"It's
not always easy to determine when we have surrendered our judgement to someone
else." (Rushkoff, 1999, p.3) cited in Raessens (p. 375).
Interpretation, a part of the participatory media culture and Raessens’ "domains of participation" (p.373), is critical to the rise and fall of media forms (video games in this instance). The way they are marketed to the public is critical in how they will sell. Advertising agents market video games in conjunction with developers to create certain hype about the games. But the view they put on it can always be misinterpreted by the average person.
The most recent game I bought and favourite of all time was The Last of Us by Naughty Dog. The game puts us into the shoes of single parent Joel in a post-apocalyptic United States. He travels around America to take a young girl named Ellie, to a Medical center as she could be the cure for the outbreak of disease. It is a fantastic game that takes you on a roller coaster of emotions as you battle as Joel and become more protective of Ellie.
A simple Google search will show you the game has been a critically acclaimed masterpiece receiving a majority of near perfect ratings. But this is not everyone's view.
Shearer (2013) notes that for some, Ellie “was still a bit too much of a damsel-in-distress” even though we see her hold her own throughout the game. The developers, Naughty Dog, were confused by the criticism as they thought they had done an “extraordinary job of creating strong characters” female or not. Shearer notes throughout the game you get to take control of Ellie and that she may even be more emotionally stronger than Joel.
The interpretation of Ellie being this Damsel in distress was made from a minority and this could have been due to cultural or media based factors.
Raessens writes “Representations are thus not only a reflection of society; they also play an active role in shaping it.” An example he uses is of Lara Croft and how she can be seen as an independent can do woman, but also as a woman built for the male gaze.
Interpretation is a strong thing and cultural factors can impact in the way people play and perceive their video games.
Interpretation, a part of the participatory media culture and Raessens’ "domains of participation" (p.373), is critical to the rise and fall of media forms (video games in this instance). The way they are marketed to the public is critical in how they will sell. Advertising agents market video games in conjunction with developers to create certain hype about the games. But the view they put on it can always be misinterpreted by the average person.
The most recent game I bought and favourite of all time was The Last of Us by Naughty Dog. The game puts us into the shoes of single parent Joel in a post-apocalyptic United States. He travels around America to take a young girl named Ellie, to a Medical center as she could be the cure for the outbreak of disease. It is a fantastic game that takes you on a roller coaster of emotions as you battle as Joel and become more protective of Ellie.
A simple Google search will show you the game has been a critically acclaimed masterpiece receiving a majority of near perfect ratings. But this is not everyone's view.
Shearer (2013) notes that for some, Ellie “was still a bit too much of a damsel-in-distress” even though we see her hold her own throughout the game. The developers, Naughty Dog, were confused by the criticism as they thought they had done an “extraordinary job of creating strong characters” female or not. Shearer notes throughout the game you get to take control of Ellie and that she may even be more emotionally stronger than Joel.
The interpretation of Ellie being this Damsel in distress was made from a minority and this could have been due to cultural or media based factors.
Raessens writes “Representations are thus not only a reflection of society; they also play an active role in shaping it.” An example he uses is of Lara Croft and how she can be seen as an independent can do woman, but also as a woman built for the male gaze.
Interpretation is a strong thing and cultural factors can impact in the way people play and perceive their video games.
References
Raessens, J 2005, 'Computer games as participary media culture', Handbook of Computer Game Studies, MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass, pp. 373-388.
Shearer, S 2013, 'Naughty Dog Responds to The Last of Us Sexism Claims', retrieved September 10 2013, <http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/126648-Naughty-Dog-Responds-to-The-Last-of-Us-Sexism-Claims>
Christopher,
ReplyDeleteFirst sentence and you already have included some great referencing, that already gets a big tick with me. I like the mention of how video games are marketed and I can understand your blog as I have watched friends play The Last of Us and I can see how you consider it to take you on a ‘roller coaster of emotions’.
By including quotes from the creator of the game, this has made your blog so much stronger. The one thing I did like about this game is that you did get to be both Joel and Ellie, which I believed did create strong characters because as I saw it, it’s not just Joel rescuing Ellie. So I personally don’t think she was a ‘Damsel in Distress’ but as we have learnt everyone perceives things differently.
The only thing I think that could improve your post is the use of some hyperlinks and a definition of interpretation. I’d also like to see this whole concept linked to globalisation in some way. But other then that, it’s a really informative blog.
Christopher,
ReplyDeleteYour argument is very well structured and your writing flows nicely. Discussion is well balanced because you present both sides of the story. You present a thought-provoking argument about the public reception of products new to the market, but I would have liked you to go a step further and analyse what effect this has on people’s mentalities and actions when women are presented in this way. What effect does even the awareness itself have? A few hyperlinks would have helped enlarge the argument. The picture was relevant and added to our perception of your argument. A definition of globalisation is missing, and you could have expanded on how the media aggravate this spread of the ‘damsel in distress’ misconception.