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Tuesday, November 10, 2015
Monday, November 10, 2014
Gamer Community's Ownership of a Medium Causes Sexism in Video Game Culture
This post was originally published on capableape.blogspot.com
The most recent batch of sexism toward women in video game culture has become popular enough to be discussed by Forbes and The New Yorker, as well as five articles on Time in two days. But why do some gamers hate women enough to send violent and detailed rape and death threats, harass their families, and drive the women from their homes? I asked Doctor Rosa Mikeal Martey, an associate professor at Colorado State University in the Department of Journalism and Media Communication who researches identity and gender in online social interactions.
But
as more people play games, the label of gamer means nothing more than
one who plays video games. Now the industry has to cope with and respond
to criticism from varying perspectives, as any new form of media has
while it adjusted to becoming mainstream. Early adopters of the medium
likely struggle to hold onto the old boundaries of their community once
they find they are no longer the sole demographic of their medium.
Perhaps this is why some gamers are reacting so violently to feminist
cultural critique.
The most recent batch of sexism toward women in video game culture has become popular enough to be discussed by Forbes and The New Yorker, as well as five articles on Time in two days. But why do some gamers hate women enough to send violent and detailed rape and death threats, harass their families, and drive the women from their homes? I asked Doctor Rosa Mikeal Martey, an associate professor at Colorado State University in the Department of Journalism and Media Communication who researches identity and gender in online social interactions.
Martey explains that
"gamer" is a label reclaimed by a community that was once stereotyped as
having a low social status and no relationships with women. Like all
communities, they also defend their boundaries, so if a woman threatens
the gamer community by trying to enter or change it, the community
retaliates. In the case of gamers, the threat is handled like a boss
fight in a raid, where people team up and strategize how to take her
down.
"The fact that there's a
human being who might actually have personal consequences as a result
just wasn't part of the thinking in any way, because she became the
object, literally the object of their attack," Martey describes. "It was
a name and a set of linkages that they were trying to sever in their
mind, not a person."
Martey
suggests that the open dialogue between developers and players has
created a more solid sense of ownership over the medium than fans of
other media have, likely because developers listen to player feedback
and make adjustments, especially for online games. In the case of
BioWare, enough people voiced their dislike for the ending of Mass
Effect 3 that the developer released downloadable content with a new
ending. PlayStation users KillaBlaze and Mayhem_24_ agreed that changes
could happen in a game if the community of players is persistent and
vocal about its ideas, suggestions, or complaints.
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Microsoft's Xbox One Reveal
It's big, it's black, and it's sexy! Ladies and gentlemen, Xbox One, the new console from Microsoft, has been revealed.
It's powerful, and it does a lot of things. You can read all about the tech specs on IGN, cnet, Gizmodo, Forbes, NBC, you name it. You can read the Microsoft release (though as of 1:30 MST, the server is waffling between slow and broke).
But just look at it. That beautiful box may not read "sleek" to everyone, but its prismatic and sharply angled design brings to mind high-horsepower muscle cars, a fitting comparison considering that Forza 5 was the first game announced for the console.
It's not all about the console by itself either: the new Kinect, which will be included, has a 1080p camera that can supposedly measure a heartbeat and works in tandem with the controller. Speaking of the controller, it will have better sensitivity and is designed to be more ergonomic.
Xbox One is definitely not just for gaming: it will be seamlessly integrated with television and apps. The demo on-stage during the reveal shows that you will be able to control everything from the guide to fantasy sports teams with your voice. The console is "always ready," meaning you simply say "Xbox on" and it turns itself and the TV on. I'm no technophobe, but I am wary of how many aspects of my life and living room that the Xbox may take over.
Now, I've never been one to feel the need to buy a console as soon as it comes out, but I am already pretty giddy about this. It is one fine and impressive piece of machinery so far. I can't wait to see how Xbox One does at E3 in just a few weeks.
What are your impressions of Xbox One so far? Love it, hate it, still unsure? Let me know in the comments!
 |
| Photo credit: Microsoft |
It's powerful, and it does a lot of things. You can read all about the tech specs on IGN, cnet, Gizmodo, Forbes, NBC, you name it. You can read the Microsoft release (though as of 1:30 MST, the server is waffling between slow and broke).
 |
| Photo credit: Turn 10 Studios |
It's not all about the console by itself either: the new Kinect, which will be included, has a 1080p camera that can supposedly measure a heartbeat and works in tandem with the controller. Speaking of the controller, it will have better sensitivity and is designed to be more ergonomic.
Xbox One is definitely not just for gaming: it will be seamlessly integrated with television and apps. The demo on-stage during the reveal shows that you will be able to control everything from the guide to fantasy sports teams with your voice. The console is "always ready," meaning you simply say "Xbox on" and it turns itself and the TV on. I'm no technophobe, but I am wary of how many aspects of my life and living room that the Xbox may take over.
Now, I've never been one to feel the need to buy a console as soon as it comes out, but I am already pretty giddy about this. It is one fine and impressive piece of machinery so far. I can't wait to see how Xbox One does at E3 in just a few weeks.
What are your impressions of Xbox One so far? Love it, hate it, still unsure? Let me know in the comments!
Sunday, May 19, 2013
They mostly come out at night... Mostly
To many people, Old Town Fort Collins is a magical, romantic place to enjoy dinner, followed by a moonlit stroll through the square. But for others, it is a place to get your drink on until the bars close or you run out of money, followed by a moonlit stumble through the square.
It is this second group that has shaped one rule for me: avoid Old Town Thursdays through Saturdays after 4:00 p.m. Sure, most of these drunks are harmless, but even at their best, they are annoying and difficult to get rid of.
On a warm Friday afternoon in the early spring, my parents and I were enjoying a round of beers on a street-facing patio in Old Town when we were intruded upon by a drunk guy coming up to us from the sidewalk, complaining about society's assumption that he was the asshole for saying hello to strangers. Strangers or not, he was an asshole for interrupting our conversation. He blathered on with little input from us for several minutes.
The further into the night one lingers in Old Town, the drunks become more and more creepy. This was made apparent to me on one Halloween night. Of course, it's always risky to go out on a holiday, but it was also my friend's 21st birthday and I was obligated to chaperone her first spin around the bars.
As the sober one among my two friends, I had already noticed the inebriated young man in a wig guarding the entrance to the Rio. There was a small, plastic bow on his shoulder, a suction cup arrow in his fist, and his pants were spray-painted orange over his crotch. His plainclothes friend stood with him, somewhat less intoxicated.
The one holding children's toys noticed us as we approached. "I like your costumes. Do you know what I am?"
One of us ventured a timid guess, "...Katniss?"
"Ha ha ha, close," he chortled. "It's 'Munger Games.'"
My friends and I were silent, and his friend shook his head in embarrassment, disbelief, laughter, or all three.
"You know 'Munger Games?'" he asked, gesturing at his spray-painted crotch.
My friends and shook their heads. I had never heard of it, but I had a good enough idea and I didn't want an explanation.
His friend laughed, "You should look it up."
"I lost a bet!" Katniss exclaimed proudly.
"Okay," I said hurriedly, finally taking charge of the situation. "You guys have a nice night."
I herded my friends into the Rio without looking back to finish our Halloween with chips, salsa, and anonymity.
It is this second group that has shaped one rule for me: avoid Old Town Thursdays through Saturdays after 4:00 p.m. Sure, most of these drunks are harmless, but even at their best, they are annoying and difficult to get rid of.
On a warm Friday afternoon in the early spring, my parents and I were enjoying a round of beers on a street-facing patio in Old Town when we were intruded upon by a drunk guy coming up to us from the sidewalk, complaining about society's assumption that he was the asshole for saying hello to strangers. Strangers or not, he was an asshole for interrupting our conversation. He blathered on with little input from us for several minutes.
The further into the night one lingers in Old Town, the drunks become more and more creepy. This was made apparent to me on one Halloween night. Of course, it's always risky to go out on a holiday, but it was also my friend's 21st birthday and I was obligated to chaperone her first spin around the bars.
As the sober one among my two friends, I had already noticed the inebriated young man in a wig guarding the entrance to the Rio. There was a small, plastic bow on his shoulder, a suction cup arrow in his fist, and his pants were spray-painted orange over his crotch. His plainclothes friend stood with him, somewhat less intoxicated.
The one holding children's toys noticed us as we approached. "I like your costumes. Do you know what I am?"
One of us ventured a timid guess, "...Katniss?"
"Ha ha ha, close," he chortled. "It's 'Munger Games.'"
My friends and I were silent, and his friend shook his head in embarrassment, disbelief, laughter, or all three.
"You know 'Munger Games?'" he asked, gesturing at his spray-painted crotch.
My friends and shook their heads. I had never heard of it, but I had a good enough idea and I didn't want an explanation.
His friend laughed, "You should look it up."
"I lost a bet!" Katniss exclaimed proudly.
"Okay," I said hurriedly, finally taking charge of the situation. "You guys have a nice night."
I herded my friends into the Rio without looking back to finish our Halloween with chips, salsa, and anonymity.
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Back from the dead: return of the lost earring
Several weeks ago I was minding my own business, doing my laundry. I pulled the lint trap out of the dryer and heard a muffled clinking noise. Inside the fur-lined trap was one of my earrings, and I was instantly petrified with fear.
These earrings by themselves are slightly special, but not out of the ordinary: 14 karat gold posts with small cubic zirconium studs. But my ears are so sensitive, that sterling silver and 12 to 14k gold is all that I can wear without getting irritated in a couple hours. This half-pair of earrings sitting in my lint trap was one quarter of only two pairs of earrings in my possession that never bothered my ears. For some reason, I had taken off my earrings during the day and put them in the pocket of my pants.
I searched in every crack of the drier that I could reach for the other half of the pair, and in the washer, too. I never found it. After crying for about five seconds, I put the lone earring on my jewelry tray, thinking that the other was lost to the washer/dryer forever.
But last night something amazing happened! When I pulled the lint trap out of the dryer this time, I heard a pulse-quickening rattle. This time I was filled with positivity: could it be? It was! My other earring was returned to me at last! Every nook and cranny was filled with lint and the pair still requires a good cleaning (ironic, no?), but I have a complete set once more.
These earrings by themselves are slightly special, but not out of the ordinary: 14 karat gold posts with small cubic zirconium studs. But my ears are so sensitive, that sterling silver and 12 to 14k gold is all that I can wear without getting irritated in a couple hours. This half-pair of earrings sitting in my lint trap was one quarter of only two pairs of earrings in my possession that never bothered my ears. For some reason, I had taken off my earrings during the day and put them in the pocket of my pants.
I searched in every crack of the drier that I could reach for the other half of the pair, and in the washer, too. I never found it. After crying for about five seconds, I put the lone earring on my jewelry tray, thinking that the other was lost to the washer/dryer forever.
But last night something amazing happened! When I pulled the lint trap out of the dryer this time, I heard a pulse-quickening rattle. This time I was filled with positivity: could it be? It was! My other earring was returned to me at last! Every nook and cranny was filled with lint and the pair still requires a good cleaning (ironic, no?), but I have a complete set once more.
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