During the class, we discussed how people use the game as a way to express themselves, with the gameplay(how you play the game), with the soundtrack (the music is playing), or the storyline(the texts and character lines). All of those conveys a meaning not only about themselves but also a social problem or a moral idea.
Starting with the game called “Hair Nah” designed by Momo Pixel. Without first-class graphics or an outstanding storyline. She put what she feels and what she wanted to say into a game. Having a hairstyle that is not common to everyone, she hates people try to touch her hair, and when this becomes more and more often, it started to bother her. To win the game we need to help the main character to push all the hands away from her hair. After the game ends, there is a line: “The game is over, but this experience isn’t. This is an issue that black women face daily. So a note to those who do it. STOP THAT SHIT”. The game is simple and the gameplay is simple and straightforward, however, the game tells the problem she is facing every day. This game represents her life and also a social issue. Instead of an entire article about this, she decided to use the game as a medium for the public. Since games became a popular media that almost everyone is willing to accept, turning one’s idea into a game can be widely spread to the public.
Secondly, the game called “SweetXHeart” was designed by Catt Small. Playing as a female character going through a day at college. We can experience not only when she is in school, but also when she is on the way to school. Most of the time there is a guy next door or near her home trying to talk to her when she is on the way, where the player can choose what the character can say. This annoyed the character a lot, however, this can be a thing that every female needs to experience. Statistically, male gamers cover about 60% of the market(ESA 2012), female’s situation in the game industry is highly neglected. By creating this game gives everyone’s idea of maybe how the entire female community needs to face every day. This game represented most of the female community. Turning it into a game gives the perspective more dynamic, and a more vivid example. Most of the people can understand what she needs to convey and at the same time being reminded of the problem inside it.
Talking about choices, there is another game called “Undertale” published and developed by “tobyfox”. Player is playing a little boy who falls into a hole and encounter all the monster of the underworld. However, the main difference that made this game so unique is that the game can be beaten by not engaging a single enemy. You can decide to kill or spare anyone in the game. However, the result will be different on what choice you made. The representation of this game can be varied by the choice that a player made. If someone decides to kill everyone in the game, the game will not stop or penalize the player, but when he decided to play the game again and spare everyone the final scene will reveal the dark and evil inside of the character by display a picture of everyone with a red cross on each of their face. On the other hand, if one decided to just finish the game by spare everyone, they will get a cut scene where everyone is living in the same house with “ever happy after”. This game’s result can represent the player by their choices, and remind everyone that every choice they made will affect everything.
A game can be static and conveying a single idea representing a person, but also can be dynamic and convey ideas by the choices that a player makes. Games are a new way of conveying ideas where is easier or clearer for many people. Instead of a text or book, games can be more dynamic and close to life.
Citation:
Click to play! (n.d.). Retrieved December 07, 2020, from http://hairnah.com/
SweetXheart by Catt Small. (n.d.). Retrieved December 07, 2020, from https://cattsmall.itch.io/sweetxheart
Undertale on Steam. (n.d.). Retrieved December 07, 2020, from https://store.steampowered.com/app/391540/Undertale/
Entertainment Software Association (ESA) (2012). 2012 Essential facts about the computer and video game industry. Retrieved September 1, 2012 from http://www.theesa.com/facts/pdfs/ESA_EF_2012.pdf
