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[……forgetit]

No, it just reflects the viewing base less accurately. Decisions like these are made based on plenty of research rooted in psychology and culture.

As usual plenty of people seem to be making this way more difficult for themselves to understand than they need to. You don't have to be smart to understand why this is the way it is folks. It isn't going to change until the demographics change, plain and simple.

Which is why they're afraid it will hurt they're bottom line? I think you're agreeing with me a bit, but the research is actually out on if having non-white male protagonists in action films or AAA video games actually hurts sales, because they're simply aren't enough of them to form a trend. Also the movie going audience for most action films aren't straight white males, actually most groups see films equally, meaning near half the audience for action films are women.

 

[EscoBlades]

Simply put, more people of color need to be making video games, or in a position where they heavily influence character development. Within a lot of these studios (which are mostly dominated by white males), I think it's just second nature for them to make their characters white, regardless if the character is male or female .

This has been my mantra for years.

 

[Spinluck]

It's also worth mentioning that some character creators fucking suck at making black people.

 

[mechphree]

No, it just reflects the viewing base less accurately. Decisions like these are made based on plenty of research rooted in psychology and culture.

As usual plenty of people seem to be making this way more difficult for themselves to understand than they need to. You don't have to be smart to understand why this is the way it is folks. It isn't going to change until the demographics change, plain and simple.

With movies at least , they feel it's good to have a all white or white main because it's good for global marketing. Studies show that people who see movies with mostly black people think it's going to be a movie for black people.

It's sad it's 2014 and we still have to have these discussions about basic diversity being included as mere options. And some people are debating against even having the option of having a option!

No one is asking for game devs to affirmative action minorities or woman in their games. Just stop defaulting to the white male and switch it up every now and then. By catering to different audiences you open your self up to a bigger target audience to make more money. Diversity is not only morally good it can also be very profitable.

 

[Orayn]

It's not an unreasonable topic. It's an unreasonable argument. It is not the artists/designers fault that they chose to make X. Another point is that this is art--

No one is force feeding you this. If you don't like a book, game tv show, etc, go try another one.

So I'm not allowed to criticize individual works, artistic decisions, or overall trends that I don't like? The only possible way of expressing one's views are through my purchases? Bummer. I've got a lot of negative posts about Bioshock Infinite to go back and edit.

 

[Tesseract]

on a lighter note, i would like to see more heroes with strabismus, preferably mathematicians who wear toilet paper hats.

 

[TwistedFate]

Like i said before this is a cop out. You're effectively placing the burden on people the people receiving the short end of the stick and removing the that responsibility from those who are in position to actually make the change. You're also implying that it's somehow impossible for white men to create female and PoC characters. You're basically giving everyone who shares this criticism a nice "fuck you" when you say they should step up to the plate and make their own games.

So if a white male wants to create a game starring a white male as the protagonist, he should change it to cater to the people who want a female? While we need more diversity and options, no one should have to change their vision/story. (this applies to those people that want to create a game starring a female and have to change it to male because the people in charge want more sales)

It is not surprising to realize that, even regardless of their market/consumer base, people resonate with things they relate to. Its likely easier and maybe more satisfying for someone to create a story based on their own gender/culture etc.

So I don't think its a good argument to say artists should make their art to cater to their fans rather than to express themselves in the way they want to.

 

[HolyBaikal]

Why are there so many black men in rap music?

Well, there are a lot of good reasons for that. Like poverty and racism in white dominated genres of music. A book could be written on it, if it hasn't already.

A simple way of saying it would be a mixture of things like poverty and oppression, much like Jazz and other genres. But there's a lot to say about it.

 

[EscoBlades]

It's also worth mentioning that some character creators fucking suck at making black people.

"You write/create what you know"

Many people tell aspiring writers that the above is bad advice, but especially in videogames, it is all the more true to be honest.

 

[aeolist]

It's not an unreasonable topic. It's an unreasonable argument. It is not the artists/designers fault that they chose to make X. Another point is that this is art--

No one is force feeding you this. If you don't like a book, game tv show, etc, go try another one.

it's amazing how the world is so awful for so many people but it's somehow never anybody's fault

it's just the system, right? with no mention that the system is inherently rigged

 

[Canucked]

I think there are lots of artists in this industry that try to tell new stories from new points of view. Bashing on big games can seem aggressive and hostile.

People should start taking the examples of what they want to see and sharing them with others. Take the time you would have spent condemning games (that are done and won't change regardless) and spread the word about great inclusive experiences.

That's how you're going to get more people wanting more types of people.

 

[backlot]

It's not an unreasonable topic. It's an unreasonable argument. It is not the artists/designers fault that they chose to make X. Another point is that this is art--

No one is force feeding you this. If you don't like a book, game tv show, etc, go try another one.

Those options have to exist first though.

 

[Boxcar Overkill]

I agree, I mean woman are in games although clearly not as much. But multi cultural races are definitely almost never at the table. Being black my self it doesn't bother me that much, but it sure would be nice to see the diversity get passed along. Even when it is a woman in games it's usually a white woman but then again let's not derail the thread....

I find what's more interesting is people's flagrant disregard for woman or other races when they get mentioned. People aren't asking for affirmative action for games with minorities...they just want options and what's wrong with that?

Moreover, it's been proven time-and-again that gamers (including white people) are more than happy to play a game as a black character. They do it all the time in the sports genres. There's little reason to think other genres would lose money just because the protagonist isn't white.

As to your last point, as I pointed out a few post up, I think some people get turned off by the way the argument is pitched and that's what they are reacting to.

 

[othersteve]

Which is why they're afraid it will hurt they're bottom line? I think you're agreeing with me a bit, but the research is actually out on if having non-white male protagonists in action films or AAA video games actually hurts sales, because they're simply aren't enough of them to form a trend. Also the movie going audience for most action films aren't straight white males, actually most groups see films equally, meaning near half the audience for action films are women.

There is no reason to believe that a white male would identify more closely with a black female protagonist, but even if that were to be the case, it is not likely to be chanced by those subject to the razor-thin margins of this cutthroat industry.

The only hope in this regard is indie and smaller developers whose investments are not so monumental in their projects. However, I would not expect that to last either as success hinges upon removing as many barriers to success as possible during development of such entertainment. That includes the so-hated homogenization of topics and design elements and, in the same vein, picking obviously popular protagonist designs and other foundational elements that are not likely to interfere with the largest possible demographic of consumers.

Personally, I don't believe I really pay attention to the race of the protagonist in my games, but science says that I do more than I think.

 

[EMT0]

Because white males are the predominant group who play AAA video games, and the making of AAA video games is predominantly a role occupied by white males, and that marketing a white male lead is as inoffensive(and by that I mean least likely to turn away potential buyers) as you can get when trying to sell a video game?

I mean sure, more diversity would be nice, but I say this as a Hispanic, it's by no means a problem to me and I understand perfectly why reality is what it is. To be honest, arguing in favor of it seems like trying to force a wheel to move that's already in motion; things have been getting better and better on this front for years, and getting up in arms about it only seems to slightly increase the speed but create a great deal more drama.

 

[aeolist]

So if a white male wants to create a game starring a white male as the protagonist, he should change it to cater to the people who want a female? While we need more diversity and options, no one should have to change their vision/story. (this applies to those people that want to create a game starring a female and have to change it to male because the people in charge want more sales)

It is not surprising to realize that, even regardless of their market/consumer base, people resonate with things they relate to. Its likely easier and maybe more satisfying for someone to create a story based on their own gender/culture etc.

So I don't think its a good argument to say artists should make their art to cater to their fans rather than to express themselves in the way they want to.

the problem is that the vast majority of games that come out were designed in a way that makes it obvious that nobody really thought about most of the design decisions involved

if someone makes a game with a straight white guy for the main character and that is the result of a process where people questioned why it was happening and there were good answers to be had then great. i'd wager that precious few games meet that criteria though.

 

[Tesseract]

the problem is that the vast majority of games that come out were designed in a way that makes it obvious that nobody really thought about most of the design decisions involved

if someone makes a game with a straight white guy for the main character and that is the result of a process where people questioned why it was happening and there were good answers to be had then great. i'd wager that precious few games meet that criteria though.

that's a helluva declaration to make without sources.

 

[mechphree]

Moreover, it's been proven time-and-again that gamers (including white people) are more than happy to play a game as a black character. They do it all the time in the sports genres. There's little reason to think other genres would lose money just because the protagonist isn't white.

As to your last point, as I pointed out a few post up, I think some people get turned off by the way the argument is pitched and that's what they are reacting to.

I agree it's in how you frame what your trying to say. For me personally I just would like options , whatever that may be.

 

[othersteve]

Because white males are the predominant group who play AAA video games, and the making of AAA video games is predominantly a role occupied by white males, and that marketing a white male lead is as inoffensive(and by that I mean least likely to turn away potential buyers) as you can get when trying to sell a video game?

I mean sure, more diversity would be nice, but I say this as a Hispanic, it's by no means a problem to me and I understand perfectly why reality is what it is. To be honest, arguing in favor of it seems like trying to force a wheel to move that's already in motion; things have been getting better and better on this front for years, and getting up in arms about it only seems to slightly increase the speed but create a great deal more drama.

Retweeted

 

[ReiGun]

It has nothing to do with whether they'd play the game, but rather merely the fact that people identify better with people who are similar to themselves.

See: Similar to Me bias


I have said it a thousand times but this is not a difficult concept. The only reason people here are making it difficult is that it happens to be about race.

Science, folks. Want to change it? Option A: Change the demographics; Option B: Rewire the DNA that has evolved within humans to naturally favor those who are most similar to themselves.

I concede that we identify better with people who are like us; never said otherwise. However, the thought that gets pasted around is that people, particularly straight white males, will only consume media that features people like them and can only identify with people like them. The reason it comes across as a bullshit excuse to a lot of us who aren't white or male or straight is that we've all had to learn to overcome this and identify with people who aren't like us to enjoy media. Do you know how much of the media I consume I'd have to cut down on if I only identified with black men? A whole fucking lot. It does not require a wholesale rewrite of human DNA or whatever. It just requires saying "Hey. This person isn't exactly like me, but I'm sure there's other things I can identify with." Minorites, women, and LBGT people do it all the fucking time.

 

[speculawyer]

Because white adult males play those games

.

 

[RockTurtle]

Those options have to exist first though.

plenty in japan

The reason it comes across as a bullshit excuse to a lot of us who aren't white or male or straight is that we've all had to learn to overcome this and identify with people who aren't like us to enjoy media. Do you know how much of the media I consume I'd have to cut down on if I only identified with black men? A whole fucking lot. It does not require a wholesale rewrite of human DNA or whatever. It just requires saying "Hey. This person isn't exactly like me, but I'm sure there's other things I can identify with." Minorites, women, and LBGT people do it all the fucking time.

a lot of us non white individuals in the other side of the spectrum also don't mind because in this medium a little "suspension of disbelief" is kind of standard. Not saying variety isn't nice, it's always welcome. but i'm not gonna berate someone spending millions of their money to make a product they want to make it.

 

[Pudge]

As a member of another minority that is underrepresented in gaming (The disabled), I have no trouble with the predominance of these protagonists if that is the story that the game's creators want to tell. It's obvious that there is publisher pressure to stick to those protagonists, and there is no excuse for games like Team Fortress 2 and Assassin's Creed to leave out females when their audience demands it.

But for a story driven single player experience done by a team that has some say in what they create (something like Bioshock or Uncharted), there should be NO pressure at all to include any character, playable or not, because it's "fair". Seeing an obviously shoehorned in female protagonist in an indie game is just as bad as seeing an obviously shoehorned in black friend in a sitcom, it's doing the exact opposite of what it intends to do and it's painful to experience.

Basically, what I'm saying is, go buy stuff like Mirror's Edge and Remember Me and Child of LIght and show publishers that there is an audience for all types of stories in games, but don't pressure creative leads to saddle their vision with someone else's ideals.

 

[Sharpshot]

So I'm not allowed to criticize individual works, artistic decisions, or overall trends that I don't like? The only possible way of expressing one's views are through my purchases? Bummer. I've got a lot of negative posts about Bioshock Infinite to go back and edit.

Hmmm.. No, you make a good point..

That being said-- yes, realistically speaking, if you want a voice for the AAA titles? It's going to be your wallet..

I mean, I'm open to other solutions-- but what are they?

 

[Steve Youngblood]

So if a white male wants to create a game starring a white male as the protagonist, he should change it to cater to the people who want a female? While we need more diversity and options, no one should have to change their vision/story. (this applies to those people that want to create a game starring a female and have to change it to male because the people in charge want more sales)

I don't think the end game is to make it so that you can't write those characters if those are the characters that you really want to write. I think many just want to raise awareness on the topic so that you might just be more inclined to consider the choices more. Do you really want to write a story with a male protagonist, or is that just what you defaulted to. If it's the former -- while not necessary -- it may be prudent to have already formulated a palatable response to a question about why the decision was made. If it's the latter, this movement might challenge you to consider how you might make your game more diverse and inclusive.

 

[othersteve]

I concede that we identify better with people who are like us; never said otherwise. However, the thought that gets pasted around is that people, particularly straight white males, will only consume media that features people like them and can only identify with people like them. The reason it comes across as a bullshit excuse to a lot of us who aren't white or male or straight is that we've all had to learn to overcome this and identify with people who aren't like us to enjoy media. Do you know how much of the media I consume I'd have to cut down on if I only identified with black men? A whole fucking lot. It does not require a wholesale rewrite of human DNA or whatever. It just requires saying "Hey. This person isn't exactly like me, but I'm sure there's other things I can identify with." Minorites, women, and LBGT people do it all the fucking time.

Yes, but asking the largest market to make this adjustment when you are dealing with elective entertainment is not a smart business decision.

I see no reason to continue this discussion; all points have been made. I wish it could change but everyone here should understand why it is the way it is currently. I'm sure we'd be having similar conversations in 30 years if the predominant group in America buying the games is hispanic... so what? Hilarious how often the topic comes up though... just shows how hypersensitive our nation's youth currently are to phenomena which seem to threaten any sort of diversity.

 

[……forgetit]

There is no reason to believe that a white male would identify more closely with a black female protagonist, but even if that were to be the case, it is not likely to be chanced by those subject to the razor-thin margins of this cutthroat industry.

The only hope in this regard is indie and smaller developers whose investments are not so monumental in their projects. However, I would not expect that to last either as success hinges upon removing as many barriers to success as possible during development of such entertainment. That includes the so-hated homogenization of topics and design elements and, in the same vein, picking obviously popular protagonist designs and other foundational elements that are not likely to interfere with the largest possible demographic of consumers.

Personally, I don't believe I really pay attention to the race of the protagonist in my games, but science says that I do more than I think.

I really don't think this is an argument, I'm simply commenting on the reality of things, the same way you seem to be doing. video games are full of white guys because nobody has a problem playing as a white guy, of the protagonist if the next call of duty was a black women, would it hurt sales? No one knows because no one tries, but in an industry where there is the possibility that it would hurt sales, why would a company change that? To have the moral high ground? In the corporate world good luck.

 

[Orayn]

Hmmm.. No, you make a good point..

That being said-- yes, realistically speaking, if you want a voice for the AAA titles? It's going to be your wallet..

I mean, I'm open to other solutions-- but what are they?

Communicate with the developers, because some of them might listen and take steps toward more diverse representation? It can happen. Nintendo has promised us same sex relationships in the next Tomodachi Life game. The next Harvest Moon took the hint and is adding them too. Neither of those things required people to rush out and buy a certain thing en masse or boycott something else.

 

[Northeastmonk]

All I've ever heard from females was that games were stupid, violent, a waste of time, and a waste of money. Any more questions I'll be in my office.

About race? I have no idea. Even trying to comment on the matter wouldn't make a bit of sense. I'd list off Caucasian characters (they're considered dumb). You have more games gearing for this create your own character.

Alien species, other realms, there are many different races. Why stick with mainline GameStop preorder $40 bonus games?

 

[SRTtoZ]

I won't lie. I get turned off by games where the main characters are not white males. I don't mean that in an off putting way, I still play them, but I cannot get as immersed into the game as I would like. Games that turned me away were GTA SA, FF13, Mirrors edge, and countless others.

Maybe all games should just use a create a character model instead, that way we can play whatever we want.

I would probably be the same way if I was another ethnicity and/or female because most games are predominately white male.

/shrug

 

[othersteve]

I won't lie. I get turned off by games where the main characters are not white males. I don't mean that in an off putting way, I still play them, but I cannot get as immersed into the game as I would like. Games that turned me away were GTA SA, FF13, Mirrors edge, and countless others.

[...]

I would probably be the same way if I was another ethnicity and/or female because most games are predominately white male.

Science agrees with you, political correctness does not.

 

[TwistedFate]

the problem is that the vast majority of games that come out were designed in a way that makes it obvious that nobody really thought about most of the design decisions involved

if someone makes a game with a straight white guy for the main character and that is the result of a process where people questioned why it was happening and there were good answers to be had then great. i'd wager that precious few games meet that criteria though.

There's nothing really to support what you're saying though..

Not to mention, there are plenty more games featuring female protagonists than their has ever been, yet she appears to be targeting AAA specifically. Seems to me the issue is that she wants a female lead game that was heavily funded, rather than simply just a female lead game.

 

[Abounder]

It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness. The world is a vicious cycle where the vanilla flavor is white men: industries across the globe need activists like Sarkeesian to help make a game of their own, ala Kathryn Bigelow and Spike Lee directing moves (or even film critic Roger Ebert writing a screnplay)

But that's why I'm a fan of character creators and first person view, and why I can't wait for virtual reality.

 

[The Spoony Hou]

I might be wrong, but the majority of the people working on said games are white males, and most of the public is white male too, though of course the public is more varied.

I'd say that is more of a reflex of the society they come from than an expecific issue in gaming in general.

 

[Gotchaye]

There's nothing really to support what you're saying though..

Not to mention, there are plenty more games featuring female protagonists than their has ever been, yet she appears to be targeting AAA specifically. Seems to me the issue is that she wants a female lead game that was heavily funded, rather than simply just a female lead game.

AAA games are AAA games for a reason. It seems pretty natural for most people to mostly be concerned about what's going on in big-budget multi-million-selling games - those are the games they're actually playing.

 

[Sharpshot]

Communicate with the developers, because some of them might listen and take steps toward more diverse representation? It can happen. Nintendo has promised us same sex relationships in the next Tomodachi Life game. The next Harvest Moon took the hint and is adding them too. Neither of those things required people to rush out and buy a certain thing en masse or boycott something else.

Oh wow, that's actually pretty cool (not sarcasm!) of Nintendo... y'know what? Attitude changed, outlook? Slightly better!

 

[othersteve]

I'd say that is more of a reflex of the society they come from than an expecific issue in gaming in general.

That would be true, but I don't think some of you realize how much research goes into planning a game for demographic targeting.

 

[WrenchNinja]

It's not an unreasonable topic. It's an unreasonable argument. It is not the artists/designers fault that they chose to make X. Another point is that this is art--

No one is force feeding you this. If you don't like a book, game tv show, etc, go try another one.

Creative vision being used as an all encompassing excuse for alienating minorities. That's fantastic. Art you say? Well art generally doesn't get altered constantly post release and doesn't have a big ol' sign that says pay us more after you've bought this piece.

Well I would love to try a game that lets you to play as a brown dude that isn't a create a character, but big surprise, they don't make those.

 

[Northeastmonk]

I might be wrong, but the majority of the people working on said games are white males, and most of the public is white male too, though of course the public is more varied.

I'd say that is more of a reflex of the society they come from than an expecific issue in gaming in general.

Do they go to Hollywood and sit inside movie studios and ask the directors their thoughts? There's probably been a worse depiction in the movie business.

 

[mechphree]

I won't lie. I get turned off by games where the main characters are not white males. I don't mean that in an off putting way, I still play them, but I cannot get as immersed into the game as I would like. Games that turned me away were GTA SA, FF13, Mirrors edge, and countless others.

Maybe all games should just use a create a character model instead, that way we can play whatever we want.

I would probably be the same way if I was another ethnicity and/or female because most games are predominately white male.

/shrug

So you could only imagine if you were black that you'd just have to deal with it. Many of us just deal with it because it's the only option we have available to us. Ubisoft is trying at least to have new protagonist in their games, wish other devs would as well.

 

[Infinite]

So if a white male wants to create a game starring a white male as the protagonist, he should change it to cater to the people who want a female? While we need more diversity and options, no one should have to change their vision/story. (this applies to those people that want to create a game starring a female and have to change it to male because the people in charge want more sales)

It is not surprising to realize that, even regardless of their market/consumer base, people resonate with things they relate to. Its likely easier and maybe more satisfying for someone to create a story based on their own gender/culture etc.

So I don't think its a good argument to say artists should make their art to cater to their fans rather than to express themselves in the way they want to.

You got my entire point full circle screwed up.

 

[Mandoric]

There is no reason to believe that a white male would identify more closely with a black female protagonist, but even if that were to be the case, it is not likely to be chanced by those subject to the razor-thin margins of this cutthroat industry.

The only hope in this regard is indie and smaller developers whose investments are not so monumental in their projects. However, I would not expect that to last either as success hinges upon removing as many barriers to success as possible during development of such entertainment. That includes the so-hated homogenization of topics and design elements and, in the same vein, picking obviously popular protagonist designs and other foundational elements that are not likely to interfere with the largest possible demographic of consumers.

I don't think this is necessarily true at all. Probably the most popular main character introduced by the west in the past 15 years is a man of ambiguous race in the games, who IIRC was black in side material that delved more into his personal history. His gender was also fairly incidental to how he was written, and his end goal was to surpass and stand on his own rather than to uphold a status quo or avenge its loss.
When the series moved to customizable characters, it added male and female options that differed slightly in proportion while still retaining similar amounts of protection and functionality.

There's a very strong focus right now on providing "that's me, i'm there" feelings for a variety of market segmentation and escalating positive-feedback effects, but I think it's really silly to say that you can't make a legit cultural phenomenon in the US market with a visual design and motivation as broadly inclusive (in comparison) as Master Chief.

 

[Boxcar Overkill]

Science agrees with you, political correctness does not.

Nor does 14 editions of Tiger Woods Golf.

 

[SRTtoZ]

So you could only imagine if you were black that you'd just have to deal with it. Many of us just deal with it because it's the only option we have available to us. Ubisoft is trying at least to have new protagonist in their games, wish other devs would as well.

I never said that I would just deal with it, I said it would suck because I feel that way when I don't/didn't get a choice. How else am I supposed to feel? I only know this way and its disingenuous of me to try and tell you otherwise. Voice your concerns, I think thats completely valid and have no problems with that. If a game doesn't appeal to me, I just wouldnt buy it and that would tell the developers how I felt.

Oh, and this has nothing to do with being black. Same goes for females or any other race. Sleeping dogs was another game that I couldn't be immersed in.

 

[Scizzy]

All I've ever heard from females was that games were stupid, violent, a waste of time, and a waste of money. Any more questions I'll be in my office.

Plus they all have cooties!

You know, probably the easiest lesson to learn from a thread like this is that plenty of women really like games.

 

[othersteve]

You know, I'm a minority. I don't like excessive violence in my games (or television/films), it completely turns me off. I'm genetically and naturally averse to it; it sucks. But I also recognize that the vast majority of the target demographics of many of the products that contain such elements enjoy or tolerate a great degree of them.

I complain about it, but I don't expect it to change in such segments of the industry where violence is implied (so as to cater to the audience), such as horror titles for instance. It wouldn't be wrong of me to argue that I'd like to play a horror game without very much violence (Amnesia?), but to do so would completely disregard the logic behind why such games are designed to cater to their target audiences.

In a roundabout way this is in fact quite similar. The point is, it doesn't surprise me that horror games have such explicit violence when most people who play those games like explicit violence in their horror games.


Edit: Bedtime guys, fun discussion. Night... got a 6-day-old to care for ;-)

 

[TwistedFate]

I don't think the end game is to make it so that you can't write those characters if those are the characters that you really want to write. I think many just want to raise awareness on the topic so that you might just be more inclined to consider the choices more. Do you really want to write a story with a male protagonist, or is that just what you defaulted to. If it's the former -- while not necessary -- it may be prudent to have already formulated a palatable response to a question about why the decision was made. If it's the latter, this movement might challenge you to consider how you might make your game more diverse and inclusive.

That's fair. It is certainly a great thing to raise awareness about, so as you say, they may rethink why they're creating their story the way they did. No doubt some developers are conforming because they fear the controversy/conflict that may come with it or maybe they're just subconsciously flowing with the crowd. If they're able to think more about it and ask themselves why can't a different type of character fit their story the same, perhaps we would see these games feature more diversity.

 

[Ryudo]

Maybe we can finally have zero badies or heroes that are male.

 

[Northeastmonk]

Plus they all have cooties!

You know, probably the easiest lesson to learn from a thread like this is that plenty of women really like games.

Real city women, country women, and women with family will all tell you that games are a waste of time. The girl who hates that her boyfriend still plays video games will tell you the same thing. It's at least a 40/60 margin. I don't know what city it is where you all see that, but okay.

 

[SousedLouse]

Some of the problem comes from how some people are talking about the issue. People are usually careful when they talk about race and gender issues to avoid offending others.

That same rule should apply even when one is talking about white people and men.

If you wouldn't say, "Why are there so many Jews in banking?", then you might rethink starting a thread with "Why are there so many white men in video games?" One can predict a non-productive dialogue after the opening salvo.

.

Are you...trying to say that tone is important? That it can undermine a conversation? Are you trying to police this conversation!?
You've got some fucking nerve there, pally. Tone is never, ever important. Only thing that matters is raising awareness, no matter how it's done, how it's framed or how many people leave the conversation with the impression you wanted to give.


I imagine that it'll take either another 20 years or so of socially conscious or globalized scenario-making, or some sort of massive glut of video game development along the same lines, in order to get out from under the huge list of characters that can be boiled down to "nondescript white male". I mean, even if every big-name dev did stop using white men as a default design all at once, and kept it up for the next year or so, there's still 30+ years worth of games that bloggers can paste together in collages and say "there's still so much work to be done". It's not like there's a cutoff point or something.

I'm just surprised they haven't become entirely cynical about it - that Ubisoft or EA or the like think they can just keep on cranking out their bread-and-butter games through the same pipeline. All these multi-million development studios out in the wild, you'd think they would have learned not to develop their games in a complete vacuum by now. All these publisher execs cramming their proverbial ladles into the stew with their skewed demos and weird standards for focus testing - you'd think they'd start hiring consultants for their PR teams, to turn inclusiveness into a metric. Can't even be bothered to feign empathy or social awareness, much less capitalize on it. This sort of samey-ness is always defended as conservative business, but it just seems like bad business to me.