Dixie Ball

June 21st, 2023
by Christopher Shilts

During the summer of hate, I watched in horror as America’s rich heritage was systematically torn down by angry mobs, or ordered destroyed by politicians. For years I was lectured by public school teachers about the importance of tolerance. It seems the mob and political leadership didn’t receive that memo.

About two years ago, I began creating a prototype for a new video game that was intended to push back against cancel culture, if only a little. This game was originally going to be a joke, with some caricatures. As development continued, I realized that I was investing too much time and energy to simply release it as an April Fools game. And so it was decided to make a proper game.

Last year my company released a prototype, with a short platforming level. We had hoped to get lots of feedback from people, but that didn’t happen. After a break I got back to work, and we started developing what would become Dixie Ball 2.0. This game has been the result of hundreds of hours of labor from the Dixie Ball team. I wish I could have included everyone in the credits, but given today’s climate of fear, not everyone wanted to be publicly associated with the project.

So far the game’s downloads have flat-lined. It seems marketing a game requires a very different skill-set from making one. I shall continue to develop these skills, and am hellbent on making this game a success. I hope to inspire other people to create artistic works that push back against cancel culture, and in so doing contribute to the American Republic’s rich heritage of Free Speech.

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