Let’s talk about power, baby … and games … and sex!

How is BDSM portrayed in games, and what can this teach us about love, life and games?
I will be speaking about this at Queerness and Games Conference (QGCon) in Montreal on September 30, as well as at IndieCade in L.A. on October 11. The topic is “Explicit Power Dynamics – BDSM in games”. Knife Sisters will also be shown at the Arcade at QGCon. I’m looking forward a lot to test the game with this crowd, and hope I will have the time to attend some other talks as well.

Games and BDSM actually have some things in common, they are both examples of play, and therefore have some similar structures, such as requiring clear boundaries, clear rules, and clear feedback, among other things. But games are also great ways of addressing power, since they include mechanisms that you can play around with. During the talk I’ll take examples of how BDSM is used in games, but also how negotiations take place between the game and the player.

I hope to get a chance to sum it up in writing later this autumn!