Ethnicity in Video Games?

As a recent article in Gameinformer pointed out, race diversity is becomming more previlent in video games...or at least its trying to. RPG's like Fallout, Oblivion, Mass Effect etc. are giving players the option to place as other races, but it still strugges as a protagonist in any other genre.

What goes hand-in-hand with this is the issue of stereotyping and racism. In the politically sensative world we live in, this can cause issues (see RE5 controversy) that I really question the risk vs reward.

So I am curious, is race diversity something you would like to see more of, or is the predominate white race that exists in gaming something you are comfortable with?

If race roles were switched, would it effect your experience? Does it bother you that some "races" are little more than a colored skin? Thanks in advance for your opinion!

Race doesn't bother me, howevergender kinda does. I know this sounds bad but i probably would have bought Bayoenetta if it was a male character instead of female. I have nothing against the female gender (actually i like em aloot) but while playing a game i would rather be a male character, because that's what my mind relates with since i am one.

Race doesn't bother me, howevergender kinda does. I know this sounds bad but i probably would have bought Bayoenetta if it was a male character instead of female. I have nothing against the female gender (actually i like em aloot) but while playing a game i would rather be a male character, because that's what my mind relates with since i am one.

manocanada

I dont care wether im playing a white/black/or latino dude lol i just care about gender for some reason...its nothing personal to girls its just when im ripping someone apart i picture kratos not that chick in bayonetta

You're asking this question for a class, aren't you? :P

Anyway, I have absolutely no issues with any race or skin color, period. Whether future games will continue to feature predominately white main characters or will feature more ethnic ones doesn't matter one bit (same goes for gender and religion). Age, however, is another story. I'm seriously tired of seeing JRPGs in which the role of the main character goes to some naive, inexperienced little kid or teenager ...Sorry, I know that has nothing to do with your question :lol:

EDIT: fixed a minor mistake.

I don't think it has an effect on me. However, its hardly the case where we see similar games except one features a different ethnicity.People want to be able to relate towhoever they may be controlling, so ifpeople had a choice of course they would choose someone similar to themselves or someone they feel they want to be more like. When creating avatars I don't give them blue eyes I give them green eyes, not that I dislike people with blue eyes but because I have similar eyes.

I dont care wether im playing a white/black/or latino dude lol i just care about gender for some reason...its nothing personal to girls its just when im ripping someone apart i picture kratos not that chick in bayonetta

bleacher6

Have to agree with this - I just don't really care to play as girls, at least in settings where they don't fit. For example, with the release of COD every year there are always those people who say girls should be in COD. And I always say no. Why? Because they don't fit the military/combat theme, especially in past wars were women were not even enlisted in the military.

Now some games I don't mind women at all, like Metroid Prime - my favorite game of all time. I'm not trying to be sexist, but developers need to stop trying to force women into games where they don't belong. Give them a game where they actually fit the setting.

As long as I don't have to play as a middle age white male, I'll be fine.

..oh wait...damn! :P

Not really an issue for me either way. When a game is made, I want it to be whatever the makers imagined it as. If the protagonist is white, fine. If the protagonist is any other race, also fine. I just wouldn't want it to reach a point where developers include group x or y merely because they feel politically obligated to do so.

You're asking this question for a class, aren't you? :P

Anyway, I have absolutely no issues with any race or skin color, period. Whether future games will continue to feature predominately white main characters or will feature more ethnic ones doesn't matter one bit (same goes for gender and religion). Age, however, is another story. I'm seriously tired of seeing JRPGs in which the role of the main character goes to some naive, inexperienced little kid or teenager ...Sorry, I know that has nothing to do with your question :lol:

EDIT: fixed a minor mistake.

Rakuho

I'm more or less interested to see if people would have gotten into MGS series if Snake were black and came with some black stereotypes or if Bayonetta were Indian. What if the cast of Valkyra Chronicles were 90% hispanic? Would games be more fun if stereotypes were included (accents, culture etc.) or would it come off as offensive?

Sure its an indirect question of how racist the gaming community is, but as it was stated before; most people enjoy playing characters they can relate to.

I think most people relate to the situation instead of the person and that's why race doesn't matter to them.What was surprizing is how people play the non-racist card but find a problem with gender! So much for equality :roll:

Sure, why not?

But it shouldn't be some huge issue just because the main character isn't caucasian. I know a lot of special interest groups based on race, really like to a spotlight on them in any way they can.

Nor, should the character suffer because of it.

Would you like Uncharted as much if the characters were black?

Would you like Uncharted as much if the characters were black?

Videodogg

I couldn't care less about all the politiclaly correct nonsense. Keep it out of my video games or you won't be getting my money.

I'm not a racist but I don't like playing games as a person from another race. I find it distracting.
The whole RE5 thing was just stupid, so let's not even talk about that. Please. That was just some mental-case n00b "journalist" at IGN trying to get recognized. That was journalistic trolling.
Edit: Actually, I never had a problem with GTA: SA. So my point is it doesn't phase me much, but I prefer if the person on screen looks like me a little.

Would you like Uncharted as much if the characters were black?

Videodogg

Wouldn't be voiced by Nolan North anymore, so the game would change a lot

Race doesn't bother me, howevergender kinda does. I know this sounds bad but i probably would have bought Bayoenetta if it was a male character instead of female. I have nothing against the female gender (actually i like em aloot) but while playing a game i would rather be a male character, because that's what my mind relates with since i am one.

manocanada

I think one game in existence without Nolan North wouldn't hurt, lol. But seriously, I don't care what the main character looks like in a game, black, white, japanese, native american, male or female, it doesn't matter. I think developers could make a greater effort to diversify in regards to race and sex, but they cower, afraid of stepping on people's toes with offensive stereotypes or something. People will see what they want and attack, they will over scrutinize woman and non Caucasian characters. A woman in a game with a perfect body is sexualized, a male with one, no one cares; if Nathan Drake was black, someone would say "Oh why does the black guy solve all his problems with violence, that's racist" but for a white male, no one cares. And for a multitude of other reasons, the white male is the safe route as a character for developers. Sepewrath