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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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grrsn
Now, not supporting same sex marriage and not liking Obama's proposed health care reform are one thing, but denying the Rape of Nanking is something else entirely. That's like asking if you would buy a game that was developed by someone who denies the holocaust or the Armenian genocide.
I personally don't let politics play too big of a role when buying a game unless the emphasis of the game is something I entirely disagree with. Like if there was a game in which, let's say, you have to stop an evil Obama-Hitler from killing all the elderly in America, I think I would have a problem with the concept of that game. However, if the developers of a good game happen to have differing political stance than that of myself, I don't think I'll have too much of a problem. Unless the developers are, you know, white supremacists, terrorists, nazis, or someone who denies some horrible atrocity.
AdamBomb89
No, even if the designers are anti gay marriage and hes gay it shouldn't influence the purchase. As long as the game doesn't end by fighting a huge gay man who plotted to take over the world because he hates straight people :spoiler: it doesn't :end spoiler: he should purchase a good game because its a good game.
Knowing someone is anti-gay marriage and not knowing are the same things, and no matter how u face it, you will most likely support one one day or the other. Shadow complex is a great game, there should be no reason he shouldn't play it.
SuicideGrenade1
WTF r they talking about
ob1007
what the f... are you not going but a product manufatured in China b/v of thier human rights violations. I dont think so. If you let stuff like this infulence what you buy, you will never supoort anything. Everyone has some view that you are agaisnt. STUPID
Jackal904
Well I refuse to support and purchase anything affiliated with Epic Games anymore after the release of that steaming pile of garbage called Gears of War 2. But that's not really politics. But I could care less about politics when it comes to purchasing a game that I like.
HandcuffHarry
I don't know that I've ever played a game that feature a political issue I was against. I've also never taken into account the politics of those affiliated with games. For the most part politics has been kept out of games.
masterbedgood
Personally, I rarely let anything affect my decision to purchase a game other than if the game looks good or not. I'm a hardcore gamer, which is an odd mix because I'm a Christian as well... While Christians in the gaming industry aren't always looked kindly upon and are often seen as the anti-fun (after all, Jack Thompson is often associated as the voice of the Christian public in its opposition of gaming), I don't let that hinder me in my quest for entertainment. I play HALO, I play Gears of War, Grand Theft Auto, Ninja Gaiden, Mass Effect, and pretty much anything that doesn't suck without questioning the politics or ethics of the people who made the game. Even though EA pulled a really dumb publicity stunt, I'm really looking forward to playing Dante's Inferno. People just tend to have too much pride to sit back and enjoy a great game.
shmaron
Boycotting a person's games because of his personal belief on same-sex marriage, in my opinion, is stupid. Gay people hold true to their beliefs and ethics, therefor, he is entitled to hold true to his. Not buying the man's games is not going to make is reverse prejudice, for he is not denying gay people the chance to buy them. People are entitled to their opinions. It's called tolerence people.
eelric64
The personal beliefs of one politics does not factor into my purchasing of games.
LarcenousLaugh
I think it depends on the situation. If Christian were to play Shadow Complex and find out that the plot of the story pits him against the mysterious Gay Legion, then he has a reason not to get it. If John Mackey started giving discounts to people with his beliefs and none for others, then there is a reason not to shop at whole foods.
It takes more then one person to put these games out, and while everyone invoved gets a cut, not everyone involved shares those views. I am sure there are tons of employees who work at Whole Foods that support ObamaCare, just as I am sure that while their could be people that do hold anti-gay views working on Shadow Complex, it's not the focus of what's going on.
Personally, I would rather see people not purchase or involve themselves based on the quality of the product rather then the views it represents. Based on what I have seen an read, Shadow Complex looks like it is worth more then the $15 (or whatever ridiculous microsoft points amount is) you will spend on it. Judge the product, not the person. People will always believe what they will, and if they really take what they believe to heart, then hitting them in the pocket book and affecting everyone else involved in the game is not going to do any good.
BlackulaTheHNIC
Ugh...
BlackulaTheHNIC
You know, for a website that is constantly bombarding us with how ethnicity or sexual orientation shouldn't overshadow the fact that we are all human they sure do like to focus on those issues.
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