Videogame Characters "Lack Diversity," Study Finds

[GideonB]

Oh someone finaly realizes that most game characters are stereotypical idiots. Why can't there be more developed characters like say a character who's an insane psycho with a tendency to love knitting or something dumbarse like that (oh wait thats used quite a lot as well) and anyways the space marine has proven to be the most popular one because most madden fans also own halo 3. Probably. I'm not saying all do but I don't know anyone on here and I despise any game made by EA and any game made by Bungie that has Halo slapped on it for screwing the FPS genre up so hard there's few good different FPS games (S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and painkiller serious sam as well but that had a game released before as well) that can prove to be different to the space marine fridge man with regenerative health with a 3rd grade story thats like a B-movie. Just please someone make a good character idea and never ever have it redone so many times it becomes old again.

 

[Jumplion]

Oh, this just reminded be of something. This [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhopxZqQrmo&feature=PlayList&p=64EA43EB740824B7&index=22] and this [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8ZVZRsy8N8&feature=channel] I believe are relevant to this topic, at least mostly I think. Take with these what you will.

 

[mustango]

You know what's even better than diversity? Not giving a shit about what colour someone is.

Not from the point of view of the people in charge of "diversity", who would be out of a job if that notion ever caught on.

 

[L.B. Jeffries]

Um, gotta say.

Who cares?

The reasons they're mainly white males is because that's the most simple character to make, and can't really be called offensive.

Besides, a lot of very popular games are made by white males, and they probably don't want to make a game about an elderly black woman just to please certain minorities.

No one has said this is offensive, just that it's tedious and redundant.

 

[DirkGently]

Why does every single statistic need to match the statistics of population? And it's some kind of problem if it doesn't? Jesus Christ, I hate this shit. I sincerely doubt there is any real malice or hate behind this. People seem to forget that racism comes with real hate and malice; not just apathy or anything of the sort. I have a hard time believing that every game developer hates all the "muds" and is out to show off the real way things are in video games.

 

[ItsAChiaotzu]

Um, gotta say.

Who cares?

The reasons they're mainly white males is because that's the most simple character to make, and can't really be called offensive.

Besides, a lot of very popular games are made by white males, and they probably don't want to make a game about an elderly black woman just to please certain minorities.

No one has said this is offensive, just that it's tedious and redundant.

Do you not even get the slightest hint that these people find it offensive?

I do.

But still... Who cares!

 

[Foolishman1776]

I'd say this is quite simply a case of a psychologist who hasn't done anything important with his degree, and so decided to get his name out there by accusing the video game industry of being a tool of the white man. It's quite simply not even worth considering.

 

[L.B. Jeffries]

No one has said this is offensive, just that it's tedious and redundant.

Do you not even get the slightest hint that these people find it offensive?

I do.

But still... Who cares!

You're the one claiming that this guy has declared that all game developers are racist and is offended by the lack of diversity in games. He's just trying to say that it's there.

And I care. I wish games would tackle more complex topics and themes and part of that includes racism and ethnicity. It's perfectly valid to say there isn't enough diversity in games and as a consequence, their subject matter remains trite and juvenile.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Sociology: The whining petulant child of science.

Ericksonian hypnosis gives weighting to ideas like "identity formation" not due to their relevance or use, but to the number of times they are repeated by "a scientist".

Perhaps a better use of those research grants would be to reduce the characterizations made upon us by people who believe in diversity?

 

[Rigs83]

So is this girly man saying the real world isn't composed of manly men with chest like cement slabs and biceps the size of cantaloupes who between saving the world from people who are different and simultaneously blowing it up are having sex with woman whose breast are the size of watermelons and whose hips are even bigger?

 

[SnootyEnglishman]

Oy when will the world stop with it's politically correctness. Well then upon second look this was just a "study" and to me that's all it is just a showing of stats if anyone takes this serious and starts forming protest then they're just idiots making themselves look even more stupid.

 

[GonzoGamer]

You know what's even better than diversity? Not giving a shit about what colour someone is.

Exactly. I didn't play GTA San Andreas and think "Damn, I really can't identify with this black, ghetto dwelling gangster. Rockstar are not allowing me to be me."

They are called characters for a reason.

Thank you for citing my favorite game of all time, that "happens to be" steeped in "urban" culture.

The problem is that this guy who ran the study would probably also complain about San Andreas reinforcing negative stereotypes. He wants more of the Space Marine/Hero main characters to be black or otherwise non-white males whch really doesn't make a difference to me.

My last Fallout 3 playthrough's protagonist was a latino woman. I'll play as whatever as long as the game is fun.

 

[Jumplion]

I'd say this is quite simply a case of a psychologist who hasn't done anything important with his degree, and so decided to get his name out there by accusing the video game industry of being a tool of the white man. It's quite simply not even worth considering.

Where has he ever accused the video game industry of anything? You're jumping the gun and falling from the window behind it, all he's providing is a statistic of 150 game across 9 platforms with all ratings, nothing more nothing less. How accurate this study is, that's debatable, but no where has this man ever blamed or accused the industry of racism or hate, just a lack of "variety" which is true.

 

[Florion]

Why does every single statistic need to match the statistics of population? And it's some kind of problem if it doesn't? Jesus Christ, I hate this shit. I sincerely doubt there is any real malice or hate behind this. People seem to forget that racism comes with real hate and malice; not just apathy or anything of the sort. I have a hard time believing that every game developer hates all the "muds" and is out to show off the real way things are in video games.

I would argue that apathy is just as relevant to racism as overt discrimination. Any Chinese woman who has walked into a store completely ignored and then watched a white man walk in and be greeted warmly and asked if he needs anything will tell you that apathy can be a form of racism. (I get to watch this first hand, seeing as the aforementioned people are my parents)

 

[ChromeAlchemist]

I came in expecting lack of diversity in character archetypes, and instead I get an article about the lack of diversity in games race wise. Hm.

Let the pages of shitstorm cometh.

I won't say too much in case I end up sounding like an idiot or an asshole. The only real thing I say is that I agree with him, but he must realise that the main demographic for games are 15-30 year old caucasians.

It's a shame certain races aren't being explored further in games, and that black or hispanic characters only tend to star in formulaic gangsta cheese, and gay characters have to be stereotypically flamboyant, but it's just one of those things. You really think The Ballad of Gay Tony will hit 2 million sales on the 360?

 

[XJ-0461]

You know what's even better than diversity? Not giving a shit about what colour someone is.

That is the most sensible thing I've heard all day.
I mean that.

 

[pigeon_of_doom]

Just ties into the limited influences that game plot lines usually draw from imo. To utilise the plague I'm decrying, a stereotypical white, sci fi/fantasy writer may not have enough knowledge of the other cultures to create believable characters and may just resort to easy stereotypes, and may not feel capable of using these characters as anything other than support in case attention is drawn to their deficiency.

A lack of ethnic diversity isn't the problem here imo. The lack of truly varied characters are. If that's taken care of, then this problem should take care of itself. I think one of those Daniel Floyd videos mentioned that the industry needs more involvement from artists from outside the games industry, and I agree with him.

There's no reason well researched characters of under-represented nationalities can't be convincingly portrayed though, it could have a lot to do with gaming narrative hitting some kind of comfort zone. Games like Prey have seemed to do well in that respect, although I can't think of any other good examples, which is very worrying. Not sure if God of War counts, as that uses mythological, even theatrical figures rather than realistic characters.

...But, yeah, sort it out, games industry.

 

[Cpt. Eduardo del Mango]

Oh man, oh man. What a thread. A study comes up about race, and everyone flips their nut.

accusing the video game industry of being a tool of the white man.

No, he doesn't do that, you're making that up.

People seem to forget that racism comes with real hate and malice;

Yeah, the study wasn't accusing anyone of 'racism'. That's a very loaded term, and you - not the author - brought it up.

WHY is it necessary to add every color of the rainbow and every walk of life to every game? Because of... identity formation problems?

Wow, people are getting quite aggrsesive about this, aren't they?

ALL THE STUDY SAID is that there aren't many Hispanics in video games. It doesn't say that white video game makers are racist, it doesn't say that it's a 'tool of white oppression'. It just says there aren't many Hispanics in video games, and that people naturally identify with characters of a similar racial background better, so why not try and put a few more Hispanics in games?

And then everyone comes steaming in saying "OH I'M TIRED OF ALL THIS RACISM RUBBISH" and "IT'S JUST SOME FRAUD LIBERAL ACADEMIC", blah blah blah. Racism wasn't mentioned. Nobody was having a go at white men. Somebody just noticed an imbalance in racial characteristics in a certain art form and brought it up.

There doesn't seem to be any real 'accusation' in the article - you've all piled in here, accused it of accusing 'the white man' of racism, and as white men you've all got your panties in a bunch. I think this says a lot more about your insecurities about race than the article.

Yours,
Cpt. Eduardo del Mango
(Also white)

Also,

What the hell did anyone ever play GTA 4 now tell me how does niko and little jacob "lack diverstiy" they're practicaly stereotypes.

GTA is one of the few series of games which is rooted in race - because it's about gangs, in many cases it necessitates a racially diverse cast.

 

[TriggerUnhappy]

Did they really need a study to figure this out? That's like hearing study from a college that discovered *gasp* men have a penis and women a vagina. I thought this stuff was common knowledge. Even so, people need to stop making such a big deal of race. Start looking at people as people instead of different colors for christ's sake.

 

[Hikikomori Ookami]

So does this mean no more Playboy Mansion games because people are going to start believing they're Hugh Heffner if they play too much?