Recently in the Mists of Pandaria Beta, there was an NPC which sparked some outrage amongst some players. Ji Firepaw made some allegedly sexist remarks. But its not just with World of Warcraft there are other games where there have been remarks of a certain nature which has sparked folks to cry out and say, things aren’t equal, things are against women, against gay people, against a certain race. I remember when Bioware allowed same sex relationships in Mass Effect, people flipped out. Now I agree that some situations the creative artists behind gaming content (not necessarily the ones I listed above) have taken a situation a bit far. However are some of these other areas just being taken too far and are people just being hypersensitive?
Ji Firepaw’s questionable dialogue went something like this, “Hello, friend! You’re some kind of gorgeous, aren’t you? I bet you can’t keep the men off of you! Join me! You and I are going to be good friends!” To men, he instead says “Hello, friend! You’ve got a strong look to you! I bet you’re all the rage with the ladies! Join me! You and I are going to be good friends!” Now what if Ji was a female NPC? Does that change the context of the statement? What if to men, Ji said “You’ve got a handsome look to you” instead of what he did say? Would that have quieted some of the outrage?
There is even an article on Kotaku regarding homophobic sentiments in Battlefield 3. Using
terms like “Getting my Sh*t pushed in” and “Getting f*cked in the ass”. Is this really the signs of an anti-gay video game company or developer? What if the characters in Battlefield 3 were women and saying this, would that make it less offensive or less homophobic? Or are people simply looking to make controversy out of something?
Bioware has allowed same sex relationships and even sex in their Mass Effect franchise. Of course there was some outrage over the lesbian love scenes that could happen in Mass Effect 1 and 2, now with Mass Effect 3 there can be a man on man encounter, and once again the immaturity of some members of the gaming community have shined a spotlight not only on this “feature” but also the lack of progressive thinking of some gamers as written by Forbes.
The thing is many video games are telling a story. In books, comics, movies and TV you will find characters who do not portray the utopian society of everyone treats everyone with 100% perfect respect and you don’t see the same outrage about people getting offended. More people seem OK with this type of sexist, racist or homophobic character in a book or movie, but why not in a video game? Game of Thrones, arguably one of the most popular television series and series of books is filled with characters who belittle women, show man 
on man and woman on woman sex. Yet the show is touted as fantastic. Sure excellent writing and acting help develop the characters and allow the viewers to view characters as creeps, jerks or even heroes. The TV show House, depicts a doctor who is a complete asshole, he hires hookers and talks down to women a lot, and its award winning and you don’t hear the outcry.
Why is it all of a sudden we cross into video games that we can no longer have NPCs (non player characters) with different personalities towards certain types of other characters. Hell put in a man hating female character, put gay characters into the games. Why not, its the world we live in, sure some folks don’t want reality in their games, but not everyone is offended by these things. As a gamer, I have the right to not be offended by things, just as others have the right to be offended. I want to see character development, I want different personalities in my games. I want to dive into the history of a character and determine if they are a creep or misunderstood.
So is the outrage poor execution in video games from a writing and development standpoint that causes more outrage than other forms of media? Honestly I am not sure, but I just have seen from personal observation people flipping out over these topics in video games more than other forms of media, and I can’t help but think are they sometimes making mountains out of mole hills.
Ultimately as the consumer you have the choice to buy that book, movie or comic, just as 
you have the same right to participate in a game. I feel that the spirit of the type of character that Blizzard was developing with Ji had some good building blocks, but was executed poorly, he could have been an ally you just loved to hate because he was an asshole. But instead of playing with the dialogue for both male and female characters, they completely stripped out the dialogue with what seems like boiler plate discussion now.
I am concerned about the future of games where even the most minor of infraction towards a person’s color, sexual orientation or race could spark outrage from some members of the community, without them looking at what type of character the writers are trying to create and develop. I personally don’t want all the same personalities, I want a deep rich world with different types of NPCs that I interact with. However I fear with some people being outraged by anything, many video game creators may not even get the chance to build those characters like many creators of TV, Movies and books get to do today. In fact they may not even want to deal with the hassle.
I am sure many of you won’t agree with me, but its how I feel. Some of you may think oh he is desensitized or I am some chauvinist pig. But the truth is I am EXTREMELY tolerant of a lot of things, and I want to see good story telling, I want different types of characters, I want different personalities. I want my video games to feel like an immersive experience. I want something different, I want characters I hate, I want others I love. As long as things aren’t taken to a level that is truly wrong but in the spirit of good storytelling I say let the creators be creative. When a company itself comes out against a certain group publicly, sure get offended boycott their products.
However as a gamer, I have my right to not be offended, and those that do get offended I hope can recognize that not everyone needs to be offended.
Awesome read Cera, and an honest and truthful viewpoint from you I think. I ask this question in regards to Ji’s dialogue…
Someone said about it (and I’m paraphrasing here)…Ji made me feel icky and not want to interact with him any longer. So that one line from this digital character “creeped” you out to the point that you were fearful of clicking on him and seeing his digital text on the screen. Is the game the issue, or is the issue within yourself? Now don’t get me wrong I fully understand some real life trauma is so invasive and scarring that it can affect everything a person does in life, including playing a video game. BUT…should the game maker adjust their dialogue, story line, character development for this?
Or, is a possible alternative that this individual seek serious help. Therapy, Counseling, Group Discussion, etc to deal with their traumas, insecurities, emotional issues, and possible phobias – whatever is at the foundation of the negative feelings coming to the surface. Those problems are real, and they are not going away based on a game developer altering text on a screen.
Additionally, what happens to you when someone refuses to change? Refuses to apologize for offending you, slighting you, or making you feel whatever negative emotion or mental state? There are times that people need to simply learn to cope with the express understanding they cannot effect change in the scenario.
And yes, I fully expect to be slammed for this viewpoint and receive all sorts of backlash for expressing my own opinion on the subject.
quori´s last [type] ..Something is bugging me…
I actually felt the same as you, Quori. I really felt like those who said they felt uncomfortable when a stranger complimented them on something would most likely feel just the same as if someone they knew complimented them, as well. It felt like there was something a whole lot deeper going on than what they outwardly said was happening.
I’m a firm believe in trying to understand offense and dare I say it, even that people have the choice to be offended by something or not. I think people need to take the time to really understand why something offends them and if it is genuinely what the other person is putting out there or just their perception of it.
Oestrus´s last [type] ..Why Women Are Seen Differently In Magic the Gathering Compared To World of Warcraft
I appreciate your feedback and comment Quori. I agree that many folks seem to push their view on others when potentially, not always, the issue is really with the individual. Character development and different storylines to me make for a more engaging gaming experience just like how I enjoy an engaging storylines with TV, Movies and books.
I find it interesting that people are pushing for the characters and the settings that video games that place in to be more realistic and then when characters are given personality traits that do exist in the real world (e.g racism, homophobia) people push for those traits to be removed.
You can’t have it both ways. You either want to play in a world that is a complete fantasy world or you want to play in an exact replica or something close to it of the world we currently live in.
Like I said when the whole “scandal” first broke – I was never opposed to people who were offended to what Ji Firepaw said. I started to get upset about it when those of us who weren’t offended suddenly became the enemy and there was this expectation that everyone had to be offended, too. That’s where I drew the line where the people who were pushing for such changes lost my support.
Some of these people tread awfully close to the line that religious zealots walk when they launch into arguments about “saving us” and forcefully trying to introduce us to Jesus. You see the same arguments being used in the Ji Firepaw controversy. “I’m making the Internet safer for you – for all women.” Not for this woman you’re not. I get the feeling that if I don’t agree to be “saved,” that they are going to keep trying to drag me towards salvation along with them. And that is not alright in my book. That shit needs to be stopped.
Thanks for the article, Cer!
Oestrus´s last [type] ..Why Women Are Seen Differently In Magic the Gathering Compared To World of Warcraft
Yeah I agree sometimes it does feel like religious zealots pushing their viewpoint. I actually read Ji’s text to some non-gaming females and some gaming females. Funny thing is most agreed he was a sexist type of character, but didn’t find it wrong to the point it should have been removed. Asking that to be removed, is like asking for most of the dialogue in Game of Thrones to be removed. Just seems a little over the top.
therein lies the rub.
person A: I find this offensive.
person B: I do not find this offensive.
person A: I’M OFFENDED THAT YOU DON’T FIND IT OFFENSIVE.
Ok, sure…its just a random kind of break down not intended to be wholly accurate…but that’s how it seems to play out. If you do not completely acquiesce to their interpretation and viewpoint of a word, topic, situation, etc…YOU are deemed as the problem.
I think any rational person can see the “Ji-gate” scenario and say “Sure, I can see how it would be offensive to someone, but I don’t see it as egregious enough as to need to be changed”. That should not translate to “you are now my enemy and you must die you ignorant bastard”
My 2 cents fwiw…which for some is certainly less than 2 cents.
quori´s last [type] ..Something is bugging me…
If you’re going to make a statement such as no one has been offended at Game of Thrones, I dunno, perhaps you should do some background research first. Let me help.
First, there’s the places you’d expect to see such critism; feminist blogs such as Shakesville: Game of Thrones (I changed the end of the quote slightly to avoid accidental triggers).
I am, however, averse to gratuitous pornified images of naked women being inserted into entertainment in a way that treats their breasts like props. And I don’t regard the line between the two as remotely fuzzy or difficult to navigate.
Leaving aside the exploitative nature of the storytelling, it’s also just lazy and intellectually insulting. I am a grown-ass adult capable of understanding that Tyrion Lannister is a lech without [being shown in detail]
Oh, but you may be thinking “OF COURSE, the feminist bloggers aren’t going to like it”. Here are some more mainstream reviews:
Entertainment Weekly where one of the actresses speaks about her character:
Lena Headey’s Queen Cersei is delightfully evil, but even the actress herself felt constrained by the limits placed on her character: “It’s a similar story to this [entertainment] industry, where you’re sort of a second class citizen,” she says. “I think [Cersei] feels that, but she would never admit it to herself.”
The author of that article ultimately concludes that the series is okay, but only after watching several hours of it do you get a feeling that the women may be able to overcome their horrible situations (and some reviews really question that point of view). Personally, if I have to watch several hours for it to become decent, I won’t bother, and I certainly won’t call it fantastic.
Even the NY Times reviewer said:
“Game of Thrones” is boy fiction patronizingly turned out to reach the population’s other half.
—–
Besides the errors in your post, I disagree with your premise.
1. People do not have to be racist, sexist, homophobic, classist, ageist, ableist, or any other type of offensive behavior to be “interesting”. People can be plenty interesting just being PEOPLE.
2. If the NPC’s offensive dialog turns away women (or any other minority group) from wanting to play the game, then you have a game where you’re only playing with other white men. You say that you think the world is more interesting with a variety of people, but when you chase away people not like you, you’re left only with people like you.
3. No one is telling you to be offended. “I am not offended by this” is also feedback to Blizzard. The problem here is that you are telling other folks not to be offended either, and not to lobby for change. That’s a big problem. You’re essentially telling folks like me to get out of your game.
Zaralynda´s last [type] ..What Feminism Means to Me
Thats fine if you want to be offended by it, but not everyone needs to feel the same way. While you are against certain types of language and visuals being used in entertainment, not everyone feels the same way, nor should they. Or do they have to.
Sure some folks may be offended by Game of Thrones, or content in video games, but I never said no one was offended by it, I said more people seem ok with it.
So the one article focused on 1 woman constrained by the character, what about the other strong female characters in the show? What about the LA Times article where Lena says that Game of Thrones is a joy and a gift? http://herocomplex.latimes.com/2012/03/29/game-of-thrones-queen-lena-headey-lights-it-up-in-dark-role/
What about the multitude of accolades they have received, including a positive review from your example Entertainment weekly: http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20470532_20580368,00.html The Washington Post, Time, Emmies, Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild, Peabody Award. So no while this particular show may not be for everyone, I as well as many others aren’t offended by it.
If people don’t like it, or are offended by it, then don’t watch it, don’t pay your money for that content. But many people do like a certain way of storytelling and different media and thats ok. Not everyone needs to be offended.
For example my wife is a very independent woman, strong minded & feels that women should be empowered, she is not offended by Game of Thrones, House, and many other pieces of entertainment that some do find offensive. It just means she has different tastes. And that is OK, not everyone has to be OK with every form of entertainment. What someone finds entertaining someone else won’t.
That is really the root of what my article is about.
You’re setting up a dichotomy by comparing books/film/tv to games: this stuff is okay in books/movies and so it should be okay in video games. I’m not saying that everyone thinks it’s terrible, but that some folks that that it is terrible. You don’t mention the disagreement at all, and imply that everyone thinks it’s fantastic. Statements like:
The TV show House, depicts a doctor who is a complete asshole, he hires hookers and talks down to women a lot, and its award winning and you don’t hear the outcry.
My point is that YOU don’t hear the outcry, but it’s still there. You just aren’t paying attention to it. That’s your choice, but if you’re going to make statements like this you should look around a bit.
Zaralynda´s last [type] ..What Feminism Means to Me
No I hear and see the outcry, I just personally feel its a bit of hypersensitivity. I do look around a bit, but when there is a vocal minority who dislikes something, even if its a vocal majority, it doesn’t mean that EVERYONE must cry out too. Just because some folks are offended, doesn’t mean everyone MUST be offended by it. Perhaps those that are offended by it, shouldn’t focus on 1 side of things, learn why people like it, look out there and find people praising certain types of entertainment. There is always more than 1 side to things. The great thing is the freedom of opinion, freedom of speech. Not everyone has to agree with everything, whether is beliefs, entertainment, politics, etc.
Gah, I missed an italics closure early in the comment and there’s no editing button!
Zaralynda´s last [type] ..What Feminism Means to Me
While I do agree the replacement text is a bit bland, having played the Pandaren starting zone twice as female characters, I can tell you nothing is lost of the character. He’s still a brash, brazen flirt, and IMO a fun character.
The problem was not that he complimented women on their looks, but that he did it to the exclusion of the other, more relevant traits he complimented the men on. “You’re clearly as strong as you are beautiful” would have been fine.
Well thats good at least that Blizzard stuck to the right character type, I had a feeling the main issue really was around the writing, but wanted to point out the situation of folks being offended by this situation as just 1 example.
I do like to see Blizzard or any game manufacturer develop different types of characters, those I love and those I love to hate for whatever reason.
The title, what does the title even mean? No one is trying to revoke your “right” to not be offended… it doesn’t even make sense, where does this happen, is there a place in this world where one can not-not be offended? Who says we have to agree on being offended or not? All that matters is recognizing that some do and some don’t – end of story?
I agree that the issue with Ji isn’t huge, but I also think Blizzard being a game with an age limit of 12 (!) and huge popularity should put the bar pretty high. Now that they did choose to change it, then why does it STILL matter? Why does it matter that now he addresses both female and male player avatars as strong/poised, when those two avatars are exactly the same in WoW?
Isn’t it a good thing that people care about the game, are alert and report things they don’t like? (the forums are filled with all types of complaints, this is just one of them) If we were able to bring down the number of people being made uncomfortable in WoW, why is that not a good thing? Is Ji any different now in a way that really matters? Hardly, and I don’t think Blizzard cared that much about the change either.
“Why not, its the world we live in, sure some folks don’t want reality in their games, but not everyone is offended by these things.”
Aren’t you basically saying that the fact someone is not offended is more important than the fact that someone is. Should people not care that someone is offended? Or is it only people who are offended that should care about the people not being offended? I’m confused.
If you really want more sexism, more racism, more violence, more discrimination, whatever – fair enough, but then consider that maybe WoW should not be for 12 year olds, it should not be for families to play together, consider that maybe that does not befit a game with a player base this diverse, in fact I suspect WoW is amongst the most diverse in terms of game communities, something I think Blizzard wants to preserve.
Ironyca´s last [type] ..“Geez, I just wanted to play WoW!” – In and Out of Game Deterrents and The Girlfriend Effect
The title is in reference to what I was seeing for many of the games I listed was gamer communities who were offended but also adamant that others should be too. So the title is in reference that gamers don’t need to be offended just because there are some people telling you, that you need to be. Which I find a bit silly, basically people saying, your opinion is wrong mine is right.
It doesn’t matter, but as JeziBelle pointed out in her comment the spirit of that jerk type of character still exists, though the text is more bland now. So instead of potentially developing the character type to be more of that sexist type that you just want to say screw off to and that guy you want to hate, now its just a bit more bland and not really defining the character as much as they could. Not saying that they were doing a good job earlier. Mostly was just wanting to focus on the people being offended by it who were upset that others weren’t upset by it.
I do see your point though about target age groups, that is important to note, as the game is listed as Teen so I do understand, but just because a game is rated T, or a movie is rated PG-13 does that mean we need to create shallow characters that appeal to the lowest common denominator (not saying Ji is, just asking in general terms).
It is absolutely important that games have people who care, it means they are invested, but you will always have folks complaining about something, whether its valid or a troll. The thing is when someone who is offended says I am offended and so is everyone else, when its not everyone else but maybe only a few others. I see a lot of complaints make sweeping generalizations.
I was not trying to say that someone who is not offended is more important than someone who is, if thats how my post came across I apologize. I was mostly trying to say that while some want or are offended by content in video games or media, gamers don’t need to be offended, its ok to not be bullied into thinking a certain way, which some (not all) people try to do. Like if you don’t think like me, you are a bigot, or a racist, etc.
While my article is more about games in general, I am not saying that I want more of that, I just am not offended if character personalities hint at those aspects, creating more in-depth character types, perhaps better writing to make those things more subtle to not influence younger audiences but be there for the more mature gamer playing it. Disney and Pixar both do this a lot with their movies, mix in adult jokes into their children’s movies.
You are correct I don’t envy the community managers for Blizzard dealing with such a wide range of personalities, backgrounds, it has to be tough on them, and stressful. Maybe my desire to have more in-depth characters in my games isn’t suitable for Warcraft, but thats a different topic all together.
My main point is its ok for folks to be offended by things, just don’t push others to believe the same thing if they don’t. All opinions matter and just because someone isn’t offended doesn’t make them the worst kind of person.
Ah, the good old “We did this for you” explanation. Get off the cross, Ironyca.
Oestrus´s last [type] ..Why Women Are Seen Differently In Magic the Gathering Compared To World of Warcraft
First time commenting… this should be fun:
I see everyone’s view points. Herein lies my biggest problem. We (in general) are catering to the extremists[feminist, ablist, whateverelseyouwanttocallitists). To put a “extreme” spin on it, it is akin to Imam’s telling Jihadist that it is OK to commit suicide via bombing to kill the “infidels” because this is a declared “jihad.” (No offense meant to any REAL muslims, I have talked to Sunni and Shiite Imams while overseas and the ones who truly follow their religion as it is “shown” abhor the violence. Islam is a religion of peace… but that isn’t the point)
In a lighter note, I personally have not gotten into the Beta yet, but I can see from what I read the problems here. The biggest problem lies in the fact that the few are driving the masses. Blizzard is driven by fear of lawsuits or censures or anything from ‘big brother’ (Gov’t) because one person is offended.
I too like deep enriched characters, and to be frank the latest expansions have kind of been bland, exactly because of this ‘CYA’ attitude the game producers have.
I’ve played DragonAge II… and I cannot quote specifics, but I saw several sexist comments and it fit with the character… and it didn’t offend people I mentioned it to, some whom I KNOW are feminists, libtards and/or other extremists…
Comparing shows… Look at the time frame the show was filmed for, in that era women were generally suppressed (its FICTION but has a bias in fact). Hell, even in the 50s women were treated like crap. Now they have rights… but then the same women who want “it all equal” still want men to hold the door for them, or pull their chair out, or open their car door. Talk about a double standard. I am sure I can drum up articles and excerpts to support both sides, so don’t bother direct quoting things like Enterainment Weekly, hell we all know 68% of statistics are made up on the spot – and media writes/spins what it wants based on the writer’s personal opinions.
Bottom Line on my rants:
The society we live in is a “cater to” the extremists due to CYA and Fear. Fear of losing that one sale, or offending that one person. We (as a society) are become weak because of it. Just as Cer here stated, YOU have the right to be offended, you even have the right to voice that offense (per 1A), but it doesn’t mean you have to subject yourself to it. If you truly feel so strongly offended by a set of pixels on a screen, as Quori has said, maybe YOU need to get help. You can always just NOT play the game. There are always choices… so why cause so much drama and heartache over something that doesn’t really mean sh*t?!
If you want to flame me, I really don’t care. You’re another anonymous face on the internet and whatever you say won’t make me QQ. Usually I sit and laugh when people claim that I have offended them in someway… when my same actions (how I treat everyone online/in person whichever) don’t change and it doesn’t offend them. I refuse to cater to the 1%. The ‘extremists.’ I didn’t cater to the terrorists in Iraq, and I refuse to do it here.
Many times I do see gaming communities fall into this trap of catering to the squeakiest wheel. Just hope they also think 1. Not everyone is offended by this 2. Is there another way to accomplish our goal which works for everyone.
Just catching up on this.
Honestly I wouldn’t EXPECT you or anyone else to be offended unless you had ever had an older male teacher, relative, boss, or parent come onto you.
I wasn’t totally offended but I was creeped out a tad by the repeated types of comments he was making. I remember asking the guy I was questing with what Ji was saying to him and being surprised when it was different.
In his capacity, he’s not a true ally or peer but an authority figure that your character in training of that sort would be expected to respect. It just smacked a lot of sexual harassment since he is the individual with the power in the context of the game. My friend wasn’t offended but he’s a guy and has never had that sort of thing happen to him.
My response overall was that it was a poor move on Blizzard’s part to add that dialogue in a game that is rated for teens.
You met me at Blizzcon, I think I can safely say and you would agree that I’m not some extreme feminist but I am glad they changed the text.
I can understand that it could be seen as a bit off for a teen audience, but for other games rated M thats not the case. I do think that Blizzard was trying to create a chauvinist type of character, and still think they could have accomplished it in another way. The thing is talking with several female gamers, my wife, about this specific scenario in WoW, not the others I listed. None of them were offended by it, I wasn’t but I saw twitter and blog posts insinuating the fact that I should be, which bothered me. Especially when that pushing meant that I was anti-women rights or a bigot, thats essentially bullying to an extent.
This post, in my opinion, shows a profound lack of empathy.
Look at your point about no one ever getting offended by stuff on television or in comic books. I mean, it’s factually incorrect, right? But you then amend your statement in a comment to say that, okay, this outrage exists but it’s “a bit of hypersensitivity”. So it exists, but you don’t find it valid so it doesn’t matter.
You’ve just invalidated any concern anyone might have, pretty much ever. Unless you find it offensive, it cannot be so!
You’re not offended by sexist, homophobic, or racist behavior in games? Okay, fine. Seriously, cool beans. But is it impossible for you to accept that someone else — women and GLBT folks and people of color in particular — might see that behavior in their games or on television and be offended?
Emapthy, my friend. “The ability to understand and share the feelings of another.” Simply because you and a couple of your friends feel something does not make it a universal truth, and simply because you and your friends do not feel something does not mean it doesn’t exist.
Liore´s last [type] ..1.2 Pets and Rakghouls: SWTOR Is Worth Revisiting
Well I didn’t say no one, I said more people “seem” ok with it. My point isn’t to say don’t be offended, I am saying be offended do it, just don’t get up in arms if I’m not offended. I feel you misinterepreted my post potentially or potentially are taking other people’s thoughts regarding my true intentions of my post.
Let me state this again for other folks reading the comments. I am OK with people being offended by things. I am NOT OK with people who are offended demanding I also be offended when I am not.
But at the same point could those who are offended feel empathy towards those who are not offended? Because I definitely was called a bigot for being OK with the show Game of Thrones which is a bit overboard I feel.
With respect, I believe your post is not expressing what you (I think, judging by your response) hope it does.
When you repeatedly talk about how people who are offended by material they find sexist, homophobic, or racist are “hypersensitive”, or “want to get offended”, or are “always complaining about something” or “like religious zealots” (all direct quotes from you on this page, by the way), you are definitely not saying that you are okay with people being offended by things! In fact, you are saying the exact opposite!
You don’t like being called a bigot for enjoying Game of Thones? I can understand that! I don’t like being called a whiner because I feel something is sexist. Your post, in my opinion, doesn’t really seem to be stopping this cycle so much as it is perpetuating it.
is it possible though that my personal opinion that some people are actually being hypersensitive to things is a bit much, I like how people point out just the WoW item, what about the fact I said I am ok with the homosexual content in Mass Effect 3, that seems skipped over by man who have been “calling me out”.
Maybe my post didn’t convey perfectly what I wanted but while I am ok with people being offended I am not ok with them attacking people who don’t agree, also instead of screaming that something is so wrong, is there a chance to use a bit of empathy to see the direction someone was trying to take and find a happy middle ground that would satisfy the original artistic direction but also not tip the scales to one degree?
I’m offended that Ji still calls my character “strong”. I play a priest, I have never stacked strength on this character. Why does he need to call me strong just because I’m a male? Why can’t he notice my massive amounts of intellect? Or what about all the haste on my gear? Why can’t he say “Hey, here’s an hombre who can get the job done on time!”. Why would we even call me “hombre”? How does he know I’m Spanish? That’s pretty damn racist right there. Also what about the cultural values of each race in the game? Are we to assume that all races value strength? Until recently you couldn’t even be a blood elf warrior. Shouldn’t blood elves be greeted by something like “whoa, look at the lustrous locks on this one!”?
Viktory´s last [type] ..The Substitute Raid Leader
i laughed. I admit it I did. IN all seriousness I did have this same convo with my wife asking the question, “Wait…what if I am NOT a strong male. What if in fact I am fairly weak in RL and have had it pointed out to me numerous times by peers and such how I am a 90lb weakling. Why does the guy always have to be measured by his ‘strength’?! Why cant I be recognized for my brains? my compassion? my sensitivity?”
Jest all you like. Call it being facetious if you will. I think the comments made in the game played to a generalization about what is found to be societally considered “positive” about males (strength) and females (beauty) within our culture. Blizzard played a fairly safe hand on this one in my book and still got ripped apart by a very small but vocal minority of their gaming population.
quori´s last [type] ..Something is bugging me…
Recently in the Mists of Pandaria Beta, there was an NPC which sparked some outrage amongst some players. Ji Firepaw made some allegedly sexist remarks. But its not just with World of Warcraft there are other games where there have been remarks of a certain nature which has sparked folks to cry out and say, things aren’t equal, things are against women, against gay people, against a certain race. I remember when Bioware allowed same sex relationships in Mass Effect, people flipped out. Now I agree that some situations the creative artists behind gaming content (not necessarily the ones I listed above) have taken a situation a bit far. However are some of these other areas just being taken too far and are people just being hypersensitive?
Maria´s last [type] ..How does data recovery work?
Well, we can see my next statement (call me Mr. MOTO) has been clearly demonstrated both here and in daily life to be true:
You just can’t please everyone, can you?
I can certainly see how these statements could be interpreted the wrong way but if your going to play a game that takes place in a vertual “world” than you have to expect the same kind of things that you could hear in the real world.
Pauly´s last [type] ..Welcome To The Superior WOW Strategy Guide