Is it possible for a videogame to be a radical text? Answer through an analysis of one videogame.
Dys4ia is an autobiographical game created by Anna Anthrophy (shown below) about her experience as a trans-gendered woman going through hormone replacement therapy.
Firstly, the term "radical text" in this blog will refer to the ability to change and move minds, which in the case of Dsy4ia, it does.
Hormone replacement therapy is an unfamiliar subject matter for most players. In an interview with Gamasutra, Anthrophy said the aim of the game was to communicate the frustrations of transgendered people to the mass audience.
Anthrophy taps on the emotion of feeling misunderstood. It is an emotion everyone has felt to a certain degree so it is easy for players to empathise. The game goes a step further and aids players with a better understanding of a transgendered individual's struggles in today’s society. The title alone, Dys4ia, is a play on the word of "dysphoria" referring to gender dysphoria - the discontentment with one’s biological sex (Parekh 2016).
[ THE MECHANICS ]
[ THE MECHANICS ]
Dys4ia was made using Twine, which is “an open-source tool for telling interactive, nonlinear stories". It is an online website that is not traditionally used for professional game development. The Warioware-styled game features four low resolution, highly pixelated mini-games. Anthrophy uses a variety of contrasting neon colours and strobing lights. Adam Smith from Rock, Paper, Shotgun said the limited visuals were “effective communicators of extreme discomfort” to signify how Anthrophy herself felt throughout her journey. The music, composed by Liz Ryerson, also very accurately complimented each scene in the game.
Each minigame is extremely personal and includes graphic content (e.g. nudity, sexual references). One game critic even said the content made him feel a little uncomfortable because “it was like reading the diary of someone I’ve never met” (Smith 2012).
The game is also very easy to play. By simply using the directional keys, players can breeze through the different stages. Anyone who plays it would immediately get a hang of the keys. Anthrophy admits having used “a lot of existing game vocabulary” in Dys4ia (Alexander 2013). Players have a sense of familiarity and immediately get how to play the games.
[ THE GAME ITSELF ]
It is important to note that in Dys4ia, there is no winning or losing. No matter what players do, the game moves along. Anthropy told Penny Arcade Report, “this was a story about frustration…. A video game lets you set up goals for the player and watch her fail to achieve them. A reader can’t fail a book. It’s an entirely different level of empathy.” This brings up the question of agency and whether players really have a say in choices within the game - which has been the main criticism of Dsy4ia.
Each minigame is extremely personal and includes graphic content (e.g. nudity, sexual references). One game critic even said the content made him feel a little uncomfortable because “it was like reading the diary of someone I’ve never met” (Smith 2012).
The game is also very easy to play. By simply using the directional keys, players can breeze through the different stages. Anyone who plays it would immediately get a hang of the keys. Anthrophy admits having used “a lot of existing game vocabulary” in Dys4ia (Alexander 2013). Players have a sense of familiarity and immediately get how to play the games.
[ THE GAME ITSELF ]
It is important to note that in Dys4ia, there is no winning or losing. No matter what players do, the game moves along. Anthropy told Penny Arcade Report, “this was a story about frustration…. A video game lets you set up goals for the player and watch her fail to achieve them. A reader can’t fail a book. It’s an entirely different level of empathy.” This brings up the question of agency and whether players really have a say in choices within the game - which has been the main criticism of Dsy4ia.
Most of the levels were designed with a specific end goal. For example, one of the stages features a Tetris-like mini-game where there is no way the pieces would even fit in one another.
In a sense, this could represent the difficulties faced by individuals who are not poster boys or girls for society’s cookie cutter ways.
Dys4ia’s shock value is off the charts. Players are brought on a rollercoaster of emotions throughout the game. It is extremely unpredictable but in a refreshing way. Anthrophy includes clever bits of humour to lighten the mood and egged users to click on. She is not afraid to make fun of herself and her struggles – as seen through the minigame about wriggling into a tight shirt.
This made the game even more respectable because of how real and raw it all is. There are also many moments one cannot help but empathise and almost feel sorry for her – for example, the constant message of how isolated and alone she felt through it all.
In the later part of the game, the antagonist (the player) gets more comfortable with who she is. The hormone pills are working and her spirits are lifting. Dys4ia does have a relatively happy ending though – with Anthrophy’s journey on hormone replacement pills going smoothly and her tolerance to naysayers increasing. This is done on purpose to signify how there will always be a light at the end of the tunnel and that the things do that better over time.
This made the game even more respectable because of how real and raw it all is. There are also many moments one cannot help but empathise and almost feel sorry for her – for example, the constant message of how isolated and alone she felt through it all.
In the later part of the game, the antagonist (the player) gets more comfortable with who she is. The hormone pills are working and her spirits are lifting. Dys4ia does have a relatively happy ending though – with Anthrophy’s journey on hormone replacement pills going smoothly and her tolerance to naysayers increasing. This is done on purpose to signify how there will always be a light at the end of the tunnel and that the things do that better over time.
[ CRITICISM ]
On completely unrelated note, it is important to consider the whether Dys4ia is even a “game” per se altogether. Galloway’s definition of a game was an “activity defined by rules in which players try to reach some sort of goal”. There is no goal in Dys4ia; there is only one way to play the game.
One critic also claimed how autobiographical games aiming to spread a message are ineffective and not games. He wrote, “gaming is foremost an intellectual endeavour, a distraction for the mind to occupy itself with as a break from more serious tasks… It is not a medium designed to adequately convey a complex, difficult, personal, emotional experience.” Another critic from Dialogue Wheel wrote, "Gamers don’t want their games to challenge their deeply rooted ideologies, to make them uncomfortable, or offer up an experience that values challenging default thinking over enjoyment. They want things, objects, that don’t really mean anything. Again, they want toys." It is understandable the angle these game critics are coming from. However, one should consider the scope of influence games have on people.
Anthrophy defines a game as "an experience created by rules". It is a guided journey. Games, like any other form of entertainment (i.e. movies, books) can evoke emotions. Whether users are feeling victorious after an Overwatch match or defeat after their base is invaded in a game of Starcraft - these are all true emotions. So why not change the way people feel and incorporate a message too? Anthrophy writes in her book, Rise Of The Videogame Zinesters, that games are "uniquely suited to exploring systems and dynamics". This is because of the immediacy of consequences users are faced with by their choices (also known as, clicking buttons on the screen).
In addition, as mentioned earlier, Dys4ia was created with Twine - a medium available for the general public to use. This shows how games are no longer restricted to computer engineers or people who speak code. Anyone and everyone can create a game.This makes video games a radical text because any individuals with a message now have a means to share it. Anthrophy believes that game creation should not be restricted. This would create a lot more games that explore much wider ground, in terms of both design and subject matter. Ruffino (2013) agrees, stating how technological advances, providing "new and cheap" options, have contributed to the "democratization of the production process of a video game".
Ruffino (2013) also brought up an interesting point of how "meanings and values associated with video games are to be found not only in the text themselves but also in their social understanding and the language used to describe them". Dys4ia received a majority of positive reviews when it was first released. Most people commenting how the game opened their eyes (“Dys4ia - Walkthrough, Tips, Review.”). This shows how games can be radical texts because of how it managed to shape the public's perspective.
One critic also claimed how autobiographical games aiming to spread a message are ineffective and not games. He wrote, “gaming is foremost an intellectual endeavour, a distraction for the mind to occupy itself with as a break from more serious tasks… It is not a medium designed to adequately convey a complex, difficult, personal, emotional experience.” Another critic from Dialogue Wheel wrote, "Gamers don’t want their games to challenge their deeply rooted ideologies, to make them uncomfortable, or offer up an experience that values challenging default thinking over enjoyment. They want things, objects, that don’t really mean anything. Again, they want toys." It is understandable the angle these game critics are coming from. However, one should consider the scope of influence games have on people.
[ WHY GAMES ARE RADICAL TEXTS ]
Anthrophy defines a game as "an experience created by rules". It is a guided journey. Games, like any other form of entertainment (i.e. movies, books) can evoke emotions. Whether users are feeling victorious after an Overwatch match or defeat after their base is invaded in a game of Starcraft - these are all true emotions. So why not change the way people feel and incorporate a message too? Anthrophy writes in her book, Rise Of The Videogame Zinesters, that games are "uniquely suited to exploring systems and dynamics". This is because of the immediacy of consequences users are faced with by their choices (also known as, clicking buttons on the screen).
In addition, as mentioned earlier, Dys4ia was created with Twine - a medium available for the general public to use. This shows how games are no longer restricted to computer engineers or people who speak code. Anyone and everyone can create a game.This makes video games a radical text because any individuals with a message now have a means to share it. Anthrophy believes that game creation should not be restricted. This would create a lot more games that explore much wider ground, in terms of both design and subject matter. Ruffino (2013) agrees, stating how technological advances, providing "new and cheap" options, have contributed to the "democratization of the production process of a video game".
Ruffino (2013) also brought up an interesting point of how "meanings and values associated with video games are to be found not only in the text themselves but also in their social understanding and the language used to describe them". Dys4ia received a majority of positive reviews when it was first released. Most people commenting how the game opened their eyes (“Dys4ia - Walkthrough, Tips, Review.”). This shows how games can be radical texts because of how it managed to shape the public's perspective.
[ CONCLUSION ]
In conclusion, video games can be radical texts because of the abundant evidence available (and as listed above) proving their ability to move an audience. For example, with Dys4ia – most players took away something from the game. They had gained knowledge and have developed a newfound respect for the transgendered community.
