Here we go again: Anita Sarkeesian and the gaming community

[Haerthan]

So apparently Anita Sarkeesian is helping develop Mirror's Edge 2, as a consultant, more at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0D3D8Y1aqiw .
Accordingly the community is once more throwing a bloody fit, with videos and petitions. I swear to god, the community is giving so much ammo to the anti-gamers out there that it isn't even funny. So what does the Escapist think?
NO TROLLING. If I see trolling I will bloody well report you, regardless of the ideology you purport to represent. This is to be a clean discussion.

Captcha: Orange juice. Captcha, ur next. I swear to God you are next.

EDIT BIG ONE: It has been brought to my attention that Rich of ReviewTechUSA doesn't fact check his crap as well as he should.

This link will send you to a video that She-Who-Must-Not-be-Named herself debunks the petition and myth. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ah8mhDW6Shs&feature=youtu.be&t=6m15s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ah8mhDW6Shs&feature=youtu.be&t=6m15s

I linked it twice for emphasis. So please make sure to take that in consideration when putting ur reply up

 

[ninja666]

To be honest, a little feminism in a game that's already about a good woman kicking evil men's asses isn't gonna make that much difference, even with Anita Sarkesian in the team.

 

[StriderShinryu]

Works for me. I have no issues with Sarkeesian and was already excited for Mirror's Edge 2.

 

[DayDark]

I think it's a horrible idea of them to use her as a consultant, and i signed the petition, she's very much allowed her opinion and radical views, but i think she has little to contribute to gaming, and don't see her as a person who's ideas are worth taking into account. But alas, it's their call, maybe it will be interesting to see what sort of game comes out if it gets sanitized through her filter.

Captcha: Practice makes perfect.

Well at least captcha has positive expectations.

 

[DudeistBelieve]

So apparently Anita Sarkeesian is helping develop Mirror's Edge 2, as a consultant, more at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0D3D8Y1aqiw .
Accordingly the community is once more throwing a bloody fit, with videos and petitions. I swear to god, the community is giving so much ammo to the anti-gamers out there that it isn't even funny. So what does the Escapist think?
NO TROLLING. If I see trolling I will bloody well report you, regardless of the ideology you purport to represent. This is to be a clean discussion.

Captcha: Orange juice. Captcha, ur next. I swear to God you are next.

I want to have all the villains wearing beards and Trilbys, and when they die they explode in clouds of cheeto dust.

In all honesty, I don't care. I didn't play the first one, and I don't know what Anita is capable of delivering but at least it's something other than dissecting games on youtube. so I suppose that's a plus.

Just like, what do think her roles going to be? Helping them avoid bad tropes for their female protagonist?

I think everyone makes this whole GamerGate/SocialJustice nonsense out to be bigger than it has any right to be.

 

[Sniper Team 4]

No problem here. I'm sure Anita is pretty excited herself, because Faith is a pretty powerful female character. Hopefully a love interest won't be forced into the story. That's the only thing I'd be worried about, and I don't think that's what they would ask Anita for her opinion on.

 

[Haerthan]

You know what is the worst that could happen? The tropes that she brought to the forefront in her videos are just going to disappear. I stopped calling myself a gamer back in August 2014, when the GG thing started. I am really ashamed of this community. Just how the hell did we get at this point?

 

[Elfgore]

I haven't played much of Mirrors Edge, but from my experience, the game is just a woman free-running and beating the shit out of people. In the first four or so levels I played, she didn't have much of a personality. If Anita can add a little more to that, I wouldn't complain. Even thinking negatively, I'm having a tough time thinking of something that could go wrong. Well, something going wrong that makes logical sense.

 

[Mr Cwtchy]

I don't blame people for being unhappy about this. If they disagree with Sarkeesians' views, and also are fans of the Mirror's Edge franchise, it's understandable that they would not want those two things to combine.

Not expecting much to actually come of it, but I can empathise.

Because I'm fucking human.

 

[shrekfan246]

Before we get to everyone brandishing their torches and pitchforks, I'd just like to point out that the last instance of a high-profile developer listening to Sarkeesian's criticism/views was Saints Row IV [https://www.google.com/search?q=saints+row+iv+anita+sarkeesian&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-USfficial&client=firefox-a&channel=np&source=hp], and anybody who has played that game knows how it turned out.

Also, more reputable sources than a Youtube video based on blog post rumors would be nice. The only information even tangentially related to anything like this has solely been fear-mongering, and it goes back two years now to a blog post originally made on Destructoid (which had no sourced facts or anything to begin with).

 

[Haerthan]

Before we get to everyone brandishing their torches and pitchforks, I'd just like to point out that the last instance of a high-profile developer listening to Sarkeesian's criticism/views was Saints Row IV [https://www.google.com/search?q=saints+row+iv+anita+sarkeesian&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-USfficial&client=firefox-a&channel=np&source=hp], and anybody who has played that game knows how it turned out.

Also, more reputable sources than a Youtube video based on blog post rumors would be nice. The only information even tangentially related to anything like this has solely been fear-mongering, and it goes back two years now to a blog post originally made on Destructoid (which had no sourced facts or anything to begin with).

I have not played Saints Row IV. How did it turn out? I kept hearing it was good. So please enlighten me. I am serious. I am not screwing around. And I DO NOT remember a backlash against it.

 

[Grumman]

Is she a /paid/ consultant?

 

[shrekfan246]

Before we get to everyone brandishing their torches and pitchforks, I'd just like to point out that the last instance of a high-profile developer listening to Sarkeesian's criticism/views was Saints Row IV [https://www.google.com/search?q=saints+row+iv+anita+sarkeesian&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-USfficial&client=firefox-a&channel=np&source=hp], and anybody who has played that game knows how it turned out.

Also, more reputable sources than a Youtube video based on blog post rumors would be nice. The only information even tangentially related to anything like this has solely been fear-mongering, and it goes back two years now to a blog post originally made on Destructoid (which had no sourced facts or anything to begin with).

I have not played Saints Row IV. How did it turn out? I kept hearing it was good. So please enlighten me. I am serious. I am not screwing around. And I DO NOT remember a backlash against it.

That's exactly my point, actually. It was good (if maybe not what fans of Saints Row 2 were looking for), and there wasn't any sort of overblown backlash, from feminists or SJWs or anyone else. At least, not one that was large enough for me to have heard of it.

 

[Haerthan]

Before we get to everyone brandishing their torches and pitchforks, I'd just like to point out that the last instance of a high-profile developer listening to Sarkeesian's criticism/views was Saints Row IV [https://www.google.com/search?q=saints+row+iv+anita+sarkeesian&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-USfficial&client=firefox-a&channel=np&source=hp], and anybody who has played that game knows how it turned out.

Also, more reputable sources than a Youtube video based on blog post rumors would be nice. The only information even tangentially related to anything like this has solely been fear-mongering, and it goes back two years now to a blog post originally made on Destructoid (which had no sourced facts or anything to begin with).

I have not played Saints Row IV. How did it turn out? I kept hearing it was good. So please enlighten me. I am serious. I am not screwing around. And I DO NOT remember a backlash against it.

That's exactly my point, actually. It was good (if maybe not what fans of Saints Row 2 were looking for), and there wasn't any sort of overblown backlash, from feminists or SJWs or anyone else. At least, not one that was large enough for me to have heard of it.

Why am I not surprised? Remind me to unsub from TotalBiscuit and ReviewTechUSA later today. Got work right now so I'll do it later. I used to respect them, but TB turned into a GGer and Rich, well Rich is a paranoid idiot. TB also seems to show a bit more of an idiotic side with the Target thing, saying that the Target decision is anti-consumer. So yea, I am going to just keep looking for music on Utube from now on. Oh and Anita's videos. Prety insightful (in my opinion and it isnt up for debate).

 

[votemarvel]

I found the first game to be poor in nearly every way to be honest.

When I first started the game I thought something was wrong with my console and the textures were loading. Nope turns out the game really does look that bland.

There is little 'free' running in the game as you have a very limited path you can take and you get a nice red trail to follow.

Personally I think it would have been far better in third person, which would have helped emulate peripheral vision, depth perception, and spacial awareness.

Mirror's Edge is one of those few games where I just don't understand why people like it. Most titles I don't like I can at least understand why other do. Here though I'm just lost.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

It's not a very character driven game. It's just about free-running and beating up people in the process. EA is doing this for the PR. And it's not the best idea for PR either.

TB also seems to show a bit more of an idiotic side with the Target thing, saying that the Target decision is anti-consumer.

It is anti-consumer. It was a decision based on an online petition full of inaccuracies and lies about the nature of GTA V. As he clearly stated, it's an R 18+ rated game that can be legally sold in Australia. That is pretty much all the evidence you need to conclude that the petition is garbage.

 

[Aiddon_v1legacy]

at the very worst she can only make the game dull as opposed to the frustrating mess its predecessor was. She's not a designer so I doubt she'll be able to influence the actual gameplay and as for narrative I can't see her doing much. I think this is more of a PR move by EA than anything.

 

[Madkipz]

Gives EA the perfect excuse for why the new mirrors edge they crap out won't sell well, but when you have people like MundaneMatt say this kind of stuff in the comments: "Rich, from what I know about this is that she spoke at DICE back in 2012, and there is a destructoid user blog that claims she is working on MIRROR'S EDGE 2. But I have found no other info that actually backs up that claim. Its been two years, and no official statement has been made by EA, DICE, or Sarkeesian herself."


You know there's not really cause for outrage or anything of the sort. Because we don't know if what we're told is true or not. Just goes to show that anyone could benefit from Researching and verifying before faux outrage hijacks your brain. xD

 

[Erttheking]

I thought this was old news. Seriously I've known about this for months. And wasn't Mirror's Edge just kind of boring to begin with?

 

[Andy Shandy]

Do they have any evidence of it this time or are they all still going on about that user blog post on Destructoid from 2 years ago that was based on nothing?

It's the latter? Oh dear, what a shame, thanks for playing, try again later.