But then, the pianists, smart performers are building that interaction for the article’s title (and in the article itself) they are, saw the wheels of the fun future of games. Enjoy! refers to gender, not intercourse, and the coaster were well-oiled and brought out article actually does address the over- the big guns: the interpretive dance Cheers, sexing of games, and why we as a A few days ago, as I was in the kitchen sing-along. Did you know that there’s a culture seem to be preoccupied with making some dinner, I noted one of my whole dance that goes along with such things. I think you might find a lot favorite movies of all time was coming “Jeremiah Was a Bullfrog”? There is, and to love there, judging from the nature of on the TV: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. all the boys and girls got up, sang your letter. Naturally, as I watched Ferris’ slacking terribly and pantomimed wildly to the antics, my own progress toward a hot pianists’ playing and singing. In the defense of The Escapist though, meal slowed. As he explained to the it’s been quite some time since we’ve audience the importance of stopping to I was engaged. published an article about sex. We looking around in this fast life lest you publish roughly 250 articles a year, and miss something, I found the speed with The directors of these two instances To the editor: Don’t you guys ever get so far this year approximately none of which I sliced zucchini dropped were employing a twist of the adage “I bored with hammering the same topics them have been about sex. In fact, in substantially. Well, it would have been do, I understand.” Games are unique as over and over and over? Jesus, I can’t looking through our archives to find out rude not to have paid attention … he was far as entertainment in that they are by count the number of articles I’ve read in what may have possibly triggered this talking to me, after all. Right? their very nature interactive, and employ The Escapist about sex in gaming. objection, I had to go all the way back to that old bit of wisdom. Where it’s Enough shit already. Stop always trying Issue 64 from last year to find an article I was engaged. innovative and quirky and engaging for to do the “controversial” stories and start in our archives discussing sex. That one, more traditional modes of entertainment covering some of the cool stuff that’s a piece by me covering the growing Another time, for a couple of friends’ to use audience involvement, games do actually happening in the industry. teledildonics industry was pretty racy, I birthdays, a group of us went out to a this as a cornerstone of the genre. admit, but that was eight months (and piano bar to celebrate. This is one of -Dragoniz3r about 150 articles) ago. those dueling piano places with two So, games sometimes have to go a step pianos and pianists on stage who take further to rise above the crowd in Editor’s reply: I’m going to assume We did touch on the subject of being a requests from the crowd. This is grabbing the attention and minds of you’re talking about the article by woman gamer in Issue 92, but aside supported by a bar, so a couple hours players. And in this issue of The Escapist, frequent The Escapist contributor, Lara from a brief mention of raising a family after being there, the crowd is a lively “Reach Out and Touch Someone,” we Crigger entitled “Resident Evil’s Second and/or having children, that issue had bunch, drinking, hooting and laughing. discuss some of the games that have, Sex,” although as far as articles about very little “sexy” content (and even that some of the people that do and ways we sex go, this one was pretty tame. In was a stretch). We also covered the love fact, the word “sex” as used in the story of a couple who met in an online game in Issue 88, but I assure you the alone in perpetuating that. Sexism is Author’s Reply: I don’t think any school kissyface described in that article was alive and well in this country (and the of feminism advocates that women must very PG. There was also a great article world) and, to be honest, letters like always be strong and competent, by Erin Hoffman (AKA EA Spouse) about yours aren’t helping. because that’s impossible, whether the difficulty of being a woman in a you’re a man or a woman. Instead, man’s industry in Issue 70 from - Russ Pitts, Associate Editor strength, freedom, competence; these November, but again, as far as are the ideals toward which we should objectionably sexy content goes, that In response to “Resident Evil’s always strive. We should always try to be one was a bit of a let down. Second Sex” from The Escapist the best we can be. Forum: I think that “feminist ideal” If what you’re really objecting to are needs rethinking a bit. You discuss But you’re right: By adopting that ideal, articles in our magazine discussing earlier in the article the “if-you-can’t- women do risk developing those same gender differences and presenting the beat-’em-join-’em” trap. But this whole fears of failure and of showing weakness viewpoint of women gamers and game business of having to constantly be that men stereotypically struggle with. designers, I’m afraid we’ll have to strong and competent sounds a bit like But rather than seeing that as something continue to disappoint you. more of the same. Not that strength or wrong with those ideals, I think it’s a competence are inherently male, but problem with how we understand fear What interests us here at The Escapist is rather the stereotypically male idea that and failure. Naturally, nobody idealizes how games and media intersect with our it’s never OK to show fear or to fail at failure, but perhaps the proper response lives, and sex, in all respects, is a fairly anything. Is this a case of feminists is to instead understand its role in important aspect of life. But aside from taking on the worst of male culture and forming all those qualities we DO admire; that, the simple fact is that most games embracing it as their own? that without failure, strength, freedom, and game developers are men, and how competence, etc are meaningless. they interact (or don’t) with the other In the context of video game design I half of the human population is pretty see this quite a lot. Games are often Some games do in fact punish the player interesting. In order for more women to designed in a way that punishes the for failure, and I think that’s a mark of find something valuable in games, more player (not their character, the actual poor game design rather than women should be making games, and for player) for failures. I think the whole sociological bias. Thankfully, that style of women to get interested in making mindset underlying that could do with game/player interaction seems to be games in the first place, they should being called into question. going out of fashion these days. probably be playing them. It’s kind of a catch-22 situation and this industry isn’t - Dom Camus - Lara Crigger To the editor: Shannon Drake hits the Okami wrote it off the moment it was spot on “Vision Doesn’t Sell Copies - The released as “too different/interesting to be Short Life of Clover Studios”. Indie successful”, how are publishers and non- developers rely on fresh ideas to pump gamers supposed to change their attitudes? out games like Chronic Logic’s “Gish” and make a living. I’m dead serious about this. Conservatism and fear are self- However, big name developers focus on perpetuating, and the truth is that the revenues from the mainstream players. mass market(s) are far more interested And Capcom is no exception. in “out there”, new or interesting stuff than we give them credit for. The change I believe that the business model is to has to start with us. It’s understandable blame. To sell a million copies (as some to become discouraged when something games do today) we have to sacrifice you think is cool fails in the marketplace, many aspects so that games will be but that’s no excuse to go into a enjoyable by the average Joe. Otherwise, permanent cynical sulk of nerdly elitism the PS2 would never sell 100 million and doom the next Psychonauts the units. With those sales figures in mind instant it appears. We need to be the and development costs rising fast, it is no ones fighting for it. wonder what happened to Clover Studio. - chmmr - Paulo V. W. Radtke In response to “Vision Doesn’t Sell Copies” from The Escapist Forum: I’m getting kind of tired of hearing this kind of “oh well what can you do” hopeless self- defeating nonsense when something like Clover’s demise comes up, especially from the more sophisticated (I assume) developers, press and gamers that read The Escapist. If even the people who dug It was late, and I was tired. The police computer chair. On a deeper and more had requested help making sense of logical level, I knew that — after all, I certain computer files they had been had to enter my email address before I sent by a suspected serial killer; they felt could even start the game — and yet my unique talents and skills might see they were not logical thoughts I was answers, where they merely saw chaos.