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[IdreamofHIME]

Why would they contact GLAAD if she's not transgender?

Bingo.

The only reason they won't come out and define her is coz they're a bit scared of the haters out there.

 

[XANDER CAGE]

On the one hand, I totally understand that Capcom sort of worked themselves into a situation they didn't really mean to with Poison.

On the other hand, I'm kind of disappointed that they "want it to be ambiguous". Sure, someone's gender doesn't define them as a person, but in this situation it sort of contributes to the unfair mystification of transgendered folk in media. It's weird that so much kerfuffle has sprung up over whether or not a bunch of straight dudes on the internet would want to put their dick in someone or not.

 

[Dali]

It's the "she is whatever you want" that's the problem.

Like - and maybe this isn't the best example - let's say that a new movie is coming out where the main character is Jewish. But the people making the movie are worried some won't like a Jewish hero, so they're like, "Hey, he may or may not be Jewish, you decide!"

It's kind of like... you feel like it's a bad thing to be Jewish, because the creators won't stick to that decision. Why can't the character be Jewish? If people don't like it, so what, and those that don't know much about the religion might be interesting in learning more. But instead, they get wishy-washy, as if it's a bad thing to be Jewish.

You can't do that with things like race: you can't say, "Well, he's black if you want him to be, or he's white if you want him to be." Like, take somebody like Obama who is half - what if that was the official like? He's a black president if that's what you want, or he's a white president if you don't feel comfortable with the idea of a black president. That would be crazy offensive.

I know some people might not understand it, but it's kind of insulting to the trans community. When you say that she's trans, unless you don't want her to be, of course some people are going to say she's not, because they refuse to accept or deal with what that means.

If the wishy washy ness is that annoying they could always be definitive about Poison being 100% woman. She was born (in Japan) as a woman, so they'd be justified in making that decision. Of course your examples don't exactly represent that path as a fair and equally valid option even though it is.

 

[Beardz]

This whole issue is incredibly petty and no rational human being should give more than two thoughts about this. "Poison as a rep for the transgender community". Really? Jesus Christ.

Exactly, it's a minor game character...!

 

[Flying Wonkey]

Can't believe I took the time to read this interview. Couldn't you ask any other questions then what they gave to fighter #27's hitbox?

Is Pandora combo-able?
Is Kuma going to be playing as a joke character since he looks really crappy?
Will Dhalsim's limbs be effective as tag enders?
Will the thought of wall carry be considered?
Whats up with the crazy damage on command throws and reversals?

Jeez. :/

 

[El Sloth]

Can't believe I took the time to read this interview. Couldn't you ask any other questions then what they gave to fighter #27's hitbox?

Is Pandora combo-able?
Is Kuma going to be playing as a joke character since he looks really crappy?
Will Dhalsim's limbs be effective as tag enders?
Will the thought of wall carry be considered?
Whats up with the crazy damage on command throws and reversals?

Jeez. :/

What were you expecting when you read the thread title?

 

[Jintor]

Can't believe I took the time to read this interview. Couldn't you ask any other questions then what they gave to fighter #27's hitbox?

Is Pandora combo-able?
Is Kuma going to be playing as a joke character since he looks really crappy?
Will Dhalsim's limbs be effective as tag enders?
Will the thought of wall carry be considered?
Whats up with the crazy damage on command throws and reversals?

Jeez. :/

You can probably go to any other interview for this info. This is about a specific issue and was presented as such.

 

[XANDER CAGE]

Can't believe I took the time to read this interview. Couldn't you ask any other questions then what they gave to fighter #27's hitbox?

Is Pandora combo-able?
Is Kuma going to be playing as a joke character since he looks really crappy?
Will Dhalsim's limbs be effective as tag enders?
Will the thought of wall carry be considered?
Whats up with the crazy damage on command throws and reversals?

Jeez. :/

Really?

 

[Beth Cyra]

Bingo.

The only reason they won't come out and define her is coz they're a bit scared of the haters out there.

How about you read the article instead of saying stupid shit.

Ono clearly just definied her as both.

They need to support and be there for both sides.

As it stands I can't understand why any one is giving probs or respect to Ono or Capcom over doing this.

They have done nothing but say she is both Transgender and 100 % Woman.

Also I don't agree with people trying to say that they only didn't do this because of the 18 straight male.

Ono again says specifically that they can't call Poison exclusivly Transgender because of those who view her as only woman just as they can't support the Non Transgendered side.

The only thing we have is she was meant to be woman but is now an Icon (frankly this scares me) for both sides.

What I have a bigger issue is that this article seems to think this is a good article.

Ono and Capcom should take one to the chin, say it was a mistake but one they feel works and they want to support Poison as a Transgendered person or make her as she was original meant to be.

None of this we want both groups to hold her up but we won't actually do it ourselves.

 

[Riposte]

I wish people cared this much about my dick.

 

[Regulus Tera]

I was so waiting for this after listening to the podcast.

 

[Parallax]

Would it be okay if there were no black characters in video gaming?

They're barely represented in gaming as is. Id rather them not be hamfisted into a plot for diversitys sake.

 

[dragonlife]

I wish people cared this much about my dick.

Only if you're hung.

 

[jorgeton]

What a great interview. It's really encouraging to see that Capcom is attempting to be responsible about trans representation in their games. Brings a smile to my weary face.
And it also has me psyched for SF x Tekken and KOF XIII.

 

[Platy]

First its Kotaku and 2nd if you read this recent interview he just reneged on that sir.

No, it is EGM

 

[mollipen]

Can't believe I took the time to read this interview. Couldn't you ask any other questions then what they gave to fighter #27's hitbox?

Could I? Sure. Do I care about any of the questions you posted? Nope. There are countless other outlets that can - and will - ask stuff like that. I'd rather use my chance talking to Ono to ask things other people aren't going to get into.

They're barely represented in gaming as is. Id rather them not be hamfisted into a plot for diversitys sake.

So then let's have better diversity in real ways. The reason this argument has come up about Poison is because she's literally one of the only chances they trans community has at representation as of now for a playable character. The way she became trans is ridiculous, but when you've got something or nothing, something is often the better choice.

 

[Parallax]

So then let's have better diversity in real ways. The reason this argument has come up about Poison is because she's literally one of the only chances they trans community has at representation as of now for a playable character. The way she became trans is ridiculous, but when you've got something or nothing, something is often the better choice.

I guess I can see your point in that situation. I'm just tired of seeing black characters act like fucking stereotypes when they are in games. Coach still pisses me off.

 

[sixteen-bit]

I'm surprised this wasn't posted

 

[mollipen]

I guess I can see your point in that situation. I'm just tired of seeing black characters act like fucking stereotypes when they are in games. Coach still pisses me off.

So am I, and I'm not even black! I want better characters across the board.

 

[LiK]

I guess I can see your point in that situation. I'm just tired of seeing black characters act like fucking stereotypes when they are in games. Coach still pisses me off.

Hey man , I agree. I'm sick of Chinese characters wearing clothes like they're from 1920's China.

 

[ShockingAlberto]

It's the "she is whatever you want" that's the problem.

Like - and maybe this isn't the best example - let's say that a new movie is coming out where the main character is Jewish. But the people making the movie are worried some won't like a Jewish hero, so they're like, "Hey, he may or may not be Jewish, you decide!"

It's kind of like... you feel like it's a bad thing to be Jewish, because the creators won't stick to that decision. Why can't the character be Jewish? If people don't like it, so what, and those that don't know much about the religion might be interesting in learning more. But instead, they get wishy-washy, as if it's a bad thing to be Jewish.

You can't do that with things like race: you can't say, "Well, he's black if you want him to be, or he's white if you want him to be." Like, take somebody like Obama who is half - what if that was the official like? He's a black president if that's what you want, or he's a white president if you don't feel comfortable with the idea of a black president. That would be crazy offensive.

I know some people might not understand it, but it's kind of insulting to the trans community. When you say that she's trans, unless you don't want her to be, of course some people are going to say she's not, because they refuse to accept or deal with what that means.

Capcom's unwillingness to come right out and say it, but do everything to insinuate it, kind of comes down to an issue that video games as an industry don't know how to handle yet: are games primarily consumer products designed to be tested and edited to make the maximum amount of money or are they artistic visions that shouldn't be compromised for the main audience?

It's funny, because no medium - including movies, books, and TV - is completely the latter, but I'd argue video games are a bit more of the former than the others are.

I think Capcom executives, maybe including Ono, believe that outright saying Poison is a transexual would hurt sales and they do not want to do that. That probably explains their hesitation now. When she was just a character they didn't put in SFIV, it was different. Now that she's a character they did put in their crossover fighting game, with big endorsements, and Cole from inFamous, they fear it will turn more people off than it will gain sales.

Not that I necessarily agree, but I don't express bafflement as to why this suddenly became ambiguous.

 

[Threi]

surprised this got brought up again

look forward to being brought up again unexpectedly in a couple months as well

 

[B-Genius]

Really nice, original interview regardless of what you think of the subject matter. It's there for people who are interested - anyone who doesn't give a shiz or doesn't have anything constructive to add, why even waste the clicks?

I think Poison is a great addition to the SFxT cast, and I respect Capcom for taking a chance in 'letting her into the wild', as well as taking the time to flesh her out as a character. I will certainly be rocking the Hugo/Poison tag team for a while

OP, you and Ono used the term "online community" a lot during the chat, and I reckon that has a lot to do with the argument. People are always watching every move you make as a games producer/creator/whathaveyou, and if there wasn't such a wide, accessible audience these days, this topic wouldn't even have come up again. She would just be that random character from Final Fight, and people would still be wondering "wait, isn't that the one who's..."

I say she because whether she's officially transgender or not, Poison looks like a woman to me - as a human male. I might not want to stick my pee-pee in her, but that is beside the point. While Ono saying "er... it's up to you" might sound like a cop-out to some, it's probably quite a smart move. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder; maybe gender is too!

The whole thing reminds me of when Kayo Satoh (better known as Kayo Police in the fighting game scene) came out. Did female (fighting game) fans get upset at the news that she used to be a guy? I don't feel as if I need male gaming "role models" or "representatives", so I'm curious as to how other 'gaming minorities' feel about these issues.

In closing, both Poison and Kayo are probably the most attractive dudes I've ever seen.

 

[Fine Ham Abounds]

Capcom's unwillingness to come right out and say it, but do everything to insinuate it, kind of comes down to an issue that video games as an industry don't know how to handle yet: are games primarily consumer products designed to be tested and edited to make the maximum amount of money or are they artistic visions that shouldn't be compromised for the main audience?

It's funny, because no medium - including movies, books, and TV - is completely the latter, but I'd argue video games are a bit more of the former than the others are.

I think Capcom executives, maybe including Ono, believe that outright saying Poison is a transexual would hurt sales and they do not want to do that. That probably explains their hesitation now. When she was just a character they didn't put in SFIV, it was different. Now that she's a character they did put in their crossover fighting game, with big endorsements, and Cole from inFamous, they fear it will turn more people off than it will gain sales.

Not that I necessarily agree, but I don't express bafflement as to why this suddenly became ambiguous.

BUT WILL IT SELL IN PEORIA

From my personal experience with some fighting game communities from local Gulf Coast tourneys all the way up to supposedly respected people who place high at EVO, you're dealing with a high percentile of core fighting game players who are so immature and misogynistic they joke about rape in the presence of female gamers whom they're already laughing at dismissively during games. This isn't trash talk like they would dish out and take from the male players, this is flat out disrespect the likes of which you thought only existed in 80s After School specials. Believe me, I only wish this was baseless hyperbole.

What you mention is definitely one plausible reason behind the vagueness, but I think this is also to avoid turning off some core customers who aren't mature enough to even handle someone picking Vega without tossing around slurs.

Edit: I misread your post somehow, and just realized you were specifically talking about the game's main audience as well and not just the general half-interested consumer, so there's no real reason for my post at all. I guess I'll leave it here anyway in case someone has a more positive experience to counter mine.

 

[charlequin]

So then let's have better diversity in real ways. The reason this argument has come up about Poison is because she's literally one of the only chances they trans community has at representation as of now for a playable character. The way she became trans is ridiculous, but when you've got something or nothing, something is often the better choice.

Precisely. A lot fewer people would really care about which way things went with Poison if we were operating in an environment where there was a whole set of TG characters in videogaming that people could identify with if they so chose.

I say she because whether she's officially transgender or not, Poison looks like a woman to me - as a human male.

I think the preferred pronoun for Poison would be "she" either way.

 

[akilshohen]

What's wrong with staying ambiguous about being a Trans? Isn't that one part of getting the operation? To fully become a woman and forget/leave behind being a man? Some acknowledge what they were born as, but some don't.
*Kanye shrug*
I like the fact they're leaving it up to the individual to decide. Kind of like Zangief's sexuality and C.Viper's ethnicity being ambiguous also. There are multiple opinions about all 3.

I would TOTALLY love for them to make her alt costume Billy/Sid.

 

[dragonlife]

Coach still pisses me off.

But Coach is awesome.

Rochelle's not bad, either. She's pretty damn normal.

 

[Amagon]

I'm all for transgender videogame characters, especially Poison. Doesn't hurt me at all and applaud more diversity to be found in videogames to be honest. But the bigger news is we might......might..............might see Capcom vs Snk 3!!!!!!

 

[Mista Koo]

Regardless of her sex, her design is so damn sexist :/

 

[Parallax]

But Coach is awesome.

Rochelle's not bad, either. She's pretty damn normal.

rochelle is fine. but i dont agree with coach.

 

[ShockingAlberto]

Regardless of her sex, her design is so damn sexist :/

Eh. I have seen women walk around wearing about the same.

Considering she's both a gangster and a fight promoter, it really doesn't seem all that unreasonable.

 

[mollipen]

surprised this got brought up again

look forward to being brought up again unexpectedly in a couple months as well

Poison was announced for Street Fighter X Tekken, and the point at which I had the chance to talk to Ono about that happening was TGS. Not really strange timeline I don't think.

 

[Flying Wonkey]

What were you expecting when you read the thread title?

I hadn't realised all discussion about Poison in SFxT was exclusive to the gender issue. >_>

I'd rather use my chance talking to Ono to ask things other people aren't going to get into.

Fair enough I guess. Would of preferred more information gameplay wise, cam videos can only show so much.

 

[The Faceless Master]

the win quotes from earlier versions and GLAAD being involved basically tells me

1) what the real answer is

2) they won't actually come out and SAY the real answer because of random idiots that are still alive today

 

[Threi]

Poison was announced for Street Fighter X Tekken, and the point at which I had the chance to talk to Ono about that happening was TGS. Not really strange timeline I don't think.

Fair enough.

*continues waiting*

 

[Screenboy]

WTF are bangs?

 

[corporate cheerleader]

^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangs_(hair)


(late) If there's ever a CVS3, I'm sure it will use the SF4 artstyle. MvC gameplay is way more frenetic so the character models are a tad less detailed to keep everything as fluid as possible. Thing is, how could they ever expand on the CvS2 gameplay? CvS2 definitely had a great thing going on with the grooves, but the actual combat just felt weak. It felt like neither SF or KOF, I could never get used to it at all.

I don't see CVS3 happening, though. :|

 

[El Sloth]

I hadn't realised all discussion about Poison in SFxT was exclusive to the gender issue. >_>

Except you cam into the thread asking for:

Is Pandora combo-able?
Is Kuma going to be playing as a joke character since he looks really crappy?
Will Dhalsim's limbs be effective as tag enders?
Will the thought of wall carry be considered?
Whats up with the crazy damage on command throws and reversals?

How does "A conversation about Poison" bring to mind Kuma and Dhalsim? Or that it would focus on the Pandora mechanic?

C'mon, son.

 

[Flying Wonkey]

Those were examples of gameplay questions that could of been asked.

 

[ProtoCents]

what a non-issue......

Agreed.

Surprised to see GAF so interested in this. Can't believe this is the same GAF that had that meme of a Firefox tab open when a screencap was taken. We have grown up!

 

[Screenboy]

^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangs_(hair)

and heres me thinking its slang for balls...

 

[mollipen]

WTF are bangs?

If you look at the pics in the interview, in her art she has hair hanging down in her face, and in the screenshot, she doesn't. It's actually kind of funny, seeing as how those are both from the same game (but as Ono said, the artist working on her is still in the process of working on her).

 

[corporate cheerleader]

My last question—and this might be a strange one—comes as a demand from another of her fans. Poison, currently, has no balls.

[laughs]

Could you give her balls? [laughs] Why does she not have balls?

I actually didn’t even notice the difference and that her balls were missing until people started talking about it on Twitter.

Haaaaaaaaahahah

 

[Finaika]

They really should make Capcom vs SNK 3, SNKP need the money.

 

[Parallax]

They really should make Capcom vs SNK 3, SNKP need the money.

Hopefully with a more diverse cast. Capcom has more characters outside of (and the one off rival schools character)

 

[IrishNinja]

Capcom's unwillingness to come right out and say it, but do everything to insinuate it, kind of comes down to an issue that video games as an industry don't know how to handle yet: are games primarily consumer products designed to be tested and edited to make the maximum amount of money or are they artistic visions that shouldn't be compromised for the main audience?

It's funny, because no medium - including movies, books, and TV - is completely the latter, but I'd argue video games are a bit more of the former than the others are.

this bit's interesting, because - and this might've been from ignorance about how the industry works (i read a ton of gaming mags, but was far less online last gen, etc), but based on the end product, i didn't feel that way last gen.

this gen, yes. rising development costs and other factors have certainly made me feel like more (AAA) products are focus-group tested.

I think Capcom executives, maybe including Ono, believe that outright saying Poison is a transexual would hurt sales and they do not want to do that. That probably explains their hesitation now. When she was just a character they didn't put in SFIV, it was different. Now that she's a character they did put in their crossover fighting game, with big endorsements, and Cole from inFamous, they fear it will turn more people off than it will gain sales.

Not that I necessarily agree, but I don't express bafflement as to why this suddenly became ambiguous.

this part - and i know i can't rightly quantify it - doesn't feel entirely right. if half this thread is "WTF she's such a minor character", wouldnt that logically imply them coming out & saying it online wouldnt do much to sales? its not gonna be a big pink logo on the box stating such, and the hardcore fighting community doesn't strike me as ready to sleep on this title for hearing something must seem to assume anyway.

what a non-issue......

wow excellent contribution to the thread, would read again

 

[Combichristoffersen]

Thought this would be about the shitfuck terrible 80s hair metal band.

Glad to see they're working with the GLAAD though.

 

[sixteen-bit]

WTF are bangs?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmJbJs-9ST0

 

[Dali]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmJbJs-9ST0

:lol

I knew exactly where that link would take me before I even clicked.

 

[The Take Out Bandit]

Hopefully with a more diverse cast. Capcom has more characters outside of (and the one off rival schools character)

So long as SNK handles the visuals, I can stomach it.

I don't want anymore polygonal abortions.

Also Poison has no testicles because that's where the vagina goes. At least that's what this here manga tells me. . . :3