colonialism Archives

AppWizard

October 13, 2025

RPG vet Josh Sawyer keeps things like Fallout and D&D grounded in history because ‘Once things get too magical… it’s impossible to bring it back down to Earth’

Josh Sawyer is a respected figure in gaming, known for his directorial roles in titles such as Fallout: New Vegas, Pillars of Eternity 1 and 2, and Pentiment. He emphasizes a materialistic perspective in worldbuilding, drawing inspiration from real environments and historical contexts. His work often explores themes of colonialism, imperialism, and the struggles of survival in post-apocalyptic settings. In Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire, factions reflect historical conflicts between colonial powers and indigenous cultures. Sawyer approaches game mechanics with caution to maintain realism, highlighting the importance of believable narratives that resonate with players' understanding of human needs.

AppWizard

September 5, 2025

Former Call of Duty director stopped making foreign countries the enemy because he wanted ‘to go to these countries’ without needing a bodyguard

Call of Duty began with a clear antagonist in the Nazis during its World War II era, but as the series progressed into modern and futuristic settings, the portrayal of enemies became more nuanced. Glen Schofield, a former director of the franchise, noted that the depiction of villains was influenced by themes of jingoism, colonialism, and American interventionism. His perspective was shaped by a personal story from an Iraqi classmate, whose uncle expressed ambivalence about democracy after escaping imprisonment under Saddam Hussein. This narrative inspired Schofield to develop the character of Jonathan Irons in Advanced Warfare, leading to a powerful speech crafted by Eric Hirshberg that reflected this complex worldview. The evolution of Call of Duty illustrates a growing awareness among creators regarding the narratives they present and their potential impact on players' perceptions of global issues.

AppWizard

February 23, 2025

Neocolonial Minecraft

More than 300 million copies of Minecraft have been sold, making it one of the world’s best-selling video games. Launched in 2011, it has found a significant place in educational settings, with suggestions for its integration into curricula for subjects like mathematics, geology, architecture, and digital literacy. The game is critiqued for perpetuating narratives of settler colonialism and celebrating violence associated with resource extraction. Players enter an unfamiliar land as a default character model, reflecting Western norms, and engage in defeating hostile creatures, which are argued to echo harmful stereotypes of Indigenous peoples. The game rewards players for mining resources and constructing empires, overlooking real-world implications of colonial extraction, labor exploitation, environmental degradation, and cultural erasure. In contrast, the game Motherload presents a critical view of colonial exploitation, depicting mining as perilous rather than enjoyable. The problematic assumptions about coloniality and power in Minecraft are noted to be deeply rooted in the history of computer and video gaming, with earlier games like The Oregon Trail facing criticism for similar portrayals.

AppWizard

November 27, 2024

Even if Avowed does well, it doesn’t sound like we’ll get Pillars of Eternity 3, at least not from Josh Sawyer: ‘I am more interested in doing original IP’

Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire was inspired by the Infinity Engine games and explored themes like colonialism through a pirate adventure but did not perform well commercially, disappointing game director Josh Sawyer. He reflected on the crowdfunding model that influenced Obsidian's cautious approach. Sawyer mentioned his advisory role in Avowed, contributing some writing and system design. Despite the lack of success for Pillars 2, the idea of a Pillars 3 persists, but Sawyer's enthusiasm has waned, suggesting that the Pillars universe may evolve into Avowed. He also expressed interest in creating original intellectual properties rather than revisiting established ones.