Playing History: Slave Trade aka Slave Tetris
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I just wonder how people feel about this...
http://thinkprogress.org/education/2015/09/01/3697369/slave-tetris-ceo-response/
Real topic that should get some media attention? or poor taste?
http://thinkprogress.org/education/2015/09/01/3697369/slave-tetris-ceo-response/
The CEO of a company that makes an educational game called “Playing History: Slave Trade,” chalked up Twitter outrage that bubbled up over the weekend to cultural differences between Europe and the United States, saying the company didn’t intend to make a “racist or inflammatory game.” He further defended the game, saying it had already received awards in Europe.
The game, which has been out for a couple years, has been reviewed and mocked on YouTube. Some educators object to the the appearance of the slaves, saying the characters appear to be in “blackface,” that it teaches kids math through bartering for children and that one character made a Mr. T reference, saying, “I pity the fool who messes with Chief Janto.” It picked up new steam on Twitter last weekend.
Frank Noschese, a physics teacher at John Jay High School, who tweeted about the game, said that the biggest problem is that the game exists at all. Noschese said some topics aren’t appropriate for a children’s game, and the slave trade is one of them.
“I just think the whole concept of making it a game — it trivializes the atrocity of slavery. There are some topics that are just off limits. There was a debate back and forth and people were saying it was a valuable learning tool,” Noschese said. “It’s not like I’m anti-game but with the games being so powerful you really have to be sensitive about what you’re trying to do with the game. The CEO, part of his defense is it makes kids see the atrocity of it. It doesn’t. It doesn’t.”
The CEO of SeriousGames, Simon Egenfeldt-Nielsen, responded to ThinkProgress’ request for comment and called the debate on Twitter “shallow, judgmental, erratic and personal” and said the company has decided to remove the “Slave Tetris” portion of the game. He also said that to his knowledge, the game is not being used in U.S. schools and pointed out that the company has also created games for the plague, Vikings, modern slavery, and sweat shops in Bangladesh. An employee at the company’s U.S. office said he does not believe it is widely distributed in the United States.
A portion of Egenfeldt-Nielsen’s extended comments on the game are below [sic throughout]:
On a more meta-level. I think it is interesting how big the divide apparently is between how Europe and United States in treating this sensitive subject. Here is a game that has been recognized with educational awards in Europe. Its a game that is used by around 10% of Danish schools, and in general has been seen as doing a lot of things right. I know that people will then assume that mean that all Danish teachers are racist, and I guess on some level they would probably be in US based on some of the stories that travel to Europe, but hard to say as I don’t live there, and have limited insight into your society.
And would guess that a lot in the US would just think we didn’t get it, and that is probably very true. We probably don’t. But maybe we are not the only ones not getting it.. Maybe there is just a lot of culturally differences in what you can discuss and express – and maybe just maybe there are larger issues at stake here then whether slave tetris was bad taste or not… and maybe as a lot of the tweeters say a stupid white dane like me don’t know anything, and shouldn’t be allowed to say a single word about the story of African-Americans.
What do I know.. We just tried to make a game to teach about what we thought was an important topic. We did spend a lot time doing it, We did consult with experts. We didn’t set out to make a racist or inflammatory game. Actually the opposite – a game where you would understand slave trade from the inside by escaping slavery… I have reached the conclusion that no matter what we had done it would have been wrong.
But Egenfeldt-Nielsen’s remarks likely won’t be of much comfort to critics.
Real topic that should get some media attention? or poor taste?
They call it an "educational game"? This is just very poor taste and nothing that attention should be given to at all.
By rossonero Go To PostThey call it an "educational game"? This is just very poor taste and nothing that attention should be given to at all.I really would love to see the setting of slavery in more games.. like AC had.. but I am on the wtf how can you think golliwog is a case of US sensitivity
By blackace Go To PostI really would love to see the setting of slavery in more games.. like AC had.. but I am on the wtf how can you think golliwog is a case of US sensitivityYeah, I reacted to that too. "Oh you Americans are too touchy"-defense always gets a facepalm from me. And obviously he uses Denmark as a way to say that the game is ok. Not even the whole Denmark, but 10% av it's schools
If you want to make an educative game about slavery, then this is certainly the wrong perspective. Rather make a game where I play the slave trying to survive/escape the horrors.
He missed a spot
Pretty disturbing, this is the kind of stuff you would find on a white supremacist flash games site.
Pretty disturbing, this is the kind of stuff you would find on a white supremacist flash games site.
By kellar Go To PostHe missed a spot
Pretty disturbing, this is the kind of stuff you would find on a white supremacist flash games site.
I would be surprised if it isn't already or at least a link to buy it is....
Frank Noschese, a physics teacher at John Jay High School, who tweeted about the game, said that the biggest problem is that the game exists at all. Noschese said some topics aren’t appropriate for a children’s game, and the slave trade is one of them.
I don't really agree with this view. Teaching kids about bad things in history is important. I don't even have an issue with the conceptual approach of the game. I feel it is possible to relate the cruelty of the slave trade within the concept, but it needs to be done with grace, respect and detail that the game (from what I've seen) clearly lacks.
Researching the company, they do delve into serious issues. They have a war game designed around PTSD assessment and treatment. However, the History game falters from the general cheapness of edutainment titles. (The PTSD game looks unrefined as well.) The art style is somewhat Veggietales, and the cheap route of reusing the same slave model removes too much of the humanity within the issue.
Just because you are making a kids title, doesn't mean you have to try to make it cute. Just a mess of marketing and budget.
edit: re - Marketing: I don't just mean that they made it cute to appeal to kids. I mean that having the game on Steam removes it from the guided classroom atmosphere it's intended to be used in.
BTW - If anyone is interested in games that deal with serious subject matter, I'd give Darfur is Dying a look. http://www.darfurisdying.com/
It's all the same male model of the same age? Fails right off the bat really in terms of being "educational."
By etiolation Go To PostI don't really agree with this view. Teaching kids about bad things in history is important. I don't even have an issue with the conceptual approach of the game. I feel it is possible to relate the cruelty of the slave trade within the concept, but it needs to be done with grace, respect and detail that the game (from what I've seen) clearly lacks.golliwog art... slaves don't even look human...
Researching the company, they do delve into serious issues. They have a war game designed around PTSD assessment and treatment. However, the History game falters from the general cheapness of edutainment titles. (The PTSD game looks unrefined as well.) The art style is somewhat Veggietales, and the cheap route of reusing the same slave model removes too much of the humanity within the issue.
Just because you are making a kids title, doesn't mean you have to try to make it cute. Just a mess of marketing and budget.
edit: re - Marketing: I don't just mean that they made it cute to appeal to kids. I mean that having the game on Steam removes it from the guided classroom atmosphere it's intended to be used in.
BTW - If anyone is interested in games that deal with serious subject matter, I'd give Darfur is Dying a look. http://www.darfurisdying.com/
I agree with teaching kids bad things in history is important but some subjects need to taught at a certain age.... trying to make a game about slavery for really young kids seems counter productive if you have to carter to age appropriate themes... besides from this point of view it would be like making a dig dug style ash shoveling mini game in a game about administrating the holocaust...
By blackace Go To Postgolliwog art... slaves don't even look human...
I agree with teaching kids bad things in history is important but some subjects need to taught at a certain age.... trying to make a game about slavery for really young kids seems counter productive if you have to carter to age appropriate themes... besides from this point of view it would be like making a dig dug style ash shoveling mini game in a game about administrating the holocaust...
Apparently, according to the Dev, the depicted part is a small part of the game. You play a slave and forced into picking your fellow slaves for the ship. During the day, you are forced to do tasks. Apparently, the goal is to escape at night. They claim it's been effective within the classroom with kids understanding the cruelty of the situation. But like I said, Steam isn't a classroom with someone to explain stuff.
I still don't think you use cute mouse characters in a slave stacking activity just to appeal to current kid entertainment.
Imo, you can't teach kids this young about the cruelty of history when subjects like this come up because explaining the why of it all will get missed. Young kids just don't have the capacity to comprehend that, collectively, we are really shitty to each other.
By reilo Go To PostImo, you can't teach kids this young about the cruelty of history when subjects like this come up because explaining the why of it all will get missed. Young kids just don't have the capacity to comprehend that, collectively, we are really shitty to each other.Disagree on this point. But I agree with the idea that teaching them about slavery and genocide too early is pointless. They're actually quite complex systems of ugliness that it's hard to wrap your mind around even as an adult.