This week, our partnership with game criticism site Critical Distance brings us picks from Kris Ligman on topics including harassment at Gamescom and locating a "Jewish identity" in games.
It's About Time
On Medium, Alex Pieschel
argues that video games are lagging behind on contemporary aesthetics of the New Sincerity and are instead continually mired in last-generation irony -- which has repercussions when it comes to representing certain unsavory subjects, like the treatment of women.
The aptly-named Snake Link Sonic
reflects on the recent outcry concerning Metal Gear Solid 5, and places it in the context of the franchise's history.
On Play the Past, Christopher Sawula looks at
Assassin's Creed's problematic relationship with history. Elsewhere on the same publication, Peter Christiansen chats
what is actually being represented through tech trees in
Civilization.
Identity Reconstruction in Progress
On Kill Screen, Jason Johnson talks with four Jewish developers including Warren Spector and Dave Gilbert to get their thoughts on
a Jewish identity in games.
Elsewhere on Videogame Tourism, in the wake of Gamescom Robert Glashuttner writes about
the state of the Austrian games scene.
Gamescom
(Content warning for this section: public sexual harassment, harassment of minors.)
Speaking of, something happened that you may have missed during the annual German games conference, because it took place almost exclusively within the German-language games blogosphere.
First, local games channel GIGA co-produced a video of a Youtube comedy group "pranking" (read: sexually harassing) female attendees and cosplayers. Marcus Dittmar of 99 Leben
called the video out on its casual sexism and promotion of regressive stereotypes.
Subsequently, our own German correspondent Johannes Koller
broke things down on Superlevel, outlining just what was problematic about the incident. And Michael Cherdchupan
discusses the clip's assumed production process and legality, given it depicts minors without parental consent.
Meanwhile, one of the cosplayers shown in the video learned of the incident and
threatened legal action for being shown in the video without her consent, compelling
an apology from the filmmakers.
Finally, GIGA itself
responded to the incident in a podcast, simultaneously criticizing and defending the video as "still funny."
Meanwhile
Another event was held concurrent with Gamescom, and that was the annual Notgames Fest.
Franzi Bechtold was there.
Nach Hause Gehen
The German blogosphere is catching up on the discourse surrounding Fullbright Company's
Gone Home.
Leading the charge again, Marcus Dittmar
comments on the disparity between Metacritic professional and user reviews for the game. And back with Videogame Tourism, Rainer Sigl
discusses the expectations veteran players carry toward their hobby of choice.
Penny Arcade Expo
(Content warning for this section: rape, harassment, stalking, bullying.)
If you are unfamiliar with the particular incident that set off this latest volley of criticism toward Penny Arcade and its franchise of conventions, I refer you to
this timeline.
On Wired, Rachel Edidin lays down
why she's not going to PAX again.
A rape survivor, Mo,
shares a tough personal story of meeting her rapist at PAX, and why making light of rape survivors is something she can't abide.
faceless007 once again
sums it up better than the average NeoGAFer.
Aevee Bee lays out
why the defenses of the original Dickwolves strip as 'satire' don't actually cut it.
And lastly on the subject, Three Fingered Fox
analyzes the entire situation in terms of Hegelian philosophy, to whit: geek culture and the refusal to honestly listen to feedback other than one's own.
Miscellaneous
On Rock, Paper, Shotgun, Robert Yang
talks shop with Tale of Tales co-founder Auriea Harvey.
And on Problem Machine, Ben Taber
explores the art of the glitch.
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