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Is 'SimCity' Homelessness a Bug or a Feature?

motherboard.vice.com

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Re: Is 'SimCity' Homelessness a Bug or a Feature?

#2
> "To me video games are the so-called 'real America,'" he said. "The real America operates according to a video game logic, and that game logic is neo-liberalism

Homelessness is a real problem, but, uh... yeah. I'm going to flag this as essentially a political article (most everything vice.com publishes is).

Maybe for his next book he can chronicle how Quake is the real America too, with the mutant monsters representing ... well... whatever the hell you want since you're willing to make such huge non-sequiturs.

Re: Is 'SimCity' Homelessness a Bug or a Feature?

#3
post #2

> "To me video games are the so-called 'real America,'" he said. "The real America operates according to a video game logic, and that game logic is neo-liberalism Homelessness is a real problem, but, uh... yeah. I'm going to flag this as essentially a political article (most everything vice.com publishes is). Maybe for his next book he can chronicle how Quake is the real America too, with the mutant monsters represen…

I don't think this is essentially a political article. I think the article is interesting in its subject matter alone, regardless of the author's blatant political shoe-horning.

Re: Is 'SimCity' Homelessness a Bug or a Feature?

#4
It is amusing what happens when you make games that are "realistic" in a way which isn't fun for players but is like real life, and get to see how the player base reacts.

Depression Quest springs to mind. Or way the book the protagonist of The Fault In Our Stars loves cuts off abruptly once the main character dies, which upsets her to no end.

Re: Is 'SimCity' Homelessness a Bug or a Feature?

#5
post #2

> "To me video games are the so-called 'real America,'" he said. "The real America operates according to a video game logic, and that game logic is neo-liberalism Homelessness is a real problem, but, uh... yeah. I'm going to flag this as essentially a political article (most everything vice.com publishes is). Maybe for his next book he can chronicle how Quake is the real America too, with the mutant monsters represen…

how does that make it political?

Re: Is 'SimCity' Homelessness a Bug or a Feature?

#6
post #2

> "To me video games are the so-called 'real America,'" he said. "The real America operates according to a video game logic, and that game logic is neo-liberalism Homelessness is a real problem, but, uh... yeah. I'm going to flag this as essentially a political article (most everything vice.com publishes is). Maybe for his next book he can chronicle how Quake is the real America too, with the mutant monsters represen…

how does that make it political?

Let's rewrite it. Say it's some conservative commentator like Bill O'Reilly:

"To me video games are the so-called 'real France,'" he said. "The real France operates according to a video game logic, and that game logic is socialism"

That doesn't strike you as overtly and primarily political in nature? Beyond that, it's simply inane.

Re: Is 'SimCity' Homelessness a Bug or a Feature?

#7

It is amusing what happens when you make games that are "realistic" in a way which isn't fun for players but is like real life, and get to see how the player base reacts. Depression Quest springs to mind. Or way the book the protagonist of The Fault In Our Stars loves cuts off abruptly once the main character dies, which upsets her to no end.

Seems this isn't intended "realism", but rather game engine's emergent behavior that just happens to mimic real life. Only very small percent of such unintended effects happen to make sense, so don't overestimate it's significance.

Re: Is 'SimCity' Homelessness a Bug or a Feature?

#8
post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

how does that make it political?

Let's rewrite it. Say it's some conservative commentator like Bill O'Reilly: "To me video games are the so-called 'real France,'" he said. "The real France operates according to a video game logic, and that game logic is socialism" That doesn't strike you as overtly and primarily political in nature? Beyond that, it's simply inane.

I don't think it is inane at all. Lots of games since Monopoly, Elite and running through Civilisation and SimCity have model economics, free trade, and free thinking ideas in-built into the game mechanics. And a lot of economics and free trade ideas seem to be justified by game theory and the naturalistic fallacy.

And a lot of chasing GDP or national wealth or Educational policy sometimes seem to be maximising some goal - like a game- rather than just running countries for the benefit of people.

I think its actually a very telling analogy if you think a little more deeply about it.

Re: Is 'SimCity' Homelessness a Bug or a Feature?

#9
post #2

> "To me video games are the so-called 'real America,'" he said. "The real America operates according to a video game logic, and that game logic is neo-liberalism Homelessness is a real problem, but, uh... yeah. I'm going to flag this as essentially a political article (most everything vice.com publishes is). Maybe for his next book he can chronicle how Quake is the real America too, with the mutant monsters represen…

1. It's not a political article. It's an article which includes some content from someone possibly making a political point.

2. Even if it is political, that's not a problem. It's about an interesting intersection between video game technology and politics, and with some focus on an area with a heavy tech presence (the bay). That's relevant.

Re: Is 'SimCity' Homelessness a Bug or a Feature?

#10
post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

how does that make it political?

Let's rewrite it. Say it's some conservative commentator like Bill O'Reilly: "To me video games are the so-called 'real France,'" he said. "The real France operates according to a video game logic, and that game logic is socialism" That doesn't strike you as overtly and primarily political in nature? Beyond that, it's simply inane.

Except current France doesn't operate according to socialist logic. It's much closer to neo-liberalism too (as most of today's world).

Just because the current president has the label "socialist" for historical reasons it doesn't make it socialism.

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