09/26/2011 – by Cynthia Wright
MIT GAMBIT’s summer program worked for eight weeks to produce a game that addressed identity and representation in media, in particular video games. Being that video games, for the most part, were driven by an overwhelming heterosexual male demographic – the issues surrounding sexuality were rarely discussed. If those
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situations were addressed, it was rarely in a positive light.
In A Closed World, while sexuality doesn’t play a forefront – the ability to play either a man or woman on a quest to rescue their beloved from a mystical forest after she leaves the village does provide a discussion on sexual orientation and video games.
Todd Harper, the creator further explains the idea behind his thought processes for the game.
“This project addresses a very basic idea about identity and representation in mass media. Think about the first time you heard someone famous was different in the same way as you, or saw someone different in the same way on TV or in a movie. It gave you a little rush of good feeling. This is the way I sold the project to the interns. Cultural content shapes our reality.”
A Closed World was created to provide LGBTQ-friendly content in an entertainment arena that rarely explores it. At least, this is a step in the right direction.
The prototype game can be played here.