Occasionally whereas browsing the interwebs, you’ll come across a Cool Thing from a number of years again that you simply completely missed within the second, however is each fascinating and painfully relevant now. I failed to note that this put up I like is from 2014, so whereas a number of the examples are barely dated, taking part in the related recreation continues to be a irritating experiment in consciousness.
So let’s play Male Protagonist Bingo.
The creator of this thought experiment initially posted this as a Patreon-supported bit of content on a web site known as Make Me A Sandwich, which is devoted to exploring how NOT to promote video video games to ladies. So earlier than we go any additional, please go support the creator if that is up your alley. Also, in reaching out to ask permission for overlaying this piece, the creator let me know their most present work is that this tabletop role-playing game, which focuses not solely on battles in opposition to evil but additionally managing emotional prices and PSTD between missions which is loopy sensible — so possibly contemplate grabbing that too.
Thank you, Anna Kreider, for letting us cowl what we’re about to get into. (Also value noting that Make Me A Sandwich is now a Patreon below Anna’s title as a result of, predictably, the location needed to shut down in 2016 because of harassment. Long, perpetually sigh.)
From Anna’s authentic put up concerning the origin of in the present day’s recreation:
This is one thing that has been on my thoughts lots recently. Just final evening I used to be bitching to my husband about how unbelievably DONE I’m with tales about MANLY MEN PUNCHING THINGS AND BEING MANLY BECAUSE THEY’RE MEN.[1] So I made a decision to write down a put up about how unbelievably unoriginal most video games protagonists are, however I didn’t know the easiest way to do it. I hacked away at it for some time and wound up with a top level view that might have been 3000 phrases.
No one needs to learn 3000 phrases. Hell, I don’t need to WRITE 3000 phrases.
And then I assumed – bingo card! Let’s make an amusing feminist meme work for me! An image is value a thousand phrases and all that. …properly, okay. Ten footage is value 3000 phrases. It’s the change charge.
Woof. There’s lots right here. Anna begins to unpack a number of the greatest characters in gaming. Snake: passes the take a look at.
Then in some way Marcus Fenix doesn’t go Full Bingo? Consider me shocked.
Oh Joel, no:
Then… wowzers:
Again, this put up went up in 2014, so I’d wish to assume there’s been progress since then. I’m not gonna do Anna’s degree of artwork however let me check out a number of characters from video games I’ve been taking part in or replaying:
Prey’s Morgan: there’s a number of query marks relying on the way you play however your historical past is established and also you’ll discover I did the suitable factor with the sq. for psychological issues.
LA Noire’s Cole Phelps: PHELPS GET IN MY OFFICE THE MAYOR KNOWS YOU’RE NEARLY A DOUBLE BINGO, BOYO
Dead Space’s Isaac Clarke: good for you mr. science man with brainghosts
Unnamed Protagonist from Blackwater: The Video Game (higher with Kinect) on the Xbox 360:
So have some enjoyable within the feedback and submit your finest and worst or most impartial ethical alignments.
Still can’t consider there’s no Bingo for Marcus Fenix. I’m now doubly concerned about all of this? Again, this isn’t essentially a measure {that a} protagonist is “bad” however it’s a fairly glorious measure of the business being boring as hell and in addition, in fact, ignoring the tales of half the inhabitants in an effort to churn out some gray nonsense.
Again, support Anna’s work here.
