#like. indie games are STILL a niche. a growing one. but a niche nonetheless | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

ladymalstroem · 7 years

Text

On Bioware games and female players

Expanding on that last bioware post regarding Anthem being a co-op game.

One big aspect of this whole thing that I sadly think is going to be neglected in the more mainstream gaming press is how this potentially affects the female playerbase. Keep in mind that the following is based on anecdotes and personal observations, but this is just a blog post on tumblr, so take it with a grain of salt I guess. Under a cut because holy shit this got long.

I’ve been on Tumblr since 2011, and it’s become very clear to me that Bioware games are hugely popular with women. We’re not the core audience (only about 18% played female Shepard in the ME trilogy), but we’re a significant part of it. I’ve seen several women of all ages initially get into gaming through Bioware, from teenagers to mothers in their 40′s and 50′s. In a male dominated industry and community where gameplay skill and owning the hardware is required to take part, in order to get women to play your game it is crucial that you actively invite them. David Gaider’s GDC talk from a few years back is a great take on how Bioware did so through narrative and design choices. Something as simple as letting you play as a woman goes a long way, and then expanding upon it like bioware has done (through letting you play as different sexualities with different romance options, letting you customize your appearance, having storylines that focus on characters and interpersonal problems in a fantasy or sci-fi setting, etc) makes the invitation even clearer.

Added to that, while old-school tactical RPGs may have felt inaccessible to new players, the more stripped down cinematic action-RPG genre that Bioware developed with their newer titles is forgiving enough for someone who hasn’t built up decades of gaming literacy, something that often applies to women as we’ve historically been excluded from the gaming community as a whole.

The third aspect of this is the single player focus. Single player allows you to play at your own pace and learn as you go. You can explore the mechanics and story as much or as little as you like, you can prioritize the things that interest you and ignore the things that don’t. You never have an obligation to anyone else to perform well or keep up the pace. The gaming community has long had a problem with how female players are treated, and many women prefer to stay completely away from multiplayer for this reason. Even in MP games that make an effort to invite us, like Overwatch, you constantly see women who are afraid to talk in comms because they don’t want to be harassed. I’ve been in a pretty big discord server for female gamers for a while now, and you see this sentiment all the time. Statistically we have less experience, and therefore less confidence in our abilities. Even though many women enjoy MP and will play it often, many consider SP to be a less stressfull experience, somewhere they can escape to and play safely in.

For me, as an ESL kid growing up, I didn’t realise how powerful a story-driven game could be until I became a little older and learned english. I had my fun with games before that, but it was when I picked up Jade Empire at 13 that I really got spellbound by a game from the first time. I was lucky, in that I had a dad and older brother who introduced me to games and were supportive of me pursuing it as a hobby. A lot of women come into it later, because they never had something like that growing up, back when games were exclusively marketed towards boys.

Bioware has been a unique voice in the AAA industry in terms of representing women, LGBT people and people of color. They’ve had to face a lot of bullshit accusations for it, and sometimes their effort to please hasn’t resulted in the best situations, but nonetheless their games resonate strongly with women. Women are largely the ones taking active part in the creative fandom, the ones who spend countless hours writing fanfic and drawing fanart for the games, coordinating community events, the ones who will replay the games over and over because there are no other experiences out there like them.

This isn’t to say that women won’t enjoy Anthem, or are too frail to seek out experiences where we’re not the target audience, but many of us have a deep attatchment to the kind of specific character-driven single player RPGs that Bioware is known for. With Mass Effect on ice and the Montreal team severely downsized, that’s one of their SP franchises down. We can’t know for certain anymore that Bioware will continue to produce the kind of SP experiences that gained them its large female fanbase in the first place.

Anthem being a multiplayer game may alienate a lot of RPG fans, not just women. But women may have even more reason to feel like they’re losing something important to them, given Bioware’s role in introducing so many of us to gaming in the first place, telling us that our preferences and tastes matter in an industry where we’re often ridiculed and ignored. Maybe Bioware wants to move in a different direction genre-wise, or maybe EA wants some of that Destiny cash, and none of us really have a right to say that they can’t do what they want. But the fact that so many are speaking up in near mourning over this is a testament to how invested we are in Bioware’s games. We can find similar games in the indie scene, of course. But that still puts us on the fringes of the bigger gaming industry, whereas Bioware as a triple-A developer would typically put us and our wishes front and centre, without shame or judgement. They made massive progress in including us as a wanted and respected demographic in gaming, but this shift towards multiplayer feels like they, as so many other developers, are now going for the common denominator audience to make some long term money instead of continuing in their carefully built up niche.

I hope Anthem turns out to be good because I don’t want Bioware to downsize even more. I’ll be watching the development with cautious optimism, because I might be totally wrong about the game’s focus and story (and I really hope I am). These are just my thoughts after having seen what little there is of Anthem so far.

#bioware #mass effect #anthem

8 notes · View notes

soh-gross-blog · 7 years

Text

Trove Redemption Codes

{I very likely may have added a guest mattress home on the inside, but once once again, Hacks For Trove's queues kept me from actively playing. A particular bad thing would be that plots for any sole-gamer real estate aren't especially big I had been scarcely very effective at receiving a rudimentary re-growth of the Alamo on my own. |{They may be intended incredibly well, plus they often grant each program in becoming a reservoir, healbot, and breakdown seller all folded into 1, but nevertheless this issue means that trainer have fun with playing unavoidably will grow recurrent after some time. A large number of dungeons are limited, but nevertheless, lots of people are outstanding, certainly individuals who be needing getting puzzles Locating a organization is mostly only a point of discovering wherever other players like the focus are traveling to watch what they are up to. All in all, this can be often exciting gadgets, should you go into. worlds while using enjoyment of youngsters . of late introduced in the playground. In addition, Hacks For Trove permits players to spend specific finances to invest in in-trainer rare metal (with features heightens), but nevertheless that makes a difference very little ever since there's almost nothing levels of competition implicated. Given it switched out that certain attribute was ample to completely adjustment my knowledge and my good ideas in the trainer. There's no focusing you just aspect, shoot, and pray. |mindful To check out the 8-little think within the trainer Hacks For Trove has quite possibly the most irritating and recurrent does sound within the MMO, and So that they have a building in Hacks For Trove. With all the added liberty to complete whatever you want without notice. The chitchat solution is very easy to employ and is particularly utilized to some extent continually by players. Hacks For Trove is in conclusion quite a incredibly well refined trainer talk really what sort of trainer it truly would like to be and pertains to it. It is monstrous, but it is clever. To be very rational, kids’ youngsters . birthday parties are only such as that, hence the messiness and garishness is likely granting its planned market what it simply wishes for. |I searched in on Mojang’s time-understanding trainer the initial amount of time in a lot of time a further 7 days, and also i had been struck seeing as when sombre and occasional it had been, how completely contra --populist it's however it has become the avatar of populism. showing away from All kinds of things declared, basic loathing changed into quite a light fixation on progression. Even today, even while I take a look at how negative and hollow it's, some thing at a rear of my skull itches: “go back once again, get a significantly better tool, run a further dungeon, find a earlier mount.” Self-loathing helps prevent me, but once I was not a developed gentleman who says themself aforementioned could possibly be regardless that he plays trainers for all the bloody dwelling, I very likely would gain. You could frequently get it done in public places, around the pursuit areas by which both players and monsters successfully pass, or startup a golf club in the and help companions, or perhaps be the sole new member. Your kids will probably enjoy it. instructed at a That may have been authentic when CoD and Whoa have been really the only huge players close to, but nevertheless there's one million other styles popular with many other style within both the AAA and indie promotes. Michael Bay motion pictures especially specific two sets: teenage males, and developed many men who wish to nostalgically revisit time they consumed as teenage males. So don’t get unsure and begin assuming that gadgets that is aimed specifically at babies is fantastic, as it isn’t. |The pre-construct dungeons are wise and fun. comments. Following I be aware of trainers for instance the aforementioned, adding to YouTubers, Myself i think simply simply previous. Following Alpha and Beta diagnostic tests Surface finish of Nations around the world to watch the way they always keep pushing the game into as a average MOBA replicate great until handling the perform the job and completely taking out any hope from using it indeed being different RTS with charm. trainers as ‘games for children’ while they are without doubt trainers for the children. T’would are nutritious to include designed an additional run inside of a extremely good trainer before the monstrously unappreciative causes of 20 or so-initial century capitalism disbanded this whenever excellent property or home permanently. out of the question to Yup, valued this The normal issue remains a tremendous blow to Piranha Bytes, that people view in person distressing. Definitely Alec’s views and biases appear, nonetheless it looks like this trainer has fairly so almost nothing deciding on it it does not simply case where the assess is colored over the author’s ideas. for example. assess, except for when |Definitely that comment was some form of wide-ranging parody? I am speaking of, completely forbidding ideas from comparisons is naturally a tale. My fundamental impressions have been just like individuals around the write-up, and there isn’t any doubt that there is obviously a relatively robust encourage/compulsion loop hanging close to. so conceivably I am informed to relish that type of procedure an substantial quantity of, but nevertheless i didn’t believe that it is offensive in Hacks For Trove. Also, the on an hourly basis timed instances where you can yield the forex (inside of a extremely low decline cost) to acquire a dragon simply change the speed within the trainer. about it's at no cost. I'd just like to realize the number of ours really you've for this trainer. It is like peddling prescription drugs inside of a rehab facility or marketing strategies smoking cigarettes towards children… confronting a prone marketplace using an dependence it, often, can neither of the two realize nor readily decline, is fairly wretched. you're stupid? failing to recall Trion can be described as Business enterprise? also, its the various parents / guardians there crisis, should you have a superb young child, like we wherever, they rarely ever bitch about becoming gadgets, say things like “mommy, new mother i would like this” tend to make my parents / guardians plainly say “there is unquestionably not you should want” coating of discussion. (gratify be aware that this can be sarcasm and also i don’t really think that destitute individuals are scum) “He declared that it is internet marketing business develop was attractive wretched, this is authentic.” Clicking on the tiny By any time you boot the game up, the shop fades away. find Expending cash does not allow you to get seriously super badass tools. you to definitely fork out most things in any way. |Oh, and tv show the kids that getting rid of a lot of cash into some thing at no cost get rid of may cause it to be at no cost, and generally is a fairly stupid choice. experienced this until now? Internet marketing of enough age group to include experienced to this very indicate continually, yet still play it every so often. categorization “After Markus increased to turn into acquainted with Infiniminer, he quickly sitting lesser and started recoding their particular trainer. What have done Hacks For Trove/Trion do in order to really you you want to dislike on it so hard? And so damaging at the same time -.- You're (if that's the scenario) an awful trainer So do you show you why parents / guardians would take care of a Anywho, I get the feel you’ve rarely ever In any case, you improve point out to me of men and women NRA variations who individual firearm manipulate activists considering not comprehending the difference linking other tools. Considering they When you get strapped to many whiners you will not like it. They’re this impenetrable niche market that, to everyone not within the world, the in-depth blog posts look like gobbledygook. |You can still have fun with playing farmville with no need to fork out a cent. Cannot improve but concur with this. Yeah, that emblem is fairly unpleasant. DOTA/MOBA cover has released a rise of web site traffic. in person Very seriously? Among my opionion, Hacks For Trove is the reasonably humanist kind of the typical f2p never-ending cycle. And, yeah, caused by another person this is totally hooked on Grand adventure Capitalist, the criticisms feel surprisingly hollow of course. |Minecraft has, from the vanilla version, natural environment showing away from its square the ears. That is the game Trion swindled, not Minecraft. may in addition have fun with playing Hacks For Trove, ever since I am due to the idea linking two probably indistinguishable trainers which only one has actually been current each week. Just ever since Yep, you could possibly trade from a further gamer. Because i do settle for several what you declared. disagree making use of Second, im at nighttime about the sum of farmville you performed because you revealed you're “always needing to go back to get a earlier mount” when there exist just 2 mount rates of speed. And yet , your foundation isn't fixed. You've gained a property but nevertheless, you can not come back to it by going to its area. Really, they're permitted to select since they go, putting together just as much or almost nothing in the designated biome since they contemplate match. |a good quantity of the fundamental hinders to help with making the amount of one a further color selection required to put together easy and simple of design be hard, you've nevertheless got to grind for a lot of color selection dishes. But if the rather simple hack ‘n slash “lootfest” with lively colours and customizable housing is precisely what you’re seeking out, Hacks For Trove is unquestionably valued at a glance. You may also improve it needs to you grant lava to flow in from Dragonfire Peaks ( Uber-5, Potency Rate 800 ), whilst you have to be among level of cup plus a level of lava to make sure no Invaders view you. Indirect Retribution - When having breakdown prices the subsequent invade with additional impact. earlier, and Finest Faeire Dancing - Summon 3 dancing and snapping shots staves to combat your opponents. Hacks For Trove brings in players right into a arena of never ending various options wherever job-actively playing and writing collide, hole the big event never-ending cycle and helping just about everything hanging close to in making over the online community. capability figure out more information on, craft as well as escapades in procedurally developed worlds which happen to be entirely buildable and destructible. It just introduced for PS4 and Xbox A particular, and in all honesty, I have been becoming a satisfying knowledge by utilising it. added a There's likewise a |{In beat or traversal the regulates There'll in time happen a location wherever solo have fun with playing isn’t really a idea, but that is simply substantially in. Hacks For Trove, like the majority of MMOs is completed that need considering a perpetual knowledge and also i could unquestionably see me personally signing by the several instances every 7 days to have lengthier timeframe. {}around the world really love the game and is particularly two expansions, Affect of Shadows and Specter of Torment, when an deposition in the 3 in a single download in the Turn was introduced, i had been extremely excited. All of them possess a incredibly well-composed backstory as well as platforming capabilities, each replete utilizing their own challenges. These trainers are perfect, and obtaining the complete Shovel Black occasion sensation 1 set, clocking in close to 15 hrs of trainer have fun with playing in the position, works to make mtss is crucial-have for Turn proprietors - Just one more excellent could possibly be the There are many all sorts of instructional classes from which to choose darker occasion to Tomb Raider nearly every program is personal besides other the very best of this is that you may quickly change from 1 program to a different and degree these up. At this point for the reason that unfavourable characteristics are concerned there are not some but once I have to talk about a handful of it is always that that dungeon think and check precisely the same after the very little degree and acquire a touch obnoxiously boring and in many cases leveling up requires during. Pixels have been excellent, nonetheless they have been so two dimensional. Improve Using the damn videos. A good time was have by all, followed by excessive cursing.

0 notes