Differences that Bind Us

1. Differences that Bind Us The Alien in Media and Next Door 2nd Annual University of Florida Game Studies Conference April 7, 2006

2. Eel Hello Everyone! It’s great to be here! GRATS GATORS!!! Sorry… Okay… Courtesy of Slides by Eel, Tarpon Springs, Florida

4. Alien Definitions • adj. Owning allegiance to another country or government: FOREIGN • adj. Of, from, or typical of another person, place or thing: UNFAMILIAR • adj. Inconsistent or opposed in nature or character • n. An unnaturalized foreign resident of a country • n. A member of another family, people, region or country: FOREIGNER • n. An outsider • n. A creature from outer space • n. plant native to one region but naturalized in another

5. Point of View Is Important The Twilight Zone: The Invaders

7. Fish Out of Water No fish were harmed during the making of these slides. Professional dead and baked fish. Do not attempt.

8. More Fish Out of Water WOOT!!! Sorry… Courtesy of Slides by Eel, Tarpon Springs, Florida

9. Tom Cruise Shirtless

10. The Alien • Outsider • Not at home in the environment or the community • Loner • Aloof • Emotional, but impersonal • Followers, but few friends • Perfect for solo-game play • Chaotic • Per D&D: Good or Evil, rarely Neutral • Moral absolutes enforced by flexible ethics • Not a team player • Contemptuous of rules • Questions authority • Challenges the status quo • Not found often in squad-based games • Iconoclast • Can be destructive • Red Harvest and its progeny • Driven from within • Listens to voices others can’t hear • Invites the laziness of backstory • Must be a teacher or will not survive • And even then there is no guarantee The Outer Limits: Demon with a Glass Hand

11. Comedy Teams One of Us Alien Alien One of Us One of Us Alien Alien Invasion

12. Sidekicks: Comedy Teams in Video Games Alien One of Us Alien (Suit AI) One of Us One of Us Alien One of Us Alien

13. Sidekicks at the University of Florida Game Studies Conference Eel One of Us Alien LOL!!! Cry… One of Us Alien

14. The Alien as Villain The Bad Seed Same actor… Sorry… The Silence of the Lambs Nixon

15. The Alien as Villain in Video Games

16. The Alien as Hero in Media

17. The Alien as Hero in Real Life

18. The Irony of the Hero Heroes are easy to admire from a safe distance… Heroes are fun to identify with in fiction… But… The same traits that create heroes make them aliens in real life. I know. I know. I’m going. Eel walks alone…

19. Anarchists Bad influences Cynics Dissenters Elitists Fanatics Glory hogs Hot heads Individualists Jonahs Kooks Liars Menaces to society Nuisances Opinionated Prima donnas Quixotic Rabble-rousers Showoffs Traitors Unhealthy influences Vagrants Whistleblowers Xenos Yo-yos Zealots They Upset Our Status Quo

20. Media Softens the Image

21. The Progeny of Red Harvest • The Cleaning of Poisonville (1928) • Red Harvest (1929) • Yojimbo (1961) • A Fistful of Dollars (1964) • The Warrior and the Sorceress (1984) • Miller’s Crossing (1990) • Last Man Standing (1996)

22. The Alien as Hero in Video Games

23. Point of View Is Still Important The Twilight Zone: Eye of the Beholder

24. Ico

25. The Alien in Virtual Worlds • Too much like the real world with the irony of the hero added • “Mom! Tell Bobby to play right!” • Villains yes • Cannon fodder for Xenophobes • Heroes no • Character graphics, gear, and purpose are all cloned • Everybody can’t be a loner • Or loners become the status quo • Non-team players need not apply • Designs force team play • If aliens fail to educate, they are ostracized • Roleplayers on RP servers

26. Ragnaros (Villain) LEE !!!

27. Ragnaros Slayers (Heroes) LEE

28. What Holds Games Back? • Characters • Stereotypes (“All dwarves are from Scotland.”) • Stories • Clichés (“An ancient evil is threatening to return on Tuesday!”) • Genres • Limited (“We need new bad guys!” “How about Haitians or Sikhs?”) • Themes • Simplistic (“Evil is bad.” “Revenge is bittersweet.”) • Employees • Unqualified (“Charlie the tester took an English course once!”) • Management • Clueless (“Why do we need a theme anyway?”) • Market • Comfortable (“Does it have cool weapons and finishing moves?”) “You game developers must disperse now!”

29. The Alien in Game Development: People Who Care • Schools often teach mechanics, but not context • Ignorance of other forms of media • Gamers and game developers inbreeding • Tradition • Time and money not budgeted • Aliens must educate to survive

30. One Last Alien… …came from far away …doesn’t speak the language well …sits alone in the dark …listens to voices others can’t hear …questions authority …breaks rules …challenges the status quo

31. The video game industry knows its name, even if they don’t know its meaning… Its name is… Writer

32. Point of View Will Always Be Important The Twilight Zone: The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street

33. Watch your television! Visit your local theatre! Observe your neighbors! Scrutinize passersby in the street! Look in the mirror! Stop watching the skies!!! Why??? Timely questions courtesy of Eel, Tarpon Springs, Florida

34. Aliens Walk Among Us Don’t be afraid. Don’t kill them. If we give them a chance, they might teach us something…

35. Good Night And Good Luck… You’re welcome, Lee! Bye everybody! Courtesy of Slides by Eel, Tarpon Springs, Florida