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Should Gamers Boycott Orson Scott Card’s SHADOW COMPLEX?

Posted on 26 August 2009

Tags: controversy, News, Orson Scott Card, Shadow Complex, Video Games

A debate has raged around this month’s release of Shadow Complex, the critically-acclaimed (and now bestselling) platform-adventure game based on a series of science fiction books by Orson Scott Card.

Though he is the very successful author of Ender’s Game and many other books, Card has long held extremely anti-gay views, even recently seeming to argue for the violent overthrow of the U.S. government should the state of California continue to legalize same-sex marriage: “How long before married people answer the dictators thus: Regardless of law, marriage has only one definition, and any government that attempts to change it is my mortal enemy. I will act to destroy that government and bring it down.”

Card has also argued that gay people should be put in prison, writing, “Laws against homosexual behavior should remain on the books, not to be indiscriminately enforced against anyone who happens to be caught violating them, but to be used when necessary to send a clear message that those who flagrantly violate society’s regulation of sexual behavior cannot be permitted to remain as acceptable, equal citizens within that society.”

But Shadow Complex does not include any of Card’s anti-gay views, and the author himself reportedly had little to do with its creation.

Still, it is based on his work, and he does receive money from the sale of the game. In simple terms, some gamers don’t want to give their money to a man whose views they despise. And they’re suggesting that others withhold their dollars as well.

A similar controversy swirled around Dragon Quest, because Koichi Sugiyama, the composer for all editions of the game, is a Japanese nationalist activist who openly denies of the Rape of Nanking.

And Card has also been the object of many other protests for his anti-gay views, most recently in early 2008 when he was awarded the Margaret A. Edwards Award for, ironically, “helping adolescents become aware of themselves and addressing questions about their role and importance in relationships, society, and in the world.”

But the reaction of many gamers to the call for a Shadow Complex boycott has been openly dismissive. At neogaf.com, accusations ranged from “Holy crap, it’s just a game” to “I keep my gaming and my political / personal opinions separate. Therefore this kind of thing doesn’t get in the way of me playing an excellent game.”

At one point, a moderator even shut the thread down, claiming the whole idea of a boycott was “stupid.”

And it’s worth asking: are an artist’s personal views relevant when judging his or her art? Are the calls for a boycott violating Card’s rights to free speech and free expression?

“Card’s political beliefs sure didn’t come up during the game’s development,” Mark Rein, vice president of the company that makes the game, told Kotaku. “Even if they had, we don’t discriminate when hiring or choosing partners based on people’s personal beliefs. Heck, Gears of War was made by Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians, and even a few Canadians like me. It takes all kinds to make great creative games.”

But no one is saying that the company didn’t have the right to make the game, or that others can’t choose to buy the game. They’re just saying that they personally find Card’s well-publicized views and open anti-gay activism offensive. And that by supporting him and his work, you’re supporting his views.

No one has a “right” to have their views go unchallenged, especially if they’re as bigoted as Card’s. The call for a boycott is also a part of free speech.

Indeed, part of the boycott, and part of the general push-back against Orson Scott Card is to stigmatize and marginalize him and his opinions. That’s also part of what free speech is about.

“Money is important, but far more important to [Orson Scott Card], and to history, is his legacy,” writes GayGamer, who has mixed feelings about the boycott. “You can tell from his reactions how much being called a homophobe rankles him. Increasingly and through his own work, the line on Orson Scott Card has moved away from ‘respected science fiction author’ to ‘kind of insane about this whole gay thing.’ As his views become more and more fringe, and we continue to gain the rights he’s fighting against, he’ll retreat further into a conservative ghetto.”

GayGamer also has what many are calling the perfect compromise: “I think if you’re obviously too disgusted to enjoy the game, avoid it, and speak out. However, if you want to play the game, play it. Enjoy it, but offset the hate: if you buy Shadow Complex, donate $5, $10, $15 if you can spare it to a gay charity. Let them know why you’re giving the money. Card won’t get nearly that much per game. In message boards or user reviews, in blogs or tweets, if it comes up, let people know exactly what Card has said on the matter, and where, and damn him with his own language.”