Darkmantle said:
I played devils advocate by basically responding with "well she should just go make a game then, because devs could say the same thing to her (go make a game with "good female representation yourself, instead of telling me what to do), if we accept that as a valid argument".
I wasn't so much making an argument as negating another. I don't think the devs or other people should use that argument, but I am also saying she (and her defenders) can't use that argument either.
make a bit more sense?
"make a bit more sense?"
The argument appeared to be that she should make a game.
I can see how this argument could be whimsical but that still boils down to: "Ha if you're so smart why don't
you make a game that isn't sexist?"
Anita Sarkeesian has no ability to make a game. Her expertise is in sociology so whether you agree with her view or not:
She's not a programmer, she's not a game designer.
But that does not disqualify her from being game reviewer nor commentator.
There are many commentators in the industry and in other mediums that have no technical expertise in the medium that that discuss. The fact that they have experienced the medium is enough.
The fact that she has a Postgraduate degree in Social Thought should give her a unique perspective on the subject and gamers should be honoured to have someone of that calibre display an academic interest in video games.
Honoured I say. Disagree with her? Absolutely! Do it civilly and you earn the mark of maturity.
Welcome women's studies into videogames. Welcome race studies into videogames. Welcome sociology into videogames.
Do these things and you welcome maturity into videogames.