Capcom Addresses Deep Down Sexism Controversy

[Steven Bogos]

Capcom Addresses Deep Down Sexism Controversy

Deep Down will only feature a single, male, main character.

Earlier this week, angrily react to the news [http://gematsu.com/2014/02/new-deep-footage-shown-ps4-lab], crying sexism. In an effort to calm the masses, Deep Down producer Kazunori Sugiura has issued an official statement, clarifying a couple of misconceptions. Specifically, Sugiura confirms that there will only be a single playable character, rather than twelve, and while he is indeed male, the game's story will focus around him.

"I was informed by a representative of one of our overseas branches that an article containing misleading information regarding Deep Down has been recently circulating and drawing some attention. This article makes the claim that the game has 12 playable characters, all of whom are male. As producer in charge of this project, I would like to respond and clarify. While the main character of Deep Down is indeed male, he is the only playable character in the game. The story focuses on him and a group of allies known as the Ravens."

Furthermore, Sugiura added that while no official announcement of an international Deep Down release has been made, Capcom is very happy that it is drawing attention in regions other than Japan, and hopes to release more information soon.

Details on Deep Down are pretty scarce at the moment. We know that it will be free-to-play, a PlayStation 4 exclusive, have 4-player co-op and release some time this year, but other than that, nothing much else. It will be set in some kind of sci-fi fantasy setting [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/130862-Deep-Down-Prologue-Trailer-Sets-Up-Future-Past-Monster-Hunting], not unlike Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed series.

So what do you guys think? Is it "sexist" to not include a female playable character because of the game's plot?

Source: Eurogamer [http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-02-19-capcom-addresses-concern-over-lack-of-female-characters-in-deep-down]

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[Erttheking]

Sounds like it was the result of a communication derp, nothing else. Frankly I say we just move on from this one.

 

[Kahani]

Four player co-op with a single playable character? Does each player get one limb to control or something?

 

[Andy of Comix Inc]

Four player co-op with a single playable character? Does each player get one limb to control or something?

You're thinking of Octodad there and how I wish it were the case here, too.

 

[MrHide-Patten]

Eh, part of the reason I like playing Warframe (on the PS4) is that there is a pretty even mix between male and female classes. Hearing that this game is a sausage fest, doesn't make my hand leap towards the download button. Personal opinions and all that.

With that said, this coming from Japan where 'plot reasons' can be; "all women wear skirts and cant climb properly in skirts" (paraphrasing the Last Gurdians creator there), I can easily geuss that the reason will be a load of bullshit.

Then again, whateves, if it does super well for them, fair enough. But if it flops/underperforms I could give a point to get me interested.

 

[Magmarock]

Disappointing for female gamers maybe, but certainly not sexist. It's frankly really silly to say that something is sexist because of something that's not included

 

[omega 616]

I wouldn't say this is sexism, there are loads of games where you just play as a guy.

I think it is more sexist to have a female side kick that is nothing but a fan service love interest, than to just be a sausage fest.

I think Dragons crown is a much bigger offender of sexism than this and people gloss over Dragons crown sexism like it's nothing. Although I seem to be in the minority when opinions on what is and isn't sexism ... I think Bayonnetta and lollipop chainsaw are offenders but loads of people think they are empowering.

 

[Angelous Wang]

The game has (or at least seems to) both a sci-fi and a medieval theme to it.

And part of having a medieval theme is often having some sort of feudal society, in which having women warriors is typically a big no. Just like it was in real world Europe when we had feudal governments.

Of course you could ague sci-fi counters any rules of realism.

 

[havoc33]

Once again, the gaming community manages to embarrass itself. Developers should just stop making games, let's see if that makes these twats any more happier.

 

[Doclector]

Well, we can't say much at the moment. It could be trying to do something with said "sausage fest", raise points about masculinity and all, it could be set in a pseudo-realistic depiction of medievil times, in which, of course, females weren't often allowed in combat. It could just be some bullshit again, a load of people not wanting to put people off with a female character, not realising that most people wouldn't give a crap.

We just don't know right now. I will say this though, sometimes it's hard to think of what gender you want your main to be, if their gender wouldn't say anything. I'm making a project at uni squarely centred on one lead, there only being one other character they really talk to. The dilemma is so; I make one character male, and the other female, and that feels clich'e. I make both characters one gender, and that feels unfair. It's hard to win sometimes, especially when you're not aiming for the character's genders to say anything at all, rather their actions. There's a tendency when gender is involved for people to read something between the lines that isn't there at all, or wasn't intended to be there.

 

[MeChaNiZ3D]

It is certainly not sexist to not include a female character because of the plot. It is sexist not to include one for no good reason in a team of 12, but plot is a fine reason among many fine reasons.

 

[Ed130 The Vanguard]

In a creaky old voice
"So this is what passes for a sexism controversy these days? Why back in my day..."

No seriously, that's it? Some stupid miscommunication if Capcom is tilling the truth?

 

[The Lunatic]

Complete sexism for skullgirls not to feature any playable male characters, guys.

 

[Abomination]

Heaven forbid a medieval setting has a male protagonist filling the role of a warrior.

There was mention in this very thread that only 3% of games have a female only protagonist... well less than 3% of the armed forces for that time period were women so I'd say current games are giving women more attention than is needed.

 

[Zhukov]

Uggh, this is going to be a fun one.

I don't know who is going to annoy me more, the folks throwing the term "sexism" around like misapplied confetti or the folks squealing, "Noooo, stop talking about sexism, it doesn't exist LALALALA...."

 

[Phrozenflame500]

Keep in mind this really isn't a "controversy" as much as one writer for VG247 writing a hilariously hostile article about it.

While I do think females are under-represented in games and this type of dialogue is worth having, attacking games for having no female playable characters is really fighting the symptoms and not the disease and tends to defeat any point you're trying to make.

 

[Pedro The Hutt]

Complete sexism for skullgirls not to feature any playable male characters, guys.

I wouldn't entirely disagree, but for different reasons. It's a game that panders to nerdy males by having a lot of girls that tick the boxes on various fetishes. So it's still less than kind for female gamers, but for different reasons than a game with no playable females.

As an aside, they did add male characters in updated versions of the game. Well, one or two.

 

[Oskuro]

This isn't exactly sexism, but massive inertial thinking (read: stupidity).

In a post Mass Effect/Saint's Row world there is no excuse to not have customizable characters the players can tailor to their taste, specially in roguelike games like Deep Down is supposed to be.

The "story reasons" excuse sounds particularly hollow, not only because of the aforementioned games managing to convey compelling storylines with customizable characters, but also because I would bet the character's gender will most certainly not inform the story, as is common in most videogame plots (which center more around external actions than internal characterization).

Of course, this does point to a source of actual sexism of the worst kind, the kind we hardly notice: What story reasons require a male character? The way these type of stories tend to pan out, it seems like the reason the characters are often male is because there is the perception that women could not credibly play the main role in the sort of action/fantasy adventure we're most likely bound to get. Why is this? Is there a hint of developers (or worse, society) unconsciously agreeing that there are things women shouldn't do?


I'm not making specific accusations, though, just inviting self reflection. It happens to me too, mind you, thinking of men in certain roles comes naturally to me, and I'm aware there is a massive baggage of social conditioning making me think like that. Learning to understand these subconscious pre-programmed biases is essential if we really want to address problems in our world.

 

[josemlopes]

Complete sexism for skullgirls not to feature any playable male characters, guys.

I wouldn't entirely disagree, but for different reasons. It's a game that panders to nerdy males by having a lot of girls that tick the boxes on various fetishes. So it's still less than kind for female gamers, but for different reasons than a game with no playable females.

As an aside, they did add male characters in updated versions of the game. Well, one or two.

Really? You really went there? The guy picked a game where he could jokingly show this "I cant play my own sex so its sexist against me" thing working the other way around and you manage to go ahead and say that actually the game is indeed sexist but still against the female sex.

Fighting game characters are always sexualised, both male and female characters. If there was a only male fighting game someone would still cry that it was sexist against women since it didnt bother to include them.