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The Border House is a blog for gamers. It's a blog for those who are feminist, queer, disabled, people of color, transgender, poor, gay, lesbian, and others who belong to marginalized groups, as well as allies. Our goal is to bring thoughtful analysis to gaming with a feminist viewpoint and up-to-date news on games, virtual worlds, and social media.Discussion Policy
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Tag Archives: Xbox 360
Mass Effect 3′s Reversible Box Cover Features Hidden FemShep
This unboxing video of Mass Effect 3 shows that despite FemShep not being featured on the cover on the shelves, you can flip the cover at home and have your box feature her instead of the male Shepard. What do … Continue reading
What’s Wrong With Leanne
by guest contributor Sparky Clarkson Michael “Sparky” Clarkson is a biophysical researcher at a small university in Boston, and is originally from Alabama. He blogs at Discount Thoughts. To a large extent, my enjoyment of a game depends on … Continue reading
Posted in Console Games
Tagged PS3, resonance of fate, RPGs, SEGA, sexism, tri-Ace, Xbox 360
6 Comments
Change to xbox live code of conduct
Members of the Xbox LIVE community received an open letter today. It read as follows: A Letter from Marc Whitten: Update to Xbox LIVE Code of Conduct Published March 5, 2010 Dear Xbox LIVE members, Since the beginning, Microsoft has … Continue reading
Posted in Console Games
Tagged bisexuality, gay, homosexuality, lesbian, news, online communities, policy, race, religion, sexual orientation, Xbox 360, Xbox Live
8 Comments
Racism and Left 4 Dead 2
by guest contributor Alex H Alex Horn is a Latino existentialist looking to explore the intersections of race, gender, and semantics in the video game world. He is an aspiring independent game designer based in Philadelphia. This post was inspired … Continue reading
Posted in Console Games, PC Games
Tagged Left 4 Dead 2, New Orleans, race, racism, Valve, Xbox 360
95 Comments
What Makes a Game Epic?
Contains minor spoilers for Dragon Age: Origins and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. A great many games, particularly in the fantasy and sci-fi genres, seek to be epic in scope, or evoke a feeling of epicness. It’s an … Continue reading
Posted in Console Games, General Gaming, PC Games
Tagged BioWare, Dragon Age: Origins, epicness, game design, N64, Nintendo, Ocarina of Time, pc, PS3, Xbox 360, Zelda
39 Comments
Console interface text size
Text size in console games can be a huge issue for visually impaired individuals. The ideal situation would be options that allow for larger text or icons to make the interface more accessible to gamers. So, how are the Nintendo … Continue reading
Posted in Console Games
Tagged accessibility, disability, PS3, text size, visually impaired, Wii, Xbox 360
13 Comments
It’s OK to Like Bioshock
by guest contributor Alex H Alex Horn is a Latino existentialist looking to explore the intersections of race, gender, and semantics in the video game world. He is an aspiring independent game designer based in Philadelphia. It’s ok to dislike … Continue reading
Posted in Console Games, PC Games
Tagged 2K, Ayn Rand, BioShock, FPS, gender, Ken Levine, pc, PS3, Xbox 360
3 Comments
Hand-me-down Gamers
My brother recently gave me his old Xbox 360. It got the red-ring of death. I mailed the console in for repair while he bought a new one. I’d wanted an Xbox 360, but was intimidated by the cost plus … Continue reading
Wrex and the Art of the Privilege Check
I’ve written a lot about Mass Effect previously, including a rather long criticism of some of the subtle (and not-so-subtle) gender bias at play in the universe BioWare has created. For my last post, I’d like to take a look … Continue reading
Posted in Console Games, PC Games
Tagged BioWare, EA, Mass Effect, privilege, racism, Xbox 360
59 Comments