Poll: Would you play a game about non-Americans?

[DoPo]

Thank you for so elegantly illustrating what annoys people about the 'States by dividing the world up into: "Americans" and "Non-Americans".

And also for subtly reinforcing stereotypes by failing to mention any game that wasn't centered around shooting people in the face with an AK/M14/etc.

Thank you, my thoughts exactly. Although, there were the several WW2 shooters where you played as British or even as *gasp* German soldiers (could have been only in the multiplayer). And that GTA game that had a...Serbian(??? I think he was. Eastern European, at least. I didn't play it) as a protagonist. Or the Modern Warfare games where you play those SAS guys. Or maybe the Yakuza games where you play people from (surprise!) Japan.

I can go on.

But yeah, what about all the other games? I've been playing Might & Magic 7 recently. You control four characters there, only one of mine is human, I'd hazard a guess that she's not from the states. Somehow I keep playing it, though. And there is Heroes. As much as it pains me that my Heroes don't fly the US flag, I find the courage to continue loving the game. And Worms...let's say it doesn't have any American protagonists. They are worms, in Hastur's name - my team speaks like robots. Warcraft, Star Wars games, Castlevania, Mario, Assassin's Creed - franchises where the protagonist isn't from the States (yeah, Desmond isn't much of a protagonist).

 

[Iwata]

Let me put it this way: whenever I'm presented the choice of playing an American character, or a non-american character, I always go for the non-American, even if just for variety's sake.

 

[Total LOLige]

Gear of War's protagonists aren't American, they're not even from earth. I think it's just the modern FPS genre that likes American heroes.

 

[Lucem712]

How is this even a thing?


I very much doubt that there are any sensible American gamers who wouldn't play a game because the protagonist wasn't American.

That's just silly.

Only Caucasian Americans, too! I don't want any of those damn Mexicans, Asians, or Blacks! >:|

In all seriousness, I don't even tend to pay attention to a protagonist's race unless they are huge stereotypes of their race. Like if I'm playing a western and my player character is a Mexican riding a donkey with a huge sombrero.

 

[pure.Wasted]

Gear of War's protagonists aren't American, they're not even from earth. I think it's just the modern FPS genre that likes American heroes.

First you demonstrate that modern FPS games don't use American heroes. Then you conclude that modern FPS games use American heroes.

Come... again?

I actually think this is a lot less of a trend than it seems. Gears isn't American (although you'd be forgiven for thinking it was), Resistance: Fall of Man is British, half of the MW2 campaign was spent with Brits, half of the MW3 campaign was Brits and the other half was Russians, a few of the Battlefield 3 missions are as a Brit and a Russkie, Red Faction isn't on Earth, where does that leave us? Bioshock, Uncharted, and Fallout?

Hardly hallmarks of the FPS genre.

Regardless, there are far more foreigners out there, in our FPSes and out of them, than it might seem.

 

[Dags90]

I very much doubt that there are any sensible American gamers who wouldn't play a game because the protagonist wasn't American.

That's just silly.

But some crazies might not decide to buy it, and it's not like they're going to attract new customers by saying "Hey look, space marine is Scandinavian now!" Or at least, this is how the business people see it.

Same reason you won't see a protagonist who's a ginger. They've got nothing to gain by making a ginger protagonist, and someone, somewhere might object and not buy. Maybe.

It basically boils down to two facts:
1.) Business people think your average, white, American has trouble relating to anything but average white Americans.
2.) Everybody else will still buy games featuring average, white, American protagonists.
3.) Business people hate losing money, even hypothetical money. So they're going to take the safest route possible.

 

[Ordinaryundone]

I'm still trying to figure out why "being an American" actually matters in the slightest. What, do you want them to put a disclaimer before the next CoD game saying "Actually, these characters here are immigrated Canadians"? What difference would it make? Heck, even if it was the Canadian Army it would still be a horde of grizzled middle-aged white guys with guns (and the token black commander voiced by an "aboot" saying Keith David).

The only thing that sets your average American apart from anyone else living in the first-world is the way we talk. That's it. There are no racial bonuses, no special background perks, nothing. Switching from Marines to SAS? Congrats, all those New York and Texan accents are now Nothern England and East Anglia. Whoop de doo.

space marines with American accents out there?

Now, I may be a simple American, but if Warhammer 40k has taught me anything, it's that Space Marines sound like posh British gentlemen with giant sticks up their butt (but really, is there any other kind >_>)

where does that leave us? Bioshock, Uncharted, and Fallout?

Hardly hallmarks of the FPS genre.

Regardless, there are far more foreigners out there, in our FPSes and out of them, than it might seem.

And as far as they go, Nathan Drake is only "American" in that he is a white guy with a neutral accent. Bioshock's protagonist only speaks once, and

Spoiler

Isn't actually American

. Fallout is full of Americans, true, but it's not really marketed on that. As a matter of fact, I can't think of any respectable title that is marketed as "You are playing as Americans!". America's Army, maybe, but that's less marketing and more of a given.

 

[StormShaun]

get out of here stalker.. oh yeah i have

I loved those games so much. I wish they made another one. ^_^

I would like to see different people in different roles.

Where is the FPS where I play as a regular Australian bloke shooting up mutants and such!?

 

[The Last Melon]

Well, I feel like a complete idiot now. I was largely referring to military shooters here; I was thinking of the Modern Warfare and Black Ops games which could be a little bit nauseatingly patriotic at times. Time to edit in a disclaimer...

P.S. a certain mutual acquaintance wanted me to refer you to a website that would get my account banned faster than you could say Heil Hitler. Let's say I did that.

What in the...since when did you post here?

 

[pure.Wasted]

What in the...since when did you post here?

Since... before... you?

I offer these extra words in humble sacrifice to the word count gods.

 

[Orange12345]

The reason most game protagonists are 24-35 yr old male white "american" (in the sense that they are english speaking) is that the majority demographic of video game players is thought to be composed of 24-35 yr old male white americans

as for op I would buy any game that featured Canadians. As I have yet to find one if anyone knows of one please let me know.

 

[NightHawk21]

If you're referring to strictly military shooters, than I'd be hard pressed to name more than a few other than CoD and Battlefield. I think largely the problem that is causing this constriction in the miltary shooters is that are very few wars worth covering if you want to use semi-modern weaponry (WW2 being the main one). There was like you mentioned the segments in cod 3. Zombies in Cod: W@W let you play as a Russian, German, and Japanese character, and you got to play as a Russian in the campaign.

 

[Syzygy23]

Well...americans are not a race, but a group compromised of every race on the planet.

I would not mind playing a non-american in the slightest as long as the game is not full of cultural references i have no way of understanding. Like you said, CoD has a history of putting you in the shoes of non-americans. in fact the russian sections of the world war 2 CoD were probably my favorite.

When people say "Americans" what they REALLY mean is the Default Perfect White Character.

 

[viranimus]

Hrm Ive played Killing floor, and I guess I always sort of assumed that everyone in it was British but I guess that might be entirely wrong.

But then again I also played GTAIV which yeah I had no problem controlling an eastern European. Controls handled pretty much like a Los Angelino to me.

Anyway, yeah, I would be interested in seeing more nationalities in different games as long as they are authentic, and not comical reproductions.

 

[NeutralDrow]

I already do.

I don't see how you can avoid doing so, unless you just play Call of Duty, single-player.

 

[Diddy_Mao]

Excluding various characters who come from magical fantasy lands, I have played games as a British, Italian, Japanese, Spanish, Irish, Chinese and Canadian protagonists just to list a few.

However I find the question posed by the OP an interesting one when viewed strictly through the eyes of the modern military shooter.
Would your average U.S gamer be comfortable playing a Military shooter where the Americans are not the primary heroes? If yes, what if they were the antagonists?

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

err...i do all the time? try every single game?

honestly, all this nationality talk bugs the fuck out of me, why the HELL do people care so much? I could be playing a one legged aboriginal with a blue nipple, and i wouldn't give a shit so long as it was a fun game!

 

[Treefingers]

Erm, what? How is this even a question? I already do. A lot.

 

[Pat8u]

uhhhh....assasins creed anyone? the fact this question has to be asked is downright insulting..to everyone

oh and Mass effect..what edidence is there to suggest any of the charachters are american? hell the climax takes place in london, no reason why just london (I think thats cool though)

I still find it weird that it says anderson was born in london yet anderson has one of the most strong american accents in the game (IMO)

OT: a game about the australian secret services (ASIO) would be cool especially since no one really knows much about them but some of the rumors sound crazy (of course all of it would be fictional because otherwise it may get boring as they are never armed)

 

[RedDeadFred]

Well you'd have to be a pretty shallow individual not to...