Panel - Fight the Power: Activism + Politics in Game Design
summary
Panel argues that design details carry political force: stealth mechanics get repurposed to simulate social passing and survival navigation rather than ninja fantasies; a VR piece documents harassment in public space; a mobile startup pivots camera-tracking tech into BitGym interactive virtual cardio tours to counter xenophobia; a card game called Objective spends six years in playtests, runs from the NYU Game Center incubator toward a Kickstarter and features hand-painted doppelgangers confronting colorism; recurring claims: accessibility, affordability and concrete prototypes decide impact, not slogans.
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chapters (9)
- 0:00Activism in game design
- 4:38Progressive design principles
- 10:03Third culture identities
- 15:43Immigration struggles
- 21:05Activism in AAA games
- 27:24Colorism and representation
- 33:49Western hegemony
- 40:55Games tackling social issues
- 47:37Q&A
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