I seriously need to know this

"If you want something done, do it yourself."
-Anon

There are games with non-white, non-Asian leads - what was that game where you played a psionic cop, top view? it''s just that the overwhelming majority of game designers (I would even venture to say all pro game designers) and developers are either white or Asian. You relate to what you are and who/what you know.

I don''t know but why would they want to ?

Ignoramus. Ethnic diversity presents opportunities to explore situations that do not occur within the "default"/host culture. Don''t succumb to the bigotry that pervades affluent societies, which is to totally discountenance others.

.........

Huh ?? Don't play smart with me young man !!!

quote:
Ethnic diversity presents opportunities to explore situations that do not occur within the "default"/host culture.

Thats funny I thought that we were all human. But I sense that you feel that there are fundamental differences between black/white/asian people ??

What are those differences (other than appearance)? Please tell me ?

Remember the question was not about different cultures but only different skin colors/races. And why would that make a difference big enough for a "white" designer to go that way ?

I don't like the original question because it implies that people who do games with white characters are racists !!

quote:
You relate to what you are and who/what you know.

I agree and there is nothing wrong with that.




Edited by - granat on October 3, 2001 1:57:41 AM

I also have a problem with the question, as it implies racism.

I don´t have any problem with "non-white or asian" leads, but to be honest, I have never really bothered to make that distinction.

1) We create games for an audience. Lets face it, that audience is predominantly white male, followed by asian. The audience wants someone to identify with...

2) The ethnicity of the lead character should not be determined by the need for political correctness. If you do that, you will end up somewhere with Star Trek (the bald captain, the black captain, the female captain, now all we need is the gay captain). I think that from the racist point of view, something like that is just as bad, as you have automatically dropped to the level of stereotypes.

3) If a lead character should happen to be black/red/green/whatever that´s ok, as long as it fits with the design and the story. What you mentioned seemed to relate mostly to appearance, but if its to be relevant to design, there has to be a more profound distinction than that. If there are cultural differences to be explored, I might go that way, but especially with the ongoing political side of these things, I doubt that I would make it a major aspect of the game, as I don´t want to alienate anyone or make it seem like a "black/red/green/whatever"-rights activists game.


So, to answer your question in short, it´s not that hard, but I simply don´t want to (unless you are talking about green guys, which might be interesting).

Actually there are alot of varied topics that one can cover

I really wish people stopped using the "whats the difference we are all the same"
Bullshit, we are all human yes indeed but our lifestyles are NOT all the same.

Here are some game ideas right off the back that you CANNOT, do with a character that is either white or asian

1.Blaxploitation: Gamers already have stated they wanted to see something like this, an issue of OPM even had it listed as genre they want to see, why cant this be done?

2.Native American Mysticism: Yeah, their lives are the same right?

3.Ganglife: should I name games that tried this, but failed because of lack of believability?

Most creators of art mediums especially writers of books and movies as well as actors usually do research in topics that they arent familiar with, who says game designers cannot do the same?

Forgive me if I cannot accept such Lazy answers. Dont say you cannot do it, just saying you dont want to is enough.

My game''s lead is dun! (Dun is a coloration pattern found in horses and other animals, where the belly and lower halves of the limbs are one color and everything else is a contrasting color.

You can never win with political correctness.

If you only develop games with white leads then everyone says you are being racist for not including other racial groups.

If you develop games with a lead belonging to some other ethnic group then some clown comes along and starts babbling about it being a stereotype.

Probably the only PC way to make a game would be to have an androgynous, asexual character with no discernible ethnicity (sort of darkish skin but not so dark it couldnt be a white guy with a good tan)

Even then some idiot would still find something in it to be offended by.

So to summarise, you can never be PC, so you might as well give up trying. Use whatever character fits your game.