Hello everybody.
First, thanks for posting my game.
I registered to clarify my position, which is very clear and moderate by the way:
• I am for a better representation of women in video games. I want more female characters, written to be interesting & less cliché, and I also want more female developers in the industry. We are 6 in our team. These talents came to us since more than a year. Among them and the hundred of emails from people that want to work on our game, no women at all. I have no idea why, so yes I want it to change. As many gamers, I absolutely adored playing Ellie in The Last of Us, or Clementine in Walking Dead, or Ripley in Alien Isolation, and The Boss is my favorite character in all the Metal Gear Solid saga. It proves that video games are not as terrible as I've been reading lately. However, I deeply agree that we need more characters like that, and I think gamers, contrary to what is told in medias these days, are really happy to play with such fascinating characters. I don't know anyone that was angry to play Ellie just because she was a girl. And just like critics, I'm bored as hell to see the sexy elf armor syndrome, to see Kerrigan being sexualized in Starcraft, and this kind of terrible art direction. I make games partly because I want to create something different & avoid clichés. Our main character in The Last Night is bisexual. And our other long term project, Behind Nowhere, features a 15 years-old strong, independent girl that grew up by herself. I think I'm definitely taking a step in the right direction to offer more diversity to gamers.
• However, I think Sarkeesian is cherry picking and painting the whole video game culture as something very negative, which, as a gamer since I'm 4 (hello Ecco the Dolphin & Flashback), I can't accept. Video games have been incredibly diverse to me, playing all kind of animals & characters in all kind of countries & imaginary worlds. I've killed 10 times more aliens, nazis, soldiers, and innocent male characters than women in video games. So when I see Sarkeesian saying video game culture is tainted with violence against women, I say no. Video game culture is tainted with violence toward everyone. And, just like gamers used to deflect conservative when they told violence in video games makes you violent in real life, sexism in video games do not make you sexist in real life. This is a gross assumption, and this is why I disagree with her conclusions while I totally agree on some parts of her work. Oh, and also, when I read that "Ico is sexist", I just can't accept any more stuff from her. I think she's toxic & she's spreading conflict instead of encouraging change. That is my opinion, and you have the right to disagree and like her work.
• I also don't buy the patriarchy stuff. Maybe it applies in the USA, but I live in Paris, and here in France, virility is not encouraged at all, sensitive men and intelligence are a lot more appreciated than "being a tough guy" and muscles. Most masculine behaviors are totally prohibited and are considered very macho here.
• When I saw the 14 articles the exact same day on several websites to say "Gamers are over" or "Gamers are dead", I couldn't accept it. I can't accept to see medias & journalists on Twitter paint "gamers" as misogynistic, white trash, neckbeard, while we are a very diverse culture, with gamers from all countries of the world, all sex, all age. I really can't see how medias can make such generalisation from the terrible actions of a few irrational people.
• I am, of course, against any form of harassment. I've been harassed quite a lot lately myself.
• Personally, I'm interested in the actual work of artists, not their personal opinions.
Otherwise, I would miss so many classic movies, books, and music, just because I disagree with the artist.
If you like our game (which is very progressive), you shouldn't change your mind because I have different opinions than yours.
I hope you understand my position better now, and you can see I'm not the terrible human being you might have thought.
I go back to work now! See you soon for those who are still interested.
Oh and thank you Danielle you were awesome in the podcast, and syntheticgerbil, it was incredible for my brother & I to see this video!
By the way, I hope that you all saw the first official screenshot here. More infos on
oddtales.net
