Tag: diversity

  • Conquering the Cyber Kingdom: Analyzing Bowsette

    Conquering the Cyber Kingdom: Analyzing Bowsette

    On Sept. 19, Twitter user haniwa (@ayyk92) posted a fan comic whose conclusion focused on a blonde woman with horns, a visual mix of official characters Princess Peach and Bowser from Nintendo’s Super Mario franchise. This fan creation would be nicknamed Bowsette. The fan comic has now garnered over 80 thousand retweets and motivated many to post…

  • Fat-Shaming in Villain Design

    Fat-Shaming in Villain Design

    The problem of fat-shaming stems from many places. First and foremost, it comes from the alarmist tendencies of reporting on the “obesity epidemic.” It comes from doctors seeking money from pharmaceutical companies, prescribing weight loss medications, cholesterol medications, and various procedures to people who typically do not even need them. It comes from a lack…

  • How The Sims Became a Champion for LGBTQ Representation in Gaming

    How The Sims Became a Champion for LGBTQ Representation in Gaming

    When talking about The Sims, an adjective that could very accurately describe it is influential. The follow-up project to creator Will Wright’s SimCity, the game was something that had never been tried before: an intimate simulation of real life where the player can act as either caretaker or doom-bringer for the characters in their charge.…

  • Diversity Experiences of IndieCade 2017

    Diversity Experiences of IndieCade 2017

    One thing that really stands out about indie games is the plethora of non-traditional games. I don’t just mean in terms of mechanics, but experiences. I know someone’s going to shout about “social justice warriors,” but I’m betting many of those same people choose female avatars when given the option or even main a female…

  • Happy Birthday Overwatch: A Look Back

    Happy Birthday Overwatch: A Look Back

    On May 24, Overwatch celebrates its first anniversary. And it’s been a hell of a year. The game has been front and centre in major industry talking points without pause: sexualisation, diversity, harassment, fan culture, Doing It Right™ versus getting away with its continued failures, and, of course, a deluge of memes. In short, Overwatch has…

  • The Hypocrisy of our Love of Sheik: A Character to be Seen and Not Heard

    The Hypocrisy of our Love of Sheik: A Character to be Seen and Not Heard

    The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, wasn’t a very popular game in my social group. The Scottish kids I grew up with were more interested in soccer, boy-girl pop groups, and Furbys. As such, I never really heard the name ‘Zelda’ being thrown around. [SPOILERS For Breath of the Wild, Ocarina of Time, and…

  • On The Portrayal Of People Of Color And Potatoes In Fantasy Games

    On The Portrayal Of People Of Color And Potatoes In Fantasy Games

    Fantasy RPG’s can take us to worlds we could only ever imagine. Worlds where dragons freely roam the skies and all the spooky monsters of lore actually exist. The only worlds that, even now, remain out of our reach are those with true diversity. Why is this still so difficult? Historically, people of color, those…