Well, folks, the Starfleet Corps of Tiny Engineers are fed and watered and are raring to go, but I should probably give you something to read with your second cup of coffee (or third, or fifth, if you’re anything like me) before the three of us vanish into the workshop for a couple of hours. Here are some fantastic, optimistic reads from around the web this week.
It’s Time We Put the Bald Space Marine Away. It’s Time to Make Games for More People. – Patricia Hernandez, Kotaku
I have little love for Kotaku, but there’s a promising agenda starting to surface. Gaming isn’t just dudes doing dudely things anymore, and we should embrace that. In this article, Hernandez addresses how othering it is to be a woman and a gamer, and being forced to consistently play a different gender. One of the most common refrains from mouth-breathers who don’t get why feminism should be a dude’s issue is that if women don’t like how they’re portrayed in games, they should get off their duffs and make their own games. The twist in Hernandez’ article is that she addresses a couple of have–the RPG Mainichi, that dives into trans issues, and Lim, a game that, in simple, geometric shapes, forces the player to feel their difference and the discomfort that comes from being constantly hounded and accosted, simply for being a certain way.
There are other games and issues addressed, and I highly recommend this article–it’s probably the most powerful thing to come out of Kotaku ever. Read More
Trashy Dating Advice Books Are My Secret Sad Addiction – Leslei Annany, xojane
In a bold admission of loving utter junk, my dear friend Leslei makes her xojane debut with this funny and searing look at dating advice books and the lessons they teach women. I’m not going to get into it, because I can’t hope to convey Leslei’s simultaneous passion and utter disdain, so go read it. Read More
The Clash Between Consumerism and Creativity at CES – Wes Fenlon, tested.com
Wes is becoming one of my favourite guys over at Tested. Sure, Adam Savage is–well, he’s Adam Savage, and I’ve been following Will and Norm for years, but this appeal to optimism is unmatched. Will has previously expressed issues with the Consumer Electronics Show, but Wes takes it a step further. The disillusionment that comes out of CES is that there’s a certain expectation that surrounds CES. It’s supposed to showcase the new, the unseen, the future. It’s the closest we’ve got to a World’s Fair. But it’s not that. It’s something else, and we’re right in demanding more from science and technology. Read More
The Next Microsoft – Andrew Kim, Minimally Minimal
This has been floating around the web for ages, but it’s been reported in the Verge that designer Andrew Kim, popularized for his experimental reorienting of Microsoft’s visual language, has been hired by Microsoft to work on XBox’s branding. It’s no secret that the XBox has some weak branding, and Kim makes one point clear: Microsoft’s hardware and software is bold. Its marketing is not. This project, done on spec, is a masterful revamp of Microsoft’s branding and while I don’t like every element he’s come up with it’s a great read and a total treat for the eyes. Read More
Have you seen something that should show up in Sunday Reading? Email us at sunday@spillway.ca or tweet us @spillwayca!
[…] seems like representations of women in gaming is becoming a regular theme over here at Sunday Reading but this deserves mention. This masterpiece of objectification is part of Deep Silver’s Dead […]