When are pounding down cross-promoting snacks and beverages while killing otherfied "terrorists" in Cawadoody and mildly grumble about predatory monetization but blame the wokes for it
How dare a piece of media, I product I bought, challenge me by pointing out that the standard media of this type depicts horrific acts. Clearly it wants me to feel ashamed for playing, and not to reflect on why it's so uncomfortable when highlighted, but so banal it goes unacknowledged when not?
Could I use this moment to grow? To ask how we got here and whether we should stay here? Certainly not, because games are masturbatory toys of indulgence and nothing more. Unless of course I'm defending how I spend my time, then they're art.
Can you imagine the backlash though? From chuds and boomers alike.
I spend too much of my life in games (board, social, or video I play them all!) and I really do wish more people who enjoy them were interested in critical analysis of them. Outside of gamedev circles and weird youtube channels asking "why is this being presented the way it is?" is a technique for speedrunning slur%. Especially if a game is non, or non traditional, narrative. Like I dare you to try analyse the themes of slay the spire or whatever on the subreddit haha.
Gamers are the least media literate of people who's entire hobby is about exposing themselves to media.
When
are pounding down cross-promoting snacks and beverages while killing otherfied "terrorists" in Cawadoody and mildly grumble about predatory monetization but blame the wokes for it 
How dare a piece of media, I product I bought, challenge me by pointing out that the standard media of this type depicts horrific acts. Clearly it wants me to feel ashamed for playing, and not to reflect on why it's so uncomfortable when highlighted, but so banal it goes unacknowledged when not?
Could I use this moment to grow? To ask how we got here and whether we should stay here? Certainly not, because games are masturbatory toys of indulgence and nothing more. Unless of course I'm defending how I spend my time, then they're art.
Games are art but as soon as they are critiqued the way art is critiqued that is a direct threat to the treats and requires a decade-long culture war
It's probably time to start including videogames in English or whatever class covers media literacy. Not just movies and books.
Can you imagine the backlash though? From chuds and boomers alike.
I spend too much of my life in games (board, social, or video I play them all!) and I really do wish more people who enjoy them were interested in critical analysis of them. Outside of gamedev circles and weird youtube channels asking "why is this being presented the way it is?" is a technique for speedrunning slur%. Especially if a game is non, or non traditional, narrative. Like I dare you to try analyse the themes of slay the spire or whatever on the subreddit haha.