PREMIERE ISSUE SUBSCRIBE AT FANGIRLTHEMAG.COM
THE MAGAZINE
THE BENEFITS OF FAN FIC Embrace your muse, and accept yourself
MEET HARRY STYLES’ MAKER Author Anna Todd explains how she comes up with 1D fairy tales
IS THERE A SOLUTION TO GAMERGATE?
COSPLAY FASHIONISTA
Use your toolbox to update your wardrobe
fangirl
PREMIERE ISSUE
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Follow us @fangirlthemag
6 Calendar We’re pros at Cons. Read up on what there is to do in the fandom world in the coming months.
8 Avenge your closet Channel your inner superhero with an outfit inspired by Captain America.
10 Beats and bumps Make your summer playlist pop, and check out a surprisingly good game about, um, pregnancy.
BEHIND THE MASK
Photo by Shannon Elliott, illustration by Isabel Casal Nazario
12 Step aside Spidey
FEATURE
THE GAMER GAP The fight against harassment and misogyny in gaming communities continues. What have we learned, and what’s next? Two of our writers explore the GamerGate phenomenon.
Watch out Wonder Woman. Spider-Gwen, AKA Gwen Stacey, is America’s trendiest heroine.
14 Fresh on the case Game writer Katie Chironis describes the challenges of advancing Nancy Drew with the technological times.
20 Pop culture passion Anna Todd brings every 1D fan’s dreams to life in her fan fiction about Harry Styles.
3
fangirl
PREMIERE ISSUE
contents FAN FICTION
16 The next Fifty Shades E.L. James hit it big off her fan fic. Who’s next? We want to see these stories on the screen
GAME REVIEWS
42 Playtime
FEATURE
INDEPENDENTLY EVER AFTER Who needs Prince Charming? These fresh fairytale takes give girls good and bad their due. Find a muse for your next getup, and see how we kept the outfits cheap.
FAN STAND
46 Express yourself Fan fiction is a way for writers to express themselves, no matter how crazy the topic is. .
Photo by Shannon Elliott
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Get an inside look at Final Fantasy Type-0, what’s to come for Destiny and more gaming news.
fangirl THE MAGAZINE
EDITORIAL Editorial Director John Fennell Founders Mollie Barnes Caitlyn Gallip Allison Lewis Sean Morrison Contributing Writers Dominique Feldman Connor Relyea
ART & DESIGN Design Director Renee Martin-Kratzer Creative Directors Roselyn Adams Isabel Casal Nazario Photographers Shannon Elliott Katherine Hogsett PUBLISHING Missouri School of Journalism
PREMIERE ISSUE SUBSCRIBE AT FANGIRLTHEMAG.COM
THE MAGAZINE
THE BENEFITS OF FAN FIC Embrace your muse, and accept yourself
MEET HARRY STYLES’ MAKER Author Anna Todd explains how she comes up with 1D fairy tales
IS THERE A SOLUTION TO GAMERGATE?
COSPLAY FASHIONISTA Photo by Shannon Elliott
Use your toolbox to update your wardrobe
LETTER FROM THE EDITORS
Welcome to Fangirl It’s time to rethink nerd culture. Women used to be a minority in academia, arts and politics. They have either had to abstain from participating in such activities or disguise themselves as men to gain recognition. For example, many great writers wrote under male pen names for fear they would be mocked if they revealed their gender. Today, most consider video gaming to be a men’s field. But according to data from the Entertainment Software Association, women made up almost 50 percent of the gaming community in 2014. That number continues to grow. Still, some women feel they need to hide their gender to feel accepted and avoid harassment within gaming communities. These women feel passionately about their games, fandoms, characters and the enjoyment they get from interacting within these communities. But they have long been considered the minority because many have hidden their interests from the world around them. It’s time for them to come out of the shadows. Fangirls are not crazy; fangirls are passionate. Fangirls are not weak; fangirls are powerful parts of many gaming and fandom communities. And they don’t have to hide anymore. This magazine was created as a way to turn fangirl into a label that means empowerment, passion and confidence. Fangirls are strong. And they are here to stay.
WANT MORE FANGIRL? Download our app on iTunes. 5
calendar
Check out the biggest releases and conventions of the summer
MOMOCON MAY 28-31 Georgia World Congress Center, 285 Andrew Young International Blvd NW, Atlanta, GA 30303 Cost: $25-$65
MomoCon brings together celebrity writers, designers, gamers, comic artists and their fans to one place. Those who attend will have the opportunity to meet celebs, participate in panel discussions, show off cosplay designs and compete game tournaments. Fans and gamers of all ages are encouraged to attend.
PHOENIX COMIC CON MAY 28-31
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ANIME MIDWEST
EAST COAST
JULY 3-5
JUNE 12-13
Fredericksburg Expo Center, 2371 Carl D Silver Parkway, Fredericksburg, VA 22401 Cost: $39-$79 This event offers a wide variety of activities for attendees. From meet and greets with international players to competitions and exclusive exhibits, LEc2 has something for everyone.
Hyatt Regency O’Hare & Convention Center 9300 Bryn Mawr Ave, Rosemont, IL
Cost: $40-$120, depending on registration timeframe. More than 10,000 anime lovers, actors, actresses and musicians convene just outside Chicago to game, listen to concerts and meet fellow fans. Some of the top name guests include: Chris
ORIGINS GAME FAIR JUNE 3-7
Columbus Convention Center 400 North High Street, Columbus, OH 43215 Cost: $15-$65 The Origins Game Fair is run by the Game Manufacturers Association (GMA). Its primary goal is to serve gamers of all kinds,
Photo by Katherine Hogsett
Phoenix Convention Center, 100 N. 3rd St, Phoenix, AZ 85004 Cost: $15-$90 Alyson Hannigan and Alexis Denisof will be featured guests this year. Hanningan is best known for starring as Lily on the television sit-com How I Met Your Mother. Other VIPs attending are: Billy Tucci, creator of the graphic
including board gamers, trading card gamers, LARP gamers and role-play gamers.
novel series Shi, Marv Wolfman of DC comics fame, Doctor Who writer Paul Cornell and writer/ editor/colorist, Renee Witterstaetter.
Don’t miss
E 3 E X P O,
JUNE 16-18
Los Angeles Convention Center, 1201 S Figueroa St Los Angeles CA 90015 Cost: $0-$795 E3 Expo unveils the latest in trade for computer, video and mobile gaming products. Entrepreneurs, programmers, software developers, educators and researchers from around the world are among the attendees for this highly anticipated convention.
Rager, Chris Cason and Genevieve Simmons.
GAM3RCON
Photo courtesy of E3Expo
JULY 8-11
Tenth Avenue Arts Center, 930 10th Avenue, San Diego, CA 92101 Cost: $10-$60 Gam3rCon 2015 boasts art exhibits, a tabletop gaming lounge, geek theater, a video gaming arena and retrocade. Attendees will have the chance to mingle with famous creators and musicians, play new games and see new
artwork. Each night will end with a party on the rooftop with a different theme each night.
GEN CON INDY JULY 30- AUGUST 2
Indiana Convention Center, 100 South Capitol Avenue, Indianapolis, IN 46225 Cost: $35- $150 In addition to exhibits and art shows, Gen Con will feature two special guests. This year’s author guest of honor is New York Times bestseller, Terry Brooks. Tony DiTerlizzi is the artist guest of honor.
Game Releases M AY 2
Space Hulk, Wii U
M AY 1 9
M AY 1 2
Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster (PS4)
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Xbox One, PS4, PC
M AY 1 9
M AY 2 6
JUNE 2
Hatsune Miku: Project Mirai DX (3DS)
M AY 2 6
Magicka 2 (PS4, PC)
M AY 7
Not a Hero (PC)
Ride (Xbox One, PS4)
Batman: Arkham Knight (Xbox One, PS4, PC)
JUNE 9
The Elder Scrolls Online (Xbox One, PS4)
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C O M I C C O S P L AY
Oh Captain my Captain Patriotism and fashion are a perfect match
BY CAITLYN GALLIP
You don’t have to be a master seamstress, handy with a hot-glue gun, or have Bruce Wayne money to dress like your favorite characters. This month Fangirl found style inspiration from the Marvel sequel Avengers: Age of Ultron that hits theaters May 1.
Shield Earrings: Etsy.com, $10
Clutch: Express, $40
Captain America tee: Old Navy, $15
Sneakers: Converse, $55
Jeans: H&M, $31
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TECH GIRL
Sweet sounds and strange games From an online narrative about pregnancy to the best new headphones, we keep you in the loop on the next big buys in technology BY SEAN MORRISON
Pregnancy STEAM, $1.99 OK, wait. Hear us out on this one. This is not a preppingto-be-a-mommy game, and it’s not stereotypical in any way, shape or form. Pregnancy deals with some pretty heavy material, and it does so in an artistic but realistic way. You play a role in the story of Lilla Sandor, a 14-year-old Hungarian girl. She is the victim of a violent rape and later finds out her attacker impregnated her. The game,
presented through tinted still images, starts off with a dreary piano melody and transitions into a mix of haunting chords and intermittent breaths when Lilla first revisits her attack. You, a guardian angel for lack of a better term, are present as a guide in Lilla’s thoughts. You communicate with her, give her advice and walk through the pregnancy with her. She asks you about
your family. Asks for your name. Listens to your words, and sometimes disregards them. The execution of a game like this, with such a harrowing topic in such a simple medium, is difficult. Locomotivah developer Rodrigo Silvestre nails it. There are childish moments of innocence, tough decisions and, most importantly, a “Get Informed” page within the game that gives links to
both pro-life and pro-choice information. This game isn’t going to change the world or general perceptions about rape and pregnancy, but it is another tool in the line of social awareness games that have become a prevalent part of the industry, particularly on low-cost platforms such as Steam. It tackles a huge social issue for women, and the storyline and soundtrack are well worth your time.
Bose SoundTrue on-ear headphones $149.95
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other Apple products. An inline remote on the microphone allows you to adjust volume, make and answer calls and use Siri. Bose’s around-ear set costs about $30 more, and unless you’re a sound connoisseur, the cheaper model should do the trick. The brand also comes in some (literally) cool colors and has a new-age-tech look about it. The cost might scare some people off, but if you’re looking for sleek durability, this is one way to go.
Photos courtesy of Bose, Flickr
Bose’s latest noise-canceling model is compact enough to fit in your palm, but don’t let the size fool you. These headphones produce some big sound. The SoundTrue on-ear model is made with memory foam cushions on the ears and a padded frame along the headband, as well. The headband and earcups are also collapsible, which makes for easy storage. The SoundTrue headphones also integrate with iPhones and
BEHIND THE MASK
Here comes Spider-Gwen Since her first cameo in 1965, Gwen Stacy has gone from bubbly love interest to superhero BY CAITLYN GALLIP From clones, to evil twins, to annoying female stereotypes, a better, stronger Gwen Stacy is having her moment. In the newest installment of the character, SpiderGwen, readers meet the Gwen Stacy of Earth-65. Marvel fans will recognize Earth-65 from the hit Edge of Spider-Verse #2. In Spider-Gwen, you meet the Gwen Stacy who was bitten by the same radioactive spider as Spider-Man and was transformed into Spider-Woman. As the opening paragraph suggests, “To the residents of New York, she is the dangerous vigilante called Spider-Woman, but you know her as…. Spider-Gwen.” In the first
issue you meet Gwen, a superhero who is struggling to find her place in the city and in the minds of the public. According to public opinion, the death of Peter Parker, who accidentally turned himself into the Lizard, was the fault of SpiderWoman. Her father, George Stacy, knows the good of Spider-Woman even though the current mayor and public see her as a menace to society. The comic also examines Gwen’s personal life. Her band, The Mary Janes, has just hit it big with their first song “Face it, Tiger” (an allusion to The Amazing Spider-Man #42). Mary Jane, being her self-centered self, wants all of the attention, but
Gwen has more important things to deal with, like the Vulture. After an epic internal monologue and wounding the ego of the Vulture, AKA Adrian Toomes, the two meet in a fight that will only be settled in the next issue. Overall the colors and design are incredible. The writing is quick, but it is trying to sound too hip. For a first issue though, it is pretty impressive. The character of Gwen is a refreshing complex female superhero, and things can only get better. Fans responded to the series by making the first issue of SpiderGwen the third top selling comic in February 2015.
The Amazing Spider-Man #121 The night Gwen Stacy dies...enough said.
1973
The Amazing Spider-Man Gwen Stacy makes her first appearance.
1970
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The Amazing Spider-Man #90 Just when Gwen and Peter get together, George Stacy dies.
Photos courtesy of Marvel
1965
The Amazing Spider-Man #509–514 We meet up with Gwen’s children who believe Spider-Man killed their mother. Crazy stuff happens.
The world got the first glimpse of Spider-Gwen in Edge of Spider-Verse #2.
2014
2004 2015 2012
1975
Gwen is portrayed by Emma Stone in The Amazing Spider-Man series with Andrew Garfield.
Making her first appearance as Spider-Gwen, Gwen Stacy kicks ass, takes names and starts a fantastic adventure.
Photo courtesy of Marvel
The Amazing Spider-Man #144 Gwen reappears as a clone created by mad scientist Miles Warren (aka the Jackel).
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BEHIND THE MASK
The evolution of Nancy Drew Game writer Katie Chironis makes sure the icon stays fresh
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Nancy Drew Sea of Darkness, the newest game in the series, will be available in stores May 19.
“We need something that says, ‘Hey, I’m classy and cool, but not too cool,’ and it can’t be over a certain cost because we don’t want her to have a sixfigure car,” Chironis says. Although she is the same character, even the way she is portrayed between the books and the games is different. The books tend to make her younger and more naïve. Chironis says people who play Her Interactive’s games are generally in their teens and early 20s, so Nancy is portrayed as an older, wiser and wittier character than in the books or the movie that came out in 2007. For Chironis, Nancy’s character is different from other female characters she has written in the past because of Nancy’s warmth and optimism. She says a lot of female characters in video games are kicking ass and taking names, but that’s not Nancy’s style. “Nancy’s whole philosophy is that you can be feminine and a strong character,” Chironis says. “For a lot of characters, you have to sacrifice femininity to be strong. But you can be assertive and dominant. They aren’t necessarily opposites.”
Photos courtesy of Her Interactive, Simon and Schuster
Nancy Drew first appeared as a book character in 1930. The world has evolved since then, and so has she. The modern version of Nancy in the game series developed by Her Interactive uses a smartphone to take notes on her case instead of a notepad. However, the timeless grace of the original character still inspires girls around the world to read her stories and play her games. “It’s now 2015, and my job is to figure out how I can take that gracefulness but also keep her modern and fresh and engage a new generation that didn’t really grow up with the books,” says Katie Chironis, a game writer for Nancy Drew games. Chironis says every day she has to make decisions on how to keep Nancy culturally relevant but also stay in the original mindset of the character. For example, Nancy drove a roadster in the books but now needs a newer car.
BY MOLLIE BARNES
FA N F I C T I O N
Big-screen fan fiction
Who’s the next author to go from home publishing to Hollywood releases? These writers have a shot BY ALLISON LEWIS F.A.I.T.H. A Dorm. A Delinquent. A Girl. by Jo PR (uncategorized) Rhianna Gessner begins classes at Dawn Academy much to the surprise of her classmates and teachers. Her shyness and quirks don’t mesh with the status quo of the academy, and she soon becomes a well-known name. But things take a turn for the worst when the headmistress enrolls Rhianna in F.A.I.T.H.: Fundamental Adolescence Institution for the Troubled and Hesitant. She must not only share a room with the headmistress’ son, but also learn how to deal with the other students in the F.A.I.T.H. program. Lexis, one of Rhianna’s fellow F.A.I.T.H. members, is the worst of them all. He’ll stop at nothing to find out the truth of Rhianna’s past and to answer the question everyone is asking: “Why is Rhianna here?” F.A.I.T.H. has the potential to rival other teen fiction series such as Divergent. Fans of the story have already created several movie trailers and posted them on YouTube in hopes that directors and producers will get the hint. Stats: F.A.I.T.H. is No. 1 in both the humor and teen fiction categories on Wattpad. It has 22.3 million reads and also received a WATTYS award for the Best Talk of the Town in 2014.
Remember to Forget by Ashley R. (Fiction)
Stats: Remember to Forget has more than 11 million reads on Wattpad, a WATTYS award for Best in Progress 2014 and the No. 7 slot on Wattpad’s list of top fiction stories. 16
Photos courtesy of Wattpad
Luke Hemmings is going through more than a rough patch. He hasn’t spoken to anyone since his girlfriend Delia’s death and isn’t sure how to cope with such a terrible loss. Luke still feels her presence everywhere, and his mother thinks he’s depressed (which he kind of is). Calum, Luke’s best friend, has tried to help him — with little success. When Luke moves to Maine to live with his estranged father, there’s little improvement. His dad isn’t sure how to connect with a son he hasn’t seen for two years, and Luke doesn’t want to get to know his dad either. All the while, Delia’s memory continues to haunt Luke. This tear-jerker has the potential to be the next big drama on the big screen. Its compelling characters and plot twists are addictive. Plus, the author is releasing a sequel soon, so there’s the potential for multiple film components.
Assassin’s Secret by Veronica Del Monte (Action) Annaelise is like any other college student — except, you know, that she’s also an assassin by night. But unlike most assassins, she doesn’t kill the people on her list. Annaelise delivers the criminals to her boss and doesn’t look back. She lives a quiet double life until someone starts revealing the names, identities and photos of assassins all over. When her identity is revealed, she’s in for the fight of her life. This story is perfect for film because it gives a female the leading role and makes for an interesting take rather than the typical male hero and female in distress roles. Plenty of college students (and maybe even high school seniors going into college) will be able to relate to the character. We’d like to see Emma Watson play such a fierce lady.
Photos courtesy of Wattpad
Furtive Affairs by Narcisse (Paranormal) Ghostly dangers and unexpected romance are two keys to this fan fiction story. Ivana Harper is an outsider in her town of Mauverton. With no romantic prospects, manners or money, everyone assumes she’ll end up old and alone. When Mauverton is attacked by an evil spirit, her world gets turned upside down. Lucian Reed, a spirit hunter, brings his magic and his past to Mauverton in hopes of saving what’s left. Together, Ivana and Lucian uncover town secrets, the truth behind the council’s ban on magic and Lucian’s connection to it all. But to save her loved ones, Ivana must decide if she’s willing to give up her soul. This story is similar to the Once Upon a Time TV series — except for the soul-sacrificing. But that’s what makes this a great contender for a feature film: spirits + female heroine + crazy hunter = box office blowout. Stats: Furtive Affairs earned the Best of Interactive Storytelling WATTYS award in 2014. Despite only 56,889 reads, this story is on the rise.
Stats: Assassin’s Secret has 1 million reads on Wattpad and continues to gain popularity on the fanficiton site. It’s No. 2 in the adventure category.
Prodigy by Edward Mullen (Science Fiction) This story looks at how the world functions after WWIII. The survivors don’t want to make the same mistakes made by the previous generation. Luckily, they possess advanced technology and advantages that were unknown to previous generations. They are able to make life better and easier for everyone. In 2117, technology has advanced so far that the population is healthier, kinder and more educated than ever before. But unforeseen technological side effects threaten the collapse of the entire system. The people need help from an orphaned girl in hopes of keeping their fragile communities alive and to overcome the perils they encounter. This story is worth putting on the big screen because of its relevance to technology today and the potential (although maybe outrageous) dangers that could come from it. Stats: Prodigy has almost 3 million readers on Wattpad and is among the top 10 most popular fan fics in the science fiction department.
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We’ll never go out of Styles Anna Todd never went to college for writing, but that didn’t stop her from becoming a nationally loved writer BY MOLLIE BARNES
A
nna Todd went from writing fan fiction on her phone to being a published author touring the country after she began posting her stories about Harry Styles on Wattpad. Fangirl talked with Anna about the transition from writing fan fiction to getting published and some of the challenges she faced along the way. What were the differences between writing After on Wattpad and writing now that you have a publishing deal?
When I was writing After as a fan fic online, there was definitely a total difference. When I was writing it as a fan fic, it was chapter by chapter, so it was live. It was strange not to have immediate feedback from readers online after I got a publishing deal. I have no formal training in writing at all. So the editing process is totally different. Online you don’t pay too much attention to grammar and things, which makes people cringe. I went to college, but not for writing. I was basically writing it without thinking about it. I even wrote a lot of it on my phone.
Which process do you prefer?
I like posting it immediately after writing it. In a way, I’d say it’s harder to post chapter by chapter because then you have to write every single day, but that’s my favorite way. If you’re writing a book yourself and you don’t have any feedback you don’t know if people are going to love it or hate it after you’re done. I was pretty much writing every day four hours a day and spending hours engaging with readers afterward.
Photos courtesy of Tunlr-Karukara
How does it feel to see your book in bookstores? It feels even better than I thought it would. I have this thing for Target. The fact my book is in there is incredible because there are so many amazing authors whose books are not even in Target. So basically now I go just to look at my books. The fact that I have my own book and people buy it is great. There’s a difference between people simply liking it and between people using their time and their money to buy it. In a way it’s still amazing that they were reading it online and how they spread it. But just it is a lot to have people buy it and come to my signings and stuff.
What advice do you have for other writers of fan fiction?
Online there is a lot of criticism, but just ignore it because if I had listened to it I would never have gotten where I am. So just write for yourself. Just don’t listen to criticism, take it just as much as you take the positive feedback and just write for you. Don’t write to be famous; write because you love it.
What do you think about people who say that fan fiction is not comparable to other works of fiction?
Well I think that everyone has their own opinion on what is good writing and what’s not, but I think the people who write and read fan fiction are writing to be entertained and because they love it. I’m not writing it for critics. Overall, it doesn’t matter. People read what they want to read and everyone has a choice. If someone doesn’t like a book that used to be fan fiction, they don’t have to buy it. We as readers and writers have a choice.
Have you ever met Harry Styles?
I’ve been in the same room as [One Direction] before. Regardless of what I write, I’m a fan. I’m a fan over an author. If I ever did meet them I probably wouldn’t tell anyone.
If you could talk to Harry, what would you say?
I guess I would thank him, or all of them, because I really look up to them. And it may sound silly to some people because I’m 25 years old. They just have this thing about them that they show their fans, especially younger ones, to be themselves and they don’t care about criticism. They are just living the dream and I appreciate the way they treat their fans. I see what they do to so many young girls and it’s just incredible because our fans overlap.
A L L A B O U T A N N A TO D D Anna Todd has always been a reader. While living in Austin, Texas, she worked many different jobs while her husband served three deployments in Iraq. Since discovering Wattpad, she has found a way to combine her love for reading, romance and boy bands. With a film deal and massively successful books, we can’t wait to see where she goes. Her first book After has more than one billion reads and is a New York Times bestseller.
BOOKS BY TODD After After We Collided After We Fell After Ever Happy To learn more visit AnnaToddBooks.com.
Do you think some people have give fangirl a negative connotation?
I definitely see the negative things from some people. Overall, I think being a fangirl is an awesome thing. I have a very fangirl personality all around, not when it just comes to 1D.
What does being a fangirl mean to you?
My fangirl life just brings me together with people from outside. Even if it’s just me being obsessed with Pretty Little Liars or whatever, I think that fangirl just means someone that loves something and it’s important to them that they show it. If being a fangirl means being weird or crazy then I’m pretty happy with being weird or crazy. 21
INDEPENDENTLY EVEr AFTER Poison apples are a thing of the past. Break into your toolbox and gather inspiration for your next cosplay with a spin on these classic female characters. STORY BY MOLLIE BARNES PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHANNON ELLIOTT
Coat: H&M, $40 Dress: J Crew, $35 Locket: Ross-Simons, $113 Rings: J Crew, $12
“I LIVE FOR FUR. I WORSHIP FUR. AFTER ALL, IS THERE A WOMAN IN ALL THIS WRETCHED WORLD WHO DOESN’T?” -CRUELLA DE VIL
“THERE COMES A DAY WHEN I DON’T HAVE TO BE A PRINCESS. A DAY WHERE ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN. A DAY WHERE I CAN CHANGE MY FATE.” -MERIDA
Dress: H&M, $25 Boots: Journey’s, $80
“PEOPLE THINK I’M ODD. SO I KNOW HOW IT FEELS TO BE DIFFERENT. AND I KNOW HOW LONELY THAT CAN BE.” -BELLE
Dress: J Crew, $40 Apron: Target, $5 Earrings: Old Navy, $12
“I DON’T KNOW WHAT I CAN DO. STILL I KNOW I’VE GOT TO TRY.” -POCAHONTAS
Dress: Zara, $20 Vest: Forever21, $15
“I HAD WINGS ONCE, AND THEY WERE STRONG. BUT THEY WERE STOLEN FROM ME.” -MALEFICIENT
Dress: Target, $20 Leggings: Target, $10
The
Gamer Gap
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GamerGate drew harassment of women in the gaming community to the forefront What have we learned, and what must be done? STORY BY DOMINIQUE FELDMAN AND SEAN MORRISON ILLUSTRATIONS BY ISABEL CASAL NAZARIO
Dominique’s Diary: noob
W
orking at the front desk of a dorm comes with some simple rules: Residents come first, and no headphones. So when I want to watch YouTube videos, everyone has to hear it. Today, I was watching a YouTube playthrough of the popular horror game Outlast. Someone came to get a package, and he happened to hear some of it. "Wait, you play Outlast?" he asked.
"Nah, not yet,” I replied while searching for his package. “But I want to.” "Oh that makes more sense,” he said. (Cue eyebrow-raising.) “Just a warning, it's got a lot of blood and gore." "Ok..." "And it doesn't have a happy ending." "I'm aware." "So you have played?" I wanted to smack him across the face. "No, I've just seen a lot of playthroughs." He shook his head and said, "Jeez, I wish my girlfriend was into video games like that." Somehow, I doubted that. Chances are, if she played with him, he and his friends would spend their time fetishizing her, calling her a scrub or saying, “What did you expect? She’s just a girl.” So why wish for girls who game if that’s all you’re going to do? Beats me. I hope your girlfriend whoops your butt at Call of Duty and then promptly breaks up with you for being a sexist, bigoted ass, I wanted to say. But I didn’t. 29
The first three months of GamerGate Aug. 16, 2014 Game programmer Eron Gjoni publishes a blog post accusing Zoe Quinn, the developer of Depression Quest, of cheating on him with several other men. One of those men was Nathan Grayson, a journalist for Kotaku, which is a large online gaming news site.
Aug. 27, 2014 Adam Baldwin — yes, Adam Baldwin — steps into the fray on Twitter and comes up with the #GamerGate hashtag. It quickly catches on.
Aug. 28, 2014 The “Gamers Are Dead” series of articles, as they’re called by the pro-GamerGate demographic, are released. The articles came out across nearly a dozen major publications, and although each was different in nature, the theme that misogyny and hate had destroyed gamer culture and the hostility toward the GamerGate movement was heavy. Some saw this sudden push of articles across multiple platforms as proof of collusion within the gaming press.
Aug. 19, 2014 Quinn is doxxed on Reddit. The post reveals personal information and calls for retaliation.
Aug. 27, 2014 Anita Sarkeesian, the creator of Tropes vs. Women in Video Games and the website Feminist Frequency, tweets that she’s fled her house after a series of violent replies from someone who also posts her address and that of her family. “I’m not giving up,” she tweeted. “But this harassment of women in tech must stop!”
Sept. 3, 2014 The #NotYourShield hashtag, which is used by minority and female supporters of GamerGate, begins to catch on nationally.
Sept. 4, 2014 Erik Kain of Forbes publishes a lengthy review of the first month of GamerGate. The post, three days after his own “Gamers Are Dead” article, is among the most measured and thorough looks at the early stages of the controversy.
Oct. 13, 2014 MSNBC becomes the first American mainstream broadcast outlet to cover the GamerGate saga. Wu and Eric Johnson, a writer for Re/Code, take part.
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Sept. 17, 2014 Amid continued debate about the ethics of game journalists, censorship of comments on popular sites and the harassment of Quinn, a private Google Group of game writers is revealed. Milo Yiannopoulos of Breitbart released information about the group, which included journalists from almost every major gaming publication. Discussions in this forum included ethical quandaries, coverage ideas and discussion of Quinn’s saga. This was used as further evidence that cronyism and collusion were a huge part of the modern gaming press, and it remains a foundation for many supporters of GamerGate.
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FloodGates Death threats. Rape jokes. Misogyny. Harassment. These are part of the common lexicon among female gamers who dare speak up in public forums such as Twitter, and whether they’re jokes or not, the comments cause real harm. Women have abandoned their homes after threats. They’ve canceled public appearances. They’ve shared deep hurt and stories of mental breakdowns. Yet some people laugh it off, call it being too sensitive and move on to the next tweet. Nine months ago, Zoe Quinn, a video game developer who had just released a game known as Depression Quest, had a relationship with a video game journalist from Kotaku, an online gaming publication. This, critics cried, clearly affected Kotaku’s view of the game, even though the journalist didn’t review Quinn’s game. In the midst of an uproar about ethics in video game journalism, the hatred started spewing. Suddenly the conversation wasn’t just about relationships between game publishers and journalists anymore. They called it GamerGate. The crusade against censorship — and, by some odd offshoot, women — began. Randi Harper, another game developer and online personality, started an automatic block list that routed off GamerGate supporters and launched a nonprofit known as the Online Abuse Prevention Initiative. Her reward was SWAT team members sent to her California home the evening of April 3. Brianna Wu and Anita Sarkeesian, both advocates and developers similar to Harper, are among those who fear traveling without security or making public appearances despite their prominence in the media and video game development industries. Recently, Sarkeesian was named one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People for her Tropes vs. Women in Video Games Web series. That brought on even more vitriol. Harassment and rejection of women, a far more important problems than ethics in gaming journalism, popped up, and those on the proGamerGate side chose, and continue to choose, to ignore the toxic part of their movement. Sooner or later, we all have to admit one thing: the safety, mental health and emotional well-being of every gamer,
GamerGate origins GamerGate began in August of 2014 after a former partner of game developer Zoe Quinn released a blog that said she had cheated on him with a video game journalist at Kotaku, an online gaming publication. “The allegations have been extreme,” Kotaku editor-in-chief Stephen Totillo wrote at the time. “Nathan (Grayson) has been accused of in some way trading positive coverage of a developer for the opportunity to sleep with her, of failing to disclose that he was in a romantic relationship with a developer he had written about, and that he’d given said developer’s game a favorable review. All of those are troubling claims that we take seriously. All would be violations of the standards we maintain. Having spoken to Nathan several times, having looked closely at the numerous messages sent our way by concerned readers and, having compared published timelines, our leadership team finds no compelling evidence that any of that is true.”
no matter his or her sex or orientation, is more important than an argument over game ethics or politically correct content in games. There’s room for all of us in this medium. “GamerGate was a super, superdepressing event for us as an industry. It’s depressing on a multitude of layers,” says Greg Miller, a voice on Kinda Funny, a humor-based video game site. He’s also a former game reviewer for IGN Entertainment, one of the prominent voices in the video game journalism industry. “The main problem is that such a small group and such a vocal minority was being a bunch of assholes from GamerGate. It sucked to see all this work, all this progress, all these people that are pouring their hearts into the games they’re making, and the people that are getting the headlines are these people who are doing horrible things or threatening to be horrible things.” But this is more complicated than a them-vs.-us argument. As Miller says, it’s a vocal minority doing most of the damage. There is some merit to consumers’ concerns about the relationships between game publishers and game journalists, and Miller acknowledges that, though he says the mainstream sites don’t participate in any of the ethical missteps GamerGate supporters accuse them of. “As somebody who has a journalism degree and who got it to go write about video games, I totally agree,” he says. “There needs to be ethics in video game journalism. But it just got off-track so quickly.” There are people on the GamerGate side who are level-headed and actually aiming for the original purpose of the movement, which was to ease consumer concerns about the buddy-buddy nature of video game journalists and publishers. But they’re drowned out by all the rape and death threats. As Sarkeesian put it in her speech during the All About Women conference on March 11 at the Sydney Opera House, “my life is not a game.” “I’ve been harassed and threatened every day for going on three years with no end in sight, and all because I dared to question the self-evident, obvious sexism running rampant in the games industry,” she said at the time. Her Web series began in 2012, but the outcry has just now reached its apex. “I’m expected to accept online harassment as the price of being a woman with an opinion.” 31
“When thousands of faceless strangers set their sights on you, every aspect of your life is bombarded and prodded until who you were before that is gone, and your life becomes almost unrecognizable.” –Zoe Quinn On April 15, during a Washington, D.C., briefing, Quinn spoke to the National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence as well as the National Council of Women’s Organizations and the National Organization for Women. She brought the groups stunning anecdotes about cyberstalking, doxxing, painful words and hurtful actions. The hashtag for the briefing, #StopWebH8, was eventually overrun by spam and accusations from GamerGate proponents as Quinn turned attention toward what’s happened to her since August of 2014. “It’s difficult to wrap your head around what this actually looks like moment to moment for somebody who’s going through it,” she said. “When thousands of faceless strangers set their sights on you, every aspect of your life is bombarded and prodded until who you were before that is gone, and your life becomes almost unrecognizable.” Those thousands are a small portion of the group as a whole, according to online statistics from proponent websites and users present who use the #GamerGate hashtag. But what draws the most ire will draw the most attention, and it is also what’s most important.
One GamerGate supporter named Andrew, who goes by @memotaur on Twitter, says there is a legitimate issue that is being brushed aside because trolls and sexist voices are taking over the pro-GamerGate rhetoric. “The fact that women may currently be feeling mistreated or scared because of GamerGate is upsetting,” says Andrew, who works in the industry and also does some writing about games. “Gaming has become increasingly open and diverse over the past few decades. I promise we’re not all misogynists.” Despite how nasty some of the messages out there can be, moderate GamerGate supporters try to disassociate with that portion of the movement rather than the movement itself. The quest for ethics in gaming journalism isn’t going to be successful if it’s attached to womanhating culture. Those that recognize that, however, say the movement has come too far to stop now. “I think (women) feel mistreated because there are some people who are actually malicious,” says Oslo Redgrave, a musician and photographer who runs Depth Mental Photography out of Chicago. “Sexism in gaming culture, it exists. There’s no denying that it exists. … Now, we have to tackle sexism in gaming. We have to talk about it, and I think in a way people are a bit more willing to talk about it.” But we have to wade through the muck to get to a point where we can talk. That, very often, can be a painful experience. It’s just the Internet, some say. Don’t take attacks so personally. But it’s our Internet. Everyone deserves a voice on it, but everyone deserves to feel comfortable, too. Free speech rights stop where the next person’s safety begins.
Who speaks for GamerGate? Below, we explain what GamerGate supporters and detractors have argued for in the past nine months. Pro-GamerGate Main problem: Game journalism ethics
Anti-GamerGate Main problem: Harassment of women
ISSUES
ISSUES
Harrasment of women through death threats, rape threats and other violent comments on social media such as Twitter, Reddit and others. Doxxing: public sharing of people’s contact information SWATing: an extreme subsidiary of doxxing. SWATers call in fake hostage threats to police 32
at a person’s address, which sends SWAT teams to the scene Spamming of advertising companies to get them to pull revenue from game journalism sites that disagree with the movement Lack of a central voice to the group, which allows people on the outskirts who attack women to get by without discipline
Creation of autoblocking lists, which might wrongly accuse others of sexism, racism and issuing violent threats Doxxing: public sharing of people’s contact information Extremism of some in the group that include hopes that non-feminists and cisgender men (cis males) should be ousted from gaming culture
Harassment of the proGamerGate demographic, which includes women and minorities. The hashtag #NotYourShield, which is used by both women and minority GamerGate supporters, is most often the victim of such attacks
“On the surface, it’s about video games, but really what it’s revealing is almost a more fundamental societal shift,” Chris Kluwe, an anti-GamerGate advocate and former NFL player, says. “A lot of people say, ‘Hey, the Internet should be a place where everyone can be who they are, and there’s room for all these different voices.’ And then you have this reactionary faction that says, ‘No. We want it to be only the way that it’s good for us. We want to be the gatekeepers.’ And they’re willing to take pretty drastic measures in order to enforce that.”
Dominique’s Diary: Shots fired I got the urge to play Zombies on Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 today. My brother played this obsessively a few years ago, and I decided it was high time to see what the hype was all about. So, I purchased a now-much-cheaper copy, finally got my own XBOX Live account (instead of mooching off his) and started playing. Disclaimer: First-person shooters have never been my favorite choice. Probably because I kind of suck at them. A lot. So obviously my first attempt didn’t go so well. To make matters worse, I was yelled at by a bunch of prepubescent boys for being a [insert curse word here] noob, which would have been funny if I weren’t so frustrated. I’ll admit, the only reason I had the headphones in was so I could listen for misogynistic comments. At first, there was nothing, only a complete and utter hatred for anyone they deemed a “noob,” males and females alike. But eventually, I spoke. And that’s when hilarity ensued. “Wait, is that a girl?” Why, yes. A rare species, I know. Anything else? “You play Call of Duty?” No. The power of Christ is controlling my character. I’m just observing. NEXT. “What’re you doing here?” Fighting zombies in a neverending, pointless battle to the death, same as you. “It’s OK, I’ll teach you. I’m pretty good at this.” Pretty sure the game just started, and you have no idea whether I’m actually good or
I don’t care if they’re ethical or not; I care that gamers are no longer stewards of games journalism.” –@Kalyx_TriaD not. But OK. “Guys, chill, plenty of girls play this game.” Thank you, He-Who-Understands. “I haven’t seen one who’s good at it, but it’s not a big deal.” Sigh. You were so close to being my favorite. Occasionally I would run into a group of teammates that literally gave zero craps about my gender, but instead expended all that energy yelling about my apparent lack of skill. I guess you can’t win everything.
The cost On Oct. 14, 2014, Vice posed the question: “Does Someone Have to Actually Die Before GamerGate Calms Down?” Sadly, it’s still a good question to ask. Nami Scott, a fashion blogger and visual marketing professional in Los Angeles, has played games since she was 5. Thirty years later, she and her husband play together. She often hears the typical “I’m so jealous of you” comments from her husband’s friends to him, and she brushes them off. But there are some things you can’t just move past, and sooner or later, she says, these attacks might take away freedoms we’ve always had online. “What’s going to happen if you threaten to rape somebody?” Scott asks. “People need to pay some sort of price. Maybe it’s monetary penalties? Do we need to blow it up on a legal level and bring the law in?” That might take the form of making online profiles require more personal information, such as phone numbers or addresses, as well as full names. As for penalties for harassment itself, the judgment process would be murky. “Does anonymity need to go away?” Scott asks. It would deeply affect the way everyone approaches the online gaming community, as well as social media, but it’s a solution. “It sickens me that people actually act this way. It’s disturbing to me. I feel like the easiest way for people to learn is through discipline and penalties.” If that’s going to happen, it’s a long way off. There would be lawsuits, censorship protests and all the kinds of nasty Internet takedowns you’d expect. And if GamerGate can last seven months without rest, that movement would dwarf it. But there needs to be a conversation about going back to the way things should be. 33
“It’s about rallying for this movement and that it’s not about women and men, it’s about gaming and the love of gaming, and that bullying is not OK,” Scott says. “It’s about getting relevant people in the gaming community to speak out about this kind of behavior and leading by example. But the thing is, will it work? We don’t know. We can only try.”
Dominique’s Diary: That elf is hot Massive multiplayer online role-playing games are definitely my favorite type of game, and though Elder Scrolls Online is a bit of a rip-off of World of Warcraft, it’s also a HUGE sandbox to play in. There’s always someone to chat with, too, and the community is a lot of fun — most of the time. I was running around on a beach when suddenly a popular guild member popped into my chat. “It’s time. Meet at Vulkhel Guard.” We traveled to the blacksmithing station in Vulkhel Guard, the first major city in our area. Today, our unsuspecting audience consisted two elves and a cat-like character. Someone jumped on the nearby table and started dancing. Within seconds, all of us, 16 people or so, were dancing en masse in that small area. The cat joined in, and the other two elves sents along a “wtf” in the 34
What they’re saying on both sides of GamerGate Nami Scott: “Ultimately, gaming should be about being a gamer. That’s where I stand on the whole issue. It’s not a gender issue. It’s unfortunate that women are dealing with this kind of disgusting behavior.” @Kalyx_triaD: “I want this cultural shift to usher in an age where people of all types can find something to play or read. Basically what the food and porn industries are now. And I’m not writing that for levity, either. I’m dead serious. This industry can learn a lot from food and porn.” @liquidzer0: “The Internet is still very much a Wild West-type frontier, which it needs to grow out of. Having said that, from my personal experience and from personal accounts from friends around me. Female received harassment is very, very small issue in gaming. It happens as often as maleoriented harassment.” @memotaur: “I feel like there isn’t a party around that assholes won’t show up to. GamerGate has been a prime target for trolls looking to cause chaos since they can say/ do whatever they want and it’ll be associated to the pro-GamerGate side as a whole. … I think that anyone making threats or harassing people is abhorrent and is hurting everyone on both sides by doing so.”
chat window and were on their merry ways. Afterward, a few of us stuck around to chat and laugh at each other performing various chat commands. Of course, I performed my favorite command several times, a little thing called “drop dead” where your character dramatically flops to the ground. At one point while doing this on the table, I fell in such a position that I was placed rather suggestively near another guild member. “Well that was awkward,” I typed embarrassedly. But as I typed that, some of the others were already making raunchy jokes. “Ohh, she wants the D.” “Dude, get it.” “Get a room lol.” Instead of trying to argue, I just ignored them. I wonder what would have happened if I had said something. Would they have listened? Not long after, five of us were all still trekking around in our underwear. (Because why not.) We somehow got on the topic of our characters’ physiques. “Dude, your guy is so skinny!” one guy said to another. His was, of course, buff as can be. Compensating for something?
Perhaps. “Yours is too much,” he retorted. “It’s gross.” I guess it was a joke, because no one got offended. “What about me?” I asked. I used one of the sit commands to pose my character. “Sexy, right?” Next thing I know, the guys get into this heated conversation about female body types. Being a high elf, my female character was rather tall and thickmuscled with broad shoulders and a proportionally small head. Even in character creation, I couldn’t do much about it because of her race. But somehow, the guys noticed this and pointed out all of these flaws. Her boobs were big enough, yes, but her shoulders were too manly. Her face was too rigid. One of the guys supported the big-boned look, but the others thought the thick thighs were a bit too much. They all appreciated the flat stomach, though. It was weird that I was slightly offended by my video game character being judged so harshly, but then I had another thought. I hadn’t run into a single unattractive, overweight or general disproportioned female character on ESO. But I had run into plenty of weird-looking males. Maybe that was simply because I saw more males than females, but I still found that moment very telling. Even in the video game world, girls are judged harshly. Males can look as appropriately rugged and worn as they want, but females have to live by this “warrior vixen” standard: tough, but not too tough. Strong, but sexy. That’s also probably why all Elder Scrolls female characters have rigid eyes that look like they want to rip your throat out. Tough warrior maidens are all the rage, I suppose. The hot ones, anyway.
Restart
Images are important, and so is breaking out of the tropes and gimmicks that surround female portrayals in gaming. That goes for the image of the female gamer, too.
“It’s funny because people wouldn’t think I’d be a gamer because I write fashion blogs and stuff like that. I like going home and popping in a game with my husband. I like being a gamer,” Scott says. “It’s a bit of escapism for my husband and I because we’re both so overworked.” Video games are cathartic. Anyone can hop on a computer, or pick up a controller, and travel into a different world. That’s what makes the GamerGate conflict so heartwrenching. What’s supposed to be an escape is becoming a hostile front. “There tend to be a lot of people on both sides that have their blinders on,” Redgrave, one of the GamerGate supporters, says. “As if to say, ‘This is how it is. It can’t be anything else. You’re doing it because you’re this.” And then proceeding to plug their ears and shout until the offending voice goes away.” Despite this blemish on the progress women have made in the industry, there is a trend toward equality, both in representation and depiction in games. Miller, the game journalist, sees it often. Online environments might be toxic now, but this is perhaps a watershed moment in gaming. Through all the bad, there is a positive: We’re having the discussion. From discussion comes change. “It does raise to mind how women are featured in this game or how women are featured in this industry,” Miller says. “Right now we’re in this cycle where I’d like to think that generations of females have already been inspired to go out and make games. Now we’re just waiting for their time to be the person in charge of the studios, in charge of products.” Like many social movements of the past, times shift, representation shifts and, finally, the antagonistic voices fade to the background. It’s impossible to tame the sadistic voices that populate the Internet’s darkest corners. There will always be sick people out there who grin as they tweet out horrific messages. Still, over time, the worst among the GamerGate movement will find themselves without a platform. “Games don’t exist in a vacuum,” Kluwe says. “Essentially, what we’re looking at right now in terms of GamerGate is a small facet of kind of the broader culture shift that we’re going through. … It’s the same struggle between those who want freedom for everyone and those who want to keep the status quo because it benefits them.” In those struggles, the clearer, progressive minds often win. Silencing harassment of women and developing better ethical standards in video game journalism are not mutually exclusive. But we must put one problem ahead of the other if we’re to solve either. “It’s a matter of acceptance,” Kluwe says. “I feel like everyone should be able to play games, no matter who you are. It’s a hobby. It’s an activity that I love doing. And it’s an activity that a lot of other people love doing.” It’s an activity pro-GamerGate, anti-GamerGate and people who couldn’t care less love. It’s as much a part of our identities as the job we have, the place we live and the people with whom we keep company. What connects us can topple what divides us. We can overcome the setbacks. But not if we keep trying to shout over one another. We have to move away from this online battlefield and all the hate within it. There are lives being ruined, people being destroyed, bridges being burned, in the hopes of some grand victory of one side over the other. No matter how long this fight goes on, there won’t be a knockout punch. There hasn’t been a decisive moment for nine months, and the way things are going now, there won’t be one. This isn’t a game. No one wins here. 35
GAME REVIEWS
Revisited Review: Destiny Despite updates, Bungie’s 2014 title remains underwhelming
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players’ complaints, led many wouldbe Guardians to pack up before the first (and extremely skimpy) expansion even came out. The storyline, which excitingly featured a strong mysterious female character as one of the leads, came up bland and makes it difficult to feel invested in the game. The expansion also featured a female character who could carry some serious depth in Eris, the main character in The Dark Below, but again the story element falls far short. Bungie is doing a better job of communicating and adjusting its expectations (matchmaking for Weekly Strikes, for example, and updates to its mobile app). But the game hasn’t improved in any substantive way, and the May 19 release of the House of Wolves downloadable content might be Bungie’s last chance to establish the game’s identity. Bungie’s pre-launch vision made us believe a game of such size and scope could play out in a nonopen world setting. That was silly in retrospect, and turned Destiny from a fun-but-underwhelming game into one of the biggest letdowns of the year. The title still has so much going for it, and Bungie has a huge opportunity with this
DLC, which will include a new game mode but no raid. The developer said in a statement that the mid-May release will “impact the experience of every player of Destiny, regardless of if they download the House of Wolves expansion pack.” Let’s hope that isn’t another false promise. This game still has stunning visuals, excellent combat, things that bring the grinders back again and again — and it has potential, as more downloadable content comes out, to somewhat realize its grand vision. House of Wolves will be the best chance, and for some players, including me, the last chance, for Bungie to prove its plans match its product.
FIRST RATING 5.5/10 REVISITED RATING 6.5/10 FANGIRL RATING 8/10 The Fangirl rating shows readers how a game stacks up in its depiction of women. Oversexualization, damsels in distress and other tropes lower the rating, and strong female characters boost it.
Photo courtesy of Bungie
Months after its release, Destiny is as tough as ever to figure out. Not the gameplay — that’s about as easy as it comes for a first-person shooter — but as an entity. Bungie’s hot release of 2014 was widely seen as a disappointment because it was, as one reviewer put it, “OK.” And it was only OK, in part, because of the identity crisis going on within Destiny. The game, and its developers, can’t seem to figure out what kind of experience the player should have. Is this a FPS-first game with some nice online multiplayer extras, or is it an online game that puts community and replayability above the action experience? Is it tailored toward the players’ suggestions or the developers’ original vision of what Destiny should be? And how does that vision change the 10-year plan Bungie laid out for this franchise? So far, results are mixed. I’ve put 214 hours, or about nine days worth of play, into Destiny since its launch. I know many others have invested a ton of time as well. It continues to be one of the best-populated online games in console play. But that OK label, and Bungie’s initial lack of responsiveness to
BY SEAN MORRISON
Photos courtesy of Bungie
GAME REVIEWS
Darkest Dungeon This adventure title brings mental drain into the game and makes dungeon crawling realistic BY CONNOR RELYEA
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to go spelunking in various levels of five dungeons. After clearing a quest, players return to town to let their characters relieve stress and upgrade equipment, and if someone died on the most recent trip, you can find a replacement. But rather than the typical heal-up-and-play-again style of most RPGs, some of the physical, psychological and emotional fatigue from your harrowing adventures will stick with your crew. At first, this game seems like a simple dungeon crawler. The turn-based battle system is easy to master, and the learning curve for strategy is pretty meek. Then, after the first few levels, the challenge begins. The stress system that this game implements is one of its main attractions. The longer the heroes spend in the dungeon, the higher their stress meter gets. Once it reaches 100, they are afflicted with a mental status such as masochism, paranoia or fear — which basically makes them harder to protect,
command around or heal. Sometimes they will refuse help. I was able to relieve some stress by sending my heroes to pray, drink, gamble or visit a brothel, but that costs money. As dungeons get longer, the price of this new take on healing rises, and eventually you have to make some tough choice. Even though battling the psychological stresses can be a grind, it adds an awesome element of battling the internal monsters as well as the external. On top of all that, the game itself provided a challenge, but it wasn’t insurmountable, and replayability is high.
GAME RATING 9/10 FANGIRL RATING 10/10 The Fangirl rating shows readers how a game stacks up in its depiction of women. Oversexualization, damsels in distress and other tropes lower the rating, and strong female characters boost it.
Photo courtesy of Red Hook Studios Inc.
What emotional toll does a life of adventure take? This is the question that developers of the new rogue-like dungeon crawler, Darkest Dungeon, are trying to answer. Darkest Dungeon was released February 3 by Red Hook Studios Inc. for PC, Mac, Linux, PS4 and Playstation Vita as well as Steam. The title has a homebrewed feel to it, too. According to the Red Hook Studios Inc. website, development started in May 2013, and the game was officially announced in October 2013. To fund the project, the creators made a Kickstarter campaign that launched in February 2014. About 10,000 backers anteed up $313,337 for Red Hook Studios, and Darkest Dungeon was their reward. The hock of this gothic role-playing game is that it factors in the stresses of dungeon crawling. Players take control of a group of heroes who work to clear areas of monsters and foes. The game features a cast of 10 different classes of heroes. The player chooses a team of four
GAME REVIEWS
An unfulfilling fantasy
Final Fantasy Type-0 comes close and takes some fun risks, but it misses the mark for series fans BY SEAN MORRISON
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traditional roles like being healers or sneaky fighters. The overall plot of destroying an evil empire and fighting to reclaim a world piece-by-piece is a bit stale, but more importantly, the tale seems disjointed. I wasn’t invested in the consequences of my actions. Instead, I felt like a part of a puzzle rather than the centerpiece of a massive conflict. Despite its fragmentation, the game had enough gems in the cutscenes and stopped action to keep me moving through it despite some cringe-inducing dialogue. The combat is another issue for traditionalists like myself. With a live-action system, I only have access to one party member at a time and am pigeonholed into relying on AI for the other two characters on the field. I could switch between characters mid-combat, but it still felt as if I lacked control within the battle, which has rarely been a problem in past Final Fantasy titles. As antiquated as the turn-based combat is, it’s what Final Fantasy is known for, and nowadays that style of combat is a break from the usual drudge. Fight mechanics also pose issues. The camera is jerky during fights, and using the right analog stick to look around gave me a sense of vertigo. It was too choppy. One way to avoid this is to lock on to enemies. However, that cuts the camera in too close
and makes it tough to keep track of the other enemies around you. Another problem with combat and the bevy of role players at my disposal was that despite the many options I had, my strategy choices were stinted. The game doesn’t do a good job of alerting players to important changes in strategy, which makes it difficult to be too experimental with the group. Final Fantasy XIII created a template for modern games in the series, and Type-0 did everything it could to break away from that. It might be refreshing to some, but it’s a hiccup for me and likely others who are fans of the series rather than individual titles. That said, it is something new, and this experiment might benefit the series as a whole. We’ll see what comes of it.
GAME RATING 7/10 FANGIRL RATING 6/10 The Fangirl rating is our system to show readers how a game stacks up in its depiction of women. Oversexualization, damsel in distress generalizations and other tropes negatively affect the rating, and breaks from tradition as well as strong female characters boost it.
Photocourtesy of Square Enix
The Final Fantasy series was my first taste of a role-playing game, and it’s what made the model my favorite. Storyline has always been the focus, and it is necessary for games that are so vast in scope and open to your growth and gameplay. Final Fantasy Type-0 is different. It takes risks, for better or worse. This remastered version of the Playstation Portable exclusive trades in turn-based combat for a liveaction system. That’s all fine and good until combat, not the story, becomes the focus. Type-0 has 14 playable compatriots who all have different weapons, abilities and styles of fighting. It also provides a wide array of potential storylines that give depth to characters. With several male and female characters with different abilities, I could pick my best-suited Class Zero agent while mixing and matching styles with the others. However, the multitude of characters poses a problem. The game can’t go into the backgrounds of 14 characters simultaneously, at least not with the intricacy of other Final Fantasy games or competing RPGs such as Dragon Age and Mass Effect. You won’t find a character like Final Fantasy XIII’s Lightning or one who develops as drastically as Serah in the second rendition of that game in Type-0. However, there are some girls in this game who buck
GAME REVIEWS
Quick hits Here’s what we’re dying to play Elder Scrolls Online
Not only did the company roll out Tamriel Unlimited and ditch the monthly subscription model for an oh-so-nice payand-play setup, but the game is coming to consoles June 9. The dynamics of that release will be interesting because, as we’re sure you know, consoles lack the large keyboard setup that PC and Mac dwellers use for chats in-game. That might keep the trolling to a minimum, but how will we communicate with the larger community in-game? Headsets work for groups but not for an entire region. We’re all ears, ESO. Surprise us.
Dragon Age: Inquisition
A robust role-playing game just got MORE robust. We praised Dragon Age: Inquisition at release for its gender-neutral romancing features (you can be gay, bisexual, straight) and its strong female characters that had some actual life to them. Cassandra, Leliana and Josephine all earn boss status because of their strong personalities. Damsels are nowhere to be found . Game developer Bioware rolled out multiplayer expansions recently, and now it’s finished a broader story mode expansion, Jaws of Hakkon, which the company released as a Beyonce-style surprise on March 24. The DLC adds a wide new area for exploration, and the story fills holes in the Dragon Age lore that have never been touched on before. Jaws of Hakkon is sure to pull faithful Inquisitors back into the fray. The expansion is a bit pricey at $15, but we were happy to pony up.
BY SEAN MORRISON
which will include new characters and possibly a few new fighting arenas. Just weeks after launch, developer NetherRealm Studios threw in some new outfits and performance updates for kicks and giggles, so the patching team is more than willing to add content on the fly. We can’t wait to see what they come up with next.
State of Decay: Year One Survival Edition
On April 28, we got our next dose of zombie apocalypse dystopia in a role-playing format. Not that we’re complaining. This third-person take has a female lead, which is impossible to find in most post-apocalyptic horror stories. It also features unprecedented character- and environment-building tactics as well as a constantly evolving world. Think The Walking Dead Telltale series but with more freedom to do what you want. State of Decay: Year One Survival Edition focuses on building a survivor community and attaching yourself to characters before zombies siege and kill almost all of them. With an open world altered by your every decision — seek supplies or assault nearby zombie pods, fight or move on to the next potential fortress — this game dug its hooks into us immediately.
Mortal Kombat X
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Photos courtesy of polygon.com
The April 14 release might feature the usual scantily-clad women and overly sexualized characters, but the guys in the game don’t look too realistic, either. Plus it’s one of the few games where you can kick the crap out of others with a girl and then rip an opponent to shreds once you hear the ohso-exciting “FINISH HIM/HER” shout. We’re all for equality in ass-kicking. The game should add some downloadable content in the month or so to come,
FA N S TA N D
COLUMN: The pros of fan fiction Often treated as frivilous reads, fan fiction is beneficial for young women and should never be cast aside BY MOLLIE BARNES
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ever forget March 25, 2015, the day Zayn Malik broke the hearts of about a billion One Direction fans and parted ways with the band. Let’s not forget this breakup and the thousands of niche fan fiction writers, either, who took the experience and turned it into a creative outlet. Fan fiction gets a bad rap because, on the surface, it looks obsessive and creepy. Even the most popular and mainstream fan fiction, such as Fifty Shades of
idea that any form of art — a cliché-ridden love poem, a naughty short story about the Biebs or an ode to Taylor Swift — isn’t a worthwhile effort. Fan fiction writers often aren’t writing for an audience, although there are many cases where stories have grown huge followings. The author is typically trying to capture his or her feelings in that moment and, very bravely, put it on a stage where anyone can see it. Constructive criticism? Great. New ideas? Awesome. Shooting down the medium because it’s too far below you? Not so fast. It’s relative. Fifty Shades author E.L. James isn’t in the same stratosphere as Jane Austen, just as some 14-year-old writing a sappy love story on Wattpad can’t measure up to “Phenomenal Woman” by Maya Angelou. But for so long, women have been encouraged to remain less boisterous than their male counterparts, and writers such as Angelou were criticized by the other half for being proud of their gender and heritage. Any endeavor against that anti-expressionism is important and fruitful, whether it be the 1960s Beatlemania or millions of #1D messages. Fan fiction, good or bad, is great for you. It allows you to take a thought or urge and express it in a safe environment. Let’s keep it that way and encourage each other to be loud about what we think, what we do and why we care about our passions. In order to be heard, we have to be louder than those telling us to shut up. Even when we’re swooning over Zayn. Have an idea for a FanStand topic or want to write in yourself? Email us at fangirlthemag@gmail.com to give us your pitch, or reach us on Twitter at @ FanGirlTheMag.
Photos courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
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Grey, receives mixed reviews because of its oversexualization and portrayal of physical and mental abuse as a steamy romance. But there’s a point to some of the Zayn sex fantasies, the fawning over Justin Bieber and the creation of dime-store-like novels. It’s an expression of sexuality, both for women and girls coming into their own, and it’s an outlet that requires more personal reflection and thought than screaming your head off at a concert. The trappings of fan fiction have been alive since the Beatles became an international sensation and perhaps even before that. A January article from Radhika Sanghani of The Daily Telegraph in the United Kingdom explored the fandom phenomenon from then onward. Sanghani found the celebrity crushes and pop culture crazes are a healthy way for teens to learn to identify with their sexuality. It also helps shake off the shy girl stereotypes that often come with puberty for young women, who are usually cast as quiet, reserved and unexpressive. Girls bucked that trend about two decades ago, but the perception lives on. Expression of desires and open exploration of one’s identity is still taboo in some spaces. That shouldn’t be the case, and we shouldn’t accept the