Why do most Japanese Games have White Guys as the Protagonists?

It really doesnt make sense to me. Japanese games almost ALWAYS have white characters, and no asians. The protagonists are almost never asian in appearance, even though the creators of the game are Japanese. Tons of blonde people in their games. Why is this? Is there a "white" obsession in Japan? And the list goes on and on.....

Mario, Princess Peach

Link (he is an elf or something, but still looks white, Zelda is certainly white)

Samus

MANY of the Final Fantasy Characters== total white boys

Solid Snake (I know, he is half Japanese, half American or somethiing, but he looks white), almost all the other MGS characters are white

Devil May Cry dude

Almost ALL of the Resident Evil Characters (in fact, most Capcom games are full of whites)

Castlevania dudes

Many many more that I am not thinking about right now......

Seriously, other than a couple JRPG characters, the Street Fighter folks, and Ryu Hyabusa, I am having trouble coming up with Japanese protagonists in Japanese games.

Well, I am sure there are PLENTY of Japanese game designers here on SW who could tell you. :roll:organic_machine

Really? Well if one of them is reading this, why are all of your game characters freaking white dudes?

What about ammerican devs with their "Character creation" engines.

Who the hell has green skin and red cornrows anyway?

What about ammerican devs with their "Character creation" engines.

Who the hell has green skin and red cornrows anyway?

_Dielan_

A Pimpin orc, that's who :P

because they want there games to apeal to americans more maybe?

heck I dono

What about ammerican devs with their "Character creation" engines.

Who the hell has green skin and red cornrows anyway?

_Dielan_

Not sure about the cornrows, but...

I think the more appropriate question would be why do most Japanese games have white guys that look like white girls as the protagonist

[QUOTE="_Dielan_"]

What about ammerican devs with their "Character creation" engines.

Who the hell has green skin and red cornrows anyway?

Timstuff

Not sure about the cornrows, but...

*claps*

TEN POINTS

That was a good one.

I think the more appropriate question would be why do most Japanese games have white guys that look like white girls as the protagonist

evilross

i remember reading an article awhile ago about this actually. Said something about Japanese getting alot of inspiration from western culture movies and characters.

Another thing, atleast this is what ive heard from a couple japanese frineds ive had over the years. They've both told me alot of the japanese youth try to break the mold of being japanese, which in turn is what makes them japanese.

If that makes any sense.

because they want there games to apeal to americans more maybe?

heck I dono

GGNoRematch

Yeah, but Japanese gamers also love the games I mentioned in the OP. They love white guys, I guess. No Idea why, though.

What about ammerican devs with their "Character creation" engines.

Who the hell has green skin and red cornrows anyway?

_Dielan_

The Master Race, meaning us. Heil!

Maybe it's because Japan's economy was controlled by Western country before or something like that? The designer or developer are trained and only allowed to draw white dudes at that time, so all the characters in the early anime TOTALLY looks like western ppl. Even after they are free from any western 'influence', they still retain some of their old habits and design.

I heard it somewhere else but forgot where. This is just what I heard, don't know if it's true or not

Maybe it's because Japan's economy was controlled by Western country before or something like that? The designer or developer are trained and only allowed to draw white dudes at that time, so all the characters in the early anime TOTALLY looks like western ppl. Even after they are free from any western 'influence', they still retain some of their old habits and design.

I heard it somewhere else but forgot where. This is just what I heard, don't know if it's true or not

AlbertChai

uhh.. yea... im glad you said you "heard it somewhere" then followed with a disclaimer. Thats total nonsense.

Sounds like some propaganda an ex-hippie, socialist, anti-US, high school teacher would tell you.

Maybe it's because Japan's economy was controlled by Western country before or something like that? The designer or developer are trained and only allowed to draw white dudes at that time, so all the characters in the early anime TOTALLY looks like western ppl. Even after they are free from any western 'influence', they still retain some of their old habits and design.

I heard it somewhere else but forgot where. This is just what I heard, don't know if it's true or not

AlbertChai

Thats total rubbish they could make every game with an asian charaacter maybe the Japanese just like American characters like Solid Snake is that so crazy?

To put them in ****ed up situations. I mean, it's only been 50-60 years since... well, you know... :evil: If you can't make tha white man suffer for his sins in real life, screw him over virtually! ;)

I think the more appropriate question would be why do most Japanese games have white guys that look like white girls as the protagonist

evilross

LOL :lol:

i remember reading an article awhile ago about this actually. Said something about Japanese getting alot of inspiration from western culture movies and characters.

Another thing, atleast this is what ive heard from a couple japanese frineds ive had over the years. They've both told me alot of the japanese youth try to break the mold of being japanese, which in turn is what makes them japanese.

If that makes any sense.

7thSIN

So, maybe they have white protagonists as a way of appropriating western culture, and making it their own. You have to admit that the japanese conception of white people is a bit twisted.eg. we have different colours of hair,yes, but not blue or pink

Also, they want to make it clear that the whole thing is white, but more importantly not Japanese, maybe keeping the separation between the two cultures, rather than just letting western culture steamroll them completely and they convert to it entirely. Just my impression, based on some discussions I had a with a Japaneseperson in university and my experience with their culture. (edit: experience with their culture through games, tv, and movies, etc.)

I think it's because of the influence of their medieval-ish themes. Normally I wouldn't throw an Asian character into a Western-themed world. It'd look out of place if I threw a white character who uses fans and chopsticks as weapons into China. Sure they could make Asian protagonists, but it depends on the kind of world they're trying to portray. If they're going to create a world based on Norse mythology, again you wouldn't throw an Asian protagonist in there for the sake of it. Besides I'm not aware of many Japanese or Chinese mythologies that are similar to Western ones.

Also because in anime, it's nice to have the freedom to give your characters whatever hair color there is. It'd be pretty bland if everyone had black hair, or everyone had blond hair, especially in a fantasy world. It'd probably work if you want to make it as close to real life as possible.

and then there's somebody like Ryu from street fighter. He is japanese, but he looks whiteGunSmith1_basic

Well first off its not white guys.

Alot of JRPGS had characters with very anime looks and japanese anime characters dont usually look japanese, Recent JRPGS specially by square have a main character that instead look like an emo, or metro sexual japanese guy, which usually have a whiter tone then most japanese men, and such.
WilliamRLBaker

Maybe couse they like to parody white people in their work!

Just saying most of JRPG chars are white but look and actreally Gay and im not talking happy!:twisted:

But probably its couse they want their games to have a more massive appeal.

What about ammerican devs with their "Character creation" engines.

Who the hell has green skin and red cornrows anyway?

_Dielan_

Never really understood it, but yeah.

Anime characters with overly large eyes?

Westernized, yet oriental designs?

I've heard one account from Asia itself that the Japanese have sort of envied the West. Well, they were majorly influenced by the Brits back in the days. Perhaps they still aspire to be a superpower like most Western countries have been?

I wouldn't know for sure, but they're still pretty influential in terms of technology.

Maybe couse they like to parody white people in their work!

Just saying most of JRPG chars are white but look and actreally Gay and im not talking happy!:twisted:

But probably its couse they want their games to have a more massive appeal.

dispator

Being metrosexual is the in look in the young Tokyo generation dude.

It's getting a pretty big following in the West too.

Genji

Onimunisha

Ninja Gaiden

Shenmue

Dynasty Warriors

FFVII

FFX

Shin Megami

Tekken

Virtua Fighter

Dragon Quest VIII

DOA

Shadow of the Colossus (well more like eurasian)

ico (again eurasian)

Soul Cailbur

Fatal Frame

all have asian protagonist

alot of the time they just look white because of their big eyes but that is just a anime design or sometimes like in FFXII white people just suit the setting.

Because the Protagonists in Japanese games are Japanese? Which would mean they're not black?Eponique

Because the Protagonists in Japanese games are Japanese? Which would mean they're not black?Eponique

read the damn post. the TC wasnt talking about black people at all you overpersumist racist.

go hide behind mario more please.

Well the white skin isn't really the issue (many Japanese people have quite fair skin) but the characters can sometime look quite Caucasian. I'm guessing it's to do with fitting in better with the setting, most of which are fantastical. Then again many characters do look quite Asian (Cloud and Tifa in their advent children incarnations for example) Though the hair colour does tend to have more variety then it should. Still what annoys me more is why the hell are Ubisofts Middle Eastern characters (the Prince from PoP and Altier from AC) white?Luigi_Vincetana

Well the white skin isn't really the issue (many Japanese people have quite fair skin) but the characters can sometime look quite Caucasian. I'm guessing it's to do with fitting in better with the setting, most of which are fantastical. Then again many characters do look quite Asian (Cloud and Tifa in their advent children incarnations for example) Though the hair colour does tend to have more variety then it should. Still what annoys me more is why the hell are Ubisofts Middle Eastern characters (the Prince from PoP and Altier from AC) white?Luigi_Vincetana