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Revision as of 19:31, 11 December 2012 by 68.67.226.130 (talk) (→References)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) Video game| Dys4ia | |
|---|---|
| Publisher(s) | Newgrounds |
| Designer(s) | Anna Anthropy |
| Composer(s) | Liz Ryerson |
| Genre(s) | Autobiography and art |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Dys4ia is an abstract, autobiographical, browser-based video game that Anna Anthropy, alternatively Auntie Pixelante, developed to recount her experiences of gender identity disorder and hormone replacement therapy. Touching on the 'frustrations' in taking estrogen and transitioning from her natal gender, the game documents a six-month period in her treatment. In terms of structure, Dys4ia comprises a succession of 'interactive' mini-games that gaming journalists interpreted as reflections on gender politics, identity, and personal development. While discussing the concept with the Penny Arcade Report, Anna Anthropy remarked that:
This was a story about frustration - in what other form do people complain as much about being frustrated? A video game lets you set up goals for the player and make her fail to achieve them. A reader can’t fail a book. It’s an entirely different level of empathy.
Reception
After debuting at a Toronto-based art game convention between 21 and 23 February 2012, Dys4ia subsequently appeared on the social media website Newgrounds on 9 March 2012, and achieved a First Place 'Daily Feature'. Despite the absence of formal reviews among video game journalists, Dys4ia received praise from various sources for the mechanics, conceptual artwork, and metaphors. Among conventional media outlets, The Guardian's Will Freeman commented that Dys4ia offered 'a touching and witty insight into an experience many may never even consider in detail'. In response to the mechanics of Dys4ia, Freeman suggested that the game 'does much to prove the power of games to communicate complex concepts through playful interactions'. On the UK gaming blog Rock, Paper, Shotgun, journalist Adam Smith found the content 'uncomfortable' and inherently private, yet nevertheless 'informative and moving'. Regarding the artistic merits of Dys4ia, Smith remarked that the limited visuals were 'effective communicators of extreme discomfort' and that Liz Ryerson's soundtrack to the game deserved special mention.
See also
Notes
- Anna Anthropy, Rise of the Videogame Zinesters (New York: Seven Stories Press, 2012).
References
- Eres, Paul (10 March 2012). "Dys4ia". The Independent Games Source. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
- Beschizza, Rob (12 March 2012). "Dys4ia". Boing Boing. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
- ^ Kuchera, Ben (16 March 2012). "Dys4ia tackles gender politics, sense of self, and personal growth… on Newgrounds". Penny Arcade Report. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
- Freeman, Will (6 May 2012). "Dys4ia; Roar Rampage; Dude, Where's My Planet? – review". The Observer. Guardian Media Group. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
- Smith, Adam (12 March 2012). "Life Flashing By: Dys4ia". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
- Souppouris, Aaron (6 May 2012). "Play this: 'Dys4ia'". The Verge. Retrieved 2 August 2012.