Gameplay Journal Entry #7

Politics in Video Games?

Playing Star Wars: Squadrons in VR was an experience that I have been waiting for nearly my entire life. As I kid, I dreamed of flying an X-Wing fighter, doing my part in the rebellion against the Empire. The more I played though, the more I though about and noticed the politics within the game’s story along with its real-world influences. The Star Wars universe has always been about politics. The Empire was a dictatorship that was being opposed by the Rebel Alliance. It is still the premise for Star Wars: Squadrons. In it you have fleet captains that defect and join the opposing side, pilots who believe that the side they are on is doing the right thing, and each side thinks that the other is wrong or evil. The game forces you to play both sides, allowing you to see both perspectives.

In the real world, Star Wars has been gradually emphasizing its political correctness. The original trilogy featured mainly white males in the leading roles. The latest trilogy heavily features people of color and women for leading roles. Bogost argues that “videogames are increasingly becoming a forum for artistic expression and, more importantly for the present discussion, social expression” (Bogost, “FirstMonday”). As Bogost states, this seems to have also made its way into the game as well. Your wingmen are comprised of many female characters and people of color. One of the men is even profiled as being gay and having a husband. Another character by the name of Keo prefers to be called by the pronoun they/them. Do we really need to know this kind of information about a non-essential character, in a video game, in a fictional universe, far far away?

Star Wars: Squadrons Trailer

Sources:

Ian Bogost, “Playing Politics: Videogames for Politics, Activism, and Advocacy”