Today in class we discussed the artwork, “Velvet-Strike” which is a mod of the computer game counter-strike. I came across an article explaining different aspects and views of Velvet-Strike along with other information that wasn’t thoroughly discussed in class.
“Velvet-Strike is an indictment of the pro-military sentiment of many video games. “Velvet-Strike” infiltrates “Counter-Strike,” changing its dynamic.”
The concept of Velvet-Strike came from Anne-Marie Schleiner, giving a shooter game mod workshop in Spain, during the same time the U.S. started dropping bombs in Afghanistan. Schleiner and Joan Leandre started discussing anti-military shooter mod. They explained that they didn’t program anything themselves, but rather just used the built-in function, Counter-Strike used for their game, the “tagging” option, which allows for players to graffiti their “marks” anywhere in the game space. They felt that it was a more viral approach.
Reaction to “Velvet-Strike” was more angry and dismissive than the designers had anticipated. Many “Counter-Strike” fans made it personal, deriding Schleiner’s résumé and gaming preferences (erotic mods and an admiration of fantasy games).
Schleiner wanted a controversy to arise from her work, and it worked. She wanted to make a point by not only having anti-military tags, but tags with pink teddy bears, as a connotation of women and children, components that aren’t usually included in harsh, military games such as Counter-Strike.
for the full article: http://www.salon.com/2004/05/04/velvet_strike/
