KH-Vids Podcast Episode #56: What It Means to Be a Gamer

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Tuesday podcast time let's do it!

This week we have a fantastic new episode of the podcast! Joined by member guest @Ars Nova, @Misty, @libregkd, and @Llave sit down to discuss the term 'gamer' and gaming culture. We begin by applying the term to ourselves -- whether we consider ourselves gamers and when we began to call ourselves such -- and how we apply the term to others. We then discuss the gender component of the word & culture, how women often feel excluded from the community and how they are treated within it.

After that engaging discussion on the nature of labels, stereotypes, and identity, we take on some user-submitted questions! @Anixe takes us back to our childhood stuffed animals and games, @. : tale_wind asks us about Premium membership, and @Graxe poses yet another of his bonkers scenario questions!

We finish off by highlighting a few developments in the KH-Vids community, including Cycle 2 of the KH-Vids User Awards, Nova's Mafia game, and July's Game of the Month.

It's a thought-provoking episode -- definitely one of our best thus far -- so please let us know your thoughts on the subjects we've discussed and whether you label yourself a 'gamer'!

Download Episode #56 (MP3)
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Interested in being a member guest on the podcast? Fill out our form here and we'll be in touch. Ask us a question by visiting this page or sending an email to podcast@kh-vids.net!

 

My brain is buzzing with neurotic apologies right now. Sorry I kept butting in to everybody's answers, sorry if I said anything meatheaded during the gender talks... I'm just gonna shut it up and keep it simple. Thanks for having me, hope I get to do this again some time. Oh yeah, and thanks for the Mafia plug :3

 

No not at all! We like talkative guests and I don't think any of us felt you were intruding. P: I love all of our guests equally but I had a lot of fun this episode.

 

THINGS WHILE I WAS LISTENING:

• Good on you guys mentioning how damn awkward Square are acting around promoting an HD Collection...with non-HD resolution shots
• I've been a gamer since the moment I got hooked on stuff like Mortal Kombat 3 and Donkey Kong Country. I started hella early, and it's been my main hobby ever since.
• Seriously though sexism is the dumbest thing and hurts EVERY GENDER in some way. Especially the Soulcalibur IV ads...which is weird when Hildegarde is a character
• Speaking of Soulcalibur V, I miss playing with Kilik using his big stick too ;>
• Yay Bayonetta love
• I don't think "Lucy" is that bad of an offender OR even an advocate of female empowerement...it's just a sci-fi movie with Scarlett Johanssen to me
• MISTY GIMME POKEMON CARDS I'LL MESSAGE YOU IF YOU ARE COOL WITH ME HAVING THEM
• Oh yeah, Yugioh does need more Fusion Monsters...though that's honestly one of that game's smaller problems ._.
• YO LEGO ISLAND? THAT GAME WAS GREAT and kinda creepy when you found skeletons in caves
• Holy crap PUTPUT THE CAR, GUYS REMEMBER THAT?
• ...why did I hear Herbert the Pervert?
• Nui is from Kill la Kill...she's a blonde girl with an eyepatch who murders people

 

Right!? They're such mixed messages. On one hand we have the beauty that is Hildegarde and on the other we have Ivy's rack, front and center.

there's plenty of him to share 8)

Well first of all the movie isn't out yet so I can't really judge just yet. That said, I have heard many people criticizing how it once again uses a) scary foreign brown guys as the enemy and b) makes frequent jokes over the civilian version of said brown guys's inability to speak English. Yet, a lot of people's (even women's!!) reactions to it were to say "HELL YEAH FEMALE LEAD WOO"

Which I mean... don't get me wrong. I'm glad people are noticing that and want more female leads. But we should probably try not to make progress towards eliminating sexism but just allow racism to continue unchecked.

FOR REAL I WILL, I WILL SEND YOU A SHITLOAD

It was listed as "nue," so this (I'm assuming): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nue
Though speaking of Kill la Kill, I have been considering watching it! I am not really an anime person (not kawaii enough I guess) but lesbians

 

Japanese game devs/pubs be weird

Eh, as you said, we haven't even seen the movie yet. I''m pretty sure the writer/director had no intention of imposing racist themes, even subliminally. It's stupid that it even happens to be in the trailer, yeah, but it could be a case of making something out of nothing. We can't be sure yet.

I can send you my address :P

Wow my ears suck.
You definitely should give Kill la Kill a shot. For me, I loved it from the first episode, though many people say you'll either stick with it or drop it by episode 3. I can understand why; one of the characters gives what is to me a good commentary on the state of female sexualization. At the least, I agreed with the character. And the lesbian thing...well, I'll just let you watch.

THE ACTION SCENES WHEN THEY CAN USE THE BUDGET THOUGH.

 

@Misty, will you hypnotize me? I haven't really watched any podcasts since the one I was in, though it's not because of that. It just happened that way.

 

There's no need, just hit play

 

Wow, you guys have really awesome stuffed animals. Mine just gave me nightmares so I threw it down the stairs and locked it in the closet. It's still there. Do you know how scary that is?

There's this channel called Qubo and it still show Carmen Sandiego and Lambchop's play along if anyone knows what that is.

 

I should listen to more of these. I always like them, but I guess I'm not much of a podcast person. If I hit it and move onto something else then I reach the end and realize I wasn't really listening, it was just background noise. But if I just leave it then I'm like looking at a progress bar for an hour. Maybe I should come down to the comments and write stuff out as the occur to me. IDK


I think you guys handled the topic of "gamer" pretty well because it is such a weird subject when you start digging down. What qualifies as a game? Are some genres more "real" than others? etc. I hadn't even thought of stuff like let's plays being a key to the gamer community without playing games.

Near the end with companion question I really wish I could have chimed in about the Nue (which considering it is Japanese is probably pronounced "Nu-e," but I suck at stringing vowels so I've always said as "new" like you did). One of the very early quest lines in Breath of Fire 3 involves a Nue, and ever since playing that I've always just wanted to hug one.

 

The problem really is that women shouldn't be entering the scene with that disadvantage -- that is, their gaming ability or skill should not be underestimated simply because they are female. It's of course very satisfying to prove those sorts of people wrong, but there shouldn't be some "initiation" before you are approved worth of being called a gamer / accepted into gaming circles. You like to game and want to be there... why does there have to be something else? It's not so much about looking for approval but rather acceptance and being treated like a basic human being.

Oh man, Lambchop. That brings me back.

 

Whaaaaaat ?! Should I stop waiting for your in depth diss analysis of Lightning Returns ?

 

Haha oh man I haven't even STARTED Lightning Returns yet, but eest assured that when I do there will probably be a podcast about it heh