Kotaku post calls for more black people in video games. Readers' heads explode.

[Black Hans]

Not surprising. There's a reason why most of the gaming industry uses white characters as the lead character. And although there are black gamers like myself who are interested in all types of games, let's keep it real, most black gamers play Madden, NBA 2K, Call of Duty, and Gears of War. Who do you think is single-handedly keeping Madden and 2K a profitable success?

But if Madden and 2K can sell millions of copies every year to a predominantly black audience, it does mean that there is a market for black gamers in the gaming industry. I think if the numbers start to show that for other types of games, studios might be more confident having a black character be the main protagonist.

 

[Danie84]

like Madden or NBA 2K don't exist

 

[Un-AmericanDreamer]

got to agree with this. we got to realize that we barely make up 15% of the population and of that 15% probably less than 5% are that into games. just from an economic business standpoint you can't expect them to cater to us. you can make a similar assessment about entertainment (tv and movies) which we are over-represented, if anything hispanics should be complaining cause they make up bigger portion of the population and are expected to grow but you barely see much mainstream things geared towards them (hardly any hispanic co-stars, in major movie roles, etc).

Hispanics have their own media tho. Same thing with asians It's not like they're completely dependent on white folks.

 

[MeachTheMonster]

Black and Latino characters should be in games more. It has nothing to do with markets or catering to a certain demographic. It's the simple fact that black and Latin people exist. If you walk out your door you're likely to see plenty of black and Latin folks. If you turn on your tv, black and Latin people barely exist. And this goes for TV, Games, and Movies. It always comes off a little weird to me when I play through an entire game and don't see any black/Latin people unless I'm shooting at them.

 

[Green negs and spam]

White gamers are cool with dragons, orcs and aliens but the idea of a black man being in their video games has them bugging out.

 

[courtdog]

Not surprising. There's a reason why most of the gaming industry uses white characters as the lead character. And although there are black gamers like myself who are interested in all types of games, let's keep it real, most black gamers play Madden, NBA 2K, Call of Duty, and Gears of War. Who do you think is single-handedly keeping Madden and 2K a profitable success?

But if Madden and 2K can sell millions of copies every year to a predominantly black audience, it does mean that there is a market for black gamers in the gaming industry. I think if the numbers start to show that for other types of games, studios might be more confident having a black character be the main protagonist.

Where you get these figures from
There are WAY more white people period in america, more who own consoles/etc.
They buy Madden just as we do. And just like some of us like "sports" some of us don't like them... ask fatboi

How da fukk you gonna stereotype black ppl as only playing 4 damn games

Kids

 

[1970s HeRon Flow]

Black and Latino characters should be in games more. It has nothing to do with markets or catering to a certain demographic. It's the simple fact that black and Latin people exist. If you walk out your door you're likely to see plenty of black and Latin folks. If you turn on your tv, black and Latin people barely exist. And this goes for TV, Games, and Movies. It always comes off a little weird to me when I play through an entire game and don't see any black/Latin people unless I'm shooting at them.

I'd like to see more blacks and Hispanics in games too,aslong as its to keep things factual and not forced,played arkham city the other day and said to myself where are all the Hispanic criminals

 

[courtdog]

I'd like to see more blacks and Hispanics in games too,aslong as its to keep things factual and not forced,played arkham city the other day and said to myself where are all the Hispanic criminals

Keep things factual and not forced They been FORCING minorities out of the equation. If they were to add one, it will always be forced.
The black guy will be a part time rapper and the hispanic will have tat's and probably a gun on him somewhere.
People of color fighting "creatures" is not likely. They'd have to "force" it somehow

In gears of War, all white ppl. Then one brotha with the cliche quotes. Then DOM who they ended up killing
The newest Gears of War wont star the usual white boy, but the other white boy in the group

Sorry Cole Train baby, wooooooooo

 

[1970s HeRon Flow]

Keep things factual and not forced They been FORCING minorities out of the equation. If they were to add one, it will always be forced.
The black guy will be a part time rapper and the hispanic will have tat's and probably a gun on him somewhere.
People of color fighting "creatures" is not likely. They'd have to "force" it somehow

In gears of War, all white ppl. Then one brotha with the cliche quotes. Then DOM who they ended up killing
The newest Gears of War wont star the usual white boy, but the other white boy in the group

Sorry Cole Train baby, wooooooooo

Damn,so they had a choice between starring Baird or Cole Train,and they picked Baird
I rather stick to being the bad guys then,hope we come off as straight killas on the new army of two game

 

[tru_m.a.c]

Again, shut the fukk up....

You made it clear earlier that you were talking out of your ass by claiming black gamers only make up a small percentage of the Market.

Even if what you said is true in that the target market is the majority (which it isn't) you'd see more games that are actualy geared towards women. Women are by far the largest potential audience for games but they're one of the most ignored and disrespected groups by game developers and players.

The reality of it is the people working at this game development studios are mostly white and Asian males who share similar viewpoints. They make the gaems that they want to make but they also have a habit of hiring the people they want to hire regardless of how qualified (or under-qualified) they are.

It's the exact same bullshyt that goes down in comic books. It's less about how talented you are and more about who you know and are friends with.

dude why you so aggy off of his response....can you back up the numbers that we make up the highest #'s with an actual study??? Just drop a link and there's no reason to explain anything to anyone

 

[Blackout]

Keep things factual and not forced They been FORCING minorities out of the equation. If they were to add one, it will always be forced.
The black guy will be a part time rapper and the hispanic will have tat's and probably a gun on him somewhere.
People of color fighting "creatures" is not likely. They'd have to "force" it somehow

In gears of War, all white ppl. Then one brotha with the cliche quotes. Then DOM who they ended up killing
The newest Gears of War wont star the usual white boy, but the other white boy in the group

Sorry Cole Train baby, wooooooooo

I guess they do it to keep on avoiding actually learning about the race.

Such a shame that stereotypes are their main representation of us. I personally think it makes the game borderline silly which makes it hard for me to get into most storylines.

Writing and effort used up on all white characters and nothing but stereotypes pinned on the black ones.

THE definition of lazy and ignorant.

 

[Fury616]

I cringed everytime Cole Train came onto the screen like

Lee from Walking Dead was great character but in the beginning in the police car I was like, not again

Jacob Taylor ME2 daddy issues

Sazh from FFXIII, great family man but still

Couple of black characters off top that didn't fall into stereotypes, Sgt James Heller (Prototype2), Commander Anderson (ME) and Alyx and Eli from Half Life. Sad it's such a small list

 

[Rarely-Wrong Liggins]

Kratos and Commander Shephard are black to me and that's all there is to it.

Kingpin too. CACs: umad:

 

[Black Magisterialness]

White gamers are cool with dragons, orcs and aliens but the idea of a black man being in their video games has them bugging out.

i know right

I personally have a longtime personal dream of just having a studio and financing a AAA game (it could be indie in this day and age), and making a old school RPG...I mean straight turn-based shyt, epic scope. Real final fantasy stuff and and making majority of the cast be black and perhaps even a black main antagonist.

I think people are afraid to make black villains in game, or making black paragons too. Its like people relegated black game avatars to those strange anti heroes or comic relief. As if black folks are incapeable of PURE good or PURE evil...i think it says something about the view the rest of the world has on us. Like we only exist in the in-between. You can't tell me some of these Chicago nikkas wouldn't be capable of some Kefka like destruction if they were given the right tools.

I think that's what made Sahz in FFXIII so effective in the story because, while he had some comic moments (which were some of the only comic moments and i didn't like that shyt) but his quest was BY FAR the most noble and endearing and heartbreaking. It's because they made him a fukking human being.

The industry is now more getting prone to LGBT representations than it is to blacks now man...the shyt is strange.

 

[Insensitive]

I cringed everytime Cole Train came onto the screen like

Lee from Walking Dead was great character but in the beginning in the police car I was like, not again

Jacob Taylor ME2 daddy issues

Sazh from FFXIII, great family man but still

Couple of black characters off top that didn't fall into stereotypes, Sgt James Heller (Prototype2), Commander Anderson (ME) and Alyx and Eli from Half Life. Sad it's such a small list

I'm not sure if you're joking or serious.

Jacob was well written, he had issues with his father
as did Miranda but he wasn't the only character in ME2
that had issues his were pretty tame in comparison to
other characters.

I also think Sazh was a great character.
Lee was also a great character I genuinely felt
for him and clementine by the final episode.
And oddly enough I have no issue with the cole train.