Ubisoft CEO Says Company Will Work to Extend Diversity
- Thread starter roseofbattle
- Start date
It's kind of amazing companies have to be TOLD to not be bad writers and lazy designers.
That's ultimately what this is, far less a gender politics thing and far more just studios like Ubisoft being depressingly limited in their creative new ideas, especially concerning characters.
If I had written a super popular thing staring a male character my immediate thought upon starting a new project would be how different can I make my next character and chances are super high I'd make them female just to give me a whole mountain of extra new ways to write a story because of that.
I mean looking back we've had:
AC1: generic asshole dood
AC2, AC:B, AC:R : lovable rogue dood that got boring after two games
AC3: mixed race dood but very bland character wise
AC4: generic lovable rogue dood
AC5: another generic dood
7 games and only one character who is interesting unless the new french guy somehow manages to also be.
This above all else is why I want more female protags, because even if they're just generic white girls that's at least better than another generic white guy. Fingers crossed some day we also get a game with AC's budget staring someone of African, Asian or Indian or Arabian decent as well provided the obvious steriotypes are avoided with all those options.
That's ultimately what this is, far less a gender politics thing and far more just studios like Ubisoft being depressingly limited in their creative new ideas, especially concerning characters.
If I had written a super popular thing staring a male character my immediate thought upon starting a new project would be how different can I make my next character and chances are super high I'd make them female just to give me a whole mountain of extra new ways to write a story because of that.
I mean looking back we've had:
AC1: generic asshole dood
AC2, AC:B, AC:R : lovable rogue dood that got boring after two games
AC3: mixed race dood but very bland character wise
AC4: generic lovable rogue dood
AC5: another generic dood
7 games and only one character who is interesting unless the new french guy somehow manages to also be.
This above all else is why I want more female protags, because even if they're just generic white girls that's at least better than another generic white guy. Fingers crossed some day we also get a game with AC's budget staring someone of African, Asian or Indian or Arabian decent as well provided the obvious steriotypes are avoided with all those options.
Now, Ill never touch AC multiplayer ever, but Im still curious... Whats unique about AC: Unity multiplayer that it cant have female characters, while the last four AC had female characters playable?
Nop, you are not the only one.Angantyr said:
If they do it, I wish they do it properly and not because they are afraid of being perceived as politically incorrect. Diversity in characters is a good thing; making them as reactionary over Internet people is a slippery slope that leads to more bland games, not less.
Right. Relax your cacks.
This is probably the best thing they could have said, given the circumstances, and it pisses off both the people who are for and against it. One side would rather they just tell everyone complaining to piss off, the other would have them fall on their knees and beg for forgiveness.
Fact of the matter is, a promise like this is a very positive thing. Sure, they could break it. But people remember, it would come back and bite them in the arse. After royally ballsing up Watch Dogs, which they spent approximately eleventy bajillion dollars on and staked their future on it, I don't think they can afford another screw-up. Everyone at management will be treading very lightly so as not to step on any toes. So, do I think they'll make good on their promises? In some form or another, yeah, and that's not bad.
Of course it's easy to squeal "BLAH BLAH BLAH CORPORATE GREED WE CAN'T TRUST THEM" But the fact is that there's real pressure on them to improve, the fact that they went ahead and released a statement speaks volumes to that effect.
I for one, welcome the push for diversity. I don't think it should be so untrusting or suspicious (Like people here not believing what Ubi are saying) Franchises like Assassin's Creed or Tom Clancy will go on regardless, but changes are welcomed. The more people represented in games, the more people can enjoy them. Hell, I'd love to see an AC game based on the history of my country.
So, is this a sign of good things to come? Could be. But it's a sign nonetheless and nothing ever gets achieved without hope.
This is probably the best thing they could have said, given the circumstances, and it pisses off both the people who are for and against it. One side would rather they just tell everyone complaining to piss off, the other would have them fall on their knees and beg for forgiveness.
Fact of the matter is, a promise like this is a very positive thing. Sure, they could break it. But people remember, it would come back and bite them in the arse. After royally ballsing up Watch Dogs, which they spent approximately eleventy bajillion dollars on and staked their future on it, I don't think they can afford another screw-up. Everyone at management will be treading very lightly so as not to step on any toes. So, do I think they'll make good on their promises? In some form or another, yeah, and that's not bad.
Of course it's easy to squeal "BLAH BLAH BLAH CORPORATE GREED WE CAN'T TRUST THEM" But the fact is that there's real pressure on them to improve, the fact that they went ahead and released a statement speaks volumes to that effect.
I for one, welcome the push for diversity. I don't think it should be so untrusting or suspicious (Like people here not believing what Ubi are saying) Franchises like Assassin's Creed or Tom Clancy will go on regardless, but changes are welcomed. The more people represented in games, the more people can enjoy them. Hell, I'd love to see an AC game based on the history of my country.
So, is this a sign of good things to come? Could be. But it's a sign nonetheless and nothing ever gets achieved without hope.
see Guillemot, now was that so hard? I mean, at the very least you should learn how to do PR properly. Sure, ya might not mean it but at least you don't come off as being a petulant child. For now.
Hey yeah. Didn't Ubi say they weren't making any games unless they could make them into franchises?Andy Shandy said:
Well why the hell aren't they making Beyond Good and Evil 2 yet?!
They're just dumb, aren't they?
After reading that, it seems to me that Ubisoft are in the horrible position of not knowing how to do something, being called out for not knowing how to do it, and being too stupid to realize that they don't know how to do it. So in their hubris* they just start making up a bunch of nonsense about how they'll try harder in the future, just you see.
It's depressing and pitiful.
(* Or in the throes of the Dunning-Kruger Effect.)
CAPCHA: "curry favour," oh you have no idea.
It's depressing and pitiful.
(* Or in the throes of the Dunning-Kruger Effect.)
CAPCHA: "curry favour," oh you have no idea.
I think it's safe to say that the gaming community's response to this is?.."Well duh".
Wouldn't it be a twist that one of those white dudes with a beard is actually a women with a beard? It would never happen, but I'd love to see it.
Wouldn't it be a twist that one of those white dudes with a beard is actually a women with a beard? It would never happen, but I'd love to see it.
Props for Ubi coming out and saying they'll try to diversify the only question is by how? Do you mean more women specifically? Are you going to try and kill 2 birds by having a woman and her be a ethnic one? Is this only confined to the Watch Dogs title? Will this only cover MP or will it be launched into SP heros? But minus that tiny bit extra on the how will they diversify its a start ubi now needs to fallow through and not drop the ball for any reason for the next several games.
It really does come off as "change we hope you believe in."Casual Shinji said:
But hey, maybe they'll do something to actually address the feedback.
[citation needed]ultreos2 said:
roseofbattle said:
You know whats funny. The fact that there is no option for co op. It is actually the same person for co op. The character you play in SP is the one you play in co op. Your character's skills, clothes, weapons, everything. That is why they all look the same. Get your facts right Escapist. I mean this is the fourth time (at least) that one of the members of your staff failed to realize. It makes you look bad when no one decides to check anything.
The skills and unique gear you acquire in solo missions will be accessible in co-op and define your unique Assassin?s style, whether you emphasize brute force, agility or stealth.
Right from their website. I mean it doesn't get any easier than that. Pull your shit together.
"We knew it would be polarizing," Guillemot said in regard to Watch Dogs. "Some people loved the characters and some didn't. It was difficult to please everybody with that character. Now, having seen the reaction, we know what we will do next to improve that."
Yeah, I don't know about that. I honestly don't think there was anyone that actually liked Aiden. Even the more positive opinions on Watch Dogs point out Aiden as a (maybe even THE) glaring weakness in the game.
The part of this that I really just don't personally get is that it's not like Ubisoft hasn't done females before. It's previous AC multiplayer modes had female character options and they even built an entire AC game around not only a female protagonist but a mixed race female protagonist before.
Yeah, I don't know about that. I honestly don't think there was anyone that actually liked Aiden. Even the more positive opinions on Watch Dogs point out Aiden as a (maybe even THE) glaring weakness in the game.
The part of this that I really just don't personally get is that it's not like Ubisoft hasn't done females before. It's previous AC multiplayer modes had female character options and they even built an entire AC game around not only a female protagonist but a mixed race female protagonist before.
There is the great bearded she elf in the Witcher 2....however you can actually pull that off (appearance wise) a woman disguising as a man used a beard during the civil war exclusively (don't ask me how much glue she used or what it was made out of) she made captain and went unnoticed for 4 years.Random Argument Man said:
Is it worth pointing out that the protagonist in AC Liberation was a woman? Not only a woman, but a woman of mixed race?
I'm not saying that excuses the lack of a single female protagonist in AC Unity, but it's not like Ubisoft has never had a female protagonist.
I'm not saying that excuses the lack of a single female protagonist in AC Unity, but it's not like Ubisoft has never had a female protagonist.
You're telling me to look at things in expansive threads that you yourself will not demonstrate. And you really don't see a flaw in that?ultreos2 said:
Further, ten people? In threads with hundreds of responses, you've found ten whole people? Okay, so what?
I also notice you said "again." So they're people who have been customers, who will no longer be customers if their specific desires aren't met? That's....kind of how you do things. Continuing to buy a series no matter what offers no motivation for change. And pardon me if that's not what they're saying, but since you won't actually back up your claims I have only your wording on the matter. And that's what it looks like, the way you've worded it.
As for Nintendo, they have your money. They know they will continue to have your money. What motivation do they have to change their games for you? Can we breed legendaries yet, something fans have been asking for since the inception of the breeding system?