269: The Pasty White Person Is King

[Not G. Ivingname]

Snip

It is hard to say...

For the "being forced to play white person", explaining why Mario is suddenly Japanese would take a lot of effort and story telling that Mario really hasn't had ever outside of the RPGs.

On the other hand, when every, single, game, ever has you playing characters as white as blank word document (the only one I can think of that is otherwise is the black characters from Left 4 Dead, over the top sterotypes in Street Fighter, and a few Asians in martial arts/ninja games) is troubling.

Of course, the "dip a white person in either tea or coffee" way isn't helping either.

 

[bimbley]

Not bad Chuck, but I think there was potential to go much further with this article, particularly with regard to this:

I want to put myself in the shoes of a gamer who is distinctly not a White Dude. Can I create an avatar befitting my newly-imagined race? Will I find representation amidst the pixels? Or will my ethnic identity be lost within pink and pale 1s and 0s?

Now I'm a relatively pasty white dude, bit of Irish blood and all that. Let's take a look at some games which feature protagonists who don't reflect a viable physical replicant of me- GTA 3, Prince of Persia, Tomb Raider, etc. When I play as a non-white or female character do I feel unrepresented? Absolutely not, I just go with it.

Would I, however, feel it was strange to play a game with a customizable avatar that had no option for a white, male character? Certainly, unless there was some specific and in-character reasoning.

So what's the difference? Why is it that when the character is customizable it has to represent the gamer, and yet when when the character is unchangeable it doesn't exclude those who do not physically resemble their avatar?

I'm not sure, but I'm going to take a swing at it- I think this is a nice little example of the constructed nature of racial identities. Given the opportunity to do so, we will construct a character which resembles or reflects our self, even down to skin colour, because we assume this has some bearing on the avatars ability to represent us in its little world. However, in games in which the avatar cannot accurately reflect us physically we are able to suspend this belief, and therefore reveal its fragility.

Hmm, I don't think that's quite there, it's full of holes. But it's the start of an idea.

-Bim

 

[Djinni]

But the only point I see being made in this article, is the author claiming some kind of white conspiracy exists in game development.

That's actually not what he's saying at all. He's saying that little attempt is being made to create diversity. And I agree. But I don't believe in most cases that its prejudice, I think its laziness or following the path of least resistance.

 

[Zenron]

Nailed it in one!

As it turns out, I wrote this article to showcase my awesome whiteness -- or, more to the point, my staggering pinkness.

As one cannot have light without dark, or awesomeness without crappiness, I hope to urge game developers to include more dark-skinned swarthy-folk so as to ensure that white people appear as awesome as they can by comparison.

Guilty!

/sarcasm

-- Chuck

I don't get it. The main point of my rant was to tell you all to stop getting pissed off about things that really don't matter. I'm not particularly referencing the people of other races, it's just the people who get so annoyed about it.

The fact that you sidestepped everything I posted and went off on a tangent about... well I'm not really sure just shows the immaturity of your actions both in the original post and your replies. You see, this is why we can't discuss race. People are too immature to have a calculated debate.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

A very thought-provoking article. As your typical WASP, I can't say I've ever tried to make a character in a game other than a Caucasian, and this was quite enlightening.

I've found the best way to test a character creator's flexibility is to create a passable Polynesian character. Very few can manage it. Fallout 3 barely scraped in, DA:O managed it and in Mass Effect I managed to create a quite good Temaura Morrison clone... which I then declined to use in play because playing a Jango Fett Shepherd just seemed wanky. Plus looking like Temarua Morrison but not sounding like him would have broken the magic.

 

[Smokescreen]

Nailed it in one!

As it turns out, I wrote this article to showcase my awesome whiteness -- or, more to the point, my staggering pinkness.

As one cannot have light without dark, or awesomeness without crappiness, I hope to urge game developers to include more dark-skinned swarthy-folk so as to ensure that white people appear as awesome as they can by comparison.

Guilty!

/sarcasm

-- Chuck

I don't get it. The main point of my rant was to tell you all to stop getting pissed off about things that really don't matter. I'm not particularly referencing the people of other races, it's just the people who get so annoyed about it.

The fact that you sidestepped everything I posted and went off on a tangent about... well I'm not really sure just shows the immaturity of your actions both in the original post and your replies. You see, this is why we can't discuss race. People are too immature to have a calculated debate.

Er...no. You got the response you got because your initial post was pretty much irrelevant to what the article was about. You brought up race.

The article was about representation and choices-and how, given the times we live in and the culture of gaming, those representations and choices are strangely limited..

 

[chuckwendig]

Not bad Chuck, but I think there was potential to go much further with this article, particularly with regard to this:

I want to put myself in the shoes of a gamer who is distinctly not a White Dude. Can I create an avatar befitting my newly-imagined race? Will I find representation amidst the pixels? Or will my ethnic identity be lost within pink and pale 1s and 0s?

Now I'm a relatively pasty white dude, bit of Irish blood and all that. Let's take a look at some games which feature protagonists who don't reflect a viable physical replicant of me- GTA 3, Prince of Persia, Tomb Raider, etc. When I play as a non-white or female character do I feel unrepresented? Absolutely not, I just go with it.

Would I, however, feel it was strange to play a game with a customizable avatar that had no option for a white, male character? Certainly, unless there was some specific and in-character reasoning.

So what's the difference? Why is it that when the character is customizable it has to represent the gamer, and yet when when the character is unchangeable it doesn't exclude those who do not physically resemble their avatar?

I'm not sure, but I'm going to take a swing at it- I think this is a nice little example of the constructed nature of racial identities. Given the opportunity to do so, we will construct a character which resembles or reflects our self, even down to skin colour, because we assume this has some bearing on the avatars ability to represent us in its little world. However, in games in which the avatar cannot accurately reflect us physically we are able to suspend this belief, and therefore reveal its fragility.

Hmm, I don't think that's quite there, it's full of holes. But it's the start of an idea.

-Bim

Definitely would fill a whole second article, but one worth writing.

I think the difference is in the term: first-person and third-person. First-person indicates that it's me, me, me. Third-person indicates I'm you, you, you. Meaning, some pre-described protagonist.

-- Chuck

 

[AgentNein]

I'm going to sound like typical BNP racist, but I think this is the first article the Escapist has had made me want to whack the writer round the back of the head. While I accept that character generators could be tweaked to try and represent more specific racial characteristics, the insistance that black people should be in middle ages UK settings because of the Moors is really stupid.

Even in current times, the UK is still 90% white and the majority of those that arn't are mainly in the larger cities. In the countryside (or even some of the larger towns) the percentage of people of an ethnic minority drops to ridiculously low levels. This means even if Albion was to represent the UK today, there would sill only be about 10 NPCs who wern't white. Seeing as the game represents the industrial age, it would be even less.

This article reminds me of when the (possibly former) leader of the race and equalities commission said that the BBC should have at least 1 minority memebr in each show. One commentators response was "If you stuck a black guy in Dibley (ficitonal country village) not only would it un-realistic, the only way to make it realistic would be for them to be shot"

While Mr Wendig does mention the Moors, he's not saying that you should be able to create black NPCs in Fable III simply because of them. I think he's saying that the developers using the fact that their fantasy game is based in a time where there would have been few people of darker skin tone is bullshit, as the game is just that, fantasy.

Exactly that! Thank you!

-- Chuck

In which case, why did you bring them up on two or three occasions?

I'll be frank, yet hopefully not too offensive - this article screams the same kind of middle-class PC rage that you find in the Guardian's op-ed pages; white people being offended on behalf of minorities about issues that you don't really see minorities themselves complain about.

Is racial equality important? Certainly. Is making videogames a battleground for the issue productive? Somehow I doubt it, but I'd be interested to hear what actual minorities think of it. So, Anonymous Black Man I've Not Met Yet; are you offended that WoW only lets you "paint" your human avatar? Do you care enough about character creation choices that it would ruin an otherwise great game for you?

Most importantly, do you think that the, at most, few Thousand Moors spread throughout the British Isles over a period of several hundred years is justification for accusing Molyneux&Co of whitewashing the Fable games?

Why is it that when anyone critiques something on a racial level people refer to it as that person being 'offended', and they shouldn't be 'so sensitive'? There is nothing wrong with pointing out flaws in video games, or movies, or books. The second those flaws have anything to do with race, or culture, or gender, we get people getting really, really defensive. Saying that there are bigger problems out there and this 'really isn't that big a deal'.

But it can be, and it's important to let devs know that some people are looking at their product in this light. It can be because racial issues aren't mutually separate, they're part of a big tapestry in our culture. They all work together to push things in one direction or another. No one is making video games a battleground for the issue. But games are relevant, just as relevant these days than books, television or movies in terms of how race is portrayed in society.

 

[Midnight Crossroads]

That said, DA:O still has the issue of creating a swarthy character who lives in a very white world: your avatar is less someone of a different race and more someone with a genetic pigmentation problem: "Hey, my family is white, but my skin is deeper than the midnight dark." It ends up feeling the same as WoW: a new coat of paint over a white character.


-- Chuck

Or you could do like I did and roleplay that my character's mother had an affair and the dad was in a constant state of denial.

As for Mass Effect, I actually didn't like how it handled race. I could certainly make a dark skinned Hispanic man with stereotypical mustache and name him Miguel, but all immersion in that character was broken upon hearing him speak. There's literally no excuse for it when you consider that Jacob has a very distinct voice.

It's a bit like Wedge in Starwars. Where did he get that accent from? the fucking Dixie System in the Southern regions of the galaxy?

 

[wildcard9]

As a gamer and a Mexican-American, I've just recently come to terms with race issues in this nation (Thank you, Arizona...) You know, Moviebob did a video on this as well (Mississippi pwnage or something like that) where he confronted the issue head-on.

I think the main issue is that most forms of geek culture are predominantly white and Asian: comics, manga, anime, video games, tabletop games, and other such games were created mostly if not all by Whites and Asians. As such, these forms of media are aimed at said groups and patronized mostly said groups. It took a while for minority characters to finally break the mold, and they were token ones at that (Black-fill in the blank, for example)

Nowadays, American audiences are too used to a White protagonist to where minority protagonists are overshadowed or simply not selling well (see: Jaime Reyes as Blue Beetle). If we want to see more ethnic-inclusion, we'll need true efforts to reach across the isles and have stories that appeal to minority audiences, preferably written by minorities themselves (Love and Rockets by the Hernandez Brothers, for example). And we'll have to hold them by the same standard or else we'll get crap using the excuse that it's the only alternative for their respective audiences (see: Tyler Perry for Black audiences and...Twilight...shudder...for Women audiences).

PS: I've made sure this post is flame-repellent. I learned by lesson...

PPS: The only Mexican American superhero I could think of was Jamie Reyes: Blue Beetle. The only Mexican superhero I can think of is El Chapulin Colorado. To be fair, superheroism is more of an American thing, I suppose....

 

[Djinni]

I realise that the big fuss was needed in the past, quite obviously, but do you need to anymore?

So now that we're not allowed (in the Western world) to keep people of certain races as property or discrimitate against them when they apply for something we're done? You honestly think everything else is fine? Wow, ok.

I guess my main point to this little rant is "Why does it matter?" Are you so vain that you only see someone as their skin colour, and are you so paranoid that you feel the need to point it out?

K, not understanding this one: He's so vain that he see's other people as their skin color? And pointing out that most games do a poor job of representing diversity makes him paranoid? Hmm....I hope you're not a psychologist or someone in the position to affect someone's life by judging them psychologically LOL.

 

[vxicepickxv]

It's all a matter of cost. It's not that they WANT to offend anyone, it's just they don't want to spend any more money on their budget to make their characters any better. It's not they generally don't have enough room at on their disks, it's just they don't want to spend any more money on their budget to make their characters any better. It's not they don't have the technology to make their designs any better, it's just they don't want to spend any more money on their budget to make their characters any better.

Why should the bottom line suffer more than projected sales just to make a that smaller segment of the demographic feel a bit happier, if they even notice?

 

[Djinni]

Why should the bottom line suffer more than projected sales just to make a that smaller segment of the demographic feel a bit happier, if they even notice?

WOW, LOL. I really hope you're 12 cause I really would not want to know you if you're an adult.

 

[LimeJester]

While I don't disagree with the premise of the article and in no way defend this trend of white washing in video games and other western media, I do have to analyze the idea of alienation occurring from racial incongruity between the player and protagonist: "What does that say to the Hispanic boy, the Arab teen, the Indian woman, who wants to try just such a game? Will they feel alienated? Disconnected from the experience?"

This idea reinforces the idea that there are inherent differences between races, that the small difference of appearance creates more differences in a chain reaction. This concept is just not true. If you were to make a list of similarities and differences between all people the list of similarities would eclipse the list of differences. We are able as a species to connect and empathize with characters over more than just their appearance, we connect with the emotion, needs, and desires of characters, all which are shared traits between races. If they player is unable to connect with the character it is not always matter of racial incongruity, it is frequently of poor writing and characterization. As a white male I have numerously come across cases where I felt no connection with a white male protagonist because the character was flat and undeveloped. I believe if a well written and identifiable character is presented, no matter the character's race, a player should be able to create a connection with them. There is no breaking point where a player would identify with a well written protagonist but cannot only because of a difference of race. Either the character will touch you, or they won't. Believing the quoted statement from the article above sets race as the most important trait of any character, a trait which trumps all other traits.

The trend of white washing protagonists in popular media is shameful, but we cannot rely on the "racial incongruity creates disconnection" argument as proof to change this trend. If taken to its logical conclusion it is counter-productive as it reinforces the misguided belief that people of different races cannot identify with each other because there are significant differences. Instead we should argue for the inclusion of racial variety (and other varieties) of protagonists because the greater possibility of a connection exists despite race, gender sexual orientation, etc. because of the multitude of similarities inherent in the human condition.

We need to outgrow the "white is default" mentality, not by decrying the harm and differences between people, but by recognizing the similarities of the human condition.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

but all immersion in that character was broken upon hearing him speak.

Character speech shatters more than just... ah, for lack of a better word, let's call it 'ethnic identification'... I have very little personal identification with most game characters because regardless of their physical characteristics they all tend to sound like American newsreaders. It jags because not only isn't it my accent, it isn't an accent I hear often so it's totally divorced from my personal experiences.

Of course, almost every Aussie character included in a game has such a terrible, fake accent that it makes my ears bleed so I'm not going to complain that loudly.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

PPS: The only Mexican American superhero I could think of was Jamie Reyes: Blue Beetle. The only Mexican superhero I can think of is El Chapulin Colorado. To be fair, superheroism is more of an American thing, I suppose....

It could be worse. Anytime someone feels the need to add an Australian superhero, it's invariably some twat with a boomerang.

 

[MooseHowl]

An interesting read, Chuck. I've always thought it was stupid that every action game is White Marine Shoots Demons, Evil Corporation, Then Some Aliens. But that's an entirely different level of... Racism? Race-based capitalism? Hmm... than what you're talking about. "Other Racial Options Done Poorly" is a lot more subtle. Most of the games I play have rather good multiple-race options, though, so it's not really something I'd ever thought about in such detail.

Civilization, for example, takes an "everyone gets a racially ambiguous slightly-orange tan" approach, from what little can be seen of the units running around. Morrowind had lots of options, with plenty of racism between the in-game cultures/races to boot (the elves disdained each other, the humans disdained each other, the orcs were kind of ticked at everyones' general mistrust of them, etc). Knights of the Old Republic... I seem to remember there being options, but I always chose the Sean Connery face, so I don't really know for sure.

Yeah, okay, I'm a chump who plays all-old games. Don't you dare judge me! That's just who I AM.

I did have a question about this, though:

Of course, the muffin-headed Sims all sound the same: like some white goob suffering from aphasia after he was kicked in the head by a cranky mule.

I've never played the Sims before, but how can they sound white? I know they speak gibberish that everyone calls Simlish; does that sound phonetically similar to English, or something?

 

[The_Emperor]

I agree with the main point in this article, a gamer should be allowed to create themselves and to be able to create themselves there should be more accommodations made to allow people to do that.

However in a game that requires the character to play a certain race because other races are already an integral part of the lore and the characters race affects storytelling then being forced to play a character of said race is ok by me.

I'm white I like to make my character to be me but I wouldn't mind playing a black guy if it was part of the game or he was a character that I was supposed to play, I would object if he was a stereotype of some sort or if he was badly written.

 

[PanicxBoss]

Also, i'd like to play as a Hispanic main character in a shooter. Merely a whim though

Remember little old Modern Warfare 2? Remember Sergeant Foley persistently pestering you with comments like "RAMIREZ! TAKE OUT THAT GUNSHIP WITH YOUR KNIFE!"?

Wish granted, my friend!