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Wanda/Wander · Jun 16, 2016

This is a story about civil rights that takes place in...Detroit . Two thirds of the playable characters are white. I guess you could make the argument that they aren't white "humans" but rather white androids so their race doesn't matter but that argument is pretty thin.

This seems like a case of appropriating the story of the civil rights movement without actually having to deal with the realities of race in america. (i.e. the mutants in X-Men)

I say all of this knowing that there's still one more character that has yet to be revealed and there's so much story we don't know.

However it's hard for me to trust David Cage to handle a story about civil rights after he did this....

Mellahan · Jun 16, 2016

We've seen two trailers for the game. Way too soon to judge.

Plinko · Jun 16, 2016

I just assumed it was an alternate universe version of Detroit considering there weren't burned out buildings and dumpster fires everywhere.

Mihael Mello Keehl · Jun 16, 2016

I hope nobody use that android excuse.. geez

DNAbro · Jun 16, 2016

It's hard for me to trust David Cage with a story regardless of subject matter.

bishoptl · Jun 16, 2016

Agreed on the first character - no excuse for that, period.

With that said...we've only seen a few minutes of the Detroit game. I'm willing to give QD the benefit of the doubt, and think you should consider it too. I'll wait to see more of the full game before passing judgment.

HStallion · Jun 16, 2016

I'll wait till I can see who the third character is going to be. We already have two androids so I'm suspecting a human but who knows who or what.

NoblesseOblige · Jun 16, 2016

I thought I was in off-topic and was going to say Detroit is set to only become whiter as more hipsters continue to take it over. Then I read the OP and realized this is gaming. But yeah, expect nothing and get even less when it comes to Cage.

Sou Da · Jun 16, 2016

Oh fuck I forgot about that guy. Dude looks like a stormfront sketch.

Balb · Jun 16, 2016

Plinko said:
I just assumed it was an alternate universe version of Detroit considering there weren't burned out buildings and dumpster fires everywhere.

Game (and movie) makers seem to love alternate/fantasy worlds that conveniently don't seem to have many non-White characters in them. I think the concerns are legitimate given the history of some of Cage's games, though we have to learn more obviously.

Kyoufu · Jun 16, 2016

DNAbro said:
It's hard for me to trust David Cage with a story regardless of subject matter.

Is he writing Detroit?

Nibel · Jun 16, 2016

I mean yeah, that Heavy Rain (?) character was bad, but so far we haven't seen much of Detroit. We only know two main characters (Connor, Cara) and that's about it.

I wouldn't judge the game based on that small amount footage available

The Rain King · Jun 16, 2016

I thought the title said Shite, but either way I agree.

ShockingAlberto · Jun 16, 2016

I am trying to think about non-white characters in Heavy Rain - it was pretty much just the killer mechanic, wasn't it?

Killyoh · Jun 16, 2016

Didn't play to Fahrenheit, what's the deal with this character?

EDIT: Oh it's from Heavy Rain, didn't play either.

Kuldar · Jun 16, 2016

Kyoufu said:
Is he writing Detroit?

Quantic Dream hired writers for this game.

DrArchon · Jun 16, 2016

That last character better be a character of color, because having 3 white characters in a story that basically about slavery in a city as diverse as Detroit would be incredibly tasteless.

Still, like others have said it is too soon to tell so Cage and Co. could end up revealing some much need diversity within the playable cast before the game is released.

bishoptl · Jun 16, 2016

Kuldar said:
Quantic Dream hired writers for this game.

baby steps!

NoblesseOblige · Jun 16, 2016

ShockingAlberto said:
I am trying to think about non-white characters in Heavy Rain - it was pretty much just the killer mechanic, wasn't it?

There was Paco Mendez if that counts. The criminal sleazeball club owner.

T.O.P · Jun 16, 2016

Kuldar said:
Quantic Dream hired writers for this game.

Ridley327 · Jun 16, 2016

Kyoufu said:
Is he writing Detroit?

This is allegedly the first project he's done where he's not writing solo and is instead acting as a showrunner of sorts. I believe the writers helping out are external to QD, too, so that should offer up some much needed objectivity.

NumberTwo · Jun 16, 2016

Thinking on it, yes I can agree. Though I'll wait until I see more of the game before I go in on it. I hope this doesn't end up being a "X-Men: First Class" situation where the people behind the production miss the point entirely.

DNAbro · Jun 16, 2016

Kyoufu said:
Is he writing Detroit?

According to Wikipedia he is the director and writer.

EDIT: I guess they hired people. Maybe it won't go off the deep end and be riddled with plot holes.

HStallion · Jun 16, 2016

I will say Cage had several Native American characters in Beyond though the are involved with your typical spirits and magic stuff often associated with them but I guess the whole game was about that kind of stuff. Still I didn't think they were too stereotypical in their personalities or depictions.

MrHoot · Jun 16, 2016

Bet your bum you're gonna get the mandatory David Cage shower scene tho.

David loves his shower scenes

Allonym · Jun 16, 2016

Characters in games shouldn't be black for the sake of being black and developers shouldn't have to make a character black to satisfy people that aren't involved in the creative process, haven't contributed to the games overall vision or to meet some arbitrary quota of lead minorities. I say that as a black man. I know not everyone shares the same opinion as me but that shit is tired.

And the X-Men were meant to analogs that were relatable to readers of any race, them featuring a smaller number of minority characters shouldn't change that... And a large number of their roster are of various ethnicities, sexual inclination or don't even appear to be human. You could probably apply your argument to the movies more easily but still, there are a number of characters in those films that aren't white.

Sky Chief · Jun 16, 2016

It's also weird (but expected based on previous QD games) that the characters don't have natural American accents

KuwabaraTheMan · Jun 16, 2016

bishoptl said:
Agreed on the first character - no excuse for that, period.

With that said...we've only seen a few minutes of the Detroit game. I'm willing to give QD the benefit of the doubt, and think you should consider it too. I'll wait to see more of the full game before passing judgment.

It's true that we've only seen a few minutes of the game, and so I think keeping an open mind is warranted before making any sort of informed judgment on the end product.

But I question the tone-deafness required to be making a game called "Detroit" and focusing on civil rights, with the characters looking lily white. That's certainly an eyebrow raising moment.

Blablurn · Jun 16, 2016

Wanda/Wander said:
This is a story about civil rights that takes place in...Detroit . Two thirds of the playable characters are white. I guess you could make the argument that they aren't white "humans" but rather white androids so their race doesn't matter but that argument is pretty thin.

This seems like a case of appropriating the story of the civil rights movement without actually having to deal with the realities of race in america. (i.e. the mutants in X-Men)

I say all of this knowing that there's still one more character that has yet to be revealed and there's so much story we don't know.

However it's hard for me to trust David Cage to handle a story about civil rights after he did this....

Oh shit. Forgot about this :/

Let's hope Detroid will be better in that regard.

NoblesseOblige · Jun 16, 2016

MrHoot said:
Bet your bum you're gonna get the mandatory David Cage shower scene tho.

David loves his shower scenes

Expect no fewer than 1 attempted rape scene as well.

LiK · Jun 16, 2016

Didn't the first trailer show characters with color? Probably just need to wait and see for another trailer or release.

Strangelove77 · Jun 16, 2016

...and he also had Cole in Beyond: Two Souls.

Pretty much the opposite of the black character in Heavy Rain. Not to mention the only likable and good person in that game.

I advice to wait before judging.

Heart of Black · Jun 16, 2016

Mellahan said:
We've seen two trailers for the game. Way too soon to judge.

Trailers are marketing tools for a game. Keeping brown protagonists, if they exist, from potential buyers would be the stupidest marketing tool.

Also Cage seems to only put white people in the forefront.

Anyway, I agree. Although I may have to play it to see how it works, but I'll probably get it for free.

GavinUK86 · Jun 16, 2016

They're also white slaves.

Not sure about Kara, we've only seen her walk down the street.

Murdamonk · Jun 16, 2016

As an Asian, i am kind of uses to it.

If the game is not asian-oriented (Sleeping Dogs, Yakuza, Shenmue), you will never see an asian in it or be a part of the main cast.

Mirror Edge is probably the only game that is out of the norm

Spring Drive · Jun 16, 2016

Wanda/Wander said:
However it's hard for me to trust David Cage to handle a story about civil rights after he did this....

What do you mean?

DannyDanger · Jun 16, 2016

Strangelove77 said:
...and he also had Cole in Beyond: Two Souls.

Pretty much the opposite of the black character in Heavy Rain. Not to mention the only likable and good person in that game.

I advice to wait before judging.

damn that looks good. should i get the remaster for ps4?

Like the hat? · Jun 16, 2016

I think that if Androids became so easily available they would mostly be made white for sale in the US. There's too much racism in the history of the US and I'm pretty positive that no company would make a black Android for sale given the history of African slavery in the US.

spectyre · Jun 16, 2016

Well the androids are basically man made slaves. Seems like a no-win situation.

Spring Drive · Jun 16, 2016

Like the hat? said:
I think that if Androids became so easily available they would mostly be made white for sale in the US. There's too much racism in the history of the US and I'm pretty positive that no company would make a black Android for sale given the history of African slavery in the US.

Xaero Gravity · Jun 16, 2016

Edit: Never mind, this is a can of worms I don't want any part of.

jennetics · Jun 16, 2016

How many trailers have been shown for the game?

Edit: Also, if Detroit had black androids, we'd have people going on about how racist QD is for having black android servants. Lose-lose for QD it seems.

Edit 2: beaten.

Strangelove77 · Jun 16, 2016

DannyDanger said:
damn that looks good. should i get the remaster for ps4?

It looks about the same as the PS3 version, which isn't saying much since the PS3 version still looks incredible.
So if you want to replay it - yes.

theWB27 · Jun 16, 2016

Allonym said:
Characters in games shouldn't be black for the sake of being black and developers shouldn't have to make a character black to satisfy people that aren't involved in the creative process, haven't contributed to the games overall vision or to meet some arbitrary quota of lead minorities. I say that as a black man. I know not everyone shares the same opinion as me but that shit is tired.

And the X-Men were meant to analogs that were relatable to readers of any race, them featuring a smaller number of minority characters shouldn't change that... And a large number of their roster are of various ethnicities, sexual inclination or don't even appear to be human. You could probably apply your argument to the movies more easily but still, there are a number of characters in those films that aren't white.

They're white for the sake of being white. Why can't they be black for the sake of being black? I mean...creating white characters for a game is as much a choice as making any other race.

This question is from one black man to another.

Spring Drive · Jun 16, 2016

jennetics said:
How many trailers have been shown for the game?

Two if you don't count the Kara tech demo

Dragon Puncher · Jun 16, 2016

We know all playable characters will be androids and so far we have only seen "white" androids, so unless they have made dark colored androids in the lore in some way, we won't be playing as one.

That being said David Cage games are usually pretty good when it comes to characterization (Fahrenheit and Beyond: Two Souls especially), so lets wait a while before we pull out any pitchforks.

MaxwellParrish · Jun 16, 2016

It seems to me that it is very plausible that the large majority of the android will the white: what would you think the white elite would like to have as policemen, babysitter, etc. given the possibility of choise? what would they find more reassuring?

DannyDanger · Jun 16, 2016

Strangelove77 said:
It looks about the same as the PS3 version, which isn't saying much since the PS3 version still looks incredible.
So if you want to replay it - yes.

i never played it, just in general is it good?

John Kowalski · Jun 16, 2016

If this game pulls the "they look human so they are human" sci fi trope i'm so burning my house down.

Xaero Gravity said:
"Very white"? Jesus...

That's one hell of a slippery slope.

Timely edit.

sheamus · Jun 16, 2016

let's be honest. The gaming press site is going to write an article about this no matter what. Would you rather have no black people in it or have the black people be the slave race in the game.

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