DEI Messaging in Gaming - Hypocrisy at it's finest

IceJad · May 19, 2024

The Resident Evil Game That Can't Be Remade

It's time to rewrite, not remake.

sea.ign.com

Let’s Not Pretend We’re Mad the New Assassin's Creed Shadows Samurai Isn’t Asian

It does nothing for Asian representation to have another samurai hero.

sea.ign.com

Japanese Fans Are Puzzled That Yasuke Is In ‘Assassin’s Creed Shadows’

The new trailer for 'Assassin’s Creed Shadows' has dropped and this time it’s set in feudal Japan, but some Japanese gamers are puzzled that it includes Yasuke.

www.forbes.com

Ubisoft just release a trailer for their new Assassin's Creed franchise set in Japan. Guess who the protagonist is? Yasuke the black "samurai". For those who don't know Yasuke he is a black servant of a Jesuit priest, Alessandro Valignano gifted to lord Oda Nobunaga during the 15th century. Yasuke is the name given to him by Nobunaga. He was a bodyguard and weapon's barer to Nobunaga. Yasuke didn't play a big role in Nobunaga's ambitions. In fact there are very little written about Yasuke's exploits. And the historical records do not mention Nobunaga ever conferring any title of samurai to him. The closest Nobunaga ever said anything is making Yasuke a "dono" (lord) in jest. The most pivotal moment of his life is after his master's death in Kyoto. Long story short Nobunaga was betrayed by one of his retainers Mitsuhide Akechi and Yasuke being his bodyguard was spared after Nobunaga's death. Mitsuhide didn't even counted Yasuke as a samurai letting him go as compared to other guards of Nobunaga.

Yasuke is not pivotal to Japan's history. He was more of an oddity due to his skin color and height of that time period in Japan. While he is remembered as part of Nobunaga's entourage, he is but only a mere footnote. The fact that the west try to place more importance to Yasuke than the Japanese themselves show a level of historical revisionism. And the progressives are making sure they can change history to suit their narrative. After the release of the trailer on Youtube which is downvoted to near oblivion, scores of people rushed to Wikipedia to try and change the entry of Yasuke. To make him into a true samurai by literally rewriting history. No history is sacred to the "DEI" messaging such as black Hannibal & black Cleopatra. Yasuke the first "black samurai" is no different.

Everyone knows that Yasuke was chosen by the developers due to his ethnicity. In short DEI messaging. In doing so have done a great dis-service to the historical source they took from. Gaming sites rushed to defend Ubisoft. And the usual gaslighting of gamers as bigoted and racist start. I even caught one gaming site (IGN) having 2 different takes for a similar issue. IGN complained that Capcom can't remake Resident Evil 5 due to racism having a white protagonist gun down black zombies. While not placing the same standard of a black protagonist slaughtering Japanese civilians of rival clans. They even have a line in the article "We Mustn’t Be Afraid to Dream a Little Bigger". Yes until it doesn't match the DEI messaging.

Do I have a problem of a black samurai protagonist? Yes, only because the western gaming world is inconsistent with their morals and messaging. Double standards are the only standard apparently. DEI is where games go to D-I-E.

IceJad · May 20, 2024

Just as an add-on to give more context. Prior to this the western gaming industry always has this attitude of blaming their white peers for cultural appropriation or cultural impropriety. Even when the games they created centered around authentic rendition of other cultures. Take for example the Ghost of Tsushima made by Sucker Punch with the Mongol invasion of Japan or Sifu by Sloclap with it's Chinese inspire kungfu master. Both have been highly praised by their respective community (Japanese & Chinese) outside of the west. Both games have correct representation of the people whom the story & environment surround.

The western gaming industry was fast to point out only people from the culture can make an authentic game of their culture.

VG247 Praises Ghostwire: Tokyo's "Authentic Representation," Bemoans How Ghost of Tsushima And Sifu Were Made "Primarily By White Folks"

VG247 believes Ghostwire: Tokyo provides a more "authentic representation" of Japanese culture than Sifu or Ghost of Tsushima.

boundingintocomics.com

Yet this time around when DEI is in play (pun intended) the game was hoisted as great even when it was about a subject over 95% of the people making it have no cultural connection to. When the Japanese and other historical enthusiasts critic the game, they were gaslighted by the western gaming industry. This kind of moral gatekeeping is far too common in the industry.

Hazelelponi · May 20, 2024

I'm not a gamer but of course I have a 40 year old son that will probably always game in some of his spare time.

I do think there's a lot of social issues that showed up among gamers first. When my son would tell me this and that issue was going on I initially just thought it was who he was hanging out with online because these social issues that are coming up don't even sound like they would occur in real life.

I actually wish now I would have realized it was society that was changing back then, I really had just thought my son needed new friends in the early days of a lot of these social ills.

I have definitely heard your complaint before in gaming from my son, that it's just pushing an ideology and no matter how hypocritical they get anymore it doesn't manage to cause them shame.

It is kind of sad really, because using the truth there's more than enough interest, the historical truth is actually pretty cool, but they are too busy in their massive social engineering project to stop and notice.

IceJad · May 20, 2024

Hazelelponi said:
I'm not a gamer but of course I have a 40 year old son that will probably always game in some of his spare time.

I do think there's a lot of social issues that showed up among gamers first. When my son would tell me this and that issue was going on I initially just thought it was who he was hanging out with online because these social issues that are coming up don't even sound like they would occur in real life.

I actually wish now I would have realized it was society that was changing back then, I really had just thought my son needed new friends in the early days of a lot of these social ills.

I have definitely heard your complaint before in gaming from my son, that it's just pushing an ideology and no matter how hypocritical they get anymore it doesn't manage to cause them shame.

It is kind of sad really, because using the truth there's more than enough interest, the historical truth is actually pretty cool, but they are too busy in their massive social engineering project to stop and notice.

Unfortunately this social engineering has been happening in the gaming space for quite some time. Since video gaming started as a fringe hobby not much attention has been placed into it. Whatever complaints that you hear you will not hear it from the mainstream media. This gives you the perception that your son might be losing it or just plain conspiratorial. I don't blame you. All these happened covertly and away from scrutinizing eyes.

Over the years as gaming grew into a more lucrative industry, a $200 billion yearly industry, more and more social activists begin to infiltrate it. Gaming is going down the same path as the movie & TV industry. First the product was niche but gain a loyal following among the young. As the young grew into adults the industry grew with it. Then social activists started putting limits and filter to the games. All in the name of gaining a more mainstream audience. Later more limits are added in service to the social engineering until what we are seeing now.

Now they are no longer afraid of scrutinizing eyes as they have entrenched themselves too deeply into the industry. The pushback now is too little too late. They now brazenly butcher history, culture and sacred things if it meant there is DEI. It is looking like the same as movies and TV where everything must have a DEI messaging.

Some companies are even putting DEI officers into every game development team.

Report: 'Call Of Duty' Developer Activision Installs DEI Officers On Every Development Team To "Ensure The Message" Is Propagated

A new report claims that Call of Duty developer Activision installs Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) officers on every single development team in order to "ensure the message" is propagated.

thatparkplace.com

Coincidently I'm about the same age as your son.

BCP1928 · May 20, 2024

Well, if the game has DEI messaging and you think DEI messaging is evil, then don't buy the game.

Larniavc · May 20, 2024

IceJad said:
Do I have a problem of a black samurai protagonist? Yes, only because the western gaming world is inconsistent with their morals and messaging. Double standards are the only standard apparently. DEI is where games go to D-I-E.

It's not really a problem though. What terrible impact do you think a black samurai in a game will have?

Zaha Torte · May 20, 2024

IceJad said:
The Resident Evil Game That Can't Be Remade

It's time to rewrite, not remake.

sea.ign.com

Let’s Not Pretend We’re Mad the New Assassin's Creed Shadows Samurai Isn’t Asian

It does nothing for Asian representation to have another samurai hero.

sea.ign.com

Japanese Fans Are Puzzled That Yasuke Is In ‘Assassin’s Creed Shadows’

The new trailer for 'Assassin’s Creed Shadows' has dropped and this time it’s set in feudal Japan, but some Japanese gamers are puzzled that it includes Yasuke.

www.forbes.com

Ubisoft just release a trailer for their new Assassin's Creed franchise set in Japan. Guess who the protagonist is? Yasuke the black "samurai". For those who don't know Yasuke he is a black servant of a Jesuit priest, Alessandro Valignano gifted to lord Oda Nobunaga during the 15th century. Yasuke is the name given to him by Nobunaga. He was a bodyguard and weapon's barer to Nobunaga. Yasuke didn't play a big role in Nobunaga's ambitions. In fact there are very little written about Yasuke's exploits. And the historical records do not mention Nobunaga ever conferring any title of samurai to him. The closest Nobunaga ever said anything is making Yasuke a "dono" (lord) in jest. The most pivotal moment of his life is after his master's death in Kyoto. Long story short Nobunaga was betrayed by one of his retainers Mitsuhide Akechi and Yasuke being his bodyguard was spared after Nobunaga's death. Mitsuhide didn't even counted Yasuke as a samurai letting him go as compared to other guards of Nobunaga.

Yasuke is not pivotal to Japan's history. He was more of an oddity due to his skin color and height of that time period in Japan. While he is remembered as part of Nobunaga's entourage, he is but only a mere footnote. The fact that the west try to place more importance to Yasuke than the Japanese themselves show a level of historical revisionism. And the progressives are making sure they can change history to suit their narrative. After the release of the trailer on Youtube which is downvoted to near oblivion, scores of people rushed to Wikipedia to try and change the entry of Yasuke. To make him into a true samurai by literally rewriting history. No history is sacred to the "DEI" messaging such as black Hannibal & black Cleopatra. Yasuke the first "black samurai" is no different.

Everyone knows that Yasuke was chosen by the developers due to his ethnicity. In short DEI messaging. In doing so have done a great dis-service to the historical source they took from. Gaming sites rushed to defend Ubisoft. And the usual gaslighting of gamers as bigoted and racist start. I even caught one gaming site (IGN) having 2 different takes for a similar issue. IGN complained that Capcom can't remake Resident Evil 5 due to racism having a white protagonist gun down black zombies. While not placing the same standard of a black protagonist slaughtering Japanese civilians of rival clans. They even have a line in the article "We Mustn’t Be Afraid to Dream a Little Bigger". Yes until it doesn't match the DEI messaging.

Do I have a problem of a black samurai protagonist? Yes, only because the western gaming world is inconsistent with their morals and messaging. Double standards are the only standard apparently. DEI is where games go to D-I-E.

I agree that the DEI messaging is out of control and that this was the motivation behind the game - but on the other hand I would not have minded playing a sort of fanfic on this historical figure.

The idea reminds me of Afro Samurai - the anime - and there was also a game on the PS3 where the main character was Nikola Tesla and how his inventions were actually made to fight some kind of monsters or aliens (werewolf looking mothers) - I never played it, but I always wanted to.

I am a fan of historical fan-fictions - especially those that add some sci-fi element - like Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter or even the Pride and Prejudice one about zombies.

I don't know - if it weren't for the messaging and all this DEI nonsense - I would have enjoyed a fanfic game about this black "samurai" if they did it right.

Zaha Torte · May 20, 2024

BCP1928 said:
Well, if the game has DEI messaging and you think DEI messaging is evil, then don't buy the game.

It's OK for people to critique an industry for ruining said industry.

Zaha Torte · May 20, 2024

Larniavc said:
It's not really a problem though. What terrible impact do you think a black samurai in a game will have?

This same question could be asked to all those people who complain about "representation", "appropriation" or any of the imagined "-isms".

BCP1928 · May 20, 2024

Zaha Torte said:
It's OK for people to critique an industry for ruining said industry.

For having a non historical character in a pseudo-historical game? Sure, go ahead and criticize. But remember, it's only a game, probably not one that is wholesome for kids to play anyhow. It is produced by a private company who only put that black samurai character in it because they thought it would help them sell more games.

Zaha Torte · May 20, 2024

BCP1928 said:
For having a non historical character in a pseudo-historical game? Sure, go ahead and criticize. But remember, it's only a game, probably not one that is wholesome for kids to play anyhow. It is produced by a private company who only put that black samurai character in it because they thought it would help them sell more games.

That's kind of at the core of the critique - they keep making decisions based on an ideology that most gamers either don't agree with, don't care about or don't want to see in their games.

Nithavela · May 20, 2024

Assassins Creed is a game series about an ancient alien conspiracy and about people travelling back into their "past lives" through a magic genetic memory machine. Enemies include Gorgons, Fire Demon Horses, arabic Jinn and Giant Underworld Dogs.

I don't know why people expect absolute historical accuracy from this series.

They usually get the architecture right, though.

This is not an endorsement. Nobody should buy this game, but not because of Yasuke, but because of the ridiculous pricing system, Ubisofts shady business practices and the formulaic gameplay that hasn't changed in the several dozen installations. But all this legitimate criticism apparently flies out the window once there's a person with too much melanin for people's liking.

BCP1928 · May 20, 2024

Zaha Torte said:
That's kind of at the core of the critique - they keep making decisions based on an ideology that most gamers either don't agree with, don't care about or don't want to see in their games.

So a company makes an unpopular product based on bad marketing advice. Ordinarily, in a free market economy, the remedy would be for customers to stop buying the product. But somehow this situation is different because the bad marketing advice was based on what you consider to be an evil ideology. What remedy do you propose?

Larniavc · May 20, 2024

Zaha Torte said:
This same question could be asked to all those people who complain about "representation", "appropriation" or any of the imagined "-isms".

Er, okay. So What terrible impact do you think a black samurai in a game will have?

Zaha Torte · May 20, 2024

BCP1928 said:
So a company makes an unpopular product based on bad marketing advice. Ordinarily, in a free market economy, the remedy would be for customers to stop buying the product. But somehow this situation is different because the bad marketing advice was based on what you consider to be an evil ideology. What remedy do you propose?

I would critique any bad game.

And I don't know if you noticed - but I did not claim that the game was even a bad idea - I said that I would like to play it if it were "done right".

This game idea reminded me of "Afro Samurai" - the anime movie - and I have no issue with it - if it is "done right".

My remedy is focusing on the people playing the game and what they want as opposed to an ideology.

Zaha Torte · May 20, 2024

Larniavc said:
Er, okay. So What terrible impact do you think a black samurai in a game will have?

I don't think impact matters. It sure doesn't matter to the people I just referenced.

Tropical Wilds · May 20, 2024

Nithavela said:
Assassins Creed is a game series about an ancient alien conspiracy and about people travelling back into their "past lives" through a magic genetic memory machine. Enemies include Gorgons, Fire Demon Horses, arabic Jinn and Giant Underworld Dogs.

I don't know why people expect absolute historical accuracy from this series.

They usually get the architecture right, though.

This is not an endorsement. Nobody should buy this game, but not because of Yasuke, but because of the ridiculous pricing system, Ubisofts shady business practices and the formulaic gameplay that hasn't changed in the several dozen installations. But all this legitimate criticism apparently flies out the window once there's a person with too much melanin for people's liking.

This post, right here, won the thread.

Ignatius the Kiwi · May 20, 2024

Someone laid it out best that in each major game you play as a guy from that region of thr world. Atair is an Arab, that guy in the second game is an Italian, in 3 it's a half native and half American guy. The list goes on.

Ubisoft has always been a liberal company and I've always not liked the Assassins creed story, mainly because it can't depict it's settings accurately or authentically. Maybe in the detail of architecture sure, but they can never enter the mind of an ancient because the developers in Ubisoft are incapable of imagining a time before French Liberalism and modern progressivism.

Take in mind the same people saying that this choice of main character is fine are the same sort of people who have a problem with Kingdom come deliverance and that game's lack of modern diversity.

Tropical Wilds · May 20, 2024

And, the me that remembers the first Resident Evil coming out, is delighted that people are actually thinking that Resident Evil is suddenly DEI. Same with Assassin's Creed. Meanwhile those of us who were ground floor on both of these games are like “tell us you know nothing about these game franchises without telling us you know nothing about them.”

Wait until they find out about Metroid or Portal. It will be DEI-anarchy!

IceJad · May 20, 2024

Zaha Torte said:
I agree that the DEI messaging is out of control and that this was the motivation behind the game - but on the other hand I would not have minded playing a sort of fanfic on this historical figure.

The idea reminds me of Afro Samurai - the anime - and there was also a game on the PS3 where the main character was Nikola Tesla and how his inventions were actually made to fight some kind of monsters or aliens (werewolf looking mothers) - I never played it, but I always wanted to.

I am a fan of historical fan-fictions - especially those that add some sci-fi element - like Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter or even the Pride and Prejudice one about zombies.

I don't know - if it weren't for the messaging and all this DEI nonsense - I would have enjoyed a fanfic game about this black "samurai" if they did it right.

I don't care about what people do with fiction either. As long as the entire industry is consistent about it.

But as I have shown here the western side of it is hypocritical. And this hypocritical stance is very much coming from the DEI side of it. I miss the days when people complain about the violence and sexualization of games. Now its all about western and let me repeat western social activism. Skin color and genders are all that activists want in gaming. The buzzword of inclusivity.

Gaming has always been inclusive. Behind the screen no one cares for the color of your skin and who you like. Why the industry is the size it is now has nothing to do with western interpretation of inclusivity or diversity. Good games will automatically attract a diverse crowd. There is no need for DEI messaging. Do you care bout who you shoot in game? Is the enemy a person of color or a non-binary? No gamer would care. We shoot end of story. Is saving a princess misogynistic? We don't care it's a paper thin excuse to run through a gauntlet of platforms to reach the end.

Only in modern time things like these started to matter to everyone except gamers. If the western side only stick to the idea of "Fiction is fiction" then this thread wouldn't be here.

As the Bible goes Matthew 7:2
For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

DEI Messaging in Gaming - Hypocrisy at it's finest

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