Just wondering. How many main/leading game characters are anything but Caucasian (or Asian for the Japanese/Korean market)?

I guess in the MMPOG you can choose (right??). But what about mainstream single player portion games?

I thoughy HL2 was at least a half a step forward since the main squeeze was half African American. She wasn't the main character, but it still addresses a underlying stigmatism of interracial relationships. Well, actually come to think of it R13 had a few hints of that as well with that Coronel woman that helps him out? But that series came out of France.

What games out there type someone other than these two races (yes race doesn't exist scientifically, but socially it does) as the lead/playing character? That originate as a game versus coming from some other media (ie Blade won't count).

Ninja Gaiden, the main character's japanese.

well I know in some lucas arts games you can personalize your character. Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy and Knights of the Old Republic come to mind

UNREAL 2!!!!!!!

Shadow Man, the main character was black.
GTA: SA main character is black.
UT games, variety of races to choose from.
SIN: John Blade is mixed.
Prince of Persia: Arabic main character.
Sanity: Black main character
Unreal II: Main character is mixed.

And those are just games I own.

Shadow Man: Based off comic
UT Games: are multiplayer
Ninja Gaiden: Originally a Japanese title.
Jedi Knights/Neverwinter/Diablo... I group towards more of not a specific main character. I mean characters that are "given" to you the player to play. Not where you make a character and are given a predetermined route/quest.

Otherwise good finds.
"GTA: SA main character is black.
SIN: John Blade is mixed.
Prince of Persia: Arabic main character.
Sanity: Black main character
Unreal II: Main character is mixed."

Still rather a short list? Any others? Hispanic? Is there a main character in the Resident Evil series thats Hispanic? Or am I confused with the crappy movies?

On GTA:SA Im wondering, do the developers play with the fact that you are African American? Like how establishments treat you? (Haven't played it).

There are games with minority groups and their culture as a focus. Look at Need for Speed:Underground, and Def Jam Fight for NY...and uh...Rarappa Tha Rappa. Someone will eventually create a game where you play as DJ McIcedBrew collecting bling bling on your way to Rap stardom.

I agree that many should try something other than "generic white male" for main characters...besides "generic large breasted thin white female". My guess is the game industry, and gamers, are mostly "generic white males". The minority groups spend more money on car sterios than games.

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The minority groups spend more money on car sterios than games.

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I can't believe you just said that. How sadly terribly ignorant.

Anyhow, culture wasn't my point. Thats your own stigmatism coming into play.

NFS:U Only played bits and pieces, but thats not character specific game.

Paparappa? Thats a cartoon dog.

Def Jam Fight? Don't know. Isnt that a generic fighting game multiplayer game where you choose whom you want to fight as? (Ie not in my guidelines). A game where you are a specific character.

Does it really matter what race a main character is? The problem with people pushing for racial equality is that they often find racism and seggregation in aspects of society in which it doesn't really occur. I dont think there is an active push by the game industry to keep lead characters white or asian it's just the type of character which most developers see in those roles, probably because the majority of developers are white males or asian males.

Afew mates and me were talking about this exact thing down the pub afew weeks ago about black main charcters in games,needless to say we came up with an exstremily small amount...GTA:SA being the most ovious we came up with.

I agree totally about games needing to start thinking about mixing the race of the main charcters up abit more.
But on the other hand there is small minority who just wouldn't play GTA:SA becuase the character you play happens to be black,the sad thing is generally on day to day basis these people arn't necserilly rascist,its just sociaty has made people think like that and I have first hand exsperience of this down the pub just afew weeks ago... I won't repeat what the guy said but it basically was about that lead charcter in GTA:SA and how he's not playing the agme till the PC version comes out and he can get a white skin for him.

I think devlopers my se eit as away to keep people happy and minorities o nan even keel if that makes sense.

John

Carlos Olivera from Resident Evil 3 was hispanic. and i think Rebecca Chambers from RE1 and 0 is half asian. also Enrico was hispanic, Kenneth was black. Alexi and Nikolai were Russian.. but i dont think that counts as 'race'.

i think the main reason is as stated, it's a 'generic white male'.

if you make someone black, then people assume there is a reason for it. and then people start looking to see if they are portrayed 'correctly'(and quite a few are stereotyped) and then bitch and moan if they arent.

no one cares if the white characters are good/evil, ugly/pretty, or anything. they are just GenericMale01. you can do anything to them and not offend any one, at least racially. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

btw I dont think stigmatism is the word you're looking for in this situation. It has a couple of meanings which include: having been marked by a stigmata (being inflicted with the same wounds as christ upon the cross), optical condition where light from a single point converges at a single focal point (often you here of astigmatism which is an eye condition), and it means normal eyesight.

I agree on the point that if the character is white it doesn't matter how you portray them.

If the character is a minority people are going to scrutinize the situations you place them in and then come up with all kinds of ways that the developer has stereotyped that minority. I've already heard about the haitians making a big fuss about how they are portrayed in GTA even though haitian gangs were prevelent during the time period and the geographic location. It's an accurate representation but in these times of policital correctness and over sensativity the only way developers are safe is if they dont portray critical minority characters in compromising situations, hence white and asian main characters.

Now I think it's kind of rediculous you dont credit the "build your own character" games. I think every game should offer this option as a way to enhance immersion but you seem to see it as a less then worthy solution to a problem you see.

"Now I think it's kind of rediculous you dont credit the "build your own character" games. I think every game should offer this option as a way to enhance immersion but you seem to see it as a less then worthy solution to a problem you s"

You can have a elve or alien sometimes as a option in those same games I disregard. RPG's aren't the best example. Again, a character driven story is what I wanted examples of. In a RPG when you choose your character, you have to make the story somewhat generic at some points. Think about it from the developers viewpoint for trying to make every single choice you make in the character effect how the world acts to you. They do it to some degree, but again EVERY choice? Like I say a certain amount a generic guidelines come into play. Even Deus EX 1/2 suffered from this because no matter what you choose, you still would encounter the same guidelines. In short, I meant games where you HAVE to play a certain person throughout.

Im also not aware of a rpg or mmpog that happens in the "modern" world where race would play a part. Maybe Matrix online kinda/sorta.

Resident Evil 3 is another example to add -thanks.

"Does it really matter what race a main character is?"

Doesn't it depend on what the game is first? As it is I was asking for examples.

why though? That's what I dont get. I'm trying to figure out why this matters to you. Are you looking for a game where you can play as someone of spanish or african, ect decent, or do you want to champion multicultural main characters? Or is it just a matter of simple curiousity? Enlighten my ignorance.

I can think of some games:

Men of Valor, you are Black. This was a selling point for their title. Every interview was like, "In our game, you are African American."

Mercenaries, you have 3 choices, one of which is a Black/Korean male.

Later

Voodoo how about all of the above?

Mr. Rogers, since it was a selling point. Did they take advantage of that? I mean to show effects of being african american.

what exactly is your interpretation of the "effects of being african american"?

Social setbacks(and bonuses depending on which NPC the player interacts with). Its hard to give specific examples since I have no clue what that game encompasses.

most games use stereotyped characters because the writers are either hacks or do not have any writing experience/talent/knowledge. In any case, like I said, stereotyped characters are easy to do, there's little character development going on and they're easilly recognizable. The strong/intelligent male hero is usually white... so when you see a character that fits that description it is easy to recognize him as "the hero" I guess its just a culture thing. movies and literature in the US have been "white male" dominated for awhile so now certain standards are already set in. Japanese culture is different, so hence the variety in the Resident Evil and other japanese and other games made by non american based developers...

Oxynary said:
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Social setbacks(and bonuses depending on which NPC the player interacts with).


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But white people's culture aren't represented in mainstream games either. Just cuz their face is white or asian that doesn't mean they expiereince anything that their race (in this culture or most others) represent. I don't know too many people who live like the main charaters in our games.

I haven't played a game where I was a safeway shelf-stocker/banker/insurance salesmen or entrepeur and expierenced their perspective in their given society in a story driven game before.

I wouldn't consider GTA all that realistic 'and' it glorifies a lifestyle that ins't very typical at all.

I know a developer that will release a game of this type within the next 2-3 years tho.

-R

halo's master chief is black, you heard it here first folks. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

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yes race doesn't exist scientifically, but socially it does

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Actually it does exist scientifically, because it was taboo to talk about races some time ago does not erase the fact.

Now how many non caucasians are there in the USA? Maybe 25% max, its even lower in Europe and in Asia there are mostly asians. From the marketing standpoint you must sell to the largest possible consumer group. Thats why you get mostly caucasian chars.
Persoanlly i dont care what race the lead character is as long as (s)he fits the role.

Actually toomas, no it doesn't scientifically. First where do you draw the line from one race to another? Science categorizes, but there is not a specific category. I can give you more arguements if you like..

25% of a country (and growing) is a large amount of people Toomas.

Pak, "But white people's culture aren't represented in mainstream games either."

When was a game advertised as having a caucasian white character? Thats why I was interested in seeing why Men of Valor does. Also, you are mistakiing race for job types. In other words, stereotyping.

Darci, the main character in Urban Chaos, is a black woman.