satire – bigtallwords

Apr 29, 2014Apr 13, 2015

Rethinking the Homo-Bro-cial Order in Broforce

[Originally posted on PopMatters] Satire and parody are words that get thrown around a lot around videogames—often inappropriately (Anhut, Anjin. “You Are Not Getting it.” How to Not Suck at Game Design. Sep 26 2013.)—and while mainstream games seem to struggle to reconcile certain traditions with their offensive subtexts, it’s possible to have fun with problematic content without endorsing the … Continue reading Rethinking the Homo-Bro-cial Order in Broforce

Dec 10, 2012Jun 12, 2015

Video Games, Violence and Satire

Lately I’ve been playing Okami on my Playstation 2 based on a recommendation from a friend. What I’ve really liked about it so far is that it’s a game with virtually no violence. There’s combat, but it’s such a small part of the game (so far) that it could be taken out entirely and most … Continue reading Video Games, Violence and Satire

Dec 4, 2012Apr 13, 2015

The Inelegance of the Videogame Satire

[Originally posted on PopMatters] Theoretically, there’s nothing holding back games from being an excellent vehicle for satire. Because they require the player to simulate a behavior—rather than just view that behaviour performed by someone else—games should be in a great position to illustrate how ridiculous or destructive certain behaviours are. I say in theory because there … Continue reading The Inelegance of the Videogame Satire