Journalism and Bias in the Gaming Industry

[Meshugger]

This is quite funny. Remember the gg_autoblocker on Twitter that blocked people based on who they followed and even endorsed by IGDA for a while? Well the creator of it, Randi Harper, seems to be bullying the author Anne Rice (Interview with a Vampire)

 

https://twitter.com/AnneRiceAuthor/status/605803197324599298

 

Seems like the "harassed ones" are really just projecting.

 

MOAR

 

[Meshugger]

 

That's why it's average consumer playtime, not average campaign length. But I just realized it's a dumb idea anyway, since that means nobody can refund it until there's an average.

Yeah, and then there's the method of determining average.

 

EDIT:

 

 

Boogie's opinion: Anyone who thinks this policy bad is probably delusional or trying to get clicks.

So games journalists.

 

 

Everyones favourite, Nathan Grayson, finds the whole thing problematic

 

https://archive.is/FJTVd

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

 

 

That's why it's average consumer playtime, not average campaign length. But I just realized it's a dumb idea anyway, since that means nobody can refund it until there's an average.

Yeah, and then there's the method of determining average. 

EDIT: 

 Boogie's opinion: Anyone who thinks this policy bad is probably delusional or trying to get clicks.

So games journalists.

 Everyones favourite, Nathan Grayson, finds the whole thing problematic https://archive.is/FJTVd

Then it's guaranteed to be a good thing.

[Emc2]

I feel like the developers who are worried about the exploitability of the system have very little faith on the audience and the quality of the game. I'd say 90% of people wouldn't bother to get a refund if they really liked the game and the price is right. As soon as you decide to buy a game, you generally have accepted that you are not going to use that money for anything else. If the game doesn't utterly disappoint you, I doubt you would bother to get a refund and find another game to buy or something. I think the system just encourages people to find the right price value for their games.

 

I've been recently finding parallers between video games and "feminism" (as a general term describing the stereotype, not as name of any movement etc.). The whole "all types of women are beautiful"/"games of all length are equal" and "you should let women be what they want"/"you shouldn't put any rules to games"(looking at some of the text-flow thingies in steam marketed as games). It's really interesting how that can happen.

[aluminiumtrioxid]

...Doesn't sound like cause for any concern to me.

 

I mean, I can only imagine two kinds of people returning games after getting to the end: those who regret their purchase (who, I'd argue, should be able to return the product, that's the system working as intended), and those who are quite happy with the game, but think "hey, free money", and return it anyways (who, I'd argue, would be pirating the game instead of buying it in the first place, and therefore not a cause for concern either).

[Meshugger]

...Doesn't sound like cause for any concern to me.

 

I mean, I can only imagine two kinds of people returning games after getting to the end: those who regret their purchase (who, I'd argue, should be able to return the product, that's the system working as intended), and those who are quite happy with the game, but think "hey, free money", and return it anyways (who, I'd argue, would be pirating the game instead of buying it in the first place, and therefore not a cause for concern either).

 

I....I agree. That has to be the first time.

 

Polygon is gonna Polygon as usual:

 

 

Bollywood cannot be Bollywood by the same logic.

[Blarghagh]

Does this person realize how freaking discriminatory that is towards slavs? That's as bad as my late grandpa yelling about how pollacks were stealing all the jobs. I mean my god, how insensitive can you be while at the same time pretending to be the good guy?

[Gorgon]

hmm. So apparently you can make 2600 a month on Patreon just being a high profile asshat.

 

Understandably tempting really. It wouldn't surprise me if her behavior, when it comes down to it, was mostly about maintaining the level of profile that will allow you to monetarise your online persona. 

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

Does this person realize how freaking discriminatory that is towards slavs? That's as bad as my late grandpa yelling about how pollacks were stealing all the jobs. I mean my god, how insensitive can you be while at the same time pretending to be the good guy?

European culture is uniform and whites don't discriminate against whites.

[Emc2]

I've lost all the respect for polygon's articles already. These tolerant-nice-guy wannabes are driving me nuts. And it's not only polygon. I'm so glad I've never got into Twitter.

 

On the other hand, some of these articles are good for a few laughs. I don't want to be judgemental myself, but I really feel a bit bad for the people who twist logic like that.

[Oerwinde]

Its stuff like that that makes the white genocide people sound reasonable. Particularly their points about how white countries and cultures are constantly under pressure to be accommodating to other races and cultures and a desire for homogeny is viewed as awful and racist, but for brown/black/asian cultures/races, a desire for homogeny is seen as proper and their right.

[Gorgon]

Why does CDproject have to make explain/ make apologies for the colour of their character's skin at all. Complete non issue. 

[Emc2]

Why does CDproject have to make explain/ make apologies for the colour of their character's skin at all. Complete non issue. 

As far as I know, CDPR have never apologized for the colour. They have stated the game will be based in the slavic environment and the game's weather and aesthetics will reflect that. Most of the explanations have come from "external sources" i believe.

[aluminiumtrioxid]

Does this person realize how freaking discriminatory that is towards slavs?

 

Is it, though?

[Meshugger]

Its stuff like that that makes the white genocide people sound reasonable. Particularly their points about how white countries and cultures are constantly under pressure to be accommodating to other races and cultures and a desire for homogeny is viewed as awful and racist, but for brown/black/asian cultures/races, a desire for homogeny is seen as proper and their right.

 

I also find it funny how ex-communist countries with a 1000-year history and recent re-awaking of cultural and ethnic identity are told that their homogenity sucks. Finally free and independent only to be told that it shouldn't matter.

[Blarghagh]

 

Does this person realize how freaking discriminatory that is towards slavs?

 

Is it, though?

 

 

To be told that their unique culture and background is just white stuff and nobody would care if it got replaced with cooler black stuff because there's already so much white stuff? Pretty much, yeah.

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

 

 

Does this person realize how freaking discriminatory that is towards slavs?

 

 

Is it, though?

 

To be told that their unique culture and background is just white stuff and nobody would care if it got replaced with cooler black stuff because there's already so much white stuff? Pretty much, yeah.

Which black stuff are we talking about? Caribbean culture, American black culture, or something else? Or do the bloggers think that's all the same and just want a token shoved in?

[aluminiumtrioxid]

 

 

Does this person realize how freaking discriminatory that is towards slavs?

 

Is it, though?

 

 

To be told that their unique culture and background is just white stuff and nobody would care if it got replaced with cooler black stuff because there's already so much white stuff?

 

 

But that's not what's told in the article.

[Malcador]

 

 

...Doesn't sound like cause for any concern to me.

 

I mean, I can only imagine two kinds of people returning games after getting to the end: those who regret their purchase (who, I'd argue, should be able to return the product, that's the system working as intended), and those who are quite happy with the game, but think "hey, free money", and return it anyways (who, I'd argue, would be pirating the game instead of buying it in the first place, and therefore not a cause for concern either).

I....I agree. That has to be the first time.

 

Polygon is gonna Polygon as usual:

 

 

Bollywood cannot be Bollywood by the same logic.

What problem would be fixed by this exactly?

 

Oh never mind, it is whining by that Moosa fool. Yeah non whites are shown the door by Witcher 3.

Edited June 3, 2015 by Malcador

[Fighter]

hmm. So apparently you can make 2600 a month on Patreon just being a high profile asshat.

 

Understandably tempting really. It wouldn't surprise me if her behavior, when it comes down to it, was mostly about maintaining the level of profile that will allow you to monetarise your online persona. 

 

I have no doubt the monetary perks are driving a lot of their behavior.

[Meshugger]

 

 

...Doesn't sound like cause for any concern to me.

 

I mean, I can only imagine two kinds of people returning games after getting to the end: those who regret their purchase (who, I'd argue, should be able to return the product, that's the system working as intended), and those who are quite happy with the game, but think "hey, free money", and return it anyways (who, I'd argue, would be pirating the game instead of buying it in the first place, and therefore not a cause for concern either).

I....I agree. That has to be the first time.

 

Polygon is gonna Polygon as usual:

 

 

Bollywood cannot be Bollywood by the same logic.

What problem would be fixed by this exactly?

 

Oh never mind, it is whining by that Moosa fool. Yeah non whites are shown the door by Witcher 3.

 

 

The problem of too much white people will be fixed. Didn't you get the memo?

 

For example, lets say you make a movie based on danish folklore, where everyone is white because....well the danish people are white. But that will cause ungoodfeel for minorities and thus, a transsexual asian blacksmith should fit perfectly fine with the setting. Oh, but don't even think about including white people in indian movie for the same reason. That's cultural appropriation, which is problematic.

 

This is the level of malevolent idiocy we are dealing with.

[Blarghagh]

 

 

 

Does this person realize how freaking discriminatory that is towards slavs?

 

Is it, though?

 

 

To be told that their unique culture and background is just white stuff and nobody would care if it got replaced with cooler black stuff because there's already so much white stuff?

 

 

But that's not what's told in the article.

 

 

Yeah it is? Slavic culture is less equal than chinese, african or indian culture because the value of their culture is overriden by the fact that they're white and there's already so much white stuff. That's what the text says. Regardless of the fact that there are very few slavs or slavic cultures in games, much less so I would say than there is chinese culture. You can't put a slav, despite of his culture or the fact that slavs are second class citizens and discriminated against on the level of any other minority in Europe, in an African story because he is white (that would be whitewashing, which is bad) but you must put African people in a slavic story because they are not white (that would be racebending, which is good). Slavs are "white" and therefore don't count towards "diversity" because skin color is all that matters. You have to do a whole lot of semantic nonsense of to get to an interpretation of that text where the writer is not a terrible human being.

[aluminiumtrioxid]

 

Yeah it is? Slavic culture is less equal than chinese, african or indian culture because the value of their culture is overriden by the fact that they're white and there's already so much white stuff. That's what the text says. Regardless of the fact that there are very few slavs or slavic cultures in games, much less so I would say than there is chinese culture. You can't put a slav, despite of his culture or the fact that slavs are second class citizens and discriminated against on the level of any other minority in Europe, in an African story because he is white (that would be whitewashing, which is bad) but you must put African people in a slavic story because they are not white (that would be racebending, which is good). Slavs are "white" and therefore don't count towards "diversity" because skin color is all that matters. You have to do a whole lot of semantic nonsense of to get to an interpretation of that text where the writer is not a terrible human being.

 

 

I dunno, I'm your generic eastern european mix of slavic, germanic and god knows what else, and didn't really feel the article was trying to erase me or my culture.

[Meshugger]

 

 

Yeah it is? Slavic culture is less equal than chinese, african or indian culture because the value of their culture is overriden by the fact that they're white and there's already so much white stuff. That's what the text says. Regardless of the fact that there are very few slavs or slavic cultures in games, much less so I would say than there is chinese culture. You can't put a slav, despite of his culture or the fact that slavs are second class citizens and discriminated against on the level of any other minority in Europe, in an African story because he is white (that would be whitewashing, which is bad) but you must put African people in a slavic story because they are not white (that would be racebending, which is good). Slavs are "white" and therefore don't count towards "diversity" because skin color is all that matters. You have to do a whole lot of semantic nonsense of to get to an interpretation of that text where the writer is not a terrible human being.

 

 

I dunno, I'm your generic eastern european mix of slavic, germanic and god knows what else, and didn't really feel the article was trying to erase me or my culture.

 

 

Well, this is more about what the text says and not what you feel, is it not?

[aluminiumtrioxid]

 

 

 

Yeah it is? Slavic culture is less equal than chinese, african or indian culture because the value of their culture is overriden by the fact that they're white and there's already so much white stuff. That's what the text says. Regardless of the fact that there are very few slavs or slavic cultures in games, much less so I would say than there is chinese culture. You can't put a slav, despite of his culture or the fact that slavs are second class citizens and discriminated against on the level of any other minority in Europe, in an African story because he is white (that would be whitewashing, which is bad) but you must put African people in a slavic story because they are not white (that would be racebending, which is good). Slavs are "white" and therefore don't count towards "diversity" because skin color is all that matters. You have to do a whole lot of semantic nonsense of to get to an interpretation of that text where the writer is not a terrible human being.

 

 

I dunno, I'm your generic eastern european mix of slavic, germanic and god knows what else, and didn't really feel the article was trying to erase me or my culture.

 

 

Well, this is more about what the text says and not what you feel, is it not?

 

 

When the argument is that it's exactly like racist grandparents yelling about "pollacks stealing our jobs", I think it might matter whether I feel that comparison holds water or not.

 

Also, I feel we leave out vital context when we interpret the text as the author arguing for "slavic culture [being] less than chinese". The article was responding to the very specific argument that the Witcher's world not featuring people of color is exactly like a story based on Indian mythology not featuring white people. It's saying that the two things are not even remotely alike when you view it from a wider cultural perspective, which is... actually kind of reasonable?

 

I mean, if you read the entire article, I'd argue it's not even about the Witcher, much less about condemning CD Projekt for the lack of diversity.

Edited June 3, 2015 by aluminiumtrioxid