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[HighResTomato]

Sold this pos game back in two days and made a profit. Bless Amazon Prime now.

Edit:

How about the MP characters? I couldn't find any black/hispanic characters there either, are they unlocks?

 

[jiggles]

On the one hand, having different looking variations of a single ethnicity being the only choice isn't that big a deal.

On the other hand, having the freedom to change gender but not race is... strange.

I can't decide how outraged to be.

 

[-tetsuo-]

So you can have an almost nonexistent generic character who is barely relevant even in cutscenes?

What? How is the player character barely relevant? Or any less so than a lot of the other CoD campaigns where you were a faceless soldier?

 

[Toa TAK]

Isn't COD a first-person shooter? Why would it matter what your character looks like in the first place? I can understand in multiplayer, but how often do you see yourself in single-player?

Now that they've started implementing cutscenes more, a shit ton.

 

[tarzanpuyol]

It doesn't need to but saying you can "create" something should me more than what they offer

now we are argueing semantics.

 

[Zdrutz]

Oh damn....PC propaganda is making it's way into Gaming....
I don't really agree to all this "character must be this gender, this race, this sexuality, etc.".

I see games as a form of expression similar to other forms of writing. Should we now judge writers for starring characters that are white, male and look like a Greek sculpture?
People need to take a chill pill and simply enjoy games.
Just my 2 cents, but I might be the one with the outdated view. Who knows?

 

[Zabuza]

Why would it require any additional voice work?

So let's have a white guy voice every character?

God, you've seen how 2K is with the one goofy ass voice for every character.

 

[Aske]

It's clearly because both characters are white, and they've gone in with the idea that you'll always be the equivalent of Mark Vanderloo Shepard. From their point of view, the people suggesting they're giving too few options are evil, because they're giving players two characters and nine tweaked faces.

However, once you let people choose their gender, the next logical step is to let then choose their race. Offering any options to change characters' faces instead of this makes the lack of racial customization seem like a major omission. I'd bet various people on the team pointed this out during development and were ignored.

 

[Ordinaryundone]

They are designed to look like specific people, their voice actors, so I can see why they didn't. Still, if it was that important you'd think they could have gotten an alternative black actor. Maybe Keith David, he's a regular for the series.

 

[MegaSackman]

Everyone complains and demands a place in the board.

 

[JoseLopez]

Shareef Jackson from the excellent GamingLooksGood did a video about this. The character creation starts at 2:14.



It was already touched upon in the other thread by various posters. Black Ops 3 have been priding itself that it allows the player to choose their own gender for the singleplayer campaign. But unfortunately the 18 different characters (9 male, 9 female) all are different versions of White. There are hundreds of people working on this with millions of dollars in all aspects of the game, but the decision-makers at the developer never considered having different racial representation for their character options. This is a step back from Advanced Warfare, which according to some did allow for some different options for character customization. What is weird however is that as far as I know, almost no review has mentioned this in their assessment of the game.



http://www.thezonegamer.com/2015/11/cod-black-ops-3s-campaign-doesnt-allow.html

I think it's an important point to highlight, because developers shouldn't just think that they have to check some diversity box by putting in some (white) women only and then leave it at that. And I think reviewers should be more aware and conscious about this when reviewing the game.

Here you can see it:

Dude you do know some people can have lighter skin than black and not be Considered white. As someone who's played the game op is lying you can clearly change race just not black sadly. Seems like a time thing more than anything.

 

[SolidSnakex]

Why would it require any additional voice work?

It wouldn't if all you wanted is an option to change the skin color for the character. But the face would remain identical due to the performance capture they used for the game.

 

[ocean]

I'm not white and can't for the life of me understand why anybody gives a shit.

Generic John Rambo being white or black or Asian or Hispanic makes zero difference. None of us are "represented" here and if a hue in a texture is what defines your "immersion" (these buzzwords make me wanna vomit) then I don't even know what to say.

Honestly: this is less than a non-issue.

 

[BronsonLee]

If it helps, the campaign is stupid as hell so it's not surprising

Though it is funny that you can just up and switch genders and faces mid campaign with no logic or reason behind it

 

[TheOfficeMut]

Black Ops? More like No Black Options! jajajaja




Does this game take place in Chicago?

Black people aren't only shot in Chicago.

 

[JoseLopez]

Also typical white folk just guessing we all have different accents based on race never change

 

[SliceSabre]

Why do devs hate offering other race options?


Oh well whatever, I've gotten used to it at this point.

 

[Camjo-Z]

Now that they've started implementing cutscenes more, a shit ton.

In this? A lot
Your character ain't Ramirez, Frost, Roach, Logan etc anymore.

I see. I haven't played COD since Modern Warfare 2, so I wasn't aware. Seems a bit strange that they wouldn't allow a simple color slider then, although maybe they were intending to have a few variations on a specific character rather than total customization.

 

[JoseLopez]

Why do devs hate offering other race options?

I was so disappointed when I realized this.

Time and money I'm sure

 

[scoobidoo112]

Outrage over nothing. Nobody is ever satisfied, there's always that next thing people have to be upset about.

 

[TheOfficeMut]

Why do devs hate offering other race options?


Oh well whatever, I've gotten used to it at this point.

Yea, I'm not sure why. Is it difficult to do? I doubt it.

 

[Mechazawa]

To be honest, I was actually super bummed you couldn't be a robot man(person?) in the single player. I was under the impression the single player stuff pulled from the multiplayer specialists.

 

[Zabuza]

Why do devs hate offering other race options?

I was so disappointed when I realized this.

What devs hate doing this? The only example I can think of is that some character creators make it difficult to get a realistic black skin color (usually Japanese games, which makes sense).

Most games with character creators have black options?

 

[ViewtifulJC]

This isn't some generic Create-a-Character like Mass Effect, this is a very specific character, with motion capture for every bit of performance. You can no sooner change his/her race then you can with Big Boss or Geralt of Rivia or Troy Baker's character from AW.

 

[Omega]

Outrage over nothing. Nobody is ever satisfied, there's always that next thing people have to be upset about.

except for the stuff that actually warrants being upset over.

 

[Of All Trades]

On the one hand, having different looking variations of a single ethnicity being the only choice isn't that big a deal.

On the other hand, having the freedom to change gender but not race is... strange.

I can't decide how outraged to be.

If you're running the numbers on getting maximum player representation with the least amount of player models (which presumably are expensive due to mocap, va, etc) then gender gives you basically 100% with 2 models.

If they were really going for likely player demographic coverage though I would have made the male be white hispanic.

 

[Zabuza]

except for the stuff that actually warrants being upset over.

In this specific case, there's nothing. Sorry.

We need more diversity, this isn't the right game to argue for it.

 

[Snkfanatic]

Sold this pos game back in two days and made a profit. Bless Amazon Prime now.

Edit:

How about the MP characters? I couldn't find any black/hispanic characters there either, are they unlocks?

Literally one of the first specialists you can choose is a black guy. You have to choose one before you even start MP...not sure how you didn't see it.

As for the first part of your post....yeesh.

 

[Ikuu]

Should have said Customise Operative as you're just picking different haircuts and accessories.

 

[Angelus Errare]

Outrage over nothing. Nobody is ever satisfied, there's always that next thing people have to be upset about.

Must be nice to always be represented.

 

[jmaine_ph]

now we are argueing semantics.

Yes I am. I'm not one to argue developer direction but if you are going to allow someone to create a character then allow me to create.

 

[TheBlackMarvel]

So let's have a white guy voice every character?

God, you've seen how 2K is with the one goofy ass voice for every character.

Bioware seems to manage.

It wouldn't if all you wanted is an option to change the skin color for the character. But the face would remain identical due to the performance capture they used for the game.

Thanks for answering my question, I wasn't aware the voice actors were the mo-cap actors for the game.

 

[JoseLopez]

Also treyarch is run by mark lamia so it isn't some white making these decisions. Again il say again stop reading to much into this probably just budgetary and time reasons.

 

[paperspace]

Whatever you choose you're playing the character they intended you to play. I wouldn't call it an issue. It's just as bad as any other game with a white protagonist.

 

[Lime]

This isn't some generic Create-a-Character like Mass Effect, this is a very specific character, with motion capture for every bit of performance. You can no sooner change his/her race then you can with Big Boss or Geralt of Rivia or Troy Baker's character from AW.

Then why have 9 different shades of White?

And motion capture shouldn't to my knowledge determine the skin color.

 

[pantsattack]

They probably look just like the two voice actors.

 

[inky]

Seems like I won't be touching the single player mode then.

Yeah, your 1000hrs in MP mode instead will sure teach them.

Fight the power!

 

[Razgriz-Specter]

What? How is the player character barely relevant? Or any less so than a lot of the other CoD campaigns where you were a faceless soldier?

At least Black Ops as a series has the player character talk during gameplay.
They specifically only wanted Troy's character to talk in cutscenes, it was completely stupid.

Ghosts is just about the worst because it wants you to self insert into a superspecific character with history with these other characters yet you don't have a single line of dialog and the game end with your character about to get brainwashed into a villain.
How is that going to work with Ghosts 2.

 

[Ape]

It's all the same character

Naw, all white people just look alike

 

[jgf]

What I don't get is why they put this half-assed customization in in first place. Leave it out and just give us the main character as he (or she) was envisioned. They shoot themselves in the foot with this semi-customization. Because the obvious question is: Why can I select male or female, but not black or white? IMHO there is no good answer besides that management decided to "do something for gender equality" and does not care as much about the other stuff, because thats not the current trend.

 

[Sai-kun]

Oh damn....PC propaganda is making it's way into Gaming....
I don't really agree to all this "character must be this gender, this race, this sexuality, etc.".

I see games as a form of expression similar to other forms of writing. Should we now judge writers for starring characters that are white, male and look like a Greek sculpture?
People need to take a chill pill and simply enjoy games.
Just my 2 cents, but I might be the one with the outdated view. Who knows?

There's nothing PC about the important of representation, but it sure looks like you're the one who needs a chill pill if it bothers you that much.

 

[MiguelItUp]

Really dumb thing to get somehow offended by this. It's clearly just two characters with different styles for each.

Personally I agree, it's clear that they're the same characters with minor changes to their looks. It's not a total customization segment.

 

[tarzanpuyol]

Yes I am. I'm not one to argue developer direction but if you are going to allow someone to create a character then allow me to create.

they do its the degree of "creative freedom" you do not agree with.

 

[Radec]

If they do, they are probably obligated to change the the voice/accent as well. Which gonna take resources that should be spent on something much important than this.

 

[Zabuza]

Then why have 9 different shades of White?

And motion capture shouldn't to my knowledge determine the skin color.

It does if they did facial capture.

 

[Collateral22]

This is why Advanced Warfare is the better game.

Black Ops 3 shits all over AW in everyway possible.

 

[ViewtifulJC]

Then why have 9 different shades of White?

And motion capture shouldn't to my knowledge determine the skin color.

they usually do, when the voice actor is the person they're modeling for the motion capture. Its not a coincidence Troy Baker's CoD character looked a lot like Troy Baker, and you couldn't change his race either

 

[Sai-kun]

If they do, they are probably obligated to change the the voice/accent as well. Which gonna take resources that should be spent on something much important than this.

Do people of color sound radically different from white people? I don't recall this being an issue in Mass Effect.

 

[BronsonLee]

Black Ops 3 shits all over AW in everyway possible.

Advanced Warfare's campaign is waaaaay better.

 

[CassidyIzABeast]

Joke post? Not having a black character to play as in campaign makes BLOPS 3 worse then AW? Lol

Cormack is better than every character in BLOPS3's awful campaign.

I just want equality for all. If the character can be a woman or a man then dammit they can be different races too.