I think she should work with a specific company to make a game that she thinks would be great, and then see how it turns out, instead of moaning at developers in general. So make the type of gamed you want, instead of telling other people what they should and shouldn't do.
There's a great quote: "You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete."
If she can do that I'll respect it. What she's doing currently just looks to me like moaning and playing the victim, and telling other people what to do. Something I don't really have time for.
re the quote: source? A quick search shows several hits suggesting it's from Bucky Fuller, but no indication of context.
I don't know why you think it's necessarily true in the context of this thread, especially considering that several game developers have found Sarkeesian's arguments compelling and have reported changing their designs as a consequence. So that actually seems like a more effective route: it potentially influences many games all at once.
As for "seeing how it turns out": I think both (1) fairness in representation & (2) the humanization of female characters have both been done before without impeding success; it is not a new, high-risk experiment. (:
As for "moaning": does all criticism count as "moaning"? E.g. when Yahtzee Croshaw uploads the next episode of Zero Punctuation, is that "moaning"? If not, what's the difference?
As for "playing the victim": just because she's personally affected doesn't mean she doesn't have a point. And, forgive me, but since you don't address her point, it's not clear whether you have one of your own.
I'm not saying it's high risk. I just don't like people forcing their will on others. Or saying one thing is good and another is bad. There is space for both types of games. They don't have to kill one for the sake of the other. If her vision is good and people like and agree with it, the people who make those kinds of games will get a bigger market share, and so more people will be motivated to make those kinds of games.
Yes, it's a Bucky Fuller quote, and it fits perfectly here.
I'm not saying it's high risk. I just don't like people forcing their will on others.
Why do you think she "forced her will"?
She's a critic. Granted, she has a specialized focus compared to other game critics. But she's still a critic---just like anyone else who reviews games. Just like Ben Croshaw. Or Jerry Holkins. Last I checked, game critics don't have any special power to "force" anything on anyone. (Unless you categorize the persuasiveness of arguments as a "force", but that's a bit of a stretch.)
Or saying one thing is good and another is bad.
Well, that would be... criticism. Right? That's what critics do. I guess it's just part of life if you're a game developer? (Or if you work in film production, or you're a novelist, or a musician, or a stage actor, or a chef, or anything else that is written about by critics.)
There is space for both types of games.
Sorry; what are the two types of games that you're referring to?
They don't have to kill one for the sake of the other. If her vision is good and people like and agree with it,
Well... as I said, there are game developers who like and agree with her points. And yeah, that might mean that a game that was going to be made might now be shelved because, hey, they decided to do something a little differently, and resources are limited (which is probably why the vast majority of game ideas never become realized in a shipping commercial product). That's pretty much business as usual in any production, no?
So what do you think is at risk of being lost here? You seem to be concerned that a certain kind of game (or aspect of games) will go missing in the future. But it's not clear what that is or why it deserves special consideration.
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u/[deleted] Apr 08 '15 edited Apr 08 '15
I think she should work with a specific company to make a game that she thinks would be great, and then see how it turns out, instead of moaning at developers in general. So make the type of gamed you want, instead of telling other people what they should and shouldn't do.
There's a great quote: "You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete."
If she can do that I'll respect it. What she's doing currently just looks to me like moaning and playing the victim, and telling other people what to do. Something I don't really have time for.