Wrap Up and New Material on the Gaming Community Trilogy

Now that my trifecta of analysis is completed I wanted to share some updates.

The reason that I decided to write on what I did was because of this add by Hardees:

As you can see from even the thumbnail image: this is an add targeting men in the most horrendous way. I saw this as an add prior to watching a YouTube clip. As a man I was grossly offended and I felt sick. The reason is because I felt completely pandered to: and not in a good way. Come to think of it, there isn't really a good way to be pandered to. But in either event, I was not pleased and decided that I needed to get my uneasiness out of my system. After deciding to write I had discussions with several friends about female representations in RPG's and our wargames. All told, the previous three articles are my thoughts on what is wrong/what I think needs work in our current gaming meta.


I also think that there is an issue within the male gaming community of denial of what is happening. I read a very powerful piece today about a vlogger by the name of Anita Sarkeesian. She is the author of a media criticism blog called the Feminist Frequency, where she discusses representations of women and many other things in contemporary culture. She recently began a Kickstarter campaign to create a series of vlogs showing depictions of women and sexuality in video games. Her goal was $6,000 for video equipment/production and research costs. However, the day that she posted the video asking for funds her video's comments box where flooded with obscene comments and general douchiness. I have no respect for those that posted these malicious things. One of the many reasons being that she hadn't even made the video yet so these idiotic jerkwads spawned of 4chan were jumping so many conclusions that they should probably become Olympic hurdlers. You can find the first 100+ comments that were made on the YouTube video here: Comments as well as Sarkeesian's coverage of the violation and destruction of her Wikipedia page here (in which they called her very colorful names and changed her picture to that of a porn star). Don't worry though, because she publicized these attacks, her Kickstarter raised $158,197 (2500% increase). Read about her and her campaign here on wired: Wired and on GameSpot here.

These kind of outbursts are absolutely not OK. As a male gamer, or a decent person for that matter: we cannot let stuff like this happen any more. There is a line to be drawn, and it should have been put down long ago. Misogyny in any form is not the efforts of a little minority, it is perpetuated by the silent majority. When you friends make sandwich and kitchen jokes, but you don't say anything: you just gave the green light. As a community we are so much better than this, gaming used to be an all inclusive hobby because we had no where else to go. Now that gaming has become mainstream we have developed more issues that I care to deal with. Make a stand this guy says it all: Ill Doctrine

Also, this has a much more upbeat message, that I think is worth sharing from Penny Arcade: Here


Thanks for putting up with me. Don't feed the Trolls.

The Two Biggest Problems That I Have With the Gaming Community Part III

The Final Installment:

I have already talked about the visualization of  females in video games, how they are represented and accepted in RPG's and the gaming community as a whole: and now I will talk about the last thing that I have any knowledge about: miniature wargames.

As you may have guessed: miniature wargames are based around the use of miniature figurines to simulate battles, both large and small. These games have been around for centuries. Many experts agree that one of the earliest "wargames" originates from China, called go, it represents troop movements and has been around for over two millennia. Much later, games like chess and checkers would become dominant in both the Middle East and Europe. Both of these games, most notably chess, are used to simulate troop movements and battlefield tactics. Source Today this trend has continued to envelope all kinds of different war games, including those made by Games-Workshop: Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000, Reaper Miniatures and their impressive line of fantasy miniatures. Newer companies such as Privateer Press with their games such as Warmachine and Hordes, Corvus Belli and their ever growing Infinity range, or Wyrd Miniatures with their immensely popular game; Malifoux have exploded onto the scene in the past decade creating quite the market for miniature wargamers.

However, despite the variety of games available - there seems to be a trend that developed with video games and '80's fantasy covers - of voluptuous, scantily clad, female warriors:

Everyone is entitled to their own opinions on how they think that miniatures should be portrayed: however, my sentiment is that there should be, at least for warrior women, some kind of armor on them? However, this is not always the case. As fantasy and history nerds, well most mini-wargamers at least, there is a fascination about seeing iconic peoples and places that occur in myth and legend throughout history. One of those that applies here is the story of the Amazons. They were a group of warrior women of Greek mythos. As the ninth of his twelve tasks, Hercules was to take the girdle of the Queen of the Amazon's; Hippolyta. There are many examples of these fierce warrior women in both archaeological finds and in contemporary culture. 

The example above show the sort of historical reference that Amazoness based miniatures are drawing off of. Because of the historical base for these representations: I am less critical of Amazon's than I am of other warrior women. I don't think that their armor (or major lack thereof) makes any sense at all, but all of the evidence from Greece and Rome couldn't have been too far off. 

That being said, I think that there is a rampant amount of miniatures that are not really suitable for general use -  just collectors. One of those producers is called Kingdom Death, they create a line of fantastically horrific sculpts. While they are incredibly detailed, and very well done, they are also grotesque and most if not all are definitely NSFW. They also have a dedication to creating "pin-up" versions of their sculpts. "Pin-up" or "Pin-up girls" is a term that was first widely used during WWII, where women celebrities would have images of themselves in various positions, mass produced and sold for informal use. This term is being used today in the miniature industry to showcase larger models, usually 60 or 75mm scale, that are in an undoubtedly sexy pose. These are meant for collectors and master painter who want to showcase their skill on a totally different sculpt. In the case of Kingdom Death they not only create larger sculpts, but they also package with the miniature design and concept art. Examples can be found on their site, I won't post them here. 

As I mentioned in my other posts, I really like playing video games, playing RPG's and fighting miniature battles. I just don't like being done fan service to such a great degree. As a consumer I want to own a product that I think that I could use and enjoy. That does not mean that I need to be brainlessly pandered to.

I do not mean to senselessly bash and industry that I support with both my time and money. I would just like to see more women in armor that makes sense, and does not remind me of Lady Gaga outfits...

We as consumers have the power to purchase what we want, and I can say that I have never bought a miniature that I didn't like - or didn't represent a message that I wanted to send. In case you don't know, playing miniature wargaming is expensive. The price of plastic rises constantly and the lack of disposable income makes it so prices for a quality single figure can range from $5 to upwards of $30. Depending on the game and manufacturer you can pay anywhere from $100 to upwards of $700 to play a full game. So there must be some market for these mini's or companies wouldn't make them. Many of the critiques that I leveled against video games are relevant to miniatures, that there should be some shift in how women are represented. I am not arguing that there should only be women who are covered at all time, I would just like to see variety and equal representations across the spectrum, which isn't happening. There are many of the same issues with representations of men in video games: only bald mustached muscle men do well, which is still a problem - but on a lesser scale.

On a more positive note, there has been a proliferation of female wargamers in recent decades. As I have perused Privateer Press forums I noticed that there is a tremendous amount of couples who play Warmachine/Hordes. Which I find not only endearing, and want to emulate, but I also find refreshing. It takes patience, time, some artistic skill and a lot of patience to play wargames - but it as takes friends who want to play with you. Which is why I think that wargames can be a perfect outlet for couples who are interested to share an uncommon hobby. Fathers are getting their daughters into gaming too, there was a recent article (which I cannot find for the life of me) about young gamers and their fathers in doubles tournaments in England. I thought this was really awesome and again, would like to emulate it. Minature wargames can be the most inclusive group because of the resources it takes to play. I'm glad that the trolls are few and far between, and every player that I have either faced or met has been wonderful people. I haven't heard as much from the GW side of things, but I assume that they do the same. [I've played both, but I have grown fond of Warmahordes, sorry to you Warhammer Fans, PP has a better community and is "local" - and more affordable].

The moral of the story is be who you want to be and support what you believe in. Capitalism is all about choice: abuse that privilege. 

 Part I, Part II

The Two Biggest Problems I Have With the Gaming Community Part II

In his book titled, The Evolution of Fantasy Role-playing Games, Michael Tresca states that there is a gender disparity when it comes to RPG's in any form:

The Wizards of the Coast survey indicated that just 19 percent of female gamers played on a monthly basis (2000). [...] Studies of children (Child and Child 1973) aged 12 and younger found that girls have more interest in imaginative play than do boys. Role-playing involves many of the attributes that are common in other female-youth-oriented games [...] So why aren't there more women involved in role-playing games? Source

Tresca believes that it comes from a variety of reasons, but the three most critical being duration of play, males' imaginative play lasts longer and requires more people than females require. However, MMORPG's are far more popular among women because they take less time and require fewer people, and the results are far more tangible than the abstractness of tabletop RPG's. Secondly as Tresca notes, and Allison Perry also reinforces, that the cyclical nature of any male dominated industry is a deterring factor for female players. This means, for Tresca that the quantity of males playing, and the fact that they often play to get away from their wives and children sometimes creates a chauvinistic and sexist atmosphere. Perry, also agrees saying that women don't see other female gamers very often, so they don't want to contribute to the hobby either.

A lot of the reasoning behind women's lack of participation in video games originates from the circular and self-defeating logic of “I don't see other women playing video games, so I will not play video games either.” From advertisements to Facebook posts, from editorials to everyday gossip, the out-dated yet “popular perception of gamers [as] either pimply-faced teenaged boys or 30-something males living in their parents' basements” discourages many women from wanting to participate in the gaming phenomenon (Shields). And if this archetype was not discouraging enough, the “[ridiculous] testosterone-swollen, iron-chested men” that stand front row center on many of the games' covers may “remind [potential female gamers] that [the games] were not really designed for [them]” (Edmonds). Source

Perry also states that there are other reasons including trash talk and the sexism of other players. I would like to think that it doesn't happen but it does as evidenced here:

If you don't have the stomach to watch the video that's fine, but here is a quick summary. Cross Assault is an online reality show sponsored by Capcom. There are two teams of 5 - one of Street fighter players and another of Tekken players - who are competing for a cash prize. One of the players on Team Tekken, Miranda Pakozdi, is being verbally assaulted by her team Captain, Aris Bakhtanians - on day one of the week long competition. Over the course of these awkward 14 minutes, Bakhtanians asks Pakozdi for her bra size, proposes that she and another female player engage in a mud wrestling contest, calls her a bitch innumerable times, makes fun of her for not being mean enough and finally complains about the lack of a video camera in the female bathroom. Justifiably so, Pakozdi leaves the competition shorty thereafter. 

While this may not totally have as much to do with what I want to say about RPG's perse; it does shine a light on why there is a lack of female gamers and role-players today. Don't get me wrong, there are still a tremendous amount of "girl-gamers" who know how to hold their own against rude, immature and sexually frustrated teens. However, it is much different when you are playing RPG's, especially tabletop pen and paper ones. 

More often than not, when you play games like Dungeons and Dragons you are not playing with some "internet randos" you are playing with your friends. They are right there in the room with you and there is no giant megaphone to hide behind. From my experience there is significantly less blatant sexism in tabletop RPG's than there is elsewhere. That is entirely possible that the game lies in the collective imagination of the players, and the art that is fostered by the game creators is often in stark contrast to other, more visceral games:

Pathfinder vs World of Warcraft

As can be seen here, there is still armor with breasts in it, but at least the character is wearing armor. I have always said that role-playing games are one of the greatest things that we can get young people into. They teach a variety of skills: basic math, imagination, cooperation, social skills, and public speaking - as well as having a good time without electronics - things that are more and more important in the digital age. If, as was stated earlier, women have more aptitude for imaginary play than men - I think there is a definite place for more female RPG'ers. I think that if the cycle can be broken we can see more and more immersion of both genders in some of our favorite pastimes.

There are many factors that affect how we see and play these games, and why we play them. I think that the industry as a whole still has work to do, but is making strides to change - or so I feel. I think games like Halo: Reach are great examples, as Perry shows, of women who can cosplay and not appear to be "booth babes": Source

Not only does the armor make sense this time, but it also is true to form and displays a level of commitment beyond most men. LARPing is also, technically, part of RPG's and I think as long as everyone can participate and not feel like they are sex objects; or lowlifes who crawled from their parents' basements, I think that the hobby as a whole will flourish. The next, and final installment; miniatures and how they fit into this puzzle. 

Part I Part III

The Two Biggest Problems I Have With The Gaming Community Part I

Are right here:

Alright, now that I have your attention -  for better or for worse here are my thoughts on the State of Gaming Summer 2012. The above image is from a piece of  in process art from the enormously popular free to play game, League of Legends which debuted in 2009 and was one of the, now several successors to the popular Warcraft III: Frozen Throne mod and map called Defense of the Ancients commonly known as DotA. The full piece of completed art can be found here:

The issue that I have here is that this character is all about "fanservice", a term originating from manga and anime, but can easily be used here. It signifies the creators of the game/manga/character are "giving their fans what they want", and a majority of the time that means that there is, as Wikipedia put it so nicely "gratuitous titillation" that occurs. That is because a majority of the gaming community is less than 25 years of age, and overwhelmingly male. According to a study done in Brazil about RPG's, 49.1% of RPG gamers fall between the ages of 18 and 25. Source While this may not be true of the community as a whole, it does show that the demographic that companies pander to are young, male, and most likely high school educated; if not more so. Now, back to the above character, not only does she physically do fanservice to the player, meaning she looks like every heterosexual male's wet dream, but she has flavor text that does the same. Her /joke when played is: "Yes, it's true. For only $2.95 a minute, I will leave you breathless." Now, I am for clever puns and witty phrases. Her character and abilities are based around air; so not only is this a double entendre, but it also has a double meaning. Which is part of the problem with the gaming community. I feel that game creators spend so much time pandering to the lowest common denominator that they detract from other fan bases as a whole. For example, within the same game, there are 99 champions of which 31 are female - and the are not really limited by role. They are warriors, casters, supports, ranged damage and tanks. Source With that in mind, I would like to issue the following comparison of two tank characters with similar equipment:

The first being Taric, the Gem Knight

The second being Leona, Radiant Dawn

Now, for all practical purposes they these two characters play the same role, they are tanks - they get in harms way and protect the other players. When comparing the two, they both are kitted out roughly the same way, with armor, shield and a hand weapon. I was really pleased with Leona as a champion (despite the breasted breastplate), she was the first female tank I had ever seen in any RPG, and she wasn't hyper-sexual like the other example I showed. However, I noticed something about her attire that still bothers me, despite being a defender of the weak and those who deal more damage than you, she is still wearing heels. Yes. The warrior woman is wearing two inch metal plated heels. I don't know where that appeared to be a good idea, but that is what happened. 

League of Legends is one of the many games that have a problem with over sexualizing their characters, both male and female. Most if not all of the human male characters that are playable are broad shouldered with deep voices, the paragon of masculinity. While I find this much less offensive than what happens to their female counterparts, I still think that as a gaming community we have some work to do. I will admit it, it could be that a majority of the gaming community is male, and that no self respecting company is going to turn down profit from its biggest source. Despite this, games like League of Legends do listen to their communities. The following is a post by Morello, a lead champion designer addressing the issue of the hyper sexual nature of the character's in League of Legends and he argues that they do have variety, which is true.

1 of 18 Riot Posts
05-01-2012, 10:54 PM
I think the variety-vs-demand is really good here; while it's easy to focus on the ones you're not fond of, I think we've provided some non-exposing skins for female champs overall;
For every Bunny Girl Riven or Nurse Akali, there's plenty of fantasy-rooted, dark, or different takes on female characters available. Fiora and her launch skins were also pretty classy. While we do have Miss Fortune, we have Leona, Riven, Fiora, Lulu and other non-sexualized female characters.
The key here is as you mention; variety. I just don't think I agree that we haven't met that mark.
+146 

My aim here was to not bash a game that I spend a lot of time playing and turn fans away; no. What I wanted to do here was highlight the fact that the gaming community still suffers from baseless pandering. I would like to point out here though that any gaming company is still a company, they do contribute to the market, but are still a part of supply and demand. So until the community will stop buying games that contain these kind of aspects, we will continue to see them. I think that we can voice our opinions and companies will listen to them; that is a reoccurring theme I have seen over the past twelve months is that companies and designers make use of feedback tools like Facebook and forums. Gamers can enact change, it just takes time and volume. I will be continuing this train of thought, translating to miniatures and RPG's in the next post.

Part II Part III

The Jungle Welcomes You!

Welcome to the Blogosphere!

Alright, so this is a big step for me. Many of the people that know me well, often find their ears and patience tried by my curmudgeonly attitude towards newfangled gadgets. However, after reading a blog post here, I realized that not everything on the internet has to be without meaning. I was under the assumption that blogs only ever talked about nothing or things that only pertained to themselves. Now, there is no need to throw things. I understand the error of my ways now! That being said, the purpose of this blog is to relay my thoughts on a variety of topics; for my first blog I don't really want to limit myself too much - I just need to be writing. I will endeavor to write as scholarly, and with sources, as often as I can or when I find something of interest.

So I've given you my rationale for writing, but I have only hinted at what this blog is about. I'm going to preface the rest of this post with the following: I'm a giant nerd. This blog is about the four things that I find most important in life, as illustrated in the title of the blog. WHAT?! you say, but there are only three things listed at the top! That is not so, possibly the most important thing up there is the word valknut.

Valknut is a word of Norse origin which, as I was told and discovered, means a variety of different things. It is most commonly associated with fate and the nine worlds that composed Norse mythology. Additionally, because it is associated with Odin, the All-father, it also means strength of spirit and resolve - and a little bit of warrior's code. Unfortunately it has also come into use in white-supremacy groups in both Europe and the US, but that is not a reason why I chose this. The valknut for the purposes of this blog is a uniting force - the fate of all things brings us together, and the fact that it represents some of the core values I hold dear make it a perfect way to describe what I want to say. Under this heading I will be talking about morals, values, sometimes fate and  fantastic tales that I hear. Source

The second, and possibly the most important part of this blog is about life: the pursuit of and the trials thereof. This section will cover things like relationships - if that ever comes up - experiences and I would also like to lump in stories from my life or others that don't fit into any of the other categories. Life is full of stories and interesting facts, we can't ignore them or forget them. What is most evident from this section would be that there is always something new to do, or something new to learn  every day - don't squander it.

Thirdly is gaming. As you may have guess from my bio and the other posts you see here, I am a huge nerd. That being said, I am very particular and sometimes very vocal about what I like and don't like: so I am putting all of the cool stuff that I find and that I want to talk about here. I am an avid tabletop gamer; both for wargames and for RPG's so you will find references to those quite often. I also do a fair amount of computer gaming and some console as well - and these references can be found here.

Finally we come to the world: this is where you will hear me gripe a lot. Everything that happens in politics I will put here, so anything that I find that is worth praising or ranting about will go here. I can be very vocal and visceral with my reactions to things; so don't expect a whole lot of minced phrases here. To preface this section, and save some people a headache, I am a liberal. I'm not a commie pinko by any means - but I definitely don't vote conservatively. But, politics are not the only things that happen in the world; there are also innovations in technology or media and as a foreign language nut I will have interesting things to be found here. Also, any traveling I do will be found here.

I hope that this gives you a solid idea of what to find here on my blog. If you have and questions or you really want to gripe at me my email is posted on the blog. Thanks for reading and I hope you find something interesting.