Sweden Considering Sexism Labels For Video Games

[Dreiko_v1legacy]

How is "a society we want to create" different from "fantasy"? I think that quoted person in the end of the article doesn't really understand what fantasy is. If the society doesn't currently exist, juxtaposing a version of society with our desired alterations upon reality is what fantasy is.


Fantasy isn't just dragons and elves. Oh and, on that front, I'd LOVE to create a society with dragons and elves, magic and all of that other stuff too. Don't assume the society you wish to create is the society "we" wish to create, Mr. Swedish person.

 

[Ninjariffic]

I see a lot of responses about "this won't work" and "it's a binary system that'll shame things that don't deserve it". I think that that's probably how it would turn out over here in North America. It would probably work just fine over there.

The US and Canada really don't seem to realize how bad we have it. There are plenty of countries that aren't as fucked up as we are.

 

[Cecilthedarkknight_234]

I'm not surprised in the least, this is a country that banned dead or alive for the 3ds and every following game series because of child pornography laws

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/26362/dead-or-alive-dimensions-banned-in-sweden

 

[Atmos Duality]

So, it will basically be the Feminist equivalent of Tipper Stickers.
Better than the CCA or Hayes Code, at least.

 

[Infernal Lawyer]

I don't see this working. Classification systems have always been garbage. I mean, there are tons of games labled "mature" when it's just goofy nonsense that just happens to have blood and gore.

 

[James Elmash]

I think this is a good idea.

If you are like me and don't really care (most of the time) about representation, then its as easy to ignore as the warning "Contains comic violence", but if this is something that really matters to you, then you have a warning about it. It gives people the chance to vote with their wallets more, as they'll have a better idea about what games will annoy them.

In turn, I think this will lower the internet rage at a number of properties, as people just won't touch the games with the label.

If you give people the chance to know if there is something in a game that they'll hate, and then the only people playing the game will be people who won't get offended

 

[maninahat]

Guess Sweden's in for social engineering. "This game is socially unacceptable" speaks their bloated Orwellian government and the masses will nod their heads in agreement. Governments moralizing always turns out so well for people who don't fit the mold.

The Orwellian comparison implies that Swedes have no influence in what their government does. In reality, if you don't like what a government is doing, you can either petition them or, if they won't listen, vote in another one who will do what you like. If this new government experiment causes a mass outrage in Sweden, I suspect the voters will say so.

Also, all governments serve to moralise and seek codify a set of generally agreed upon morals. It isn't automatically a bad thing. We generally see murder as wrong, and the government makes that official with laws against murder. The only people whom that doesn't turn out well for are murderers.

 

[m19]

This is just infantalizing. People should think for themselves and not rely on big brother to do it for them. And such labelling activities should be kept to an absolute minimum and stay firmly in things that can be defined objectively, like graphic violence, porn, etc. Propaganda of moral values needs to be a separate activity, not a branding iron central authority applies to other people's creations.

 

[Zerotwo]

So.... This wasn't a very pleasant read at all.

Let's put things into perspective. An industry organization is researching the possibility for a new product labeling for games, in Sweden. This label could indicate either if the game promotes gender equality or if it's regarded as sexist by the rating board. Exactly what and to what extent these labels could be applied is not known, since it is as stated just now being researched (actually not starting until January 2015 according to their website). "Sweden Considering Sexism Labels For Video Games" is an article title, made to look interesting, and in this case quite erroneous.

Dataspelsbranschen is an industry organization, not tied to any political party or movements. It is a private for profit organization with partners including (as stated on their website): Activision Blizzard, Bergsala, Disney, Electronic Arts, Game Outlet, Koch Media, Microsoft, Namco Bandai Partners, Nordisk Film Distribution, Pan Vision, Ubisoft och Warner Bros.

Given the subject at hand, are you surprised the title was erroneous -and- the entire thing turned out to be stemming from a mistranslation? I know I'm not.

Furthermore the political climate in Sweden is, as evidenced by the recent election, not suprisingly moving in a steady rightward direction with strong rising support for the major nationalistic, anti-immigration and anti-left party. Similarly to what we have seen previously in Greece, France, Norway, Denmark and other European countries. Commenting on Swedens politics through the perspective of old stereotypes still being run by many media outlets today ad verbatim today (the Escapist not excused) is misleading and naive.

Must be the most impotent bad at PR rightwingers I've heard because I've heard crap all about any particular rise in rightwingedness here in Norway. I guess I probably just didn't pay enough attention to the news or something.

In just a few pages of comments here I find a humongous lot of hate directed against my country, its government and "the apparent feminist leftist conspiracy" behind it all. I would urge many of you to stop and at least actually consider the situation a little before going all up in arms over a petty thing like this. This judgemental attitude and borderline paranoic obsession with the perceived "threath to video games/gaming culture" is juvenile and hiding behind intellectualizing arguments of "objectivity" doesn't help.

If you need to find a rational reason for why this is even happening in the first place (i.e. other than "the war" against the male sex -.-) you have to look no further than the comments on this article. With an ounce of self-reflection and general knowledge that should not be hard to see.

I don't think anyone's gonna be dropping the waraxes anytime soon if the noise that's been bandied around here the past months is anything to go by I'm afraid.

I don't think there is any problem with the PR of parties like Fremskrittspartiet, otherwise they certainly would not have, as stated before, risen that much and wouldn't have won the parlimentary election 2013. Whether or not you have stopped paying attention to the media or cannot comprehend the change in political ideological climate I don't know.

I am not surprised that the subject is sparking debate but reactionary overzelous responses like equating this to Sweden trying to impose moral indoctrination is simply not grounded in reason (as explained in my previous post). Just like the statement "I've heard crap all about any particular rise in rightwingedness" from you, while you may have that experience, does not change the well documented and observable recent history of your geopolitical climate.

You are probably right about people not giving up their precious axes, that would be a lot to ask for. Maybe though they could learn to realize when they are hitting rock instead of wood and save some grace.

 

[Kathinka]

Oh the delicious smell of Fahrenheit 451: the early days. This is truly PC run amok. Scientists getting shit over the shirts they are wearing, games being labeled by what is perceived by fringe radicals as sexism..what a time to be alive.

 

[sonofliber]

So... what is sexism? when you can define that in an quantifiable measure, then you can have this, if not its all a waste of time, and it will cause more harm that good.

 

[Augustine]

Trying to formalize something of this sort seems to me the path fraught with peril, if not bizarre. But I'm not entirely unsympathetic to the idea of experimenting with this, as long as it's not where I live

In regards to the criticism of limitations of the Bechdel test... I genuinely wonder - are there other, more sophisticated alternatives to it?

edit: I just realized that the test is based on a narrative of a tiny comic and I am speechless...

 

[Jake Martinez]

Oh the delicious smell of Fahrenheit 451: the early days. This is truly PC run amok. Scientists getting shit over the shirts they are wearing, games being labeled by what is perceived by fringe radicals as sexism..what a time to be alive.

Glad to see someone reference Fahrenheit 451 correctly.

It always infuriated Bradbury that most people assumed his novel was about government censorship.

It's actually about a world in which a citizenship with a fragmented identity continually demanded passages be removed from books because they offended them, eventually leaving behind books so heavily edited that they were worthless.

Only then, did the firemen start burning them.

Something to consider.

 

[blackrave]

Tax paying citizens of Sweden
(swedians? swedonians? swedonites?... swedtards???)
DEMAND THOSE 272,000 KRONES BACK!

 

[Vendor-Lazarus]

Tax paying citizens of Sweden
(swedians? swedonians? swedonites?... swedtards???)
DEMAND THOSE 272,000 KRONES BACK!

Any of those are fine with me, but the correct term would be Swede (and Kronor) ,)

We can't..We are barely allowed to vote for a party..7 parties on paper but only 2 in reality..and those 2 only differing in 1 or 2 aspects.
Oh, but we do have a new rising 3rd party to vote for. A "very lovely" and "down to earth" party which everyone "embraces".
Ok, enough quote tags. heh

Not only do our road taxes and fuel taxes not go to maintain the roads or plant more tree's or whatever, they all get lumped together and doled out as the government sees fit.
I think that's true but I'm no a hundred percent sure of course.

 

[Zeriu]

I hate Marcus Fenix as a character, yet I still don't think he's sexist. Mainly because he's designed to appeal to men rather than dehumanizing him.

I could just as well argue that Barbie was designed to appeal to girls, just to prove that Barbie isn't a sexist caricature.

 

[Dr. Crawver]

Didn't take very long for people to jump on the "what about men" train did it.

As a man, I wish the issues my gender faces would be more than something brought up with the sole purpose of shutting people up.

Wow, only took until post 6 before someone pointed out the flaw with "what about men" post. Bravo. Really, I mean it.

 

[Darkmantle]

Well the ext time I'm told that these video game feminists "aren't coming for our games" or "arent trying to stop them from being made", I hope you are there to correct them for me.

And why would I do that? In case you couldn't tell, a label is not "coming for our games" or "trying to stop them from being made," it's a label. As far as I can tell, the label doesn't get you banned from stores, or increase your price, or anything other than identify the game for what it is.

You just said it's a label to try and discourage people from buying the games. That is an attempt to shrink the market and make those games not as widely created.

It's social engineering and moral policing. You might not be able to do it in the same way it was done in the past, but the intent is still there. If you had your way. games with that label wouldn't exist.

 

[blackrave]

Tax paying citizens of Sweden
(swedians? swedonians? swedonites?... swedtards???)
DEMAND THOSE 272,000 KRONES BACK!

Any of those are fine with me, but the correct term would be Swede (and Kronor) ,)

We can't..We are barely allowed to vote for a party..7 parties on paper but only 2 in reality..and those 2 only differing in 1 or 2 aspects.
Oh, but we do have a new rising 3rd party to vote for. A "very lovely" and "down to earth" party which everyone "embraces".
Ok, enough quote tags. heh

Not only do our road taxes and fuel taxes not go to maintain the roads or plant more tree's or whatever, they all get lumped together and doled out as the government sees fit.
I think that's true but I'm no a hundred percent sure of course.

1)Kronors? Really? I was convinced that it was either krones or krons. (also- proper term is euro... comrade)
2)Sorry, I know it's swedes (to understand joke, watch RedVsBlue)
3)Huh, politics suck in Sweden too? The more I think about it the more I believe we should try anarchy next :/

 

[Hugga_Bear]

3)Huh, politics suck in Sweden too? The more I think about it the more I believe we should try anarchy next :/

Good luck not dying. Even if a country successfully moved into an anarchist state it wouldn't last very long. Other countries would come knocking. (see Spain's attempt). I personally would love to see an anarchist state in action but the universal fear of it is so ingrained...and then there's the corporations fears. All that money, leaving future them's hands.

As for this subject, well firstly as has been pointed out throughout the thread this is quite clearly NOT a decision being made by the current political parties. For one thing there wouldn't be such an absurdly narrow focus if a political party and not a private organisation were doing it. It's just...it's obviously not a government initiative guys, stop freaking out.

Besides all this I think the comparisons to an Orwellian state are absurd and damaging. We are inching closer to Orwellian control, the United Kingdom is a premier example of this and it sickens me to be living here sometimes. Putting little labels on the videogames we play is not going to change very much and fear of a slippery slope is inherently fallacious when considering that, again, it is a PRIVATE company and not the government considering enacting this idea. Considering.

As for the idea itself it's inherently flawed. Without a strict set of definitions about what makes a game (or indeed anything) sexist anyone would struggle to accurately label these games, particularly given the huge amount of parody. I mean Bayonetta come on, that's like a nightmare for these people. If it did work, if a board of people could accurately tell people which games were sexist and which games were not then it would be interesting and little else. Escapist needs to breathe, your anger is clouding your ability to read guys.