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Do you consider your personal politics when purchasing games? That's the question Gamasutra's Christian Nutt posed. (Full disclosure: Christian is a great friend of mine.) As a gay man, Nutt was conflicted about Shadow Complex. He loves the genre, but resents Orson Scott Card's anti-gay views. He said:
"When Shadow Complex was announced, I personally was torn. I'd already long since made the conscious decision to not support Orson Scott Card directly with my money. I also would like nothing more than to play a new game developed in the vein of some of my personal favorites -- Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and Super Metroid, the game's two biggest influences."
Nutt used his Shadow Complex example to bring up other situations with touchy politics. Dragon Quest's Koichi Sugiyama has staunch right-wing views, going as far as to deny the Rape of Nanking. He broadens the discussion to include Whole Foods CEO John Mackey writing an op-ed against President Obama's health care reform. Should a gay man boycott Shadow Complex because of Card's views on same-sex marriage? Should a Japanese gamer that leans left not play Dragon Quest because of Sugiyama's political views? Should a consumer not shop at Whole Foods because they support ObamaCare?
It's an interesting and thought-provoking look at how personal politics may or may not impact purchasing decisions. (It's also one of the best gaming editorials I've read all year.) Let's go back to the question I first asked at the beginning of this article: do you consider your personal politics when purchasing games?
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Comments
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furiousgeorge
Combining gaming with politics is just bad for everyone. Why does everything always have to be politically correct all the time, half the great games out there wouldn't even exist. Just because one man has one point of view that's not politically correct doesn't mean we have to boycott a product that many people worked on. It would be like boycotting G4 because writer wrote a stupid article. It doesn't make any sense.
Also as somebody who doesn't care for either political party, I find it wierd that liberals get all offensive and up in arms about someone who opposes gay marriage, when Obama himself doesn't even support it. Why doesn't any one boycott him?
All in all I believe that politics has no place in gaming, regardless of what some dude that I've never even heard of before I read this article thinks. If it's a good game buy it.
jhoe45
Pablo Piccaso was a communist but that doesnt stop people from buying his art for millions.
jhoe45
Video games are art, so all opinons should be accepted and should not stop you from purchaseing. Now when bungie or epic start actually pumping tons of cash into lobbying for a view you strongly oppose then that should affect your purchases. As for now video games are just another form of art entertainment and everyone should buy whatever they enjoy to play regardless of what the devolpers are for or against.
Tmidiman
I'd rather focus on ignorance. Like I would be ignorant to purchase a game like Madden. A game that every year features the same choppy animation and terrible game-play.
Or staying away from FOX News. Who ignorantly reported that Mass Effect had a sex scene, AND why asked about it DID NOT appologize.
babyscottback
The salty thing in this situation would be for the others who helped make the game and design it into what is became. Their work now becomes tainted to a lot of people because one person connected to it has a view that not many take. I am not commenting on the political aspect of the question I guess, just commenting on how it possibly hurts the others involved in the game process.
meh_siah
Half of these responses dont even answer the proposed question. YES, my personal political ideals do directly influence purchases I make, but it's all relevant. If I were like Christian Nutt, I'd take the same stance, infact, after learning of Orson Scott Card's homophobia, Im a little upset Ive purchased Shadow Complex, but just a little. Im not too worried about the money I just put in that bigot's pocket, anyone with that bleak of a point of view will eventually get whats coming to them. Im just going to have to something to counter my indirect support of O.S.C. and balance my own personal universe, I have no problem with that.
Anyone have any suggestions?
Secondtooth
If a game is good play it, if it's bad dont'..all this sexual/ethic political crap need to stop showing up in every other article on here.I don't factor in the personal politics of the people who make the games..because like G4 i'm sure 98% of game makers are liberal blowhards and believe the complete opposite of my libertarian views..which means I would most likely have very few games left then to play if I did.
TKEmysterio
This is ridiculous... where would you draw the line. Art is art (and yes... video games are art, contrary to popular belief). People have opinions, period. Why should it be a bad thing that they disagree with certain people??
weejifiend
I've never known enough about a game designer to have a problem with their political stances. I also don't believe that the developers of this game all knew Orson Scott Card was a bigot. They probably just liked a piece of his work that seemingly had nothing to do with his political views. So, even though OSC is a bigot, I don't blame the game developers for that.
I8NY
It's only their loss if they don't look at the media. Boycotting whole foods is another thing entirely, whereas art and entertainment can be inspiration, food is only sustenance.
Sinacle1
I generally don't follow the personal politics of game creators.
However, if someone that is adamantly opposed to something I believe in and they are in a position to support lobbyists with the money I paid them for their product, I'd rather not give them my money.
In other words, if there was a modern day Hitler profiting off of the Halo franchise, I couldn't support that.
But that is an extreme example of when I wouldn't.
BloodKnight86
I stand by my princepils. I support gay marrige and I am liberal towards most things. That being said, unless the developer makes his/her own view points and opinions the main focus of the game, I will still get it. As long as the game is good. I am an atheist, but if dante's inferno gets rave reviews, then I will check it out.
groggy
more video games. less politics.
Fulgrim87
Its interesting because i happen to read orson scott card and never once knew that about him, same goes for other people in the game industry. I mean lets be honest its not like games are covered by anyone but sits such as this or IGN. So we really do not get that informed on the political views of some of the industry heads. Unless im missing out on a lot :(
However I do not purchase from activision because bobby is a massive dick. Thanks to him shouting about not supporting the PS3, raising the prices on all games, Them dropping brutal legend and then suing them as well.
brujula17
It has not happened to me in games, but Tommy Hilfigger made some really nasty comments against Latinos who buy his products. I then decided never to buy anything that has his name on it, not that I ever liked his designs very much to begin with. Any discrimination for race, religious belief, politics, sexual orientation, or whatever is completely out of place in any context.
jdiggitty
So, apparently van Gogh's work doesn't count as art since he was insane?
If you're so offended by Card's beliefs, (beliefs in which he has the right to have, I might add), then don't involve yourself in any of his work of influenced work. On the other hand, you could just enjoy those creative works and label him as "misguided".
IcemanMX
I do not consider the personal politics of a game designer/developer when buying a game because (like most gamers) I do not know where those people stand on political issues.
And that is probably for the best.
I really hate to promote ignorance, but if I were to buy (or not buy) games based on the creator's political stance, I would not buy 95% of the games out there for the sole fact that I hate politics with a passion and I will usually disagree with someone over some random issue. Politics only strive to create divisions and conflict between otherwise rational, good-natured people. Of course, if we all had a unified harmonious state, it would most likely be tyrannical, so I'm screwed no matter what.
-M
blasphemous
I stand by my morals. I find that if I do, then I sleep better.
ashkpa
Well, I refuse to buy anything with Tom Cruise in it; and I'll probably also refuse to buy Shadow Complex, now. But going so far as to not support a huge organization because one person wrote a letter would be going too far, for me.
Kensan_Oni
You know, I wouldn't support this game. Not because that OSC is against gay marriage (although that is a stance that will prevent me from buying any more novels at the moment), but because Empire was SUCH a bad book. No book that bad deserves to have a Game made after it.
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