The idea that games are political seems a little crazy. Most video game makers say games offer a political-free environment. It’s not like games discuss specific policies or mention anything about republicans or democrats. It seems these video game makers might be right except they might not be.
It’s easy to say that older games weren’t political. A person can play solitaire all day long and never think about politics, but not all games are created the same. On top of that, today’s games are more complex, and video game creators can infuse them with much more content. On top of that, gamers want games to have a strong story, and they’re given that.
One of the most popular game genres is the battle royale genre. This includes games like Fortnight and Call of Duty where the objection of the game is to kill opponents. This is usually done through a storyline that involves war. Enemies are talked about generally, so the game designers are not saying if anyone leans right or left. The point is they’re the enemy and must be eliminated.
Some could make the argument that these games are conservative because of the importance placed upon guns.
Diplomacy isn’t discussed. The soldiers don’t question their orders, and the people killed are nothing but evil enemies. These folks are regular people just the same, and they have families. They have ideologies, but no one seems to be interested in any of that in these games. This is not to say that conservative folks don’t care about diplomacy, but a player in this game isn’t given an opportunity to think. All that matters is their guns and their next kill.
Of course, these games aren’t to be taken too seriously. Maybe these games are just supposed to be fun and shouldn’t be looked at as anything more than that. One thing that should be pointed out is there’s a growing Second Amendment community in the gaming world, and these folks seem to love these games. Is there a correlation? That seems to be up for debate, but it’s definitely interesting.
Folks who are interested in advancing the Second Amendment recognize that for a large generation of people, mostly younger folks, the only interaction they’ve had with weapons has been online. This is the reason these communities are growing.
People who love the Second Amendment and want to make sure the next generation preserves it are targeting youth with gun-friendly games. As much as game creators think their games aren’t political, it seems other folks are thinking differently.
This primarily applies to America, but communities like these have some reach in countries with more strict gun laws. Who’s to say that enough young minds can’t change things to make obtaining guns easier?
Some could argue that all this is speculative, and that might be true, but there are more points to address. For example, it seems like in games about war and guns female representation is very low.
Women are in armies just like men, yet they aren’t as represented as they should be. This isn’t necessarily conservative, but it’s most definitely not progressive. People who want to see better representation in games have been trying to fight this issue for a long time. It may not seem like such a big deal, but representation helps nurture a worldview that’s closer to the real world. Games, like any other media, have a responsibility to represent the world, and it seems like many games are failing to do this.
Gender equality is a fight many developed countries haven’t been able to beat just yet, and this includes countries like the UK and USA. Sure, a little representation in games won’t fix everything, but every inch helps in this battle. The amount of women who are playing these games is incredibly high and is only going to get higher. This is a fact game designers should keep in mind as they continue to create their games. Representing this group of gamers should go a long way towards improving sales even more.
Female representation isn’t the only issue found in games that one could argue is political in nature. Racial representation is also pretty bad. Not only are minorities underrepresented, but when they are represented, sometimes, the characters are stereotyped. The battle against racism and discrimination can’t be won by improving representation in gaming, but this is another battle where every inch counts. Better representation may help nurture the mind of young gamers and help create a better tomorrow.
The gaming world has been going strong for a while, but lately, it’s been taking off. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why more people are paying attention to everything they’re doing and what they’re offering to society. Interested parties should definitely keep paying attention to this exciting industry that seems to have so much potential.
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