It’s pretty much agreed upon that representation in video games is really lacking in protagonists that aren’t white dudes. The amount of games that let you play hard locked as someone who’s not a white dude are painfully slim, and even the games that let you customize your character will more often than not have a white dude used in their marketing. This is starting to grate on people’s nerves, especially around E3 time, and Twitter user Desertfox899 decided to start a hashtag, not unlike the OscarsSoWhite one from last year.
#gamessowhite that I mean seriously read the comments section anytime @tauriqmoosa publishes an article on an unmoderated site
— Alexandria Leal ➡️ Uploaded (@BinaryVixen899) June 4, 2015
Ah, fantasy games.
#GamesSoWhite I had a bunch of folks arguing about historical accuracy in a game with dragons, elves and magic but few POC
— Cypher ⚔️ 🏳️🌈 @ home till TCEU (@cypheroftyr) June 4, 2015
https://twitter.com/adrianovaroli/status/606432765928603648
https://twitter.com/tauriqmoosa/status/606433072326844416
YEESH.
#gamessowhite stereotypical pokemon are easier to find than the ethnic groups they mock pic.twitter.com/iiT2bK4yMH
— ⚡Tuere⚡ (@Femmefinite) June 4, 2015
#GamesSoWhite including a character that isn't white and isn't a stereotype – that's "unrealistic/disingenuous/pushing an agenda/propaganda"
— Sophie H 🎲🏳️⚧️ (@mxSophieH) June 4, 2015
#gamessowhite no poc featured prominently in marketing. Lack of natural hairstyles.
— messmer's flaming hot cheetos 🥵 (@appleciderwitch) June 4, 2015
Oh god, now you KNOW games representation is that bad.
https://twitter.com/UnseenPerfidy/status/606448127457923073
Whatever you feel about games and representation, that’s kinda fucked.
#gamessowhite the only black Assassin's Creed PCs were Vita exclusive for a year or DLC.
(Aveline and Adewale, though!)— They / Tim (@TimpoAndante) June 4, 2015
https://twitter.com/the_author_/status/606442034820444160
#gamessowhite So this is a fantasy game and anything is possible? Then why is everyone white?
— Ellsworth Grumpy Johnson (@Dr_Doughstax) February 8, 2015
#gamessowhite that Resident Evil 5 forgot part-way through its depiction of modern Africa that it wasn’t the black and white minstrel show.
— The Bonsai Treehouse (@BonsaiTreehouse) June 4, 2015
When they wrote a serious story for a black character but still designed him to be the comic relief. #gamessowhite
— Isaiah (@Bboy_Izilla) June 4, 2015
Much games. So diverse. Wow.
#GamesSoWhite that mixing up protag stubble thickness is the closest we get to diversity
— Nat (@Hatalie) June 4, 2015
https://twitter.com/WeirdoQueen/status/606435269483462656
https://twitter.com/EspiKvlt/status/606426460497178624
#GamesSoWhite that 50 shades of stubble is seen as groundbreaking diversity
— Cypher ⚔️ 🏳️🌈 @ home till TCEU (@cypheroftyr) June 4, 2015
Hell, some people didn’t even wait for the GamesSoWhite hashtag. Or even for June.
Even if white males WERE the greatest number of gamers, it still wouldn't make sense to pander to them exclusively in advertising.
— Tarnished Holly Green (@winnersusedrugs) June 3, 2015
https://twitter.com/megamandaplays/status/606446109599227906
https://twitter.com/davidsgallant/status/564558361564561408
https://twitter.com/TehPogo/status/564559907673108480
#gamessowhite So this is a fantasy game and anything is possible? Then why is everyone white?
— Ellsworth Grumpy Johnson (@Dr_Doughstax) February 8, 2015
Hey, look who that is!
#GamesSoWhite you can’t even suggest maybe switching it up without someone spewing rage and demands to “justify it” in your face at 500 mph
— Justin Carter (@GigawattConduit) June 4, 2015
#GamesSoWhite Mortal Kombat X looks goddamn bizarre in comparison with the different ethnicities it unashamedly has
— Justin Carter (@GigawattConduit) June 4, 2015
The GamesSoWhite hashtag shows no signs of slowing down, and with E3 a week and a half away, you can bet the tag will have more fuel to its fire once all of the conferences have wrapped up. Tell us how you feel about the hashtag in the comments below.
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