Hey Jacob have you seen this?

[Valmy]

When your best argument in developing minority characters in video games is to hire minorities because you can't violate the NDA by reaching out to real-life minorities, what else would you call it?

Um...hiring people who can do the job better?

Besides affirmative action is a legal requirement.

[viper37]

I've been playing digital games for well over 20 years now, and I can say that I'm thoroughly bored by an endless parade of scantily clad, improbably proportioned female characters that are shallow as a puddle in the street and just work with gender stereotypes/sex hormones.

I never saw that in Europa Universalis or Empire: Total War!  I always miss out the good stuff dammit!

Also, I'm tired of "shooting people in the face" being the core mechanic for oh so many games these days. It's good fun if done right, but for AAA titles it seems about the only option (see: Bioshock: Infinite, Tomb Raider reboot, Dead Space 3, Aliens: Colonial Marines, Star Trek game ...).

add Mass Effect 3 MP to the list.  You get bonus damage for shooting at the head.

[Valmy]

I never saw that in Europa Universalis or Empire: Total War!  I always miss out the good stuff dammit!

Yeah I am also pretty isolated from these trends...they pretty much only came up when I was playing Bioware games ironically.  Heh.

[Kleves]

Um...hiring people who can do the job better?

That would only apply if the job was "being a minority."

[Valmy]

That would only apply if the job was "being a minority."

Well that is the job.  You need to be able to write a large number of different characters, uncluding getting in the head of minority characters.  If you fail at that you should not have the job.  If you do not know how to make a product that 47% of the market will like you are failing.

You also need to point out where he was calling for laws in the US and Canada requiring minority video game characters, being what affirmative action is and all.

[garbon]

That would only apply if the job was "being a minority."

Well that is the job.  You need to be able to write a large number of different characters, uncluding getting in the head of minority characters.  If you fail at that you should not have the job.  If you do not know how to make a product that 47% of the market will like you are failing.

You also need to point out where he was calling for laws in the US and Canada requiring minority video game characters, being what affirmative action is and all.

If I wanted to deal with minorities, I'd go out in the world and meet them. Keep them out of my games!

[CountDeMoney]

If I wanted to deal with minorities, I'd go out in the world and meet them. Keep them out of my games!

I could write some great minority characters.

[Jacob]

Generally AAA console titles try to be as risk averse as possible and that means catering to white dudes by having the protagonist be a grizzled white dude with brown hair unless there's a compelling reason not to; and usually the white guys responsible for developing the protagonist can't convince the other white guys who make the final call that the reason is compelling enough.

There are some exceptions, of course. Japanese games tend to go for some sort of idealized Asian dude with some white features, and there are, of course the mascots and the rare hot chick. You'll get your diversity in games that allow you to create your own character, or in ensemble cast type games.

That's pretty evident to most people who play games, I think.

As for the industry, it's mainly white dudes, yeah. Some of them are terribly sexist, some of them are less terribly sexist, and some of them are not particularly sexist. There are some women, and some of them can trade on being female in some contexts but overall it's not to their advantage to be women IMO; though the ones that make it obviously have found a way to navigate the industry and even thrive.

How will it change, if it does change? In terms of the game, it's really up to the market. If some indies or brave non-indie studios make some more diverse protagonists and make lots of money, you'll see plenty of people rushing to follow that trend.

As for the industry itself changing? I don't have any answers. I've taught two different classes in game design; the first one had 1 woman out of 16, the second class has 1 woman out of 20. The place I work now has a pretty damn bro-like vibe; previous places have ranged from relatively benign and even supportive towards women in the industry, to severely and dysfunctionally sexist and outright hostile to women.

I expect it will be a long, slow change if change comes at all.

[Syt]

if change comes at all.

There was recently some talk about the programs in Austria that want to promote "typically male" jobs to women (engineering, IT, natural scinces etc.). After decades of investment in such projects, there's only very little change in gender structures in those kinds of jobs. The overwhelming majority of girls move into nurturing jobs (nurse, teacher, doctors etc), become office workers, or choose relatively low level service careers (hairdresser, supermarket employee etc.).

[The Brain]

They are oppressed by sexist structures in society that force them to choose poorly from a male perspective.

[Razgovory]

Generally AAA console titles try to be as risk averse as possible and that means catering to white dudes by having the protagonist be a grizzled white dude with brown hair unless there's a compelling reason not to; and usually the white guys responsible for developing the protagonist can't convince the other white guys who make the final call that the reason is compelling enough.

There are some exceptions, of course. Japanese games tend to go for some sort of idealized Asian dude with some white features, and there are, of course the mascots and the rare hot chick. You'll get your diversity in games that allow you to create your own character, or in ensemble cast type games.

That's pretty evident to most people who play games, I think.

As for the industry, it's mainly white dudes, yeah. Some of them are terribly sexist, some of them are less terribly sexist, and some of them are not particularly sexist. There are some women, and some of them can trade on being female in some contexts but overall it's not to their advantage to be women IMO; though the ones that make it obviously have found a way to navigate the industry and even thrive.

How will it change, if it does change? In terms of the game, it's really up to the market. If some indies or brave non-indie studios make some more diverse protagonists and make lots of money, you'll see plenty of people rushing to follow that trend.

As for the industry itself changing? I don't have any answers. I've taught two different classes in game design; the first one had 1 woman out of 16, the second class has 1 woman out of 20. The place I work now has a pretty damn bro-like vibe; previous places have ranged from relatively benign and even supportive towards women in the industry, to severely and dysfunctionally sexist and outright hostile to women.

I expect it will be a long, slow change if change comes at all.

I suspect it'll take a generation at least (not a console generation, an ordinary one).  Today's developers are the guys who were plugging quarters into arcade machines 10-30 years ago. If there is a significant market segment composed of women, then it's from them that that new female developers were come from.

[The Minsky Moment]

Also, I'm tired of "shooting people in the face" being the core mechanic for oh so many games these days. It's good fun if done right, but for AAA titles it seems about the only option (see: Bioshock: Infinite, Tomb Raider reboot, Dead Space 3, Aliens: Colonial Marines, Star Trek game ...).

Deer Hunter: Vice Presidential Edition

[Legbiter]

Good in parts but the turgid PC bromides grated a little.

[Jacob]

A somewhat related article on and about Kotaku: http://kotaku.com/a-note-about-brutal-comments-and-a-kotaku-for-everyon-589637991?fb_action_ids=10151738110438938&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=%7B%2210151738110438938%22%3A675699625780511%7D&action_type_map=%7B%2210151738110438938%22%3A%22og.likes%22%7D&action_ref_map=%5B%5D

[fhdz]

Also, I'm tired of "shooting people in the face" being the core mechanic for oh so many games these days. It's good fun if done right, but for AAA titles it seems about the only option (see: Bioshock: Infinite, Tomb Raider reboot, Dead Space 3, Aliens: Colonial Marines, Star Trek game ...).

Deer Hunter: Vice Presidential Edition

Now with the Kenny Cosgrove expansion pack!