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[MiguelItUp]

This is honestly pretty disturbing...

They're really doing their best to no longer be in the crosshairs of the "masses" keeping tabs of all their wrongs.

 

[IAmNotFromDelaware]

So it rejects any white male straight characters then?

It gives the developer an electric shock for even suggesting it.

 

[Belthazar]

I'm all for diversity and I feel games would be better as a medium if more space was given to more diverse characters... if anything just to avoid the feeling you're playing with the same dude for the third game in a row. But leave it to Activision to do it in the most cynical and tone deaf way possible, like... Who the hell is this supposed to appeal to? One side will despise it for "pandering" or whatever word they're using now and the other will find it blatant that they just aren't able to write a character that's not a white male without some sort of stupid dial telling them what to do. They literally lost on all fronts with this

 

[SportsFan581]

Please research solutions for actual problems. We have enough solutions for imaginary problems as it is.

 

[TheDuskwalker]

 

[Radical Dreamer]

XDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

 

[March Climber]

I was thinking like you but from what i have seen it will be the opposite. Try to imagine that tool but with tekken instead of overwatch. If that is not enough think what would be smash bros results. The principle of having a tool to mesure those data point is good. But putting a numerical value is the problem.

I guess we'll have to wait and see. If it's allegedly an ever-evolving tool then hopefully they'll continue to do the work to make sure it doesn't fall prey to the same issues every other algorithm-based technology does. I do like the concept of character narratives evolving beyond the simple times of good and bad though. I'll take more character stories that are more about different perspectives rather than 'for or against'. Some of the best games have those types of narratives.

 

[SportsFan581]

I'm all for diversity and I feel games would be better asrow,medium if more space was given to more characters... if anything just to avoid the feeling you're playing with the same dude for the third game in a row. But leave it to Activision to do it in the most cynical and tone deaf way possible, like... Who the hell is this supposed to appeal to? One side will despise it for "pandering" or whatever word they're using now and the other will find it blatant that they just aren't able to write a character that's not a white male without some sort of stupid dial telling them what to do. They literally lost on all fronts with this

This. Just include the characters you want. You can be inclusive without going crazy with it.

 

[Clear]

Now apply this algorithm to any great work of creative art of, I dunno the last 2 thousand years, and see if there's any correlation whatsoever.

That anyone would expend time and resources to such a pointless tool is inexplicable.

 

[Belthazar]

Now I'm really curious if Netflix has a similar solution... If not they'll be all over this, especially considering how they already develop their content mostly through data analysis anyway.

 

[GloveSlap]

Design by AI committee, just what everyone was asking for.

 

[ANDS]

I'm starting to think I'm in a coma.

But the reality is, there's a highly motivated, well funded group of people hell bent on destroying the west.

Oh stop it. And stop pretending these moves by very specific companies are happening in a vacuum.

 

[.Pennywise]

Cognitive ability

Ok here comes the diversity

Spoiler

 

[SportsFan581]

Now apply this algorithm to any great work of creative art of, I dunno the last 2 thousand years, and see if there's any correlation whatsoever.

That anyone would expend time and resources to such a pointless tool is inexplicable.

With all the reports about the working environment/culture there it seems like that's more where the changes need to be. If you did this type of thing too much we're going to be constantly playing games with the same cast even if the stories are completely different. Basically it will be whatever the computer models indicate is the least offensive most PC group of characters.

 

[rofif]

This is mental illness corporate

 

[Esca]

Oh fucking a

 

[chromhound]

Just blow the planet up so we can start again... lol

 

[Kimahri]

This is the death of creativity.

 

[Vol5]

FUCK. OFF.

 

[Lucifers Beard]

Holy shit lmao, this is absolutely fucking hilarious!!

A literal box ticking tool. How much more insulting can it get?! 'We lack the brain power to create interesting characters from different backgrounds, so we built this tick box tool to make sure we represent cultures appropriately.'

Give me a fucking break, characters in games need to be more interesting in general. Can developers work on this whilst trying to appease the absolute brain dead wokefolk?

 

[DForce]

Yikes..

You have too many [x] characters. Please add [x] before booting your game.
Your game cannot progress any further. Please remove "[text]" from [x]'s dialog due to its insensitive nature.
You have too many heterosexual characters. Please choose another sexual orientation for this character.
Your [x] has been deleted due to the outdated nature of her design.
"Slim body" type has been used (3) times. Please choose another before proceeding.

Bust Size Options:
- None
- Small

 

[StateofMajora]

Oh stop it. And stop pretending these moves by very specific companies are happening in a vacuum.

I see you've learned nothing.

 

[ShadowLag]

Is this how AI finally takes over and destroys us?

As the "diversity and inclusion" AI gets smarter, it will begin to realize the truth: destroying all humans will solve the problem.

 

[Monkeyball]

Competition will crush these retarded woke corporations.

Blizzard is already nothing compared to what it was.

And maybe Putin should just press the button. We might need a reset.

 

[Tripolygon]

Interesting. On the surface I wanna be skeptical about this tool but anything that purports to prompt developers about their racial, ethnic and other biases is welcomed.

 

[Daneel Elijah]

I guess we'll have to wait and see. If it's allegedly an ever-evolving tool then hopefully they'll continue to do the work to make sure it doesn't fall prey to the same issues every other algorithm-based technology does. I do like the concept of character narratives evolving beyond the simple times of good and bad though. I'll take more character stories that are more about different perspectives rather than 'for or against'. Some of the best games have those types of narratives.

The statistical part seem powerful. But the problem in my opinion is that statistic can tell you that you have x women in y number of characters, not the amount of women you would want of need in the game( and other medias of course as that tool or others could be used in films, books...).
Without randomization the bias would still be there in my opinion. Once again think overwatch vs tekken. Would the japanese fighter of tekken be a minority or part of the majority because they are made by a japanese company?
As for having character stories that are not for or against I do not see the link with this tool.

 

[ANDS]

A literal box ticking tool. How much more insulting can it get?! 'We lack the brain power to create interesting characters from different backgrounds, so we built this tick box tool to make sure we represent cultures appropriately.'

Except, that's not what the tool is doing? The tool is there for developers to get an idea on how broad/inclusive their game is, there's nothing that says they have to meet a quota or someone has to change a narrative beat because there's too many white guys. The game examples they use in the writeup - Overwatch 2 and COD - make sense because they are literally games offering players a choice of a character and it makes sense to get an idea on - aesthetically speaking - how far they can actually reach with their product.

Could this go the "other way" - sure. However right now, as far as their blog post is concerned - this is little more than a piece of software giving performance metrics on internal A/B products.

 

[Novacain]

Put that shit on the box; certified diverse by the diversity software.

Don't see the diversity sticker? Cancel that pre-order, it's racist.

Btw, would you like to license my diversity software for a large fee?

(Sarcasm highlighted because it's the internet)

 

[DeepEnigma]

Put that shit on the box; certified diverse by the diversity software.

Don't see the diversity sticker? Cancel that pre-order, it's racist.

Btw, would you like to license my diversity software for a large fee?

(Sarcasm highlighted because it's the internet)

Sarcasm aside, it's all a grift in one form or another. Whether monetary or conformity.

 

[MadPanda]

What has the USA turned into?

 

[cormack12]

I'm just glad this means the oppression and prejudice against fat, red faced, white, male developers can now stop. I mean they have a tool now that actually tells them how to create diverse characters.

No further need to waste precious company time on diversity drives for employees. Win.

I suppose my biggest question is would a random PoC diverse employee create a better character than a white fat male using this tool. Because obviously this would identify how fucking stupid either is.

 

[clintar]

MS paid how much?

 

[Physiognomonics]

It's a new religion. Just yield people as you can't fight a religion with rational discussion.

 

[Imtjnotu]

 

[Rossco EZ]

pathetic

 

[ANIMAL1975]

...

...

... Thnx Activision

 

[Omali]

This is the kind of algorithmic tracking I'd expect serial killers with OCD to keep on their victims.

 

[Gamer_By_Proxy]

This is how games get delayed. They're doing this crap. Why not make a system that "finds the fun"?

 

[March Climber]

The statistical part seem powerful. But the problem in my opinion is that statistic can tell you that you have x women in y number of characters, not the amount of women you would want of need in the game( and other medias of course as that tool or others could be used in films, books...).
Without randomization the bias would still be there in my opinion. Once again think overwatch vs tekken. Would the japanese fighter of tekken be a minority or part of the majority because they are made by a japanese company?

That's why we will have to wait and see. I understood your original point clearly, and the data set for Japanese games obviously has to be treated with more nuance than the western one. It can go well or go horribly but I'm not jumping to instant reactions or conclusions like the rest of the thread.

As for having character stories that are not for or against I do not see the link with this tool.

It's relating to when some western games have secondary characters to help move the plot along, sometimes these same companies will insert a poc just to be a poc or simply just to help or hurt the main character with zero afterthought about said secondary characters. However, if they're written more complex, we can end up with more complex storytelling overall. Part of this tool's supposed purpose is to help with that issue.

 

[CherryFalls]

 

[GHG]

 

[Dee Dah Dave]

Jesus wept

 

[jaysius]

The meta on this is DEEP.

So all this "wokeness" is virtue signaling which is an empty gesture, and this software is a waste of money and an empty gesture ABOUT empty gestures.

Virtual virtue signaling...

 

[ANDS]

I'm just glad this means the oppression and prejudice against fat, red faced, white, male developers can now stop. I mean they have a tool now that actually tells them how to create diverse characters.

. . .what part of the tool does that?

 

[BoxFresh123]

 

[Banjo64]

 

[Guntherlibby]

The screenshot hey have in the post has McCree listed instead of Cole Cassidy.

I'm so triggered by this im shaking rn

 

[Lupin3]

Awesome! Now let's run every known Nintendo character through this shit. Finally Mario's socioeconomic background, sexual orientation and gender identity will come to light. And how old is that fucker anyway?

 

[Bo_Hazem]

 

[Fbh]

Lol diversity by AI.

To be fair I think it makes sense, studios like Activision and Ubisoft would kill to just have an AI that scans twitter, Era, gaming media sites and automatically gives them a game concept and story including the most popular game mechanics and genres, predictive analysis of what will be popular in a couple of years and a twitter approved diverse cast of characters.

I know this thread was created to spark outrage and reactions, but this part could be interesting if it helps lead to overall better and more creative writing in games.

Ah yes, that's why most game have bad writing, they didn't have the diversity AI.
If only Rockstar had access to this tech a few years ago we wouldn't have gotten the terrible narrative in RDR2. Only a biggot would want to play as Arthur Morgan instead of a tall fat asian lesbian who is bad at math and trying to get her life back on track as her undemanding parents never expected much from her.