219 - GTS March News roundup - Part 1 - Games, Gimmicks and Gatekeepers

Gaming The System - The Feminist Gaming Podcast

Gaming the System – March News Round-Up (Part 1)

In This Episode:
This week, your favourite feminist gaming trio—Alex, Jem, and Matt—dive into the March headlines with their signature mix of insight, laughter, and righteous indignation. From poker-playing indie darlings to FOMO-fueled spending sprees, we dissect the news through a feminist lens, asking: who benefits, who loses out, and what’s hiding beneath the surface?

This is Part 1 of 2 in our March news round-up. Please stay tuned for more in Part 2, where we continue our exploration of power, money, and representation in gaming culture.

🔑 Key Moments This Episode:

🎯 “Tinder for Games” – or just another algorithm trap?
We kick off with Ludocene, the swipe-right-style discovery app that promises to help players find hidden indie gems. But is it a playful solution to choice paralysis, or another gatekeeping algorithm dressed up in novelty? (Spoiler: capitalism always finds a way.)

🎮 PEGI, Poker & Power Plays
Matt breaks down the absurd saga of Balatro, the wildly successful “poker with cheating” indie game that was slapped with an 18+ rating, despite no gambling or real money changing hands. The twist? Triple-A games with actual loot boxes skate through with lower age ratings. Jem and Alex expose the hypocrisy, gatekeeping, and who sits on the ratings boards. Hint: it’s the people with the most to lose if indie games thrive.

🛍️ Epic Fails?
Jem brings the heat on Epic Games and their shady “limited-time sale” tactics, currently under legal fire from concerned parents. We examine the ethics of engineered scarcity, the pressure it places on young gamers, and how companies exploit gambling mechanics to drive sales. Matt adds a union perspective on consumer exploitation—and how education is our best defence.

🎧 Why You Should Listen:

• You want to understand how capitalism, marketing, and corporate power affect the games we play and the people who make them.
• You're into indie games and want the inside scoop on the battles they face just to be seen.
• You’re raising a young gamer (or are one yourself) and want to feel a little less alone navigating the manipulative side of modern game stores.
• You want to hear Jem roast age ratings while Matt goes full “union dad” on corporate greed, and Alex tries (valiantly) to keep the show on the rails.

🔗 Mentioned in the Episode:

• Ludocene – “dating app for games” helping players discover indie titles. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cr52rey0ng8o
• Balatro – the indie card game at the centre of a PEGI age rating dispute. https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/gaming/balatro-what-to-know-breakout-game-b1218954.html
• PEGI & ESRB – game rating bodies with questionable ties to industry giants.
• Epic Games lawsuit – over manipulative sale countdowns and FOMO-based purchases. https://www.eurogamer.net/fortnite-maker-epic-games-sued-for-deceptive-p

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Thanks for listening, and remember – there’s always another game to play that isn’t full of nonsense. 🎮✨

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