I wish he had time.

Politicians of the establishment have been getting themselves off on manipulating people’s emotions since the beginning of the game, and anti-establishment play the same game with the same rules but different cards. So it’s not really about legislating morality for the person at the top of the scheme**; paraphrasing Frank Reynolds***, there are dupers and dupees, the dupers make the money and/or gain the recognition while the dupees have fun being a part of something for a little while.

*It strikes me now how reminiscent and consonant this moniker is to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers and so on, which may be intended to appeal to, you know, certain demographics. There is a lot of subconscious manipulation going on.

**”Nicole Survivor” is of course meant to conjure up “rape survivor” and its attendant sympathy, but there’s also a bit of an übermensch or superhero thing happening with taking on an alias like that. It also reminds me of how Puritans would take on names like Praisegod and straightedge/vegan punks take on their band name (like “Mike Crisis” or something).

***See …Sunny In Philadelhpia episode 902 I believe, “Gun Fever II: Still Hot.” The characters of Frank and Dennis Reynolds often engage in and expound upon their different forms of manipulative behavior.

Ultimately, this is were I stand, which is largely why I avoid conversation about that gate which will not be named. I think it’s an absurd way to approach things, and it follows the same logic of treating a common cold by yelling at a runny nose. Gender inequality and violence are both issues that extend well beyond the reach of gaming, and need to be tackled at the source by instilling empathy and humanistic values in future generations. Treat the sickness, not the symptom, so to speak.

Even for this type of extreme feminism, you’d think they’d have a bigger fish to fry than a videogame. One that most people who would play it, have already. This sounds more like a publicity grab for change.org than any type of win for a cause.

While they’re at it, they should get Target and Kmart to ban Custer’s Revenge. Remember all of the rape that game caused? If only they were around in the 80’s, imagine what they could have prevented!

This is a job for Feminists with Time Machines! Destroy patriarchy! Save the future!

But nope, the game sold through just north of 400k worldwide if wikipedia is to be believed. I’m betting for a project as expensive as it was, that wasn’t enough.

On the bright side, if MS were to somehow goad some studio into releasing a JRPG on the Bone, it will probably do as most “exclusives” do these days and show up elsewhere at a later date.

The cognitive dissonance must be astounding.

And that turned out well.