From the article:

“Play is an integral part of human evolution and learning,” she says, mentioning that this is a topic she covers in her book. “Gaming, being the most refined form of play in our time, has much to offer. Instead of focusing on what gaming is not, it’s more effective to showcase its true essence. The industry’s effort to create a more diverse range of games, beyond merely violent and intense ones, will help showcase the broad spectrum of gaming as an expression of creativity.”

  • huginn@feddit.itEnglish
    57·
    3 months ago

    Fan base isn’t regressing - there’s just an increasingly polarized contingent that won’t stop wailing about every snub.

    Overall the gaming fan base is growing because of this embracing of diversity.

    • NOT_RICK@lemmy.worldEnglish
      30·
      3 months ago

      Yeah it’s just a loud group of dipshits that want games to be a safe space for their regressive views.

    • Billiam@lemmy.worldEnglish
      9·
      3 months ago

      The Helldivers 2 Steam review page (edit: it’s comments on announcements) is covered with reviews from accounts that don’t even own the game begging Arrowhead to “not add WOKENESS!” to the game.

        • Billiam@lemmy.worldEnglish
          5·
          3 months ago

          Sorry, you’re correct- it’s not the reviews, but the comments on any announcement made by the devs that I was remembering.

          The lack of mouse icon next to their names means those Steam accounts don’t own the game.

          • huginn@feddit.itEnglish
            7·
            3 months ago

            I wonder how many of them are just bots tbh

            Cause the game is pretty inherently political. The setting is a farcical fascist govt…

            • Billiam@lemmy.worldEnglish
              7·
              3 months ago

              It’s a coordinated effort to make those bigoted assholes seem to be a larger number than they actually are. And we can blame Steve Bannon for that.

              • intensely_human@lemm.eeEnglish
                2·
                3 months ago

                Also everyone who participates in the narrative that “regressive are swamping the gaming industry”.

          • Carighan Maconar@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
            3·
            3 months ago

            I mean on the plusside, you always know that whenever anybody uses the word “woke” as if it were a real word, you can immediately add them to the blocklist or ban them. Nothing they can add has any value any more.

          • intensely_human@lemm.eeEnglish
            1·
            3 months ago

            I see three comments, two of which mention wokeness and one of which mentions sending the dev team to re-education camp.

            None of the comments is solely about wokeness. Wokeness is mentioned in conjunction with politics.

            One of the comments wants to make sure the game stays “neutral”.

            Note that zero of these comments are complaining about diversity. To those who criticize wholeness, it is a distinct thing from diversity.

            Do you know what people are referring to when they use that word?

            • Billiam@lemmy.worldEnglish
              4·
              3 months ago

              1. I provided a screenshot as an example. Obviously I’m not going to link to every fucking bigoted comment. Those were the top three comments; two of which were useful to my point.

              2. Note that zero of these comments are complaining about diversity

              Here, let me make one bigger for you:

              They “think” adding more diversity in the form of inclusion and LGBT representation would make the game worse, since apparently that point wasn’t as clear as, say, a fucking foghorn.

              1. Do you know what people are referring to when they use that word?

              Yes. “Woke” means “anything that threatens my worldview of white masculine superiority and reminding me that non-white, non-straight, non-male people exist and should be represented in art hurts my fee-fees.”

              But sure, explain how it’s really about “ethics in gaming journalism”.