Extra Credits - Extra Credit's response to criticism

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Pinned by Extra Credits Extra Credits 4 days ago (edited) EDIT: Hey folks, so this one seems to have struck a nerve. We encourage discussion about the topic, and there is some fair criticism of the video out there. However, I wanted to address some of the comments that seemed to have misunderstood some aspects of the video. 1) We never said that playing as a Nazi turns you into a Nazi. That's not how that works. That's not how any of this works. However, there is plenty of research about how art & media can shift people's perspectives. This is not a good or bad thing, this is just a natural effect of culture. Please look up the Overton Window or heck, you can watch our video on Propaganda Games over here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UP4_bMhZ4gA So no. Playing a nazi doesn't magically transform you into a nazi. No one is saying that. 2) We never said that games should NEVER let you play as Nazis or terrorists for that matter. If you need the exact time stamp, it's at 4:47 . There's a lot of potential for some really interesting or impactful games that put the players in the boots of people or in control of systems that have done incredible harm. But it can't be done thoughtlessly or just as a skin on top of mechanics, devoid of context 3) For those saying that it's just a game and we shouldn't think too hard about it, I feel like perhaps it might be important to introduce ourselves. Hi, we're Extra Credits! Our tag line, for a very long time, was "Because Games Matter" It's something we fundamentally believe and if you don't, that's okay! But then our content might not be for you, cause thinking hard about games is kind of our schtick. 4) Our writing staff is the same, and we've always talked about politics in games and our other videos. If this comes as a surprise to you, or you think there's been a large shift in our thinking, I'd invite you to take a look at some of our older episodes. We live in a time where neo-nazis exist and they've seemed to have increasingly found a home in gaming communities. This isn't something we can turn a blind eye anymore, and it's important to consider what we as game designers can do to try and make things better As said, there have been some very valid critiques of the video that we greatly appreciate. Most important to us is to start talking about these topics and to have conversations about design. For those of you who have kept civil in the comments, thank you. For those who need a reminder, our CoC can be found here: https://becausegamesmatter.com/extra-credits-community-code-of-conduct - A Original Comment: "Oh wow, I want to watch more videos about politics in games from Extra Credits's literal 9-year history of talking about politics in games! Well then have we got the perfect playlist for you! Check out just a delightful handful of the videos we've made before about this type of subject: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhyKYa0YJ_5AAbhb9A_CxOEGsdORot H48 Show less

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Nedhitis

Jul 07, 2019 at 03:34AM EDT

> "We never said that playing as a Nazi turns you into a Nazi"
> literally the first 10 seconds of the video say exactly that, imagery included

+32

At point number two, yeah you can do it "thoughtlessly or just as a skin on top of mechanics, devoid of context", especially for multiplayer WWII shooters. At the most, you just need to change the weapons available to fit Axis forces instead of Allied forces.

Single-player campaigns can get into that, for sure, as that's where storytelling is relevant. But there's literally zero point when it comes to multiplayer, and you should expect to sometimes be on the Axis in such game modes. You did choose this, goddammit.

+21

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