Supreme Cmdr Posted April 21, 2007 Report Share Posted April 21, 2007 You can read the special feature over here Now you see why I didn't want to participate? I told you that it was very likely that (a) they wouldn't like what I had to say ( its just another editorialized print job by "consultants" who think that they know more about the industry that we who are actually in it. My guess is that my references to third party controversial games such as GTA, not to mention the proliferation of ludicrously violent games would have attracted the ire of the mainstream publishers. While I'm not a proponent of censorship or govt. interventions, this is EXACTLY why this frigging industry just needs the govt. to come in, regulate (like the FDA, FCC etc) the whole damn thing and call it a day. Most of these publishers and devs who are just out gunning for shock value and putting us in the spotlight, would be out of a job on day one. As to the article, they didn't print questions 1,5,7,10,11,13. So, below are my responses in their entirety. Whats the most common misconception about African Americans when it comes to gaming? To be honest, I'm not sure that there are in fact any. Like all art forms, gaming is race, color and creed blind. I mean, its not like someone is going to be running polls on how many African Americans are buying or playing games. Or how hard it is for African Americans to get their games made. Then again, who knows. Given how much money we spend on stupid irrelevant and inconsequential stuff, someone (most likely the govt.) has already sponsored such polls. On the other hand, when it comes to the business of entertainment, there is always that unspoken divide that comes with the differences in being Black or White. e.g. in Hollywood, there's a lot of noise about what its like to be Black in Hollywood, how it affects getting [good] parts, getting movies made etc. Then you have to wonder that even if that were the case, how do they explain the successes of such actors as Denzel Washington, Sam Jackson, Terrence Howard, Forest Whitaker and their ilk? There are exceptions of course, but thats what life is about. The haves and have nots. We can't all have everything, can we? As much as most would like to compare our industry with that of Hollywood for example, I think that we're far removed from all that retrospective nonsense. We, well most of us, just want to develop games. Whether we the developers, publishers etc are African Americans or not is irrelevant and patently inconsequential.How do you feel about African Americans traditional portrayal in the gaming space? I have no opinions on it really. Sure you don't see that many African American archetypes, heroes, foes etc but thats all irrelevant. Besides, we have an entirely different demographic to focus on and which are far easier - and less controversial - targets. e.g. Middle Eastern terrorists and their sympathizers/supporters; the Nazis, your psychotic neighbor etc I don't think that if any African American were a foe in a game, that any [gamer] would care. Sure the Germans (and that idiot Kim Jung IL) will protest (and outright ban games) based on some of their own controversial history, portrayal etc. But at the end of day, who cares what they think? The industry is still churning out games about Arabs, terrorists, Nazis etc despite the furor of the vocal minority. So my guess is that, apart from the fact that African Americans have a whole different view (or there would be protests about Black villains in movies) there are better things to focus on when it comes to gaming. e.g. the ESRB ratings, the glorification of over-the-top violence in games etc.Some of the biggest mistakes designers make when creating titles for this audience? None that I can think of. Listen, if someone wants to develop a game - and they're paying for it - then they can do what the heck they like with it. There is no government grant which comes with strings attached. Why does everything have to be Black or White? Why can't it just be what it is?Do games really have to be all urban and blinged out to appeal to this demographic, as corporate America seems to think? I don't know. It would all depend on the demographic. Of course, when you consider the general audience that you are catering to, you can't help but inject the nuances of that demographic. And as you say, bling is a part of one such demographic aspect. But I have to tell you, not all of us talk like that, dress like that or even bling out like that. We may be in the minority and a different demographic, but again, games - like everything else that is mass produced - have a target demographic. We don't have to like it, but thats just the way it is. So if the target demographic is not you, don't buy the game. Move on.What type of titles is the community really drawn to? No clue. Given the sales figures for the likes of Grand Theft Auto series, Just Cause and every other GTA clone that has come since, I wouldn't go so far as to say that the community is really drawn to them. They're just games. WoW and every other successful game is based on fantasy worlds. They are huge. So does that mean we - as a community - are drawn to Elves as opposed to African American titles. Thats just rubbish. If a game is fun, the target demographic will most likely buy or pirate it. That goes without saying. It has nothing to do with who the target audience is.How could game developers and publishers make their products more appealing and/or marketable to this audience? I'm not sure that there is anything for them to do about it. As I said earlier, the designers know who their demographic is. Thats all that matters. Who are we to dictate to people how they spend their money, talent and resources? And no, I'm not into all that affirmative action bullshit. Everyone, regardless of race, color, creed or social standing, has a shot at everything and anything. As such should be treated equally. Even as a minority, thats something that we have to come to terms with. Life sucks, but we find a way to deal with it. Look, if someone came to me and asked me to develop a game for the African American demographic, I'd probably laugh out loud. Right after I made sure that the funds cleared.From a cultural standpoint, are there really any major media outlets or software manufacturers that have made anything resembling a concerted effort to actual connect with this community? Not that I'm aware of. But then again, what exactly would be the motivation for 'connecting'? Are African Americans going to buy games more if they were targeted at their demographic? I don't think so. For the same reason that most African Americans do NOT like some African American movies, products, lifestyles etc.What could the industry be doing better to connect with a broader range of people from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds? Nothing. As I said earlier, as an art form with no racial boundaries, games are what they are. A form of entertainment. Once you start catering to a specific demographic - and for whatever reason - you lose sight of the entire premise. For me, its like that whole separation of church and state argument. Sure you can have both, but as a Christian, I am sure as heck more likely to vote for an atheist leader who is honest and does a good job of, you know, leading, than I am for one who is a religious nutcase. So, I'm not going to watch an African American movie, buy an African American game etc, just because I'm the target demographic. Thats just ludicrous.Anything youd like to say to software makers and distributors that might help them get their heads out of the sand? No. They're doing just fine. The more focus they place on developing good games, the less likely they are to get distracted and mired into that whole Black vs White non-issue when it comes to games. Its bad enough that we can't go online these days without seeing some idiot trying to connect real world violence with video games. So no, lets not compound the problem by adding yet another catalyst. Next thing you know, we'll have Jesse and Al breathing down our backs about more African Americans being in jail because we're developing crime and violence riddled games to them. Can you imagine what would happen if Jack Thompson were, you know, Black?How do you feel about African Americans portrayal by the gaming industry so far? I have no opinions on the matter. In fact, I wasn't even aware that there was any portrayal to speak of. Its all in the eyes of the beholder I guess. I'm just not beholding it.Which titles or companies in particular do you think are finally getting it right when it comes to reaching out to this audience? Oh come on now. Seriously. Here, have this long barge pole. I won't be needing it.As a follow up, what do you think is the best way to reach this audience? I'd rather that they didn't because more likely that not, they'd probably screw things up and do more harm than good. I just want them to focus on developing good games. If a game is good and worth buying, everyone will buy it. You don't have to be African American, Caucasian, Chinese, Arabic etc to appreciate and art form, let alone entertainment. At the very least, the danger of this is that most publishers and game designers seem to think that the African American culture is one fraught with violence, foul language, crime and bling. So, if they were to focus on this demographic, what do you think the outcome [of those games] would be? Yep, thats right. Grand Theft Auto and every imaginable clone.Finally, the worst stereotype about African Americans and gaming would be? Crime, violence and foul language. [ 04-21-2007, 09:17 AM: Message edited by: Supreme Cmdr ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolferz Posted April 21, 2007 Report Share Posted April 21, 2007 Well said Boss. One does have to wonder why the race card hasn't been pulled from the deck, cut into very small pieces and placed where it belongs, in the waste receptecle of obscure ideas. At the end of the day we are all Americans, regardless of our heritage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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