Arts

the courier Monday 24 February 2020 @culture_courier thecourieronline.co.uk/arts Books pulled over 'literary blackface' accusations B arnes & Noble, the largest bookseller in the US has pulled a new series of ‘culturally di- verse’ classic book covers off the shelves after facing widespread criticism. Critics claim they were supporting “literary black face”.

The bookseller had launched a new ‘Diverse Edition’ of books which feature covers illustrating main characters as people of colour. Titles include Romeo & Juliet, Moby Dick and the Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

Earlier this week, the company announced a Black History Month event to sell the ‘Diverse Editions’ of the classic books, However has since received swift backlash. This was as the featured books were by white authors, starring characters who had been represented and interpreted as white. Author Frederick Joseph had stated that the feature was "essentially literary blackface". Instead of promoting black authors and protagonists, the bookseller merely changed the covers of classics and called it ‘diverse’. Further, a number of black authors took issue with the bookseller’s project, pointing out that it did not address the lack of diversity in the publishing industry. Author N K Jemisin tweeted: "Kids who read it will still know Ahab is white. The text screams it! But now they’ll also know some- body at B&N thinks blackness is just a meaningless veneer used to mock real representation. It’s literary blackface, and they WILL see through it. Kids aren’t stupid.”

The initiative had revealed the struggles in addressing ongoing diversity problems in the publishing industry. While the bookseller had insisted on "good intentions" regard- ing the Diverse Editions, the story behind how these editions came to be a thing may spark some controversy.

Doug Melville had been inspired by the casting of a black actress as Hermoine Granger in the Harry Pot- ter sequel, the Cursed Child. Melville and Cal Hunter, of Barnes & Noble’s flagship location had a straight- forward thinking:

They assumed that changing the cover art for classics would change the way readers thought about those literary characters and their race. Backlash quickly followed, "this fake diversity nonsense is disgusting…’" author Nnedi Okorafor tweet- ed. The ‘Diverse Editions’ were supposed to be on the shelves from early February, but has since been suspended due to the social media outcry. It was released in a statement on Twitter that the project is cancelled, also admitting that "the covers are not a substitute for black voices or writers of colour, whose work and voices deserve to be heard".

Black History Month promotes the opportunity to recognise contributions by people of African and Caribbean dissent. This month, why not support by picking up a book by Toni Morrison or Maya Ange- lou? The publishing industry should give their cover updates instead of just representing them in the moment. "Feature black people, that should be the begin- ning and end of it", as L. L. McKinney states. The bookseller has insisted on 'good intentions' Amanda Goh addresses the controversy surrounding Barnes & Noble's 'diverse' new series The project did not address the lack of diversity in the publishing industry

Waves

Waves crashing the shore

Awakening the senses

Of the crowd nearby

Abundant wonders

Lie from the blue frozen sea

Meets the blazing sky

Some rocks worn away

Powered by mighty forces

Slowly lost in time

Carl Smith Valdez

Twitter: @BNBUZZ

Sixteen year old Anastasia Kovtun thought it was a prank call when she was told that Billie Eilish had picked out one of her drawings as one of the four covers for the digital edition of the Vogue magazine for March.

But one being given proof that it was indeed the actual Vogue magazine, she felt overwhelmed. Kovtun’s painting was one of two personally chosen by the singer with the other one being Kylie Young from Michigan, USA. Coincidentally, Young also thought the call from Vogue was a practical joke. was aware that the singer had taken notice of her (liking two of her previous drawings).

However, even that did not prepare her for what followed the reveal from Vogue that her drawings had been chosen. The teenager who drew Billie Eilish for Vogue I was given an extraordinary opportunity to share my art and I will use it Seshadhri Subramanian discusses Anastasia Kovtun, the 16-year-old whose artwork drew the attention of Billie Eilish

Kovtun had attended art school for three years but dropped out, wanting to keep her unique style

Hailing from a small town 900 miles away from Moscow and in the midst of the Urals, Kovtun had attended an art school for three years but dropped out because she didn’t want to feel pressured to draw a certain way and wanted to keep her own style. In yet another testament to the growing reach of social media, she said that even though she hadn’t been on Instagram – where she showcases her work – for too long, she “Over the past few days my life has changed a lot. I have had some very interesting and tempting offers and I know it is an opportunity for me to realise myself as an artist. Still, I have to consider everything carefully. I don’t want to abandon school, for instance. I was giv- en an extraordinary opportunity to share my art and I will use it. It won’t be easy but it will be worth it.” she told the BBC.

When asked what drew her to the Grammy-winning Eilish, she said that she takes to musicians who have a strong sense of style but also have the desire to change. Aside from Eilish – who has sung the new theme for the upcoming James Bond movie 'No Time To Die' – she is also a fan of Lana Del Rey and Miley Cyrus. She also admires Russian artists who do it for the love of music and not for the fame or the money.

“Art is not about catching the hype or getting rich. It is not about popularity or reward. You have to do what you love and always have to speak from the heart.” she says. Image: Instagram: @avoguemagazine

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courier.gaming@ncl.ac.uk Gaming Editors Alex Darbyshire, George Boatfield, James Troughton & Shawn Khoo the courier Monday 24 February 2020 gamingculture D uring the first weeks of February, users of the digital storefront Steam reported an increase in the prices of Electronic Arts (EA) games. Reddit user MJuniorDC9 noticed how after EA’s comeback to the platform, many of the original games, such as SimCity 4, Crysis 2, and Mass Effect Collection. These games have increased as far as 30%. Mass Effect Collection, for instance, has gone from €27.99 to €34.99; SimCity 4 has seen an increase of $7; Crysis 2 went from €19.99 to €29.99.

Other affected games are Battlefield: Bad Company; Command & Conquer: Red Alert; Dead Space 2; or Dragon Age: Origins. But the spike in prices doesn’t appear to be consistent. Some countries like Thailand and Indonesia have seen a higher increase in their Steam prices as opposed to US users. However, E A ’ s distribution platform, Origin, has not been affected by these price alterations.

Eight years ago, EA stopped selling their games in thirdparty-platforms. Still, by the end of 2019, EA announced a new partnership with Valve, the publisher behind Steam. The new association with Valve came with a new release: Jedi: Fallen Order. intended to attract more users to the Origin platform. The increase in prices creates further disparity between Origin and Steam, meaning that third-party platforms can’t use games bought through Origin.

Secondly, EA’s price spike could be due to Valve’s commission on games bought through Steam. Game developer, Alva Majo, explains that Valve take a cut depending on the c o u n t r y and the importance of the developer. W h i l e their cut on EA’s games is allegedly now 30%, the commission varies depending on the country. However, some users appear to be sceptical. While Valve’s cut is now at 30% for EA, the exact percentage before EA’s ‘hiatus’ is unknown. This means that the price spike could be due to a change in Valve and EA’s commission. EA's distribution platform, Origin, has not been affected EA turn the steam back on Alex Gervas talks business following EA's recent policy change EA's price spike could be due to Valve's commission on games bought through Steam I f you are looking for a YouTuber that surpasses simple analysis of video games, then look no further than NakeyJakey! He differentiates himself from other video essayists by subverting viewers’ expectations created by his thumbnails. At first glance, his videos might seem similar to many other content creators. However, he gives fresh insight on video gaming through his comedic style and content by injecting his own nuances, wit and critical theories, all of which intertwine seamlessly.

His analyses highlight how subjectivity can be a powerful tool in understanding the concepts behind games. These emphasise how one does not require a university degree in order to be capable of insightful, critical thought. He also explores themes that are usually disregarded by many analysts, such as ideas stemming from clothing design, animals and alcohol in video games. He diverges from formulaic video essays with his infectious personality and set design. He puts himself before a green screen for relevant “let’s play” videos, and sits on a yoga ball while discussing the game. This welcomes engagement in an odd, yet equally exciting manner.

Furthermore, his rap reviews bring out another side of NakeyJakey. He demonstrates a plethora of talent with his creative and experimental analysis of video games, helping to bring his points across in ways that are simultaneously informative and entertaining.

NakeyJakey’s presentation is truly unique, hilarious and surprisingly perceptive. His channel highlights how editing doesn’t need to be complex in order to foster a connection with online audiences. All an individual needs is authenticity, charisma and sincere opinions that reach the audience’s hearts. Beat the algorithm: the best gaming YouTubers Video games aren't just about playing. Our writers share the brightest sparks of the gaming explosion on the world's no. 1 video platform NakeyJakey Carl Smith Valdez Image: Wikimedia

Users have started reflecting on possible reasons behind this increase. The first explanation given was that EA Jack Wallace-Hunter assesses the fan reaction to Byleth from Fire Emblem being added to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate M asahiro Sakurai, director of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has acknowledged that a considerable portion of the game’s fighter roster contains characters from Fire Emblem, and specifically sword fighters. Since the announcement of Byleth as a new DLC character, fans have voiced their disappointment towards what has been interpreted as a bias towards the FE series. Many fans believe that other franchises deserve more representation.

The latest issue of Famitsu magazine reveals that Sakurai “understand[s]” that “there are too many Fire Emblem characters”. However, shown in a translation from online news outlet Nintendo Everything, it is Nintendo who “brings their thoughts to the table”. Sakurai goes on to say that he’s “not exactly aware of what Nintendo’s future release plans are, so [he] [goes] along with what they decide.” Suggestions have been made that Nintendo pushed the introduction of Byleth into the game’s roster in order to add a character from the new instalment of the Fire Emblem franchise: Three Houses. could experience immediately in Smash Bros.” Yet, the issue of sword fighters was in Sakurai’s power to consider, as he “ended up implementing the three houses’ leaders’ ‘Hero Relics’ as some of their moves to keep with elements present in Three Houses.” However, fans have more to look forward to, as Sakurai’s team is set to release a second round of DLC fighters. A l t h o u g h nothing has been confirmed yet, speculation and potential leaks suggest characters such as Dante from Devil May Cry and a DOOM fighter set to join the roster. With a Nintendo Direct a fair way off, fans will have to remain patient for the foreseeable future. Fans have a second round of DLC fighers to look foward to from Sakurai and his team Too many sword fighters?

Coronavirus gets the jump on Nintendo Image: YouTube (NakeyJakey)

Since its outbreak in Wuhan at the end of last year, the coronavirus has caused a wave of disruption all around the world, from racial fear-mongering – colloquially termed ‘coronaracism’ – to the mass closure of public spaces, such as cinemas, in East Asia. Now Nintendo has come out with a statement revealing that production for their Switch console has been delayed for the Japanese market.

The delay comes from the mass production of Switch consoles that is done in China, which has been the most severely affected country by the virus thus far. While Nintendo has been migrating their production to Vietnam since the emergence of the China-US trade conflict, operations there are not yet sufficient to support the backload.

Additionally, the Animal Crossing: New Horizons- themed Switch console, unveiled at the end of January, has also been delayed, with a new release date in Japan left unconfirmed. The console design has been met with a great reception online and is slated to be a limited edition release. New Horizons is the upcoming and highly anticipated follow-up to 2013’s Animal Crossing: New Leaf (released on the 3DS).

Meanwhile, the global market, including North America and Europe, will remain unaffected by the fall of production in China. This is due to the fact that, unlike Japan, Switch consoles and accessories are not produced in China for these markets. Likewise, the Animal Crossing-themed Switch will make the 13 March Nintendo delays console production, while Peter Lennon shows that even the gaming industry is not safe from the outbreak of coronavirus The Animal Crossing themed Switch console has also been delayed