To open the video game cartridge or break the black box, hackers/users must have the proper tools and knowledge of these tools. The first step of ROM hacking is to detach the screws located on the back of the game cartridge. These screws vary in number, size and shape and therefore the hacker must know type of screwdriver needed for each cartridge type.
1The tools and the knowledge about their use is deeply tied to problematic assumptions and practices of the gendered division of labor. Traditionally, women were thought to be responsible for household chores, childrearing and other ‘care’ based tasks, while men’s primary household responsibilities including repairing broken things, taking care of utilities, and overseeing any construction. As such tools used for repair and construction, such as screwdrivers and power tools, have become a ‘symbol of masculinity’ that helps cultivate ‘‘masculine legitimacy of skilled labor’ in the homes and for men to retain ‘the aura of pre-industrial vocational masculinity’’ (Bardzell et al. 2011, 373). The man’s role as domestic handyman is reinforced by the screwdriver design itself, as many drilling tools are too heavy or too large for women to use ( 375). These assumptive design practices demonstrate a reoccurring theme throughout hardware examination: that the tools required for ROM hacking are almost always designed by men for men. Along with the ROM hacking methodology, I propose the use of alternative tools to help preclude the gendering of handyman labor. For example, researchers have developed a screwdriver that considered the different needs of male and female users in terms of form, function, awareness, anticipation of use, and context of use (Bardzell et al. 2011). The resulting tool, the Significant Screwdriver, was a well-received prototype that made explicit expressions of care and love (374). Thus, the tools as well as the hardware requires consistent interventions that consider those excluded, whether through technical know-how or physical strength.
