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"I don't want Politics in my Gaming!" (infosec.pub)

submitted 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) by juergen_hubert@ttrpg.network to c/rpgmemes@ttrpg.network

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Seriously. Every form of entertainment has baked-in political assumptions, and that definitely includes #ttrpg . You might choose not to examine them, but this is an active choice on your part, and you don't get to pretend that your entertainment is "free of politics".

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[–] yakko@feddit.uk 5 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Glancing at Wikipedia for any Pong discourse. Found a likely example. Turns out Pong had a bug (read: feature) that contributed to its place as the first commercial success in video games. Quote,

the in-game paddles were unable to reach the top of the screen. This was caused by a simple circuit that had an inherent defect. Instead of dedicating time to fixing the defect, Alcorn decided it gave the game more difficulty and helped limit the time the game could be played [per payment]

So, Pong established the concept of video games systematically favouring the rich. Are we there yet, is that political enough?

[–] LwL@lemmy.world 2 points 4 days ago (1 children)

There is still no political assumption in the game itself. Of course the moment you consider the means of acquiring it, everything touches on politics, even going to the forest and throwing a random stick, because forests existing is politics, them being accessible is politics, and you being allowed (or not) to throw a random stick is politics. That doesn't make the concept of "throw stick at target for fun" political.

[–] yakko@feddit.uk 1 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Alright yes, if you deliberately draw a circle around a portion of your entertainment and say "this is the part I like because it's not political!" that's still a political choice, which is the entire point OP is making, ICYMI.

Everything is political, even the choice to isolate one thing as non-political. The fact is that politics are only escapable if you're privileged to be the kind of person who gets to say "shut up about politics, I'm trying to play Pong!"

[–] LwL@lemmy.world 0 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (2 children)

Yeah generally when talking about a thing you draw a circle around the thing, that's how that works. My glass from ikea isn't making any political statement or assumption in its design as a finished product (unless you consider presumed size requirement for a beverage container to be political, though inherently nothing about it even states its purpose, so even that is doubtful) the process behind its design, manufacturing, and sale very much is political as fuck though.

[–] sirblastalot@ttrpg.network 2 points 3 days ago

You slightly moved the goalposts there. The assertion is not "Everything is making a political statement" it's "Everything is political." Your ikea glass reflects your social class, the international relations between where you are and where it was made. It may have been made by an oppressed person in some third world shithole (or even sweden!) It may even be a political statement, like a designer somewhere made it curvy because he thinks people are more likely to buy something with a "feminine" silhouette.

[–] yakko@feddit.uk -1 points 4 days ago

Okay, well I'm drawing a circle around how much more interesting it is to talk about politics than whatever this was.