Update 12-6-2020: Please note that this article has several inaccuracies, ignorant remarks, and was published without prior editing. I hope that you are doing well, and I did not acknowledge that people who are in a bad situation may be reading this as well.
Update 3-19-2021: The following article contains only opinionated statements. Analysis is not credited, statistics, information, and other sources of accurate information for this post are not present, and this disclaimer should strongly advise you to research this issue on your own, as the Capsule Dragons website is a blog with opinion articles and not actual news articles (unless I’m talking about games).
Please note that this is an opinion article without an academic approach. I apologize for the lack of professional journalism on this website and will hold myself accountable to acknowledge where and when I mess up.
I’ve been doing some research on topics that I’ve been taking more time to look into recently; instead of learning about game design and programming languages, I’ve been doing research about real-world issues and have been unable to find any results for very specific topics… …even in a place that claims to value the truth, search browsers have systematically hidden any results that I am looking for about some of the following topics:
–> Biased results (all results for a specific topic are all on one side or are only showing two common approaches to something going on; the “News” section of common search engines only show results from specific news outlets and it’s harder to find news from independent journalists, as it seems that there are only specific websites that are allowed on a list of news pages that do appear)
–> Facts are replaced with clickbait (top results, anyway. You can eventually find what you’re looking for, but, it’s harder to find… …coincidentally, that may be on purpose)
–> And more. None of this should come as a surprise, but the fact that none of this is surprising is the disturbing part that this is normal… …please note that while none of this research is “conclusive”, and that I’ve left out browser and search engine names because of two reasons (copyright, but also that any well-known browser has these issues and there’s no reason to refer to a specific one).
It’s not like results are destroyed or taken away everywhere; this only happens for the “News” tab of several search engines I have tested, so you might be wondering why this matters at all or why I’m writing about this here.
Capsule Dragons (website) was originally about some series of games of the same name that I worked on with cloned physics engines, glitchy collisions, terrible dialogue writing, and the worst graphics possibly ever, but, I decided it would be more important to talk about what matters and not about little privileged things going on while being totally ignorant of the truth of what life’s about. It’s important to change this focus even if I don’t get to hear of when someone views this website, because it’s better that describing what’s going on might make someone care more about people and the world around them.
I’ve been personally frustrated with how corporate companies have been taking down independent projects due to whatever copyright claim they have, only to force giving fines or punishment, only from greed to gain more power and more money. Due to this, I will not share information on Infidemia until its art, sound, and engine resources are all original.
Even if Infidemia’s going to talk about things going on in the real world that need addressed, it’s not going to be the solution to the local and global crises going on.
Look, there’s a real-world COVID-19 pandemic that’s going on, affecting everyone, everywhere, and in any way. And yet people don’t have access to masks to wear, hand soap to use, household supplies that many take for granted (some take for granted so much that they think buying all of a store’s stock without people who actually need those resources are okay – seriously, something’s wrong).
Then, there’s the fact that the country I’m writing this in does not have any will to help its people – only communities can do that, only communities can unite together (while socially distanced and following safety precautions) to fight the completely corrupt systems that, when it comes down to it, are denying certain people the right to live, while giving that right to specific individuals based on whatever bias or prejudice against everyone else… …seriously, why isn’t there a system that systematically helps everyone through accounting for equity and treating everyone as equals? This isn’t political stuff, this is just describing what’s going on. My opinion has been stated, but the fact that there’s systematic denial of the right to live, play games, have a job, and enjoy life.
This isn’t the first time I’m speaking out and it won’t be the last (unless something happens though it seems like I’ll be here for a little bit longer yet.)
And yet people are blinded by the perspective that things must be either right or wrong, which hides the truth and makes the truth into either some symbol of justice or the opposite, dividing an issue to have opposing standpoints just so people can fight each other. Really? Is that how the world has to work? Infidemia’s going to explore all this I’m talking about and more, but, it’s just a game, and getting the “final ending” won’t do you any good to help achieve the changes that societies around the world need. Games aren’t going anywhere, either, and you can play them when you’re done helping people in need, or maybe giving away games to those who usually do not get to enjoy them based on the divides I’ve spoken about before. Going back to the idea that things must be one way or another – if you keep focusing on calling one side “good”, you’ll deny what happens if that “side” becomes corrupt. Same goes for calling one side “bad” – it’s perspectives that divide us, not unite us and figure out how to help each other by teaming up with our different ideas and contributing to change that’s actually going to do something.
The country that I’m writing this in is not only facing political issues where people fail to accept that the government is corrupt (no matter your standpoint, it needs change – look at how things work more closely, not as someone tells you how they work – don’t believe what you’re told until you research it) and because of the dividing perspectives on politics, some people claim the election isn’t over yet. Sure, the current presidency might continue on for a while, but, you have to know that it’s going to be over soon. A change in presidencies won’t solve everything, and I’m not saying that it’s going to be bad or good. I’m just saying that there will be someone else who portrays the role of leader, whether that helps or it doesn’t, it’s going to change. (No matter your political standpoint, though, you can at least admit that there should be an end to offensive remarks made by someone who assumes the role of leader.)
Look, history repeats itself only because people are okay with history repeating. Do people really want to see another weapon of mass destruction destroy part of the world and part of the world’s history? Do people really want organizations dedicated to denying people the right to live? Do people really want their individualities to be judged or lost? How is everyone just okay with this? You can’t just binge-play games or binge-watch TV while everyone around you is in a struggle to make it to the next day. You can’t just ignore this. And you can’t hold on to only having one perspective, either. You have to be willing to accept change, and change your mind, too. How is it that someone like me has time to write all this while someone else might be close to death?
Companies have claimed they’re interested in helping the world, but all they want is money. Non-profit companies that don’t make a single smallest unit of economic quantity are companies that are doing their work without motivation of greed. Companies claim they stand up for social justice while they exploit their workers and create an imbalance of paying people who do nothing while giving nothing to people who are doing all the hard work. Complain about programming or office work, and keep ordering goods out of the idea of convenience, but realize that people in warehouses who are packing and organizing goods are being treated like robots, as if they’re only human resources.
Independent groups have been shut down by companies from whatever companies can use to shut them down. Why, though? Does using a DMCA takedown to remove a legally-made game that was made for no profits or donations really help your company, or does it just make your company look like the bad guy here? Some companies even rely on shutting down independent developers who aren’t making any money and then taking money from them (this often happens with people who do make money, in whatever method, though developers making games for nonprofit can also be harmed).
Why does an open-source project get completely removed from the Internet due to some claim about its original work being too close to the “official” variant, or because its reverse-engineering was so well done that a company mistook it for the real thing and claimed it was a copy, using that as an excuse to destroy independent work?
And yet, people with privilege think that they can spend their money on all sorts of luxuries to help them escape the terrible world called reality. If you have a lot of money, why don’t you use it to research an organization that could use your economic “advantage” (in a world of economic inequity) to use your money to help people who don’t have any, or get food for people who don’t have any? Why does the system have to be “those who have a lot get more, and those who need more have less and get less”?
Writing this won’t solve everything, but, I hope that you reconsider your approach to what’s really going on.
You can’t just let history repeat itself, and then let history textbooks repeatedly wash out the truth with their own biased, sometimes even perspectives that call justice a crime and call white supremacy okay – it’s not okay, and it needs to stop.
Life is real, and so are the struggles many people are facing right now.
What are you going to do, though? Are you going to “sit back, and relax” as you watch millions of people suffer? Or are you willing to actually care?
I didn’t plan to write this article at all, it just came to me when I noticed that my search engine wasn’t working the way I wanted it to… …and not just in a glitchy way. Glitches like wavedashing in games are okay, but, the current situation isn’t a glitch, or a game-breaking bug, or a metafictional bug. It’s real, and it’s too often mistaken for a “dystopian world”, because everyone’s looking in the perspective of “oh, people are suffering around me and that’s fine, because I’m living in a utopia and everyone else isn’t.” No, there is no utopia. If you think your life is going well, then you’re probably either really lucky, or you’re being used as a tool to systematically oppress people around you, but, it’s probably both.
If you’re someone who’s enjoying something made by an entertainment company, why don’t you go research hidden truths about that company?
On the other hand, there are a lot of truths about successes by underrepresented groups, but these truths are often hidden. On the topic of games, there was a game console called the Fairchild Channel F (there’s an emulator for it available, though I’m not sure if the console itself is easy to find). It launched before another very popular, mainstream-known console, but the Channel F was the first console to use rewritable flash cartridges. A major contributor and in fact the creator of rewritable flash cartridges was
Gerald Anderson “Jerry” Lawson, an African-American contributor to video game history. Seriously, that’s really cool, for Lawson to pretty much “invent the video game cartridge”, – then, what did the competing console do? Copy the design, use cartridges, and then destroy the history of the Channel F, and so on…. …well, there’s an insightful video game history fun fact that took me at least three searches to get info on – again, showing how my results get filtered out (but results aren’t the focus here.)
Oh yeah, the Channel F also stood for “Channel Fun”, so the “Fairchild Channel Fun” would be the longer name for it, though this kind of shows the perspective of how gaming’s an enjoyable thing, though the modern-day perspective usually shows “oh, we don’t have time to play games, too busy with office work, etc. etc.”. While Fairchild was a company, it was an important step in technology that had a major success in tech early on that often goes unnoticed.
How can you leave that unnoticed?! Retro game console fans appreciate the harder-to-find, sometimes appreciating the underrepresented, game consoles, and would certainly be interested in appreciating the underappreciated. Even a game console that wasn’t very successful but had some very meme worthy lines from a specific series of spinoff games that were licensed became popular, although for a different reason, of not having well-developed games… …still, though, if you appreciate what’s often forgotten, then why don’t you make a way for people to remember that, as well? Corporate businesses thrive on power and greed that often uses competition as an excuse to do so, but in the midst of their competition, independent companies and creators are forgotten – independent musicians, artists, game developers, authors, anything – they’re all forgotten… …and yet preserving their work is counted as a crime because of copyright? Copyright was intended to protect individuals’ works for a limited time, not grant ridiculous levels of protection to companies that already have too much protection.
There’s no reason to defend something that has too much protection already. Instead, question their power, but, realize that once you do, it’ll be hard to stop questioning. In some places, speaking out against injustice counts as a crime. Really? How else are people and communities going to solve issues that have plagued this world for hundreds of years? Are we all going to have to face 20 years in a correctional facility because we stood up against companies with too much power? Are you going to let people suffer, but do nothing to help those around you, because you’re afraid that you’ll get hurt even though it’s your right to stand up for those in need?
The truth is too far often ignored and some claim it’s “not allowed” to talk about certain topics, which, the act of doing so is called “censorship”. When the truth is censored because systems in place don’t want you to know what’s really going on in the world, and they want to force your perspective to only see their lies made from greed and prejudice… …how can people so easily give into this?
Today, if you are living a comfortable life, go read about what’s going on in the world, from a variety of sources, but try to realize each source’s bias and perspective in each. Also go research human rights, then compare them to company rights. Try to understand more of the world, and view it from different perspectives, even ones you disagree with.
The only way to get a complete understanding is to look at it from all 360 degrees.
If you’re looking for factual information, this will take more effort and you’ll have to do more research, but, if you do it, you can speak of the truth also, and speak out against injustice, and spread awareness.
Before I finish off this post, go make sure to stay safe (wear protective face masks properly when around people, wash your hands, anything legit you need to do) and try to make someone else’s day fun by helping them (while socially distanced and such). Donate toys and games to a charity that will actually give them to people who wouldn’t get them otherwise. Enact any kind of change you can, but it’s best to start small, and then increase your scope eventually.
I know this is a little thing and it did absolutely nothing to do anything.
Playing Infidemia and getting the “final ending” might make you feel good, but it wouldn’t do anything either.
The only way that I can do something is by being actively involved, not just sitting off to the side writing about things I noticed that need to change, and that I’ll be a part of changing.
I refer to myself as the “monarch of understatements”, which means when I’m talking about something important, it’s hard for me to emphasize that. I was considering adding a few explicatives to get my point across, but, that would probably come across the wrong way. Regardless of what would have happened, I have yet to see if I violated the WordPress terms of service or not.
Oh yeah, privacy policies and terms of service are left intentionally vague, though it is possible to understand the language used in legal documents if you research them or find an accessible version.
I published this on WordPress, a website hosting service that has some terms of service, privacy policy info, cookie info, etc., and currently the website isn’t secure because forgot to update something but besides that the downloads here should be safe (Unity games), and some website certificate that expires every month but probably has a monthly fee.
Somehow, I was able to update this… …well, anyway, I hope you’re more aware now and will start to actually care – do something today. I’m sure that anyone who has had time to read this has enough time and money to actually do something that I couldn’t.
-ZoruaAl