Have been gnawing on several sociopolitical topics lately. Mostly because I've had no time to actually play games for fun. Or really do anything but work, commute and sleep fitfully.
One topic of contemplation: unions. Does the industry need a general union? Or perhaps several unions split by job type? There's the Communication Workers of America (hat tip to my father).
Not sure whether the game industry needs it -- though I will say that the business model needs overhauling and a strong eye toward its employees.
I really don't know anything about the actual process of unionization, nor the way they do day-to-day business. I'm working on ridding myself of ignorance in that case, but it will take some time.
The second thought is somewhat related, but on a larger scale. Where are the videogame advocacy groups? Where are the nonprofits that send their skilled and game-experienced lawyers into the fray every time Jack Thompson craps a big, dumb lawsuit out of his mouth?
This article over on Gamasutra really set me off on this train of thought. Required reading.
It would be nice to see gamers (of all stripe, video, larper, pnp rpg, board, etc.) recognized by politicians as something other than fodder for overhyped fearmongering leading to unconstitutional legislation.
Again, I don't have the political kung-fu to lay out some kind of warped and twisted gamer's K Street Project and, truth be told, I'd hate to contribute to something that would grow so corrupt and ugly; So that's right out. But there's nothing preventing gamers from being recognized as a politically-influential demographic.
Mastication will continue.
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