Why is Critical Distance an important resource? I have my own answers to this: as a historian, I value our conservation work; as a young academic from a low income family, I care deeply about free educational resources; and I believe that our work helps more people to build confidence in reading media critically.
Everybody who supports us has a different answer, so I’ve been asking for more views from people in the Critical Distance community of readers, contributors, and patrons. Today I want to share an answer sent in by reader and occasional Femhype contributor Dakota Joyce, who highlights the impact our commitment to diversity has on her own understanding of games:
[…] while I think that what I individually bring to the discussion is valid, I don’t know anything, for example, about the way games are designed, nor do I have the experiences to critique games from other social perspectives. A review, article, or video analysis about a game can have a thoroughly explored thesis, but it’s in diverse criticism that I feel gives readers an enriched ability to bolster their own takeaway. Critical Distance absolutely appreciates the importance of diversity in their writing selection, which is why I think the site is so important.
Our next fundraising target of $1900/month would allow us to do much more to boost the diversity of perspectives that we feature in our roundups. We would be able to bring back the Month in Let’s Plays feature, which means that our readers would be able to experience a wider variety of critical responses to games. We would also be able to restart our Critical Discourse letters, which would allow us to take a more active role in bringing different perspectives into conversation with one another.
Even better, if we hit our goal of $3000/month, we would be able to make a more concerted effort than we’ve ever made before to bring together writing on games in multiple different languages, which would mean that even people who do not write in the English language could still have their perspectives heard, have their ideas recognized, and have their contributions preserved for future generations.
Dakota’s full response is below. Please give it a read, and if you agree that diversity in games writing is important, help us with our fundraising campaign.
Critical Distance values both diversity and diverse interests
I’ve always had some difficulty getting attached to games writing publications.
I imagine it’d be super convenient to follow one and be done, yet I tend to hop around several outlets, to keep up with the writers that I specifically enjoy. Each imbue something personal, some unique quality that is wholly of themselves into their writing. And to me, that’s important. A person’s identity, education, and history are the filter by which they experience games, and some of the very best games writing explore this relationship.
In fact, I find it nigh impossible to talk about games solely from the perspective of the act of playing them. While games are super fun, my thoughts on games are tethered to my life as a woman, as a huge fan of black metal, as transgender, as a writer, and so much more! And while I think that what I individually bring to the discussion is valid, I don’t know anything, for example, about the way games are designed, nor do I have the experiences to critique games from other social perspectives. A review, article, or video analysis about a game can have a thoroughly explored thesis, but it’s in diverse criticism that I feel gives readers an enriched ability to bolster their own takeaway.
Critical Distance absolutely appreciates the importance of diversity in their writing selection, which is why I think the site is so important. By compiling the best games writing from so many unique voices, Critical Distance provides an easily accessible platform for the promotion of distinct and unrecognized perspectives on gaming.
We’re trying to reach $3000/month by December 16th. Support us now for seasonal rewards and get free writer coaching from Haywire Magazine.