About a week ago an article was posted where the lead developer for Borderlands 2, John Hemingway, mentioned that a new character (a female with the tentative name of Mechromancer) has a ‘girlfriend mode’ designed for people who typically aren’t very good at first person shooters but who still want to play one. The character has a skill tree that has been dubbed ‘Best Friends Forever’.
“I want to make, for the lack of a better term, the girlfriend skill tree. This is, I love Borderlands and I want to share it with someone, but they suck at first-person shooters. Can we make a skill tree that actually allows them to understand the game and to play the game? That’s what our attempt with the Best Friends Forever skill tree is.”
After being called out online by a number of disgruntled and offended people the site has since posted an update to the original article, stating that in no way did Hemingway mean to offend, and that the game certainly does not have a ‘girlfriend mode’. While it’s commendable of the game makers to be clear about what was meant, it’s also clear from the backlash that linking easier gameplay to such gendered and typically female language (girlfriend, best friends forever) is a surefire way to tap into the ongoing debate of sexism in gaming.
Not only are these labels exclusionary, as though a message is being sent out to all women saying ‘this is where you can play, and nowhere else’, it also implies that all women are in need of easier gameplay modes in order to a) be good at the game, and b) want to play in the first place. There are many, many female gamers out there who play any and all types of games, and yet they are still often overlooked and relegated to easy modes and girly games. When they’re not receiving dirty looks and petulant comments from their male counterparts, that is.
That a female character has been devoted to this ‘girlfriend mode’ further amplifies the sexism that pervades not only gamer culture but game creation as well. It’s a double whammy message to women that tells them they are only invited to play this one character, on this one mode, or they are not considered female. This kind of inherent sexism is so far beyond systemic. Why shouldn’t any player be able to play any character on any mode they like? In a community where female gamers don’t even want to disclose their femaleness while gaming for fear of abuse and alienation, it seems like an impossible request for a level playing field.
Debates like these are the reason why projects like that of Anita Sarkeesian are so welcome and important. Despite the incredible amounts of horrifying abuse and intimidation she has faced, Sarkeesian plans to create a series of videos addressing the widespread sexism in games and gaming culture. The backlash she has faced just goes to show how pervasive sexism is in this community.
I realize that Hemingway truly did not mean to cause such a stir. His words were his own (not those of Borderlands 2) and that they were stated off the cuff. But if you have to use the phrase ‘for lack of a better term’ maybe you should find that better term instead so these buttons remain un-pushed and the ugly sexism that pervades gaming culture might finally start to dissipate.
Thoughts & Musings 