Author Topic: Sweden Considers Rating Games on Gender Equality  (Read 9315 times)

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Offline Ultimate Paragon

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Sweden Considers Rating Games on Gender Equality
« on: November 15, 2014, 07:26:53 pm »
http://www.thelocal.se/20141113/sweden-mulls-sexist-game-labels

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Future video games produced in Sweden could be labelled according to whether or not they promote gender equality, as part of a new project by gaming industry trade organisation Dataspelsbranchen.

Avoiding sexism and gender stereotypes in video games produced in Sweden will become a key goal for the association, which has been given a 272,000 kronor ($36,672) grant by Sweden's government-funded innovation agency, Vinnova.

Inspired by the Bechdel test, which looks at whether fictional films or books feature at least two women talking about a topic other than men, Dataspelsbranchen will work with several game developers to analyse how Swedish video games portray female characters and gender issues.

Speaking to The Local, project manager Anton Albiin said it was unclear at this stage if all games produced in Sweden would be given a label, or if companies developing games that promoted equality would be given some kind of certification to use for their own marketing purposes.

But he said he understood that either strategy would be a world first.

"I do not know of any other project in the world asking this question and of course we want Sweden to be a beacon in this area".

Maybe /pol/ had a point about Sweden after all.

Offline Eiki-mun

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Re: Sweden Considers Rating Games on Gender Equality
« Reply #1 on: November 15, 2014, 07:34:58 pm »
I dunno how it works in Sweden. Do ratings really matter? I mean, you could rate games on gender equality all you want in America, and it would barely slow people down, if at all. Just like how you see so many 13-year-olds playing M-rated games today, I question just how effective a rating system like this would be.
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Offline Dakota Bob

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Re: Sweden Considers Rating Games on Gender Equality
« Reply #2 on: November 15, 2014, 07:35:54 pm »
A fascinating experiment which I'm sure will receive nothing but positive feedback.

Offline Second Coming of Madman

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Re: Sweden Considers Rating Games on Gender Equality
« Reply #3 on: November 15, 2014, 07:40:01 pm »
Why the hell would you need such a system in the first place?

For that matter, it continues to amaze me that the Bechdel Test is held in such high regard. It was a joke in a comic strip, and nothing more. And the Third Wavers hold it aloft like some god of their idolatry, preaching it's holy word to weed out "undesirable" works of media.

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Offline Ultimate Paragon

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Re: Sweden Considers Rating Games on Gender Equality
« Reply #4 on: November 15, 2014, 07:44:28 pm »
Why the hell would you need such a system in the first place?

For that matter, it continues to amaze me that the Bechdel Test is held in such high regard. It was a joke in a comic strip, and nothing more. And the Third Wavers hold it aloft like some god of their idolatry, preaching it's holy word to weed out "undesirable" works of media.

I think this is a good article on the subject:

http://www.agonybooth.com/agonizer/Bechdel_Test_Why_Its_a_Joke.aspx

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Re: Sweden Considers Rating Games on Gender Equality
« Reply #5 on: November 15, 2014, 07:44:58 pm »
This is fucking stupid.

Offline Ultimate Paragon

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Re: Sweden Considers Rating Games on Gender Equality
« Reply #6 on: November 15, 2014, 07:46:48 pm »
This is fucking stupid.

My sentiments, more or less.

Offline Witchyjoshy

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Re: Sweden Considers Rating Games on Gender Equality
« Reply #7 on: November 15, 2014, 08:09:52 pm »
I don't see the big deal.
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Offline TheUnknown

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Re: Sweden Considers Rating Games on Gender Equality
« Reply #8 on: November 15, 2014, 08:27:25 pm »
I've seen supporters say the Bechdel test works more for mapping trends in Hollywood films, rather than deciding if an individual movie is "feminist" or not.  The problem comes from tumblrinas who've decided to use it as a litmus for the latter, and deride individual movies for not "being feminist enough because of this one criteria".  I remember when Pacific Rim came out, and there was a huge stink going around tumblr because "tumblr feminists" were saying it wasn't a feminist movie because the only two female leads didn't talk to each other or any other women, while the movie's defenders pointed out how one female lead was written better than many other movie women, including some that passed the Bechdel test.

I remember one post by a Bechdel supporter who ended their rant with a really condescending message to people defending Pacific Rim, and the way I read it, it had the unfortunate implication that my accomplishments as a woman mean jack shit if I never speak to another woman about how much I love tacos (i.e. conversing with another woman about something other than men).  That no, I don't need validation from men either directly or by association in order to be a meaningful person, but I do need validation from other women. 
« Last Edit: November 15, 2014, 08:37:06 pm by Iosa the Invincible »

Offline Sigmaleph

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Re: Sweden Considers Rating Games on Gender Equality
« Reply #9 on: November 15, 2014, 09:42:44 pm »
This is fucking stupid.

My sentiments, more or less.

My first instinct is "meh, who cares". My second instinct is "damn, I know people are going to find a way to be stupid about this". Not sure which one to trust right now.
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Offline niam2023

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Re: Sweden Considers Rating Games on Gender Equality
« Reply #10 on: November 15, 2014, 09:47:04 pm »
Return of Kings is going to have a bitchfit.
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Re: Sweden Considers Rating Games on Gender Equality
« Reply #11 on: November 15, 2014, 09:55:13 pm »
This is fucking stupid.

My sentiments, more or less.

My first instinct is "meh, who cares". My second instinct is "damn, I know people are going to find a way to be stupid about this". Not sure which one to trust right now.

Personally, I think having games (or any entertainment media) rated on whether or not they promote a particular agenda, even one that I agree with, is very much a bad thing. Especially when the government seems to be involved.

Offline SpaceProg

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Re: Sweden Considers Rating Games on Gender Equality
« Reply #12 on: November 15, 2014, 09:58:10 pm »
This is fucking stupid.

My sentiments, more or less.

My first instinct is "meh, who cares". My second instinct is "damn, I know people are going to find a way to be stupid about this". Not sure which one to trust right now.

Go with both like me.  "Damn, I know people are going to find a way to be stupid about this, but I don't really care."

Offline Eiki-mun

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Re: Sweden Considers Rating Games on Gender Equality
« Reply #13 on: November 15, 2014, 10:00:00 pm »
Does anyone really care about Sweden anyway? I mean, they couldn't even hold down Julian Assange.
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Offline SpaceProg

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Re: Sweden Considers Rating Games on Gender Equality
« Reply #14 on: November 15, 2014, 10:02:13 pm »
I like them for the Volvos.