For all the grand claims publishers like Ubisoft make during press conferences about their research in series like Assassin’s Creed, games often get things wrong. Years ago, I wrote about how they mishandled the concept of vents. Since then, inspired by podcasts like You’re Wrong About, I’ve wanted to expand on this idea. And now, I present my new show, You Are Error.

Exploring Game Inaccuracies to Understand Culture

Introduction to the Show

You Are Error isn't just about nitpicky debunkings. Like the podcast that inspired it and others like Maintenance Phase, If Books Could Kill, and Factually, the goal is to explore inaccuracies to gain a deeper understanding of games, the people who make them, and the surrounding culture. Using games as a starting point, we aim to ask the kinds of questions that are lacking in journalism and cultural criticism. Despite our advanced technology, how have people always been the same? How can we better empathize with each other despite our differences?

Episode 1: Arabic in Games

Each episode of You Are Error interviews a different guest about something that games or game players frequently get wrong. The first episode focuses on Arabic. Contrary to some beliefs, games shape culture and influence our perception of the world. Small linguistic mistakes in games, often due to studios not having people of specific backgrounds involved, can have significant consequences.Our guest is Rami Ismail, an indie developer, speaker, and consultant. He has spent his career promoting the global game development scene and highlighting incorrect portrayals of Arabic in games and pop culture. He is currently working on a Palestinian game project with a contingency plan in case of unfortunate events.Rami explains that in the past, games often got Arabic right because it was hand-drawn. But with the rise of computers, Arabic became more challenging as it doesn't fit the Western computer systems designed for left-to-right writing. For example, Microsoft Office only formally supported Arabic five or six years ago, and Photoshop still has issues with it.When game developers copy-paste Arabic text without checking, it often goes wrong. Arabs can immediately notice the mistakes, but non-Arabs might not. This lack of attention to detail shows that Arabs are often overlooked in games, used as foils rather than main characters.

Game Development and Palestinian Games

Rami Ismail's friend, Rashid Abueideh, is a Palestinian game developer. His game Liyla and the Shadows of War, about a child surviving the 2014 Gaza invasion, was banned by some companies but gained popularity. However, when the 2018 Gaza invasion occurred, fundraising efforts for the game were successful.Now, Rashid wants to make a game about the 1948 Nakba. But as the current genocide in Palestine has intensified, there is a fear that his work could put him in danger. They have developed a contingency plan in case he is captured, killed, or unable to continue working on the game.During their conversations, they discuss the importance of symbols like the home key in the game. For many Palestinians displaced in the Nakba, keeping the key to their home is a symbol of their hope to return. This shows the deep significance of these details in games and the need for more representation.As Arabs, we often feel overlooked and undervalued in the game industry. But through shows like You Are Error, we are starting to bring these issues to light and work towards a more inclusive and accurate representation of all cultures in games.