Culture (Cringey) Excellence in Games Journalism 101

[KilroywasNOTHere]

At what point did we learn whining our way to the top actually does anything cause this seems to be common in the digital space in general whether it be gaming politics, etc.

 

[Husky_Khan]

What's that about Elden Ring?



According to The Verge's Ash Parrish, specifically there is a lack of Black Hairstyles.

*Cue the Violin Music*

Character creators are also a place in which I am uniquely made aware of my race. Make no mistake, America delights in reminding me daily that I am a Black woman and that it, through the systems that spawned and continue to define it, utterly hates me and other marginalized people. Character creators contribute to that weird feeling of awareness of one’s “difference” through the options its developers deem worthy of inclusion. Hair is one of those options. Nothing makes me feel more different than when a game fails to include at least some kinky hairstyles. A game will, as Elden Ring does, have over 20 different styles of straight hair, accounting for different lengths, styles of curl, parts, braids, even the complete absence of hair. But will it not include a type that an entire continent of people have? That math is not mathing.

THIS ISN’T JUST AN ‘ELDEN RING’ PROBLEM; IT’S A VIDEO GAME PROBLEM

Elden Ring’s hair omission is glaring within its own system. How is it that I, through the prolific number of sliders and color wheels, can create the proudest-looking, Negro nose with Jackson 5 nostril-having character who ever walked the Lands Between, but I can’t give her baby hairs to match?

This isn’t just an Elden Ring problem; it’s a video game problem. For many years, players of color have had to mod in things like kinky hairstyles and better, more authentic-looking skin tones in order to have the kind of representation that white players get by default. Games with a customizable protagonist are nearly always represented with a white-passing avatar. And when games do include Black hairstyles, it’s almost always only a fade and an afro, which are the go-to styles whenever a character creator wants to give the appearance of inclusivity while not actually being all that inclusive. (Looking at you, Mass Effect.)

I, THROUGH THE PROLIFIC NUMBER OF SLIDERS AND COLOR WHEELS, CAN CREATE THE PROUDEST-LOOKING, NEGRO NOSE WITH JACKSON 5 NOSTRIL-HAVING CHARACTER WHO EVER WALKED THE LANDS BETWEEN, BUT I CAN’T GIVE HER BABY HAIRS TO MATCH

The situation is improving. I’m heartened by games like Baldur’s Gate 3 and Cyberpunk 2077, which have a decent amount of diverse and accurate-looking hairstyles.

Well at least there is hope for the future.

Elden Ring’s character creator fails Black players - The Verge

archived 27 Feb 2022 00:21:26 UTC

archive.fo

 

[ParadiseLost]

They're not wrong; it is disappointing that I can't do an Afro-Samurai build.

Also, now that I've heard this, an Afro-Samurai playthrough is added to my plans for Cyberpunk 2077 runs.

 

[Urabrask Revealed]

According to The Verge's Ash Parrish, specifically there is a lack of Black Hairstyles.

What's a black, sorry, "Black" hairstyle?

 

[Bear Ribs]

What's a black, sorry, "Black" hairstyle?

Given her thing seems to be specifically kinky black hair; afros, dreadlocks, and probably niche styles like flat tops.

 

[Battlegrinder]

it, through the systems that spawned and continue to define it, utterly hates me

Can't imagine why, she seems so likeable.



The question with hairstyles if if fits the intended style of the game. Something like, say dreadlocks has been around forever but, it has not been around forever in every culture at all times, so if a game is aiming for the tone a certain time and place, hairstyles should match. I doubt Eldan Ring has a 50s pompodour either.

 

[ParadiseLost]

The question with hairstyles if if fits the intended style of the game. Something like, say dreadlocks has been around forever but, it has not been around forever in every culture at all times, so if a game is aiming for the tone a certain time and place, hairstyles should match. I doubt Eldan Ring has a 50s pompodour either.

That's a bit silly when Elden Ring allows you to create characters that absolutely do not fit the game in terms of their appearance.

Like, let's not pretend that the Japanese devs were actually sitting around thinking about that. Its likely that they simply never considered black hairstyles at all; the average Japanese person could probably count the number of black people they've met IRL on one hand.

 

[Doomsought]

Like, let's not pretend that the Japanese devs were actually sitting around thinking about that. Its likely that they simply never considered black hairstyles at all; the average Japanese person could probably count the number of black people they've met IRL on one hand.

And when they think of a person with dark skin, they think of a Pacific Islander first, rather than an African.

 

[ShadowsOfParadox]

The funniest possible thing, is that this "Journalist" apparently didn't bother to do even basic research. If she had she wouldn't have pinned the "race thing" to specifically an "American" context. From Soft doesn't, and has never, developed in an "American" context.

 

[Agent23]

They're not wrong; it is disappointing that I can't do an Afro-Samurai build.

Also, now that I've heard this, an Afro-Samurai playthrough is added to my plans for Cyberpunk 2077 runs.

Net-running crafts expert with some sniper and stealth skills is where it is at, yo!

Sorry, I just can't bring myself to bring fists or a knife to a gun/hack your opponent's brains until they fry fight.

 

[ParadiseLost]

Net-running crafts expert with some sniper and stealth skills is where it is at, yo!

Sorry, I just can't bring myself to bring fists or a knife to a gun/hack your opponent's brains until they fry fight.

When I did my playthrough of Cyberpunk I wanted a street kid V like in the trailers. Hacking wouldn't fit the roleplay I was trying to do. I kept to hand guns and melee, with him occasionally bringing out other stuff for important missions.

 

[Husky_Khan]

Oh nice, we got hopefuls wanting to Fact Check Youtube Commentators.

Perfectly normal critic behavior

 

[Urabrask Revealed]

Wtf cares about appearing gross? Also, >anime profile. Execute programm "You will never be a woman."

 

[Robovski]

I'd probably remove the comments as spam but it does drive engagement.

 

[LTR]

Someone might've actually been paid to write this article.

Fallout 5 Needs to Move Past the Capital Wasteland



Just for your information the Capital Wasteland was the setting of Fallout 3 and one of the DLC's.

There have been three Fallout games released since Fallout 3, a decade and a half ago, that have been released. And this article is informing Bethesda that Fallout 5 should move past the Capital Wasteland.

Now remember three games since Fallout 3.

Fallout New Vegas which took place in the Mojave Desert and Las Vegas.

Fallout 4 which took place in Boston.

Fallout 76 which took place in a trash can.

Was Bethesda even considering taking Fallout back to the Capital Wasteland? I don't understand the article at all, which is archived below.

Fallout 5 Needs to Move Past the Capital Wasteland

archived 30 Jun 2022 22:06:04 UTC

archive.ph

 

[Zachowon]

Apperently 76 has improved a lot

 

[Robovski]

76 is basically set in West Virginia (and is much better now that it has actual NPCs in it). Fallout Tactics was set starting in Chicago and goes to Colorado but it's not super canon. Yeah, 3 is the only one set in DC. Even for 3, several of it's DLC revolve around other places like Pittsburgh and Alaska or a UFO in space.

 

[Battlegrinder]

Even for 3, several of it's DLC revolve around other places like Pittsburgh and Alaska or a UFO in space.

All of the DLC for 3 save Broken Steel is somewhere other than DC, actually.

 

[Urabrask Revealed]

All of the DLC for 3 save Broken Steel is somewhere other than DC, actually.

You can even argue that Broken Steel also doesn't take place in DC, because it's in the historical fanfiction of Anchorage or whatever the place was called.

 

[ParadiseLost]

You can even argue that Broken Steel also doesn't take place in DC, because it's in the historical fanfiction of Anchorage or whatever the place was called.

You're confusing Operation Anchorage with Broken Steel.