what we show the world and thus become a part of our identity) and figurines and/or posters that we may or may not necessarily intend for display. I don't really invite other people into my room - even friends. I prefer to hang out in the living room. And now that I'm married the wall scroll goes in my home office - and if I take anyone into my home office it has nothing to do with displaying anything in there.
Hey Bonnie, just a question. Where were you when we debated your last piece on the blog? It's a shame they posted my editorial to this past issue. I can't blame anyone put myself, of course, but I feel that of all the criticisms I have for your writing that was the weakest. Serves me right for shooting off the email right away instead of doing the blog thing first and THEN writing the editorial. You just seemed rather conspicious by your absence, and so I thought maybe you just didn't consider it professional to respond in blogs - and yet here you are.
Concerning your last piece: I don't buy much merch. In fact, I think the only merch I have is a banner from Final Fantasy VIII, and I never even played the game more than an hour or so. (So call me a poser.) I didn't look for it - I picked it up in Chinatown SF on a road trip because I happened to see it and loved it instantly. But the point is that when I bought the merch the idea of being in a group or not being a group was totally removed from the entire process. So was the concept of identity. What I like about Final Fantasy (I consider myself a fan who doesn't have time for random encounters, I followed the storylines vicariously up through X) is a complex sense of wonder and idealism - and probably escapism. I bought the banner wall scroll because it was a way for me to experience the same feelings that I got when I had a chance to play, watch cut scenes, etc.
So it wasn't really about belonging or not belonging to a group at all - it was an intrinsically personal experience. I think maybe sometimes that's what motivates us to buy merch. I mean, there's a difference between tshirts, jackets, and patches (which are by definition part of what we show the world and thus become a part of our identity) and figurines and/or posters that we may or may not necessarily intend for display. I don't really invite other people into my room - even friends. I prefer to hang out in the living room. And now that I'm married the wall scroll goes in my home office - and if I take anyone into my home office it has nothing to do with displaying anything in there.
Original Comment by: Bonnie Ruberg
http://www.heroine-sheik.com
Hi, Nathaniel. You're right, I was strangely absent from the last discussion. My apologies for that, especially since I know you have some strong opinions on my work, and I really would like to speak with you constructively. But I'm here now, and I'm all ears.
As for your experience with merch, I think it fits in with what some of us were talking about earlier on this thread, namely whether you can ever enjoy merch for yourself, or whether it always has to do with the way you relate to other people - not that one approach is in any way more or less valid than another. It seems, in your case, it is possible to enjoy merch for yourself. As you mention, that enjoyment comes from extending the experience of the game ("the same feelings that I got when I had a chance to play, watch cut scenes, etc."), something that was mentioned in the article, but probably not at enough length.
I am curious, in your opinion, what makes certain games more appealing in this way than others. You say you appreciate Final Fantasy's "complex sense of wonder and idealism" which, perhaps, promotes escapism. Do you think that merchandise appreciation in general implies a type of escapism from real life?
Merged posts to fix author - admin
http://www.heroine-sheik.com
Hi, Nathaniel. You're right, I was strangely absent from the last discussion. My apologies for that, especially since I know you have some strong opinions on my work, and I really would like to speak with you constructively. But I'm here now, and I'm all ears.
As for your experience with merch, I think it fits in with what some of us were talking about earlier on this thread, namely whether you can ever enjoy merch for yourself, or whether it always has to do with the way you relate to other people - not that one approach is in any way more or less valid than another. It seems, in your case, it is possible to enjoy merch for yourself. As you mention, that enjoyment comes from extending the experience of the game ("the same feelings that I got when I had a chance to play, watch cut scenes, etc."), something that was mentioned in the article, but probably not at enough length.
I am curious, in your opinion, what makes certain games more appealing in this way than others. You say you appreciate Final Fantasy's "complex sense of wonder and idealism" which, perhaps, promotes escapism. Do you think that merchandise appreciation in general implies a type of escapism from real life?
Merged posts to fix author - admin
Original Comment by: Nathaniel Givens
Hahahahaha... "posting from a friend's comptuer", eh? Well - that certainly sheds some new light on some of the discussion you missed out on in the last thread. That thread is still open, by the way, I wrote a response to a new post just a few minutes ago. And tell your friend I emailed him earlier today since he wanted to take things off the board - and I'm waiting for his response.
So, back to your current article. I'm still puzzled by some of your assumptions about gender differences in general. In particulare I note:
"You might think that, like other supposedly childish elements of videogame culture, gaming merch would be more often associated with women gamers than men."
Actually you might think that, but I wouldn't think that at all. Consider that (video) gaming is s a sub-group of gaming (no prefix). Gamers include people playing everything from GURPS to Magic: The Gathering to Warhammer 40K to consoles to PCs. These are the guys who spend hundreds of dollars purchasing miniatures to paint and play with when they're 30 years old! These are they guys who spend hundreds of dollars on comic books. In the case of Magic: The Gathering they're paying (back in its heydey at least) hundreds of dollars for a single, easy to reproduce, card! A lot of the most popular franchises (from D&D to Battletech) started here and crossed over to video games (while recently video games like Diablo have been crossing back the other way).
It seems to me that many (video) gamers are recent new comers to the gamer scene - which really includes the pencil and paper aspects as well. Check out Allen Varney's article in the 9th issue of The Escapist for more info on the detailed connection between gamers and video gamers. I'm not sure if perhaps you're unaware of these connections - but I think the result is that the gender expectations you may consider widespread are in fact not nearly so ubiquitous. They are, in fact, a product of seeing video gaming as kind of an enternatinment medium that sprang up ex nhilo. But this is not a realistic view of video gaming (or any entertainment medium) and so I think the gender expectations you assume need to face stiffer questions. You may have those gender expectations about male/female buying habits, but anyone who's spent time in a game-store lined from wall to wall with figurines, comic books, t-shirts, etc. would not have that expectation at all.
I'll mention one other oddity in your article. You write that merch "offers a platform, however seemingly trivial, for women to stand on equal footing with men in the eyes of the industry. After all, purchasing power is purchasing power, regardless of the gender of the consumer behind it." While you are clearly implying that women lack a platform for equal-footing with men "in the eyes of the industry" your second sentence casts that in serious doubt. You are quite right that as far as "the industry" is concerned all that matters is purchasing power. This would imply that games themselves - being the central driver of gaming industry - would be worth just as much sold to women as sold to men. Thus, since the male demographic is far more saturated than the female demographic in terms of tier-1 (expensive) gaming titles, by your own logic (and by basic economic principles) girls already have, if anything, an elevated importance to the gaming industry. You guys are the vast, untapped market.
This doesn't mean that there's no inequity in game design - I would never argue that point. I would certainly agree that women seem to be underserved by the game industry. But there's no indication whatsoever that they are undervalued - just that the game industry is failing to convert their desire for girls' money into products girls want to buy.
For these reasons it seems to me that you are seeing sexism where none actually exists. You think that these general gender expectations exist among gamers that, in my opnion, don't exist at all. In addition you assume that the industry undervalues women when thoughtful analysis reveals that value is not a problem. I don't think these are main points you're trying to make, they just reveal an implicit bias that comes through in every piece I've read by you so far. It's not hard to see sexism whever we choose to see it. You show me any male/female interaction whatsoever - just for a fun exercise - and I guarantee I can write up an argument demonstrating why that action is sexist. You're welcome to try me.
Now - I'll respond to the question from your post. "Do you think that merchandise appreciation in general implies a type of escapism from real life?"
That's a REALLY broad question. Merchandise appreciation indicates that you're including all possible reasons for purchasing merch or swag. I think that a type of escapism is certainly one of those motivations - but I do not believe that it is the general motivation. It's one among many (including appreciation for the merch itself and traditional fashion consideration: retro is cool). But there's one motivation in particular that I want to talk about - and it's the antithesis of escapism. My decision to buy the wall scroll I mentioned earlier did involved escapism in the sense that I've always enjoyed a little escapism to Final Fantasy land, but also sentimentality for something completely non-game related: my wife.
Here's a picture of the wall scroll: http://www.animaxworld.com/imgs/products/412/ff8scroll1.jpg
At the time I found it I was still dating Ro, and there were a lot of things I was unsure about. The relationship was getting serious, but I wasn't sure if I was ready to really commit or not. Being away from her on a cross-country road trip gave me time and space to think. I found this poster whie looking for souvenoirs for my family and I suddenly realized how much she meant to me. I bought it, and then we (my buddy was with me on the road trip) turned around and headed home. It took us over 3 weeks to get from VA to CA and I let Andy drive most of the way (it was his truck). When we headed east I took over and drove from CA to TX and then from TX to VA in two straight marathon drives. Even stopping to visit a university Andy was interested in we made it back in under four days. I'd already travelled from the east coast to the west coast to swim in the Pacific at sunset, but what I found there wasn't escapism. It was the reason to come home.
In my mind that's the opposite of escapism - and to this day when I look at that wall scroll it means more to me about my real life than about the gaming life. No matter how much we try to escape into our video games I think that we sooner or later realize that moments in the real world are more precious than moments in our digital realms. When that happens the epiphany brings with it the realization that the point of escapism is to journey to distant lands to bring back something precious: hope, idealism, exhileration, adventure, enlightenment. The archetype of all adventures is the journey into the unknown that culminates in a return to the starting place.
When you're on the outward bend of your journey escapism is the map and compass. For those people merch is the symbol of where they wish they could be. But for those who've returned merch is something else. It's the memory of where we have been and the physical manifestation of our commitment to come home from all our adventures - not by turning our back on those adventures but by bringing back their essense to enrich our lives. When you have a moment to sit outside and feel the wind on your face - are you wishing you were hunched over a keyboard with eyes glazed over and your mind in WoW, or are you savoring the experience of having returned from WoW to feel the genuine sunshine on your face again?
This isn't a call to stop gaming. That would be like saying that when you realize an adventure always brings you home you may as well not leave in the first place. If this is a call at all it's a call to game not only to escape life, but to enrich life.
-nathaniel
Hahahahaha... "posting from a friend's comptuer", eh? Well - that certainly sheds some new light on some of the discussion you missed out on in the last thread. That thread is still open, by the way, I wrote a response to a new post just a few minutes ago. And tell your friend I emailed him earlier today since he wanted to take things off the board - and I'm waiting for his response.
So, back to your current article. I'm still puzzled by some of your assumptions about gender differences in general. In particulare I note:
"You might think that, like other supposedly childish elements of videogame culture, gaming merch would be more often associated with women gamers than men."
Actually you might think that, but I wouldn't think that at all. Consider that (video) gaming is s a sub-group of gaming (no prefix). Gamers include people playing everything from GURPS to Magic: The Gathering to Warhammer 40K to consoles to PCs. These are the guys who spend hundreds of dollars purchasing miniatures to paint and play with when they're 30 years old! These are they guys who spend hundreds of dollars on comic books. In the case of Magic: The Gathering they're paying (back in its heydey at least) hundreds of dollars for a single, easy to reproduce, card! A lot of the most popular franchises (from D&D to Battletech) started here and crossed over to video games (while recently video games like Diablo have been crossing back the other way).
It seems to me that many (video) gamers are recent new comers to the gamer scene - which really includes the pencil and paper aspects as well. Check out Allen Varney's article in the 9th issue of The Escapist for more info on the detailed connection between gamers and video gamers. I'm not sure if perhaps you're unaware of these connections - but I think the result is that the gender expectations you may consider widespread are in fact not nearly so ubiquitous. They are, in fact, a product of seeing video gaming as kind of an enternatinment medium that sprang up ex nhilo. But this is not a realistic view of video gaming (or any entertainment medium) and so I think the gender expectations you assume need to face stiffer questions. You may have those gender expectations about male/female buying habits, but anyone who's spent time in a game-store lined from wall to wall with figurines, comic books, t-shirts, etc. would not have that expectation at all.
I'll mention one other oddity in your article. You write that merch "offers a platform, however seemingly trivial, for women to stand on equal footing with men in the eyes of the industry. After all, purchasing power is purchasing power, regardless of the gender of the consumer behind it." While you are clearly implying that women lack a platform for equal-footing with men "in the eyes of the industry" your second sentence casts that in serious doubt. You are quite right that as far as "the industry" is concerned all that matters is purchasing power. This would imply that games themselves - being the central driver of gaming industry - would be worth just as much sold to women as sold to men. Thus, since the male demographic is far more saturated than the female demographic in terms of tier-1 (expensive) gaming titles, by your own logic (and by basic economic principles) girls already have, if anything, an elevated importance to the gaming industry. You guys are the vast, untapped market.
This doesn't mean that there's no inequity in game design - I would never argue that point. I would certainly agree that women seem to be underserved by the game industry. But there's no indication whatsoever that they are undervalued - just that the game industry is failing to convert their desire for girls' money into products girls want to buy.
For these reasons it seems to me that you are seeing sexism where none actually exists. You think that these general gender expectations exist among gamers that, in my opnion, don't exist at all. In addition you assume that the industry undervalues women when thoughtful analysis reveals that value is not a problem. I don't think these are main points you're trying to make, they just reveal an implicit bias that comes through in every piece I've read by you so far. It's not hard to see sexism whever we choose to see it. You show me any male/female interaction whatsoever - just for a fun exercise - and I guarantee I can write up an argument demonstrating why that action is sexist. You're welcome to try me.
Now - I'll respond to the question from your post. "Do you think that merchandise appreciation in general implies a type of escapism from real life?"
That's a REALLY broad question. Merchandise appreciation indicates that you're including all possible reasons for purchasing merch or swag. I think that a type of escapism is certainly one of those motivations - but I do not believe that it is the general motivation. It's one among many (including appreciation for the merch itself and traditional fashion consideration: retro is cool). But there's one motivation in particular that I want to talk about - and it's the antithesis of escapism. My decision to buy the wall scroll I mentioned earlier did involved escapism in the sense that I've always enjoyed a little escapism to Final Fantasy land, but also sentimentality for something completely non-game related: my wife.
Here's a picture of the wall scroll: http://www.animaxworld.com/imgs/products/412/ff8scroll1.jpg
At the time I found it I was still dating Ro, and there were a lot of things I was unsure about. The relationship was getting serious, but I wasn't sure if I was ready to really commit or not. Being away from her on a cross-country road trip gave me time and space to think. I found this poster whie looking for souvenoirs for my family and I suddenly realized how much she meant to me. I bought it, and then we (my buddy was with me on the road trip) turned around and headed home. It took us over 3 weeks to get from VA to CA and I let Andy drive most of the way (it was his truck). When we headed east I took over and drove from CA to TX and then from TX to VA in two straight marathon drives. Even stopping to visit a university Andy was interested in we made it back in under four days. I'd already travelled from the east coast to the west coast to swim in the Pacific at sunset, but what I found there wasn't escapism. It was the reason to come home.
In my mind that's the opposite of escapism - and to this day when I look at that wall scroll it means more to me about my real life than about the gaming life. No matter how much we try to escape into our video games I think that we sooner or later realize that moments in the real world are more precious than moments in our digital realms. When that happens the epiphany brings with it the realization that the point of escapism is to journey to distant lands to bring back something precious: hope, idealism, exhileration, adventure, enlightenment. The archetype of all adventures is the journey into the unknown that culminates in a return to the starting place.
When you're on the outward bend of your journey escapism is the map and compass. For those people merch is the symbol of where they wish they could be. But for those who've returned merch is something else. It's the memory of where we have been and the physical manifestation of our commitment to come home from all our adventures - not by turning our back on those adventures but by bringing back their essense to enrich our lives. When you have a moment to sit outside and feel the wind on your face - are you wishing you were hunched over a keyboard with eyes glazed over and your mind in WoW, or are you savoring the experience of having returned from WoW to feel the genuine sunshine on your face again?
This isn't a call to stop gaming. That would be like saying that when you realize an adventure always brings you home you may as well not leave in the first place. If this is a call at all it's a call to game not only to escape life, but to enrich life.
-nathaniel
Original Comment by: Bonnie Ruberg
http://www.heroine-sheik.com
Nathaniel, I think you raise a really interesting point about video games, not as escapism, but as a reminder of the wonderfulness of reality. I would hope that that is how most people interact with games; it seems you have had a great, enriching experience. I do wonder though if that's the most common reaction to gaming. I'm thinking of Dibbell's My Tiny Life, for example, in which he often talks about overlooking the worth of real life interacts, and instead daydreams about the MOO. Of course, the book concludes with a revelation similiar to your own - which may prove your point.
To your comment about the first quote from my piece: I think you misunderstand me here (and if that's because of lack of clarity on my part, I apologize). I mean what I am saying quite literally; I'm not trying to make a judgement call. Normally, childish things in video game culture are associated with women (Think girls games), because they're both fringe cultures in a sense. I'm not clear how exactly that relates to your explanation of gamer dynamics. I certainly didn't mean to imply that merch actually is associated with women -- in fact, that sentence you quoted means exactly the opposite.
To your comment about female purchasing power in terms of consoles, I think you're right that women are an untapped force. But before that power can have an impact, developers have to recognize women as important consumers. After all, it's not purely supply and demand; there are still creative forces behind games that make crucial decisions, which, though influenced strongly by the market, still come from their own heads. I think that here, we're actually making the same exact point. I totally agree with your comment on not converting girls' desires into money-making games.
Where things get muddled however is your assumption that I'm pointing out some inherent sexism. Perhaps, when you say "sexism," you're talking about the gender expectations I often mention. The difference is that "gender expectations" are a set of socially-supported roles for men and women. "Sexism" would be appropriate if I was trying to point out something I thought was innately bad. I'm merely trying to discuss the way our culture (both video game culture and American culture in general) looks at gender. Is there sexism there? Of course, but 1) it exists for both men and women, and 2) it's not really my concern. I'm interested in anthropology, not judgements. The one article I will admit you could read a "sexism" argument into is my "Women Monsters" piece. The others are purely analytical.
http://www.heroine-sheik.com
Nathaniel, I think you raise a really interesting point about video games, not as escapism, but as a reminder of the wonderfulness of reality. I would hope that that is how most people interact with games; it seems you have had a great, enriching experience. I do wonder though if that's the most common reaction to gaming. I'm thinking of Dibbell's My Tiny Life, for example, in which he often talks about overlooking the worth of real life interacts, and instead daydreams about the MOO. Of course, the book concludes with a revelation similiar to your own - which may prove your point.
To your comment about the first quote from my piece: I think you misunderstand me here (and if that's because of lack of clarity on my part, I apologize). I mean what I am saying quite literally; I'm not trying to make a judgement call. Normally, childish things in video game culture are associated with women (Think girls games), because they're both fringe cultures in a sense. I'm not clear how exactly that relates to your explanation of gamer dynamics. I certainly didn't mean to imply that merch actually is associated with women -- in fact, that sentence you quoted means exactly the opposite.
To your comment about female purchasing power in terms of consoles, I think you're right that women are an untapped force. But before that power can have an impact, developers have to recognize women as important consumers. After all, it's not purely supply and demand; there are still creative forces behind games that make crucial decisions, which, though influenced strongly by the market, still come from their own heads. I think that here, we're actually making the same exact point. I totally agree with your comment on not converting girls' desires into money-making games.
Where things get muddled however is your assumption that I'm pointing out some inherent sexism. Perhaps, when you say "sexism," you're talking about the gender expectations I often mention. The difference is that "gender expectations" are a set of socially-supported roles for men and women. "Sexism" would be appropriate if I was trying to point out something I thought was innately bad. I'm merely trying to discuss the way our culture (both video game culture and American culture in general) looks at gender. Is there sexism there? Of course, but 1) it exists for both men and women, and 2) it's not really my concern. I'm interested in anthropology, not judgements. The one article I will admit you could read a "sexism" argument into is my "Women Monsters" piece. The others are purely analytical.