A few days ago, I posted "Bimbos in Bikinis" about my concerns regarding how women are portrayed on the cards of a game marked for "10 & Up". I wrote to the publisher, explaining my general concern about the pictures of women on the cards and my specific concerns about the card called "The Flasher" and the age recommendation on the box.
I was not confident that I would get more than a form letter, but I very quickly recieved the following thoughtful response:
Understanding the picures as parody, intended to point out the ridiculous way comic books portray both male and female bodies, makes me feel better about the game generally. It puts it in the light of being part of the discussion, and so may actually be positive.
We are still not using some of the cards, and won't be. My son helped us decide which cards to remove. He was actually much more conservative about what should go than his father and I. We ended up returning several of the cards he took out. We also had a very good discussion with him about stereotypes, etc.
That really only leaves my concern about "The Flasher." I am still not at all happy about a card of a man being sexually aggressive toward a woman being helpful in advancing in the game or of the producers making light of such an attack. I am hoping to have further dialogue with the company about that.
I just wanted to follow-up. The game is really fun and well-designed.
What kinds of things have you encountered with games?
Have you ever complained to a company? What kind of response did you get?
I am participating in the January 2013 Ultimate Blog Challenge.
I was not confident that I would get more than a form letter, but I very quickly recieved the following thoughtful response:
"We fully support the rights of parents to remove any cards from the _________ games that would clash with their own or their families' values; in fact, we encourage it, because we think that families playing games together is beneficial for everyone. Because everyone's values are slightly different, we think it would be a mistake for us to describe too narrow a circle around what we consider "acceptable."
[the game], in particular, is a parody of four-color superhero comics. Part of the parody is to shine a light on some of the tropes of this genre which are less enlightened, even unrealistic. Oversexualized female portrayals (and equally unrealistic male portrayals -- muscles just don't look like they're drawn sometimes!) are, for good or ill, one of the most commonly encountered features of superhero comics. If your son is a fan of comic books, then he's almost certainly seen art just as sexualized as that found in our game -- more so, probably, because comics these days strive for a realistic style (if not realistic effects!) and we're aiming at cartoons instead. {Ed. Note: actually my son's comic book reading is limited.}
All that said, I will certainly pass your concerns along to [the production] team for further discussion."
Understanding the picures as parody, intended to point out the ridiculous way comic books portray both male and female bodies, makes me feel better about the game generally. It puts it in the light of being part of the discussion, and so may actually be positive.
We are still not using some of the cards, and won't be. My son helped us decide which cards to remove. He was actually much more conservative about what should go than his father and I. We ended up returning several of the cards he took out. We also had a very good discussion with him about stereotypes, etc.
That really only leaves my concern about "The Flasher." I am still not at all happy about a card of a man being sexually aggressive toward a woman being helpful in advancing in the game or of the producers making light of such an attack. I am hoping to have further dialogue with the company about that.
I just wanted to follow-up. The game is really fun and well-designed.
What kinds of things have you encountered with games?
Have you ever complained to a company? What kind of response did you get?
I am participating in the January 2013 Ultimate Blog Challenge.
Personally I would not buy a game if any part of it, would offend me. Sounds like these cards are soft porn. Just my opinion.
ReplyDeleteI understand that perspective, though I don't think that, overall, the pictures go that far. They are cartoony and are no worse than comic books. That said., we avoid a lot of comic books. We didn't know what some of the pictures were like until we had bought and opened the game. Thanks for stopping by!
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ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing a follow-up. I am still angry over the "Flasher" card, but am thankful that consumers like you take a stand and let the manufacturer know that it is not acceptable. There is no parody for violence against women.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you there. I think probably it is a matter of education with this company. They probably see flashing as a joke. It wouldn't be the first time that type of incident has been portrayed that way in entertainment media. Which doesn't make it acceptable at all.
DeleteI had no doubt the people who work for that company would send you a thoughtful response. In general, gaming companies tend to support families playing together above the "integrity" of their games, but they also have to think about adult consumers as well. I understand the fact that a lot of those cards - yes, even the Flasher - are meant to draw attention to the absurdity of a lot of comics and not actually celebrate the stereotypes. Then again, I'm an educated 26 year old woman. It's good to hear Jordan is smart about what's appropriate for his age, however!!
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