I don’t think it’s a Paradox problem, I think it’s a problem of the way this type of game necessarily relies on quantifiers to express incredibly complex and contradictory psychosocial phenomena.

For instance, the idea that “pro-slavery” and “abolitionist” are simple, ideologically opposite positions misunderstands…

A huge problem with trying to address the transatlantic slave trade as a game mechanic is that it wasn’t just an economic system; it was part of an evolving social infrastructure that entrenched anti-Blackness and white supremacy as the organizing principles of modern Europe.

The brutality of kidnapping and extracting…

Not sure how “comforting” it is for your mega-corporate employer to remind you they have all the power, money, and resources.

I keep misreading this headline as “What to do you when YOUR company lies about a data breach”, which i am kind of obsessed with the meta-narrative aspect of.

I agree 100% that improving who you are and how you act towards others is the literal basis of accountability.

However, doing so requires a sense of who you are in the world structurally (w/r/t race, gender, class, etc.), not just inside your own head or personal professional journey.

This is as depressing as it is unsurprising.

“We want every soldier to think on their own.”

=

“We want every soldier to internalize the racist imperialist agenda of the US Army until it comes so naturally you don’t need any help from us! At which time we’ll dump you back home with virtually no emotional support! Don’t…

Bearing the brunt of capitalism as some kind of battle scar just perpetuates the type of harm Blackley caused. I’ve worked in the “developer world” enough to know that the garbage fires you mention aren’t inevitable; they’re usually the result of entitled people making self-aggrandizing decisions to increase their own…

It’s refreshing to hear someone of Blackley’s stature admit how much his ego (& implicit white dude self-satisfaction) fueled his early career, and I wonder how these lessons inform his work now. He had the good luck to bounce onto a project (Xbox) that more or less erased the Trespasser debacle, but as he himself…

If they do on-the-nose anti-racism as well as they did on-the-nose queer teen drama in the first games, I am so in for the long haul. Thanks for the rad coverage!

uggghh never heard of any of these and so excited to play them! thanks for the awesome coverage!

“This game highlights a meaningful structural reality in a fun, intentionally simplistic way, but my personal experience, when taken completely out of its larger social context, suggests otherwise. Better complain.”

the red cross is really upping their promo game

and heeere’s an even better deal on zelda chess:

and heeere’s an even better deal on zelda chess:

“You want to call me sexist? I know the name of a woman! You want to call me racist? I know the name of a Black guy!” *sigh*

Solid piece, but could I suggest that you don’t reprint the n-word, even in quotes? “The n-word” gets the job done with less risk of compounding the harm caused by whatever idiot’s spewing it.

maybe they should start pitching it as Trespasser for a new generation.

Nice job with the thesaurus. Doesn’t change the fact that what you’re saying is bunk!

Nice job with the thesaurus. Doesn’t change the fact that what you’re saying is bunk!

“Worthy philosophical arguments”...are you serious? I hate to break it to you, but you live in a world structured by forces of power and control, not your sense of intellectual rigor. You want to go discursive, read Foucault, read Sunera Thobani, read Sara Ahmed. They’re all profoundly “philosophical”, and they will…

“Worthy philosophical arguments”...are you serious? I hate to break it to you, but you live in a world structured by…

The “court of law” you’re referring to has an atrocious record when it comes to supporting sexual assault survivors. If you think rape only happens when lawyers and judges say it does, you are willfully ignorant. Did it ever occur to you that a legal system implemented by virtually all men might not be well equipped…

The “court of law” you’re referring to has an atrocious record when it comes to supporting sexual assault survivors.…

Actually, what I asked was why Kotaku is promoting the work of a known and unapologetic sexual assaulter who makes a living making fun of the kinds of things he perpetrates. You took it personally because you felt like your right to enjoy the game was being challenged, and tried to start a debate about humor, which is…

Actually, what I asked was why Kotaku is promoting the work of a known and unapologetic sexual assaulter who makes a…