Happy May the 4th, gaming lovelies! Seems like such a wonderful day for some Star Wars Battlefront.
#whitewashedOUT
Yesterday’s activist hashtage #whitewashedOUT brought the discussion of Asians and Asian Americans in the media to the spotlight. The fallout from casting Scarlet Johansson in Ghost in the Shell and George Takei’s response to the casting of Doctor Strange has opened the conversation about representation in the media.
So what about games?
Two of my favorite games growing up were Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat. I’m still nostalgic for them today and although they aren’t perfect (I take a bit of heat over Mortal Kombat), they gave me something that other games didn’t: characters who looked like me. Sure there are storyline and costume issues with Chun Li and Kitana, but they were kick ass and made me feel like I had a place in those games. It didn’t hurt that I grew up with Bruce Lee movies and a mom with second degree black belt in karate.
Of course I played other games where I played as plumbers or spies or hedgehogs. I’m not saying we need to get rid of those characters because those can be fun narratives too. Who didn’t love rolling along as a fur ball of destruction as Sonic the Hedgehog*? All I want is game designers to realize how important representation is to their players and keep an eye out for ways to include us.
* Fun fact: Sonic celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. I feel so old.
What to Play
Battleborn – PC, PS4 and Xbox One
It’s finally here in all its single player and co-op mode glory! There are 25 hero characters out of the gate, including fully clothed female characters in full armor. Amazing! Seriously though, this game does look fun to play and since it beats Overwatch to release, I’m curious to see what you all think.
The Walking Dead Michonne – PC, Playstation
Network, Xbox One, iOS and Android
The season finale of The Walking Dead Michonne’s story is now available. As one might expect, the story isn’t what you’d call feel-good. Award-winning actress Samira Wiley voices Michonne’s in-game character. A special interview with comic creator Robert Kirkman discusses her complexity.
Pandemic Iberia – tabletop
Z-Man Games announced the latest version of the hit game Pandemic over the weekend. Set during the Spring of Nations, in Pandemic Iberia, due out this fall, players will need to survive malaria, typhus and other fun epidemics as the construction of the first Iberian Pennisula railroad is underway.
Diversity Leaderboard
Achievement unlocked – satire – Space Marines Can’t Be Female
This tidy little satire piece about Space Marines being only male in Warhammer 40,000 is a fun view of how fictional story canon can get in the way of inclusion and diversity.
+5 experience points – Experience solitary confinement via VR
While VR is the newest buzz in the game world, the immersive nature can be used to explore so many other opportunities in our world.
Just for fun
Any Nimona fans out there? A new game on Steam Greenlight is looking for votes. To Become a Henchling is about a sweet girl who want to destroy all the good in the world in order to become a henchling. Take a peek and consider a vote.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nTHvMMS2wA?rel=0]
That’s it for this week. Hopefully, you had a chance to get out and play games for International Tabletop Day last weekend. A little jealous of the folks over at Lofty Pursuits who had adult milkshakes as part of their set-up. Sounds delish! Until next week, happy gaming!
