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[FunkMiller]

I still don't know what it means to be "woke."

In my book, it’s putting a political agenda ahead of story and character in new fictional work, or altering an existing narrative for no other reason than to push a political agenda.

That’s at least within the realms of ‘wokeness’ in fiction.

 

[sloppyjoe_gamer]

I still don't know what it means to be "woke."

Ask Neil Wokeman

 

[SEGAvangelist]

Most of the games with diversity aren't woke. You have to look to the dialogue and story to find it for sure. The Last of Us Part 2 was the ultimate offender early in the game when the man gave her steaks as an apology and she called them Bigot Sandwiches. To me, the ultimate woke thing is to never grant forgiveness and that one dialogue line sealed the deal for me.

Forspoken doesn't seem to have this element and I love the way it looks.

 

[MacReady13]

Just make the game YOU want to make. If that means the lead is female, black and gay then fucking do it! Just don't make that the selling point of the game because, unless it is a major part of the story, who really gives a fuck? I don't care that Ellie is gay much like I don't care that Leon S Kennedy is straight, except I didn't have to have long cut scenes of him kissing girls to show he is straight and halt the story.
Again, video games are meant to be PLAYED WELL, and story should come a very distant 2nd. I don't care who or what the lead character is, what they look like or whatever. Just make the game fun to control and play and design the levels well as I could be controlling a literal piece of shit and it wouldn't make a difference! Playing a murderous psycho in GTA5 didn't detract from my enjoyment cause I couldn't relate to him, much like my enjoyment of Super Metroid wasn't hampered cause I couldn't identify with a female in a power suit! Who gives a fucking fuck, honestly??? If these people just stopped focusing on this shit gaming would be in a FAR better place than it is now. Unfortunately when you are trying to please the fucking "journalists" then you will continue to churn out woke shit and brag about it in the process.

 

[odd_hatch]

You can have a room full of white straight males and still be diverse.

Why? Because people aren't their race. Their experiences and stories are entirely different.

Racist would be to assume black people perceive the world in a different manner assuming they are an entire different species and don't operate the same as us, or want the same things.

 

[M1chl]

Libs fucking up everything, I think the reception would be far better, if not for the the introduction about some political commentary.

 

[Landero]

For me its about having an avatar that represents me in games. I've always looked for that. That's why I like games where I get to make my avatar. I don't make a black female when I do, I make one that looks like me. Its 2021 for gods sake, can we please have character creators in games like this!? I understand in a game like god of war but there is no reason not to in a game like this. And yea, choosing the protag to be someone who might represent 3% of your customer base seems like an agenda to me. A woke agenda.

 

[Cockles & Whelks]

Sure, when it is organic to the world. Take Aliens:Fireteam Elite. It has a diverse ethnic cast and it fits. But there is no sexuality because that makes no sense in a military sci-fi shooter. It isn't woke.

But some fantasy game about a tiny remote village isolated for hundreds of years but has a full panalopy of ethnicities and everyone's sexuality is on display despite it being heavily based on European medieval history? Woke.

Thread over.

 

[Notabueno]

I don't care, those games aren't made for me so I'm not buying it.

Speak with your wallets.

What kind of entitled loser you must be to say something like that.

 

[kadab]

I still don't know what it means to be "woke."

 

[Kev Kev]

When its organic, that’s fine

When its forced, that’s fake woke, and even the most progressive hardcore liberals should detest such fakery. But they don’t, because they aren’t concerned about actual progress or equality, only that they get more attention than everyone else, so they can feel like a special snow flake. And everyone else can see through it, but if we start to call them out on it, we get shunned as racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, etc.

There’s a right way to be inclusive, but what’s happening right now is so grossly, transparently fake that you have people who are really turned off by it, and in the end it winds up having the opposite of the intended effect.

If you can’t see that, it’s probably because you’re one of the people who just wants attention, and as such you don’t want to see it.

 

[PleaseWaitStation4]

I could go on an entire rant of all the pandering, tokenism, force inclusion in videos games today.

But can there be pure, organic, natural diversity in gaming that highlights representation, wether that be race, gender or culture, without pointing those out unless the story or theme demand, it?


Are there characters and games that have / has done that?


Ill go as far and give a game like Forsaken an early benefits of the doubt and defend its tone it attempt. Hopefully game play is good.

Star Trek did it over 50 years ago. Today, you're being gaslighted to believe it never was a thing. All political. Warning signs are, "Made for Modern Audiences". That just means it's not for the ones who see through their bullshit. Saying, "Star Wars is for Everyone" doesn't mean to take the IP and vindictively make it for a small group of people. It means fans (mostly boys) wanted to share their toys.

 

[xiseerht]

When I watch a foreign film it's specifically to enjoy a different culture and get away from the same old Hollywood shit and see things through different eyes, if the character in my game is from another culture it better be accurate to that culture, so if the game has an Irishman as the main character I better be able to fight like fuck and be in a constant inebriated state...

Diversity is great in games, I don't give a shit who I play as long as game is great and the character is true to whatever it's representing and that means get in proper consultants not what a bunch of middle aged white dudes think how this character would act.

That is all that we ask for. Don't just throw us in the game because you feel that the game " just needs a black guy ' And that goes for anyone that is gay , or lesbian , or white , or whatever. Just don't put us in the game to make a checkbox happy.

 

[xiseerht]

If comics are any inidcation, this will be the future of black men in videogames

Because in the end black men are still men and by definition toxic. In comics the effeminate black man is pretty much standard by now, either as sub servant partner of the female lead or the romantic interest of the gay protagonist.

The funny thing is....that is how I look in real life. HAHAHAHAHAHA

 

[Arcadialane]

what a bunch of middle aged white dudes think how this character would act.

What's wrong with being middle age or white?

 

[xiseerht]

What's wrong with being middle age or white?

Nothing wrong with them. But I am tired of the lazy ones that write minority characters in a way that he feels that is how they act. The key word is the lazy ones. White men can write fantastic roles for anyone . And we have seen that before.

 

[Oddvintagechap]

Sure, when it is organic to the world. Take Aliens:Fireteam Elite. It has a diverse ethnic cast and it fits. But there is no sexuality because that makes no sense in a military sci-fi shooter. It isn't woke.

But some fantasy game about a tiny remote village isolated for hundreds of years but has a full panalopy of ethnicities and everyone's sexuality is on display despite it being heavily based on European medieval history? Woke.

Move to Afghanistan. Your nonsense makes no sense. A tiny remote village based where? Athia? This game is in this timeline‘s Europe now? What history? Are we going to have the Battle of Chalons? WHY THE FUCK IS THERE MAGIC in European Medieval HISTORY. This isnt a documentary. Wait why are the characters black? What is this the Ethiopian Empire?!?!

What is this?! Yo why they Persian Empiring my European Medieval History? Like im woke, but not THIS WOKE. If I see Achaemenid Empire influences im gonna lose my mind.

 

[Lupingosei]

The funny thing is....that is how I look in real life. HAHAHAHAHAHA

Then you won the jackpot and will be well represented in popular media in the next years.

Congratulations

 

[sol_bad]

When I watch a foreign film it's specifically to enjoy a different culture and get away from the same old Hollywood shit and see things through different eyes, if the character in my game is from another culture it better be accurate to that culture, so if the game has an Irishman as the main character I better be able to fight like fuck and be in a constant inebriated state...

Diversity is great in games, I don't give a shit who I play as long as game is great and the character is true to whatever it's representing and that means get in proper consultants not what a bunch of middle aged white dudes think how this character would act.

This is called stereotyping. You really think all 5 million Irish people can "fight like fuck"? It's really weird to think that everyone from a particular race should all act the same way.

Same with what xiseerht said above. Does he really think all 46 million African American people in America act in one particular way?

 

[Fare thee well]

It all really doesn't bother me at all if I'm being honest. I'm much more worried about having a future where we can even enjoy video games, letalone resource the components needed for increasing demands on power and graphics.

When it comes to what orientation, gender, or appearance a character represents, I appreciate variety. Sure it can be a slight nuissance when it's a forced component of a story much like any forced writing feels cheap. Idk, unpopular opinion time, but, even if it is 'woke,' eh, just let them have it. Maybe coming from a life where I'm watching all the trees in my town die, water run out, covid overwhelm the hospitals where I work, the homeless population soar, wages and employment plummet, and fires generating their own weather patterns.... idk, maybe I just don't give a fuck if a little 'woke' shows up.

Really, the sooner we stop caring, the sooner the reactionary group stops caring. Then we can all just chill tf out ✌

 

[Woggleman]

You can tell when a creator is staying to their vision or their hand is being forced and to me that is the difference. People like to accuse TLOU2 of being woke but no matter what your opinion this seems like exactly the kind of game Neil Druckmann wanted to make. On the other hand some games like the new Saints Row just seem like pandering.

 

[Banjo64]

As with everything people just like well written characters with nuance regardless of race.

A good example of believable, well written characters who stays true to the nature of the game’s world; Dom and Maria from the Gears trilogy.

A bad example would be Nadine the cyborg from Uncharted 4, with her tiny female frame, who beats the shit of Nate and Sam in unarmed combat (the same Nate and Sam who have slaughtered thousands of enemies). She pops up through the window in some wooden shantie town 500ft above sea level just to keep pounding Nate’s ass with her giant shedick of fury. Comically bad.

 

[MagnesG]

I still don't know what it means to be "woke."

 

[AutumnLeaves]

Wait, is the Triss in the show? Like they took an African-American to play her?

 

[MagnesG]

Wait, is the Triss in the show? Like they took an African-American to play her?

Yeah, and much worse.

An indian Yennefer. This is what a "faithful" adaptation amounts to.