Baldurs Gate 3 actor says that some games are now cutting diversity from their stories.

[O.Red]

I dont think one thing really leads to another. The majority of black created games are like indie titles, that aren’t going to necessarily grow into AAA productions.

i think Xavier Nelson’s studio might be the only exception.

This mentality is why black shyt doesn't grow tho

Maybe black folks would have some AAA level shyt if they built on top of the indie shyt they already have. Instead of constantly leaving fate in the hands of hoping white people throw you a bone and put 2 nikkas in a Mass Effect game or whatever

 

[Gizmo_Duck]

This mentality is why black shyt doesn't grow tho

Maybe black folks would have some AAA level shyt if they built on top of the indie shyt they already have. Instead of constantly leaving fate in the hands of hoping white people throw you a bone and put 2 nikkas in a Mass Effect game or whatever

Easy to say, but a lot of brehs ain’t buying those games cause they ain’t the type of games they play on a day to day basis

 

[O.Red]

Easy to say, but a lot of brehs ain’t buying those games cause they ain’t the type of games they play on a day to day basis

Excuses

When it boils down it sounds like begging for a seat at the table because your table is not good enough or rather, you don't believe you can build a table in the first place

Somebody has to start somewhere, but that's the part everyone hates

 

[Gizmo_Duck]

Excuses

When it boils down it sounds like begging for a seat at the table because your table is not good enough or rather, you don't believe you can build a table in the first place

Somebody has to start somewhere, but that's the part everyone hates

Video games are tied to tech, you need capital to compete

 

[Primetime]

Honestly, after over a decade in the oven, that Rockstar made the MCs of the new GTA a generic white guy and his latina gf felt a bit of a regression. Was expecting something a bit more clever with the playable characters, coming off what they did with GTA 5.

But the harsh reality is playable black characters in AAA games will mostly either come from outside media IPs that are already popular (think superheroes, or "Yasuke") or games with character creators (Mass Effect, BG3, Cyberpunk, Fallout, etc.,) where the intention isn't to be black but to be "anyone". The obvious elephant in the room is there isn't much original black MCs

Nor will there be an incentive if the creatives making the games are non-black. Just like i'd have no incentive to make a game with a Pakistani mc. Until the decision makers behind the scenes look more like us, we'll be limited to the aforementioned options, with the occasional surprise like "CJ".

 

[CopiousX]

Oh what I'm saying is there was never any hope for AAA productions with the exception to Strange Scaffold. Non white male gamers were never going to win this war due to the fact that there are many more white male gamers.

I'm saying support black created games so hopefully they can get to the level of a Strange Scaffold. It worked with black comics. We got a Bitter Root movie coming out soon. There should be more black gamers based on the fact that there seem to be more black gamers than black comic fans.

Some of this is kind of our fault. we have a lot of consumers, but few people willing to actually create this stuff.

During last year's Kingdom come deliverance saga , The developer of the game raised the point that why don't we(black people) Tell our own stories or have game studios in Africa/Caribbean. I know he was being pedantic, and I admit I was insulted when he said it originally, but I thought about his statement over a week and realized he was right.


In theory we have been plenty active in other creative fields like comedy or film or music. But very few of us have entered into gaming. And if our ventures into game production are anything like what black people did in music/film/comedy, then our unique black cultures should help us dominate the industry even with lower budgets.

 

[CopiousX]

Video games are tied to tech, you need capital to compete

I truly think it's less so about money and more so about willingness. Our inherent uniqueness is enough to compete If we have enough creatives trying to make it work.

I'd like to draw an analogy to Hollywood which required money and complex film equipment. You could have said the same thing about film and TV prior to the '80s keeping black people out due to cost. But Then you had a bunch of low budget and low promotion films/tv shows produced by black directors/actors/producers . What sold black people's presence in film wasn't high production numbers, or big marketing budgets or james Cameron levels of cinematographic complexity. The culture itself sold it.

Whether you're talking about the martin, or Spike Lee's productions, or fresh prince under WSmith or T.Perry's productions, or even recently with get out and sinners. I mean something like Martin was a commercial success with a 10th of the budget of friends. I know it's a controversial thought, but I think we're doing ourselves a disservice by being satisfied with a few token black characters in a white game.



I don't see why something similar to black film/tv can't be done in gaming. The exact same barriers exist. But black people successfully used shoestring budgets and willpower to make an impact in Hollywood.

 

[Gizmo_Duck]

During last year's Kingdom come deliverance saga , The developer of the game raised the point that why don't we(black people) Tell our own stories or have game studios in Africa/Caribbean. I know he was being pedantic, and I admit I was insulted when he said it originally, but I thought about his statement over a week and realized he was right.

And yet, even when we do (tales of Kenzera) they do everything in their power to tank the games reputation anyway.

Whether you're talking about the martin, or Spike Lee's productions, or fresh prince under WSmith or T.Perry's productions, or even recently with get out and sinners. I mean something like Martin was a commercial success with a 10th of the budget of friends. I know it's a controversial thought, but I think we're doing ourselves a disservice by being satisfied with a few token black characters in a white game.



I don't see why something similar to black film/tv can't be done in gaming. The exact same barriers exist. But black people successfully used shoestring budgets and willpower to make an impact in Hollywood.

I’d say it’s still a bit different, especially now. Sure you have stuff like UE thats basically free but its still incredibly hard for one or two programmers to make a game or something resembling AAA.

you ever watch those indie showcases and they highlight a small group of white people in seattle making a ‘cozy’ indie game? Those people probably quit their jobs, living off trust funds, or have some grassroots funding just to make some 2d cat game. I think gaming is probably one of the hardest industries to break into because it requires a huge amount of time, money, and a diverse skill set.

and 9/10 times these indie games end up not coming out or having no one play them even when they end up in big showcases.

 

[BlackJesus]

This mentality is why black shyt doesn't grow tho

Maybe black folks would have some AAA level shyt if they built on top of the indie shyt they already have. Instead of constantly leaving fate in the hands of hoping white people throw you a bone and put 2 nikkas in a Mass Effect game or whatever

Facts.

 

[BaggerofTea]

if the game doesnt have a black mc or the ability to create a black mc, I simply dont play it.

 

[Gizmo_Duck]

if the game doesnt have a black mc or the ability to create a black mc, I simply dont play it.

So what games released this year have you played?

 

[LV Koopa]

Good. And it has nothing to do with Trump or regressive policies. This was a long time coming.

You had an industry trying to be PC police on game studios and putting pressure on them to conform to whatever new activist talking point was popular. We saw games like Dragon Age 4 morph into something completely unrecognized by fans because they hired untalented activists who hid behind being "Diverse" to excuse their lack of skill.

Too many of these hacks were infiltrating the industry and too much garbage was being released. Go back to the days where most people did not care about political activism in every game and just wanted a good product. Look at the stupidity surrounding Assassin's Creed.

Saying you need money is an excuse. There are plenty of creative black people and plenty of free programming libraries that support game development. They've been around for DECADES. With Replit and AI tools, you have NO excuse now. If you want more diversity - create it. Stop leaving it in the hands of racist white liberals who rage bait for every perceived wrong (game flopped? Racist fans!) instead of acknowledging people just don't like them or their need to self-insert into IPs.

The entire DEI phase was just bullshyt that allowed pampered scrubs to act like saviors while grifting money and emotions out of you. Wake up and do the work.

 

[Primetime]

Also, gotta have honest conversations about the "diversity" aspect of it as well... as the article is talking mostly about queer storylines being cut.

Personally, my perogative for "inclusion" is centered on from-harlem, masucline brehs in lead roles. Not gay brehs, not cowardly comic relief brehs, not Anthony Mackie brehs. Ain't finished AC: Shadows yet but Yasuke seems to fit that mold. You may laugh but usually only the white folk get to be the strong fish out of water character stompin out all the foreigners out and fukkin their women

My point? Queer stuff is outside my scope/prerogative, yet I see we’re often grouped in with them, with the fear-mongering that if we don’t fight that fight for them that “we’ll be next”.

Yet fighting for them (aka gaslighting white heterosexual creators for not including queer stuff) doesn’t guarantee we get what we want either.

It still comes down to the decision makers behind the scenes being like us/having our specific interests in mind instead of some generalized theme of “inclusion” where any and everything gets a turn, which is neither practical nor satisfying.

 

[Neuromancer]

And yet, even when we do (tales of Kenzera) they do everything in their power to tank the games reputation anyway.

This isn't an excuse really and we need to take a page from their books. They will support any shyt that features them prominently warts and all. We should have supported Tales of Kenzera regardless. Otherwise we can't be upset when there are no games for us. Everything needs a foundation.

 

[Neuromancer]

Yeah, i just wish there was one Ryan Coogler type creative director that could get original black lead AAA games out the door.

How did Ryan Coogler get to where he was? Fruitvale station. You can't wait for ready made stuff. I've been doing this indie thing for a while and you have to support the grass roots so they get to that point. If you're not you're doing yourself a disservice