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[Dr Bass]

"Daddy, what does 'woke' mean?"

"Well, son, it's a subversion of the natural order is what it is. The natural order being that the only sensible lead protagonist in anything - be it films, books or video games - is a straight, white cis-gendered and preferably western man of around 30-50 summers. If you see a woman - especially an ugly one - a man of colour, or god forbid one of those gays in a leading role, well... that right there - that's 'woke'. There ain't no sensible reason anybody anywhere in the whole wide world would want to put people like that into anything other than a supporting role. Every sensible creative, working under his own steam, would rather tell the time-honoured story of the glorious white man than that of any other. The only reason they'd even consider doing otherwise - of putting some woman in those shoes - is all the pressure they get from liberals and students and those damned do-gooders in the media."



I'm only caping for common sense. The idea that the only stories creatives are interested in telling are those of straight, white tough-men and that the only reason they try to do something different is the 'woke' agenda doesn't hold any water. We've had decades of square-jawed marines, unhinged vigilantes and brooding hairy dads... if developers aren't bored of retelling the same story over and over again, I'm sure as hell bored of listening.

To the people saying 'it's not that she's a woman, it's just that nobody wants to play as unattractive older characters', I would point out that nobody minds when it's men:

I love your username.

That said I disagree with your complaints about what "woke" is and that it's a backlash against anything not white or "cis gendered" (has to be one of the dumbest phrases of recent times).

You said "We've had decades of square-jawed marines, unhinged vigilantes and brooding hairy dads" in our stories but ...

We've had decades of of stories featuring all kinds of people across both movies and games. Men, women, "minorities". And it was fine. People love characters for their character.

The more recent shift has been to emphasize identity, and also suggest we can choose what that is, within a certain bounded framework of course. Only what a certain subset of society dictates. So no, the idea isn't that there are too many non white people in games now (a completely absurd idea, who cares? If the characters are good the characters are good). The idea is that companies are now not making characters the focus but shoving identity in people's faces. We have to know everything we can possibly know about a person by the way they look. What their political opinions would be, and what holes they like.

In summary, "wokeism" is the idea that identity is what matters first and foremost, and character does not. Which is ironically the exact thing people like MLK argued against doing.

BTW, this post I am quoting is bringing politics into the forum, which is basically banned at this point so ...

Also this thread is ridiculous. The main character in Returnal was great and looked totally normal. Yes, people thinking they don't want to play the game because they don't think she's pretty enough are part of the problem. But so are people who have a problem with her being white.

 

[levyjl1988]

I won't buy the game if the protagonist is not appealing to me, hence the reason why I never bought the game or will buy it, even if it was free.

 

[levyjl1988]

Yes, I absolutely hold against it. She is hideous lol. Why would you ever do that on purpose? You want the main character of your game to be cute, charming, desirable. You want people cosplaying the character that you created. Who will ever feel anything towards that old hag?

"B-b-but not every character needs to be attractive!!". True, it's fine when it happens once in a while. The problem is that the plague already spread in the entire western gaming industry. Any type of fanservice is haram. Attractive female characters are haram. It's a systemic problem. So yes, this character was only created because the progressive religion demanded it, pretending otherwise is disingenuous.

In a true free market games like Returnal would simply crash and burn, unfortunately banks fund wokeness with billions of dollars, Sony doesn't care whether it is a flop or not. At least I can find personal satisfaction knowing I'll never give a dime to play these types of games.

This is why I am not on PS. PS can keep its woke crap on their console.

 

[gioGAF]

I think I'm there too unfortunately. PS has been going full speed with woke crap. Ruining TLO2, putting a grandma in Returnal, square-jawing every single woman they can get their hands on and slapping a robe on them for good measure. Not sure MS is any better. PC seems to be the only refuge, mostly due to modders. Can't get a nice outfit for Claire in RS2 on any console :-(

 

[DForce]

Returnal is one of my favorite games ever.

Imagine if I passed on this game just because I thought the main character was too ugly.

 

[DavidGzz]

Yes. I just want the ability to choose my character in any game. Or a create a character. Horizon would also appeal to me more if it had that.

 

[Tschumi]

I love your username.

That said I disagree with your complaints about what "woke" is and that it's a backlash against anything not white or "cis gendered" (has to be one of the dumbest phrases of recent times).

You said "We've had decades of square-jawed marines, unhinged vigilantes and brooding hairy dads" in our stories but ...

We've had decades of of stories featuring all kinds of people across both movies and games. Men, women, "minorities". And it was fine. People love characters for their character.

The more recent shift has been to emphasize identity, and also suggest we can choose what that is, within a certain bounded framework of course. Only what a certain subset of society dictates. So no, the idea isn't that there are too many non white people in games now (a completely absurd idea, who cares? If the characters are good the characters are good). The idea is that companies are now not making characters the focus but shoving identity in people's faces. We have to know everything we can possibly know about a person by the way they look. What their political opinions would be, and what holes they like.

In summary, "wokeism" is the idea that identity is what matters first and foremost, and character does not. Which is ironically the exact thing people like MLK argued against doing.

BTW, this post I am quoting is bringing politics into the forum, which is basically banned at this point so ...

Also this thread is ridiculous. The main character in Returnal was great and looked totally normal. Yes, people thinking they don't want to play the game because they don't think she's pretty enough are part of the problem. But so are people who have a problem with her being white.

Most of my post isn't really aimed at you, I'm using your message as a springboard to rant. There's nothing ridiculous about my thread, there are... 83 people out there who, in this case, fail the thinking adult test.

Imo "woke" is a term applied by unimaginative thindicks who like to smirk and instantly rubbish anything that they think interferes with what they've been told it means to be a adult man by their family or the algorithms.

BbMajor7th knows where it's at, especially with that screengrab from GTA5. You can't tell me Duke Nukem is less annoying then the most hip hipster lesbian character in contemporary games.

There are forums, YouTube, Twitter channels out there that tell these guys (who are by no means all white) that heroes should all be men, women should all be meek supportive figures with pleasing looks...

... I'm not even saying all game characters should be women, i personally think there should be a balance, men can be great main characters but Selene is great too, I'm just not three quarters stupid about it... the thing about woke politics that gets me riled is how fucking stupid the people who follow it are, that they don't realise their own double standards, what kind of idjit thinks the main character in Gears of War isn't just a joke of a beefcake then gets triggered by Returnal? Who isn't fucking tired of the parade of stubble-chinned, short back'n'sides, white bread protagonists the game industry crapped out for 25+ years? Max Payne, JC Denton, Booker Dewitt, Adam Jensen, Kyle Katarn, that wanker from Mystery of the Druids, countless others... I like most of those characters but can't we do something new? No? Do people seriously think women are incapable of bring as grizzled and scarred as Max Payne?

A world weary woman probably only looks silly to them because they've been trained to think they know what "world weary" looks and sounds like, and this is different. I didn't like mushrooms the first time i tried them, either, i didn't fucking campaign against them.

It's funny how the first few pages of this thread were mostly okay with her, then the real wackjobs started coming out under the cover of being lost in 6 pages of comments to kinda out themselves in relative anonymity. Well the great eyeee is always watchinggg

/rant

 

[captainpat]

No, would I love to be playing as some busty anime looking chick absolutely. But there are already tons of games where I can do that. Playing as an average or plan looking female characters a handful of times isn't gonna kill me.

 

[Dolomite]

Yes, I absolutely hold against it. She is hideous lol. Why would you ever do that on purpose? You want the main character of your game to be cute, charming, desirable. You want people cosplaying the character that you created. Who will ever feel anything towards that old hag?

"B-b-but not every character needs to be attractive!!". True, it's fine when it happens once in a while. The problem is that the plague already spread in the entire western gaming industry. Any type of fanservice is haram. Attractive female characters are haram. It's a systemic problem. So yes, this character was only created because the progressive religion demanded it, pretending otherwise is disingenuous.

In a true free market games like Returnal would simply crash and burn, unfortunately banks fund wokeness with billions of dollars, Sony doesn't care whether it is a flop or not. At least I can find personal satisfaction knowing I'll never give a dime to play these types of games.

I don't understand this logic, you think Ladies play GTA (quite a few do) because they find Trevor or Michael attractive? The point of most games is to immerse yourself into the character's world not imagine fucking them lol.fan fic is one thing an attractive or unattractive protagonist is another

 

[Max_Po]

I got no issues with

Spoiler

Samus's saggy granny

however my main issue is

Spoiler

muh skillz... I sucketh !!!

 

[Swift_Star]

I would absolutely admit as a hetero male I've always preferred my protagonist or role character to be male. It does initially bother me when I see video games staring female protagonists as part of me just considers is more woke culture as I am of the opinion that deciding the sex of the primary protagonist is being decided by people other than story tellers.

I would also counter that Horizon Zero Dawn protagonist Aloy I absolutely fucking love and wouldn't change for a single thing.

Protagonist sex has never been a deal breaker for me but as culture has changed there was the period where females existed as a princess to be recued, to a treasure hunter with big tits, to actually being respectable individuals that live on the depth of their own character and world. I can appreciate women have finally gotten much due respect in the video game world but it doesn't change the fact women as a whole are a minority to the video gaming community.

id like to see some receipts.

 

[S0ULZB0URNE]

Don't like using females in most games

 

[GigaBowser]

I don't really give a fuck. You only have to see the back of her most of the time anyway.

 

[Rubik8]

I mainly lurk around here, and I go long stretches when I pay zero attention to this place. But that OT Returnal thread really changed my perception of GAF. Some seriously pathetic and childish opinions were thrown out there. Thanks for starting a round 2, BTW. /s

 

[GrayChild]

Not really.

Selene is far from the most attractive character, but I don't mind. What I do get pissed off about is when the game itself is blatantly throwing its political agenda in your face (i.e. TLOU2, The Sinking City etc.). Haven't completed Returnal yet, but at least for now I haven't seen any of this.

 

[SaniOYOYOY]

it... doesnt really bother me, I dont even think its a thing.
I mean would you really be thinking about all while playing such a visceral,stunning, and unforgiving game like this?

 

[tommib]

I mainly lurk around here, and I go long stretches when I pay zero attention to this place. But that OT Returnal thread really changed my perception of GAF. Some seriously pathetic and childish opinions were thrown out there. Thanks for starting a round 2, BTW. /s

Stay strong, brother.

Keep praying for your mother to never read some of these posts. Or any women in fact.

 

[Coolwhhip]

Yes, I absolutely hold against it. She is hideous lol. Why would you ever do that on purpose? You want the main character of your game to be cute, charming, desirable. You want people cosplaying the character that you created. Who will ever feel anything towards that old hag?

"B-b-but not every character needs to be attractive!!". True, it's fine when it happens once in a while. The problem is that the plague already spread in the entire western gaming industry. Any type of fanservice is haram. Attractive female characters are haram. It's a systemic problem. So yes, this character was only created because the progressive religion demanded it, pretending otherwise is disingenuous.

In a true free market games like Returnal would simply crash and burn, unfortunately banks fund wokeness with billions of dollars, Sony doesn't care whether it is a flop or not. At least I can find personal satisfaction knowing I'll never give a dime to play these types of games.

Give it a few years and it will be stunning and brave to use beautiful main characters again.

 

[Captain Toad]

I didn't think of her actual looks that much while playing, but I did notice and appreciate her age.

As I'm getting older, I find it refreshing to play as protagonists that are in my age range.

That was one of my favorite parts of Yakuza Like a Dragon. I finally got to play a JRPG where the party members were in their 40s or older, instead of a band of teeny-boppers where they team up with one "super old man" who is 33.

 

[The Alien]

Im only bothered by the fact that I convinced myself it was Gwendolyn Christie...and not some other actress.

 

[Zimmy68]

I don't hold the appearance against the game.
I love the game, they could have put anyone in that suit.
The problem is marketing. It is tough to sell me a game where the main character looks like a 40 yr old lesbian gym teacher.

 

[NickFire]

The problem is marketing.

I don't think many people will reject a game because of a human character appearance. But I would agree it could cause a fair amount of younger males to overlook the game when browsing. How much of an impact though I am less sure of. I'm honestly not sure if that demographic is big into single player games not tied into existing IP (Marvel, Star Wars, etc.), based only on what I know my kids are into / not into.

 

[IchibanKasuga21]

An ugly woman in a modern western game? Nothing new.

 

[Boomalla]

Pretty sure a lot of people skipped the game due to its roguelite nature, while some roguelite fans seem to not consider it a very good roguelite.

I skipped it for now because the price at £70 is too high, I probably would of bought it day 1 if it was £49.99 but now I'll just hold out till it's peanuts as the urge to play it has gone

 

[ckaneo]

lol, every other thread on here is made by weirdos obsessed with how female characters look.

 

[CZY]

I agree with the sentiment that is doesn’t matter at all, you could give her a literal blank face like Cobra Commander or some shit and it would change nothing. But at that point you’re just arguing character design just doesn’t matter at all, which is a really boring argument.

I’m just over here like why she gotta be a dog tho? That’s all.