Mimsofthedawg said:
Here's one for yea: violence. Why does almost every game have to contain a violent element? Why can't we have games without violence!
A noble thought, certainly, but combat (be it shooting, hand to hand, aerial, whatever) is something that games just do well. Drama, comedy, romance all that stuff is simply done better in film and tv (controlled, non interactive media). Maybe we could amend that to toning down graphic, realistic violence- which i agree has probably had it's day.
I'm not sure how racism fits into this topic anywhere tbh- particularly racism towards whites. Maybe it's a factor in some recent games I haven't played (spec ops), but I certainly don't think anyone could reasonably call it a gaming trend.
Sexism, on the other hand, is omnipresent and tangibly holding this hobby of ours back. I, for example, am a huge fan of 3rd person action games like bayonetta and the DMC series. But I feel that these games' clever mechanics and genuine artistry are undermined by the really crass objectification of women which means that while I will still play them, I'll be slightly ashamed of myself and I certainly wouldn't dream of showing them to my non-gaming mates (esp those of the female persuasion).