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[Eggbok]

Obvious inspiration

 

[Crzy1]

Oops, how the hell did I manage to double post? Disregard this I guess.

 

[Mortemis]

getting that hollywood treatment

perfect, only 2 posts away from first post.

 

[KillerStar]

getting that hollywood treatment

 

[Warm Machine]

It is not. One of the characters has even gray facial hair. They did put some extra work.

As a developer I give the benefit of the doubt to a buggy character generator. The system likely ignoring or breaking when it comes to properly setting the other character sets. The code involved in the shaders between PS3 and PS4 is likely divergent and testers probably never really botherd to check for this.

If they went in and changed it on purpose that is quite possibly the dumbest thing they could do.

 

[BIONIC-ARRRMMM!!]

Strangely enough, neither of the guys in the OP picture looks what I'd think of a typical middle eastern. The one on the right has the facial features and skin color of a black person. The one on the left looks white as white gets.

Saudi is a large and ethnically diverse country. Both models shown are believable to be from there.

Still an odd choice though.

 

[Giever]

There's no reason I can think of for them to do this outside of stirring up controversy to get their game noticed, then maybe they can swoop in as a response and be like, "Hey, we screwed up, and we listened to you, the fans, and we're putting it back how it was!!"

 

[Flandy]

Maybe the new model just had more polys so they used that instead? I really doubt malice was intended here

 

[Riki]

Maybe the new model just had more polys so they used that instead? I really doubt malice was intended here

I'm quite sure there was no ill intentions meant here.
Doesn't make it any less stupid.

 

[family_guy]

Must be something off in the PS4 APIs like with AF.

 

[Zeta Oni]

Quantic Dream is clearly inspired by the recent works of Ridley Scott.

 

[cormack12]

Are we sure it's not just a more authentic 'caste' rather than a 'cast' issue? Given the opulence of the surroundings I think a case could be made.

What about the later missions in

Spoiler

Somalia

and the skin colours there?

 

[RoboPlato]

Why would they even do this? I genuinely don't understand.

 

[kurahador]

What a bizarre changes. I don't remember the game become a controversy or anything in the middle east.

 

[Timurse]

Please someone tell European and American media that in Arabian countries aristocratic or at least higher class people mostly have pale skin and those working on the streets, or lower class mostly have tanned skin colour. And that's why tanned black guys in some upper class bodyguard company would look a little bit odd. And that's why probably they got changed to some more appropriate and realistic ones.

 

[jaypah]

Looks like they were able to hire Bobby Jindal's artist for the remaster.

Lmao this is great!

 

[fernoca]

As a developer I give the benefit of the doubt to a buggy character generator. The system likely ignoring or breaking when it comes to properly setting the other character sets. The code involved in the shaders between PS3 and PS4 is likely divergent and testers probably never really botherd to check for this.

If they went in and changed it on purpose that is quite possibly the dumbest thing they could do.

Thought of that. Could be a glitch in that, but weird that has only being noticed in that specific area. Maybe those with the game can check other areas and compare.

 

[Nheco]

This is Beyond ridiculous.

lol

 

[Hydrophobic]

getting that hollywood treatment

This is brutal.

 

[Mr. RHC]

 

[Kintaro]

Please someone tell European and American media that in Arabian countries aristocratic or at least higher class people mostly have pale skin and those working on the streets, or lower class mostly have tanned skin colour. And that's why tanned black guys in some upper class bodyguard company would look a little bit odd. And that's why probably they got changed to some more appropriate and realistic ones.

Then the question is "How did they miss this the first go around?"

I don't think this is the reason.

 

[Haunted]

We do not bring dark-skinned Saudi guard to the PS4 and won't have any plan change in the future. Thank you for asking.

Do you know many issues happening in video game industry with regard to how to treat Saudi guards in video game industry? We do not want to talk those things here. But certainly we have gone through in last year or two to come to our decision. Thank you.

 

[Valkyri von Thanatos]

Please someone tell European and American media that in Arabian countries aristocratic or at least higher class people mostly have pale skin and those working on the streets, or lower class mostly have tanned skin colour. And that's why tanned black guys in some upper class bodyguard company would look a little bit odd. And that's why probably they got changed to some more appropriate and realistic ones.

Yup, changing it in the first place is a little strange, but this was my thought as well. I think they were just trying to edit the scene a little, maybe to reflect accuracy to reality, I'm not sure. I doubt they changed the skin color of these characters because of racism, I think they were just making adjustments to their work. I'm not saying it was alright exactly, but I think it would be worth asking for an explanation before raging against the devs. They probably should have known there would be confusion about this and just talked about it shortly before or after release, in order to make clear the reasoning. I can see why some would have problems regardless however.

 

[Saty]

http://webm.host/d78e0/vid.webm

 

[Timurse]

Then the question is "How did they miss this the first go around?"

I don't think this is the reason.

I think the first time around they didn't give a fuck. Just made "some arabic guys".
Now they had a chance to make the game a bit more appropriate to initial design decisions (you don't question changes in carpet design and the color of a dress woman wearing on the party?) - there are some minor design changes just to make game more in touch with what Cage thought of initially.

 

[orthodoxy1095]

Please someone tell European and American media that in Arabian countries aristocratic or at least higher class people mostly have pale skin and those working on the streets, or lower class mostly have tanned skin colour. And that's why tanned black guys in some upper class bodyguard company would look a little bit odd. And that's why probably they got changed to some more appropriate and realistic ones.

It's an interesting theory, but how did they miss this in the first release and why suddenly correct it out of the blue?

 

[Banana Aeon]

Yup, changing it in the first place is a little strange, but this was my thought as well. I think they were just trying to edit the scene a little, maybe to reflect accuracy to reality, I'm not sure. I doubt they changed the skin color of these characters because of racism, I think they were just making adjustments to their work. I'm not saying it was alright exactly, but I think it would be worth asking for an explanation before raging against the devs. They probably should have known there would be confusion about this and just talked about it shortly before or after release.

You'll giving a lot of benefit to a game that had one of the most inaccurate and racist depictions of Native Americans in a very long time.

 

[Gold_Loot]

The real crime here. They fucked up that carpet!

 

[Valkyri von Thanatos]

You'll giving a lot of benefit to a game that had one of the most inaccurate and racist depictions of Native Americans in a very long time.

Sorry about that, I've never played it. I'm just judging the situation out of context. Please see my edit (which I made before seeing this post).

 

[jaypah]

Yup, changing it in the first place is a little strange, but this was my thought as well. I think they were just trying to edit the scene a little, maybe to reflect accuracy to reality, I'm not sure. I doubt they changed the skin color of these characters because of racism, I think they were just making adjustments to their work. I'm not saying it was alright exactly, but I think it would be worth asking for an explanation before raging against the devs. They probably should have known there would be confusion about this and just talked about it shortly before or after release, in order to make clear the reasoning. I can see why some would have problems regardless however.

Let's pretend that it was racially motivated and we ask the devs about it. What would you expect them to say?

 

[chrislowe]

Seems like an odd choice.

no its just this political correctness, that is destroying everything these days.

 

[Timurse]

Yup, changing it in the first place is a little strange, but this was my thought as well. I think they were just trying to edit the scene a little, maybe to reflect accuracy to reality, I'm not sure. I doubt they changed the skin color of these characters because of racism, I think they were just making adjustments to their work. I'm not saying it was alright exactly, but I think it would be worth asking for an explanation before raging against the devs. They probably should have known there would be confusion about this and just talked about it shortly before or after release, in order to make clear the reasoning. I can see why some would have problems regardless however.

I highly doubt it. Mostly only USA and some people in UK are SOOOOO obsessed with racism. In other parts of the world people don't give a fuck. "Oh, you are black? That's interesting and unusual but that's ok". But the customs in different countries are totally different. If someone changes skin color to better reflect reality that doesn't mean it's racism or something.

 

[Garrett Hawke]

This is so odd. Wtf.

 

[TheSpoiler]

I highly doubt it. Mostly only USA and some people in UK are SOOOOO obsessed with racism. In other parts of the world people don't give a fuck. "Oh, you are black? That's interesting and unusual but that's ok". But the customs in different countries are totally different. If someone changes skin color to better reflect reality that doesn't mean it's racism or something.

You got some statistics to back that claim up?

 

[GinoFelino]

no its just this political correctness, that is destroying everything these days.

Oh boy, we've got a live Gamergater over here. Abandon ship!

 

[Kinyou]

What an odd change. Well, at least is Cole not suddenly played by Tom Hanks.

 

[Akronis]

I highly doubt it. Mostly only USA and some people in UK are SOOOOO obsessed with racism. In other parts of the world people don't give a fuck. "Oh, you are black? That's interesting and unusual but that's ok". But the customs in different countries are totally different. If someone changes skin color to better reflect reality that doesn't mean it's racism or something.

oh boy.

Oh boy, we've got a live Gamergater over here. Abandon ship!

Complaining about political correctness == GamerGate?

What?

 

[Timurse]

You got some statistics to back that claim up?

Unfortunately no, I just happen to travel a lot, mostly Europe though. I am native Russian and we have like a few thousand black people in 20m city (Moscow). They are considered a rare discovery and are treated mostly with some curiosity (people like to talk with them, ask about their countries, etc). It's kind of similar in other European countries, though black people are more common there and are treated by their looks, clothes, behavior, friends and other normal social triggers you use to ping other humans around you.

 

[Night Angel]

Oh boy, we've got a live Gamergater over here. Abandon ship!

Everything was gamergate.

 

[Dremark]

We do not bring dark-skinned Saudi guard to the PS4 and won't have any plan change in the future. Thank you for asking.

Do you know many issues happening in video game industry with regard to how to treat Saudi guards in video game industry? We do not want to talk those things here. But certainly we have gone through in last year or two to come to our decision. Thank you.

Brilliant.

I'm tempted to post an edit of the Play-Asia tweets but someone will surely take it seriously.

 

[Occam]

Oh boy, we've got a live Gamergater over here. Abandon ship!

What does that have to do with anything? How about not insulting your fellow forum members?

-

On topic: My first guess would be that it's a programming error, makes no sense otherwise.

 

[qa_engineer]

does everyone have british accents as well?

 

[Banana Aeon]

I highly doubt it. Mostly only USA and some people in UK are SOOOOO obsessed with racism. In other parts of the world people don't give a fuck. "Oh, you are black? That's interesting and unusual but that's ok". But the customs in different countries are totally different. If someone changes skin color to better reflect reality that doesn't mean it's racism or something.

Dude, black are regarded as ain't shit world wide. Anecdotal evidence doesn't matter when there is actual proof from actual black people, like myself and others, and how they are regarded as subhuman by pretty much the greater part of the world.

 

[Durante]

You guys are just criticizing David Cages artistic vision for the game. It was supposed to be this way all along, it is just PS3 does not have enough SPUs for white person rendering (WPR). Or at least not enough for more than 3 on screen at any time. Thanks to the power of GPGPUs, this artifact can now be done away with and Cage' sartistic vision can finally be realized.

With WPR you can get more emotion because you can spend more polygons. Polygons = emotion.

I was confused about this change, but this post explained everything.

 

[dalin80]

Capcom had to whitewash Africa to avoid racism claims from killing black people so it's no great shock.

 

[RoboPlato]

You guys are just criticizing David Cages artistic vision for the game. It was supposed to be this way all along, it is just PS3 does not have enough SPUs for white person rendering (WPR). Or at least not enough for more than 3 on screen at any time. Thanks to the power of GPGPUs, this artifact can now be done away with and Cage' sartistic vision can finally be realized.

With WPR you can get more emotion because you can spend more polygons. Polygons = emotion.

Dead

I am dead

You killed me

 

[Live Free or Die]

Omg a scandal! What will we name our Twitter campaign hashtag?

 

[Kinyou]

Capcom had to whitewash Africa to avoid racism claims from killing black people so it's no great shock.

However Beyond Two souls still has you

Spoiler

infiltrate an African city where you only encounter black enemies

. So if this was a strange attempt at being more PC, it would be strange that they'd only do it for the Saudis.

 

[Parsnip]

My first thought was that it was just a randomly generated NPC.

Please someone tell European and American media that in Arabian countries aristocratic or at least higher class people mostly have pale skin and those working on the streets, or lower class mostly have tanned skin colour. And that's why tanned black guys in some upper class bodyguard company would look a little bit odd. And that's why probably they got changed to some more appropriate and realistic ones.

This was my second thought.

 

[Sorarin]

wait, what?