102 réponses à ce sujet

[NM_Che56]

Ok,

 

Something has me a little perturbed.  I'm seeing articles about Dorian being the first "fully gay" character in a Bioware game.  http://www.ign.com/a...-fully-gay-male

 

No, this isn't where you think it's going.  I'm not going to shout this down.  I think it's great that Bioware makes a concerted effort to bring diversity into the character roster. 

 

What bothers me is that it seems like such a big deal is being made about this, but I cannot find nor recall the gaming media celebrating the fact that Vivienne is the first black female (...and playable) main character.  And not just any character; she's in a role of prominience and power (First Enchanter).    Why is this not worthy of the same adulation?

 

Am I missing something? Did I not see this praise in gaming websites?  Is she not the first black female main character in a powerful role?

 

Help me out here, folks.

 

EDIT: Put female in bold.  Added parenthetical qualification of being playable to bring it to parity with the IGN article.

[Osena109]

She is not the frist main black  character in bioware game  mass effect 2 Jacob

[NM_Che56]

She is not the frist main black  character in bioware game  mass effect 2 Jacob

 

Please read again. I did not say she was the first black main character.  I said she was the first black FEMALE main character.  The IGN article also qualifies the adulation regarding Dorian by saying that he's playable, too.  So, I'm also including playability.

[Rosey]

You're not visiting the right places on the Internet.

 

Vivienne is hugely celebrated and fiercely protected... but we've also known about her for well over a year at this point, and Dorian is a new addition to the diversity mix. So right now he's a big deal. And that's okay.

[andar91]

You raise a valid point, but I do think it has a lot to do with timing, just as the person above me said. Vivienne was announced a long time ago, whereas Dorian was JUST revealed (officially, anyway).

 

But it certainly is a big deal to have a prominent black female character.

[NM_Che56]

You're not visiting the right places on the Internet.

 

Vivienne is hugely celebrated and fiercely protected... but we've also known about her for well over a year at this point, and Dorian is a new addition to the diversity mix. So right now he's a big deal. And that's okay.

 

I guess I'm not because I have been following Dragon Age on the major gaming websites (e.g. IGN, Videogamer, Game Informer, Kotaku, etc) and I see nary one piece of confetti for the protrayal of a strong, black woman in a video game.  Yet I can casually scroll the articles on the main site and Dorian's story is front and center.

[Andraste_Reborn]

Dynaheir called to remind you that she exists.

[The Hierophant]

Vivenne is not the first black female who's a main character.

[NM_Che56]

You raise a valid point, but I do think it has a lot to do with timing, just as the person above me said. Vivienne was announced a long time ago, whereas Dorian was JUST revealed (officially, anyway).

 

But it certainly is a big deal to have a prominent black female character.

 

Thanks.

 

Even at the time she was announced I didn't see it.  So what was wrong with the timing then?  I remember seeing her and saying to myself, "HELL YES"! 

 

If my girls ever get into video games like their "dear ol' dad", then I need for there to be more Viviennes.  

[NM_Che56]

Dynaheir called to remind you that she exists.

Thank goodness.  1998, huh?

[NM_Che56]

Vivenne is not the first black female who's a main character.

 

It's been a while, hasn't it?

[The Hierophant]

Isabela?

[NM_Che56]

If Dynaheir got the same level of attention in 1998 as Dorian is getting now, then I step down off of my soapbox.

[Andraste_Reborn]

Thank goodness.  1998, huh?

 

There's also Raina Temple from SWTOR. And Isabela.

 

I'm not saying that Vivienne doesn't deserve celebration, or that BioWare couldn't use a hell of a lot more black women in their games. It's just that the reason nobody is celebrating Vivienne being the first black female companion in a BioWare game is that, well, she isn't.

[NM_Che56]

Isabela?

 

She's from Rivain and I've always thought of Rivain is like Italy or Spain.  So I look at her and think Mediterranean

[NM_Che56]

There's also Raina Temple from SWTOR. And Isabela.

 

I'm not saying that Vivienne doesn't deserve celebration, or that BioWare couldn't use a hell of a lot more black women in their games. It's just that the reason nobody is celebrating Vivienne being the first black female companion in a BioWare game is that, well, she isn't.

 

Ok.  Point made regarding Vivienne not being the first black female. Or playable one.

 

Admittedly, Balder's Gate was before my time with Bioware, but SWTOR isn't. 

 

The point wasn't just about Vivienne, though she was a focal point.  Did Raina Temple or Dynaheir get lauded for their inclusion (BY the gaming media)?

 

I legitimately do not know the answer.

[NM_Che56]

There's also Raina Temple from SWTOR. And Isabela.

 

I'm not saying that Vivienne doesn't deserve celebration, or that BioWare couldn't use a hell of a lot more black women in their games. It's just that the reason nobody is celebrating Vivienne being the first black female companion in a BioWare game is that, well, she isn't.

 

Isabela is a bit of a stretch.  She's brown, but has very Anglicanized features. 

[NM_Che56]

So Mediteranean/brown people are somehow less important? 

 

In the context of this discussion regarding depicting people who are marginlized in real life, yes (bear in mind I'm taking a US/Canadian perspective given I'm from the US and Bioware is Canadian).

 

The Welsh aren't less important as a people either, but other than crude jokes about sheep, I don't know how the Welsh are marginalized.  HAHA.

[aTigerslunch]

A female, that is black, that has power. Aveline, not Dragon Age. Aveline in Liberation is black and has power. She controls her fathers shipping. She is quite awesome too.

 

I will have to look the others up but yeah, Vivienne is far from the first, and wont be the last.  

 

I cant go through the list right now but here is a list of all females in video games, from casual to hardcore games.

 

http://en.wikipedia...._in_video_games

[TheTurtle]

I think it's because of a number of things actually. One is that the black community isn't a very large percentage of the gaming community which puts us at a disadvantage when it comes to being heard about certain things. This ties in with the fact that there aren't many black gaming websites, news outlets and events; I mean just look at the GaymerX convention it's an entire celebration of the LGBT community in gaming. The last thing is the fact that the gay rights movement is very much I the spotlight right now and any progressive steps towards it is going to garner massive attention. Now if DA:I were to have come out during the hight of the civil rights movement then sure Vivienne would have been the one drawing massive amounts of attention. That's just my two cents anyway take from it what you will.

[The Hierophant]

Isabela is a bit of a stretch.  She's brown, but has very Anglicanized features.

The same could be said of Africa's Ethiopians.

[NM_Che56]

The same could be said of Africa's Ethiopians.

True, but Isabela's country is like a European analogy.  Her name is very much in line with someone from Spain or Italy.

 

Again, it's a stretch.

[NM_Che56]

A female, that is black, that has power. Aveline, not Dragon Age. Aveline in Liberation is black and has power. She controls her fathers shipping. She is quite awesome too.

 

I will have to look the others up but yeah, Vivienne is far from the first, and wont be the last.

 

I cant go through the list right now but here is a list of all females in video games, from casual to hardcore games.

 

http://en.wikipedia...._in_video_games

Understood about AC, but I'm thinking particuarly about Bioware and gaming journailsm. 

 

I cannot say that Dorian is the first "fully gay" male in ANY video game.  I seriously doubt that's possible.

[filetemo]

True, but Isabela's country is like a European analogy.  Her name is very much in line with someone from Spain or Italy.

 

Again, it's a stretch.

besides, Isabela looks nothing like a Spaniard or Italian woman. She looks south american

[NM_Che56]

I think it's because of a number of things actually. One is that the black community isn't a very large percentage of the gaming community which puts us at a disadvantage when it comes to being heard about certain things. This ties in with the fact that there aren't many black gaming websites, news outlets and events; I mean just look at the GaymerX convention it's an entire celebration of the LGBT community in gaming. The last thing is the fact that the gay rights movement is very much I the spotlight right now and any progressive steps towards it is going to garner massive attention. Now if DA:I were to have come out during the hight of the civil rights movement then sure Vivienne would have been the one drawing massive amounts of attention. That's just my two cents anyway take from it what you will.

 

Yeah, I was thinking that.  But not so much from a "gaming community" end, but from a gaming journalism end. The one's who write the articles.