gameological:

“In the 2000 game, the biggest threats are oppression and harassment from authority figures. In the 2008 game, bullying and toxicity threaten to destroy the culture from within. The kids of World are placed in a direct competition that can only have one winner, forcing them to view each other as threats. They also have to contend with the Reapers, older teenage enforcers who target players for sport. In World’s vision of Shibuya, kids their own age are a threat, and the older kids are a source of fear and persecution instead of guidance and support.”

—For Our Consideration: Two ultra-hip Japanese games of the 2000s showcased youth culture’s uplifting power