Is writing about sensitive topics in video games possible?

Since the dawn of time, stories have been the primary way humans have passed concepts down through generations. We have managed to survive for centuries, through oral tradition, stories that, only later, have been consecrated in classical works. Although the era of digital and "everything at your fingertips" has been with us for a few decades, stories survive with all their strength, remaining the main way in which we learn to manage emotions and skills useful for living in society. .

Aesop's fables, a collection still read and appreciated by many all over the world, originate from the oral tradition, at the time of ancient Greece between 620 and 564 BC. Fables were a specific category of stories used to alert people to the risks they could face, both from other human beings and from nature itself.

But what do these have to do with video games? Can they talk about sensitive topics? And how?

Narratives that evolve over time

Bluebeard We must not make the mistake, however, of thinking that these classic stories have remained unchanged over the centuries: the fairy tales and fables that we know have often undergone adaptations and changes. This can be easily seen by looking at the evolution of classic children's fairy tales of the last three centuries, with the classic example of Bluebeard. Published in 1697 by Charles Perrault, considered for years a classic of the children's literary tradition, in its original version it was steeped in violence, blood and death. Many parents today would never tell their children a fairy tale about dead women attached to hooks in a cellar.

Fiction in video games is certainly no exception to how it is influenced by the culture and mentality of the writer. What is important to note, however, is how evolution has arrived decidedly in a short time. Until the 90s, on the other hand, the "narrative" in the videogame medium was basically confined to the adventure genre - as opposed to the "arcade" genre - where developers had the opportunity to write stories and draw characters. Of course, this was also due to the technical limitations, being forced to develop within well-defined memory and space limits, one certainly could not imagine an action game with a complex plot.

These limits should not be drawn into deception: there are narratives of absolute importance even in the early 1980s. Indeed, some would say that in today's video games it is almost impossible to find dense and challenging stories such as that of the classic Infocom text adventure from 1985, A Mind Forever Voyaging. In the adventure created by Steve Erik Meretzky, the writer allows the player to explore a small town in a troubled futuristic society, as well as influenced by Reaganomics, the economic policy of Ronald Reagan. However, these were isolated cases; telling an emotionally engaging story outside of a textual adventure was next to impossible.

Double Dragon 2 Even in arcades, however, we can find examples of fiction that today we would find difficult to swallow, especially because they are offered to a young audience. For example, in the arcades, in 1987, it was possible to witness the introduction of Double Dragon 2 (later purged on consoles) where our girlfriend was brutally killed with a shotgun.

In recent years, with the 'unstoppable expansion of the video game audience, more and more attention has been paid to the nature and quality of the narrative used. Stories that, until twenty years ago, were dedicated to a limited audience of fanatical console and computer users, are now destined to affect a wide spectrum of ages, from children to adults and the elderly. It is no longer simply a question of saving the princess or defeating the evil wizard: the narrative is now comparable to a Hollywood film or, even, to a dense novel. So naturally, writers have ended up addressing sensitive topics such as suicide, mental health and depression, psychological violence and incest. have on the public and how to propose them responsibly. Ethics in writing video games thus becomes a potential guiding principle: how writers can approach sensitive topics in a responsible and informed manner. Of the many problems faced today by those who work in industry, ethics is certainly one of the most recent and important, especially when it comes to developing products for a wide audience.

A better relationship with the public

Dropsy The goal of "ethically writing" for video games involves making sure that the content is always appropriate for the target audience - for example, trivially, not advertising a title with adult content to children - but not only. It would also be helpful to try to make the target audience as broad and comfortable as possible. Designers need to be aware of how different groups of players can react to the world and characters. It is not, of course, possible to predict the full spectrum of human reactions, but writers would have to make the necessary effort and get out of the stereotype of the usual "player". First, then, it's about using the tools at your disposal correctly.

We've talked to some writers in the industry about their approach to sensitive topics. Jay Tholen, designer of Hypnospace Outlaw and Dropsy, considers that limiting oneself to writing only what one has experience would severely limit the progress of playful narrative. "Surely it's a problem if the main topic of the work is something that others have far more knowledge and experience about, and the story shows that we are implicitly writing about it from a position of authority." It remains important, continues Tholen, to diversify your development team as much as possible (in ethnicity, sexuality and culture), but it could also be useful to use an external consultant or an expert on certain topics to be able to respond concretely to any concerns of the players.

Jay points out, however, a potential problem: "the value of a consultant is beyond question, but often for independent developers it is difficult: it takes a certain budget to make use of these consultancies and often it is not really possible ".

The Long Journey Home Richard Cobbett, writer of The Long Journey Home and Sunless Skies comments "the company or the people who write the checks should be well aware that there are so many consultants who could help, maybe intervening to write certain parts of the story. But in any case it must be a paid consultancy, otherwise the path to improvement starts on the wrong foot! My biggest fear when I work on this type of games [referring to experiences with Failbetter Games ] "Richard Cobbett continues" is harming someone's personal space, especially through my cultural ignorance. ".

The talk about sensitive topics has been relevant in recent months with the release of Boyfriend Dungeon and it's back also in some reviews of Martha Is Dead, developed by the Italians LKA. In particular, although the developers warn the player of some scenes, giving the choice to remove some details related to self-harm, in other cases certain warnings seem to be missing entirely.

Choice criticized by Vikki Blake in a review on Eurogamer: "[...] The game seems to be written by a man trying to imagine what a young woman's thoughts and reactions might be. [. ..] No woman would get out of bed finding the sheets stained with blood, reacting quietly, going to the bathroom to wash. Having had personal and devastating experiences with the loss of a child, a content warning would have been very welcome in this case . "

Content warnings - a tool for a better relationship with the public

Martha is Dead One of the tools available to developers in informing their public are the content warnings: summary descriptions the type of sensitive content that players can expect to find in the product. James Patton and Daniel Adams of Clockwork Bird, developers of the Silicon Dreams interrogation simulator, told me that part of their role in the industry is to explore sensitive topics. "Our decision is to face them, but respect and attention in dealing with them remains essential for us. In our game, we talk about complex topics like poverty, toxic families and torture, but they are dealt with in the abstract. The focus is on the systems that they oppress people, rather than individuals who commit evil deeds. " Still, their risky decision was not to use content warnings: "we believe that in the end they are not necessary for our game, the type of setting and the summary description and reference to the interrogations already suggest to the player the type of content that should expect. "

An approach that is not shared by other developers such as Xalavier Nelson Jr., author of Space Warlord Organ Trading Simulator and An Airport for Aliens Currently Run By Dogs. "It is true that some topics can potentially suggest certain contents, but for example for me, reading an adjective like cyberpunk could mean a relaxed experience between cybernetic systems and advanced technology. For others, a political criticism and a suffocating setting. Personally. I always prefer to take risks and inform the public as correctly as possible. "

The black market management software for organs Space Warlord Organ Trading Simulator Daniele Giardini, writer of the adventure Still There, comments" over time, I have become more in favor of warnings, I consider them a more effective solution than censoring one's own story. However, they must be treated with due attention and - when possible - written in the most general way possible because it can easily turn into a spoiler. some personal traumas, I always find them useful as a player, so I can avoid some topics in particular the others, on the other hand, believe they are addressing certain topics, just so as to face the trauma in the face: in short, I prefer that the player chooses ".

Anthony Jauneaud, developer of Night Call and currently working on Flat Eye , he wonders what could be the most effective way to use content warnings: "How can you offer a narrative experience without ruining it with warnings? If you let the player skip entire sequences, he could easily end up not fully understanding the reasons and rationale of the story itself. For example, if I have problems with severed limbs, I would skip the sequence entirely in The Empire Strikes Back where Darth Vader reveals his true identity! "Also, Jauneaud comments, I am not a tool to be passively understood:" I think there is often a misunderstanding about content warnings. Personally, I'm a horror fan but I also get scared easily, so if I were to decide to watch one, I'd be mentally prepared. So, with a content warning I explain to the public what could disturb or worry them. We allow people to prepare themselves or to play other things. Letting the player change the experience to their liking shouldn't even be a topic to discuss. "

Nighthawks Richard Cobbett continues:" I think content warnings are a far more complex tool than they are. you think: in general, I think a lot of players are smart enough to understand that if they play something on Unpleasant Experience X, they will have to absorb the side dish as well. In a vampire RPG like Nighthawks I'm working on, for example, it's common to expect to be surrounded by monsters and dealing with various bodily fluids. Personally, I want people to feel comfortable playing it though, and all in all, it's worth a few little spoilers. "

The relationship between player and writer

Still There Nella research for this article, we had the opportunity to talk with some players and the relationship with content warnings. In general, many appreciated how modern video games are able to approach a great variety of content, even sensitive, than in the past. , of course, that these are not used as a mere marketing tool or simply to shock the public. As for the content warnings, several players have confessed to skipping them, thus accepting the risk of being touched by particular topics. , the majority said they were in favor of their presence, albeit at the risk of some spoilers, compared to knowing that some scenes have been simplified or, worse, completely cut.

Certainly, when it comes to writing stories on particularly extreme topics, it comes naturally to wonder where the line is drawn between shocking the audience and telling a story. Particularly when it comes to content such as mental illness, depression or even suicide. Xalavier Nelson, by the way, intervenes with a suggestion: "as a developer, I always ask myself: do I need to tell this story? Or maybe I can tell another one in an easier and less risky way for me and the others? I always consider it a good start. As much as I appreciate the variety of content in the gaming landscape, some topics would be better left to someone more experienced than us. "

As much as developers can rely on their personal experiences and on research, there are sensitive topics which in any case remain difficult to approach for those who are not experts in the field. If they were approached in an unresponsive manner, they would lead to unexpected and unpleasant consequences. Since there does not seem to be a key solution for every case, the writer will therefore have to adjust to his own artistic and personal sensitivity, leaving his individual sphere and thinking about the audience he intends to address. Although "write about what you know" has always been a solid principle for many writers, it should be a starting point (and not an arrival point) for a relationship with the public. The gaming audience of the future will be most effectively served by developers and writers who strive to improve and push their limits. Daniele Giardini concludes with a simple but important advice "for all those who want to start writing a game: write about what you know, consider it as a spur to broaden your knowledge, not to write less!"

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