If that's what people think about when it comes to Animal Crossing then maybe they shouldn't be playing this game.
Race & Animal Crossing
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I feel like that would be a great way to go about it. It wouldn't require much other than having to answer a question, just like it would be to select a face.
I think it's fine.
See, the only thing that makes this an issue are the people that point this stuff out.
There are a select few people out there that are actually offended by this, and even then, it's not anything big.
There are plenty of games without the choice of race, and nobody complains.
Animal Crossing is more about the game, not the look of someone or anything like that.
It's about the fun you have, and when you're having fun, does it really matter if your character is Caucasian?
See, the only thing that makes this an issue are the people that point this stuff out.
There are a select few people out there that are actually offended by this, and even then, it's not anything big.
There are plenty of games without the choice of race, and nobody complains.
Animal Crossing is more about the game, not the look of someone or anything like that.
It's about the fun you have, and when you're having fun, does it really matter if your character is Caucasian?
TheObscure
Senior Member
Everyone in Animal Crossing should be a transgendered homosexual feminist race mixing albino.
It would definitely improve player immersion if they were able to choose their race. Yes, Japan is very racially homogenous, that isn't an excuse. Pokemon X and Y will have player customization that will allow you to choose an anime-approximation of your race.
A lot of players want their characters to look like them, so it's unfair to anyone who's skin tone isn't naturally pale that they have to spend play time maintaining a tan.
A lot of players want their characters to look like them, so it's unfair to anyone who's skin tone isn't naturally pale that they have to spend play time maintaining a tan.
RedNoverian
Planetary Explorer
I don't see an issue with somehow selecting skin tone. It would accomodate all people (there are some very dark Japanese individuals, after all).
I've wanted skin tone selection in this game for I don't know how long. I'm mixed so I'm neither neither pale white nor really dark. And I don't see why we should have to go out and tan for hours just to get darker skin and make our characters look more like us. What bothers me more in this game is that they removed the skin colors for the Mii masks. The skin color of your face doesn't transfer to the rest of your body like in City Folk. :T
I think it is very sad that New Leaf doesn't let you choose your race. There is no technical excuse for this either, it would be easy to resolve.
The gaming industry has a long way to go as a whole on this issue. There are so many games which fail to allow people proper representation, so many games with one token black character and one token women. A women usually shown in an immodest outfit.
Tanning is not an acceptable solution. Black people are not just white people with a tan. Personally I feel that's an inappropriate way of looking at the situation and it's not a fix by any means.
I think it would be nice to have other choices too. I'm fat in real life and I'm comfortable with that fact. For the brief period that I played Second Life, I made my avatar fat too because I see no reason to feel ashamed of the way I look. I would love to have the opportunity to make my New Leaf character fat too.
Disabled characters are rarely represented in games. It would be nice for AC players to have the choice to show their avatar using a wheelchair for example.
I suggest that if you feel this is wrong, as I do, that you write to Nintendo and express your views. Perhaps someone can work out how to get a petition going?
The gaming industry has a long way to go as a whole on this issue. There are so many games which fail to allow people proper representation, so many games with one token black character and one token women. A women usually shown in an immodest outfit.
Tanning is not an acceptable solution. Black people are not just white people with a tan. Personally I feel that's an inappropriate way of looking at the situation and it's not a fix by any means.
I think it would be nice to have other choices too. I'm fat in real life and I'm comfortable with that fact. For the brief period that I played Second Life, I made my avatar fat too because I see no reason to feel ashamed of the way I look. I would love to have the opportunity to make my New Leaf character fat too.
Disabled characters are rarely represented in games. It would be nice for AC players to have the choice to show their avatar using a wheelchair for example.
I suggest that if you feel this is wrong, as I do, that you write to Nintendo and express your views. Perhaps someone can work out how to get a petition going?
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Cranky Squirrel
Senior Member
Choosing a default skin tone should absolutely be a choice when creating the character. That tanning is an option only demonstrates that the programming for five (?) different skin tones are already programmed into the game. There should be a way to make them permanent--and something you can choose from the beginning. In an international game with character customization, there is no reason for white to be the default--there should be no default skin tone; it should be up to the player to decide at the start of the game.
From what I've been lead to believe, Nintendo is taking a lot of flack over this. I hope the get the message. As has been mentioned, the new Pokemon game is adding skin tone choice, so it looks like things are improving.
From what I've been lead to believe, Nintendo is taking a lot of flack over this. I hope the get the message. As has been mentioned, the new Pokemon game is adding skin tone choice, so it looks like things are improving.
While I agree that body types are a problem I feel like inclusion of disabled player characters might come off as counterproductive
Games are supposed to be a fantasy. I imagine someone who is disabled doesn't want to be reminded of that in what is supposed to be an escape. And on a practical level, playing a disabled character would only hinder you and remind you of the things you may not be able to do in real life(like swim). I feel including such an option would just be a depressing reminder rather than thoughtful inclusion.
I think the biggest issue here is that there is already a way to change your skin color, but it's inconvenient and time consuming, and you can't nail it down very easily. The argument that Japan isn't as diverse is completely irrelevant because of all the other customization that is available in the game, as well as the fact that skin color change is already a factor in the game. I think what people want is a convenient, simple way to change your character's skin color the same way you can change their eye color or hair color and style. Maybe Shampoodle could have a tanning booth that gets you your desired color until you decide to change it. I don't know. But that's what I want. I just think it is a feature in the game they could have made much more convenient and permanent. I'm a little tired of going to the island and leaving my 3DS open for an hour just to keep my tan going.
What bothers me the most is people who say something like "Do you really NEED this feature?" or "Can't you enjoy the game without it?" are asking the wrong question. Would it be so bad for you if skin color customization were an option? Because it seems in a lot of people's attitudes that it would be. And that's not okay. There are a whole lot of people who want this feature, so what difference does it make to you if it's in a future game or not? Stop telling people that their desire for this feature is invalid. Just because you don't care about skin color customization doesn't mean that other people don't. I'm noticing a lot of attitude that seems very racist, like "well it's not that important of a feature, why can't everyone just accept that the character is white"? And I think the reason is that there are a ton of other ways to customize the character, but still not a convenient way to customize skin color. I'm not sure you would be saying the same thing if customization was as limited as it was in the original game.
What bothers me the most is people who say something like "Do you really NEED this feature?" or "Can't you enjoy the game without it?" are asking the wrong question. Would it be so bad for you if skin color customization were an option? Because it seems in a lot of people's attitudes that it would be. And that's not okay. There are a whole lot of people who want this feature, so what difference does it make to you if it's in a future game or not? Stop telling people that their desire for this feature is invalid. Just because you don't care about skin color customization doesn't mean that other people don't. I'm noticing a lot of attitude that seems very racist, like "well it's not that important of a feature, why can't everyone just accept that the character is white"? And I think the reason is that there are a ton of other ways to customize the character, but still not a convenient way to customize skin color. I'm not sure you would be saying the same thing if customization was as limited as it was in the original game.
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I'm pretty sure you're not really white in most Japanese games like Animal Crossing, you're actually Asian lol. Everyone in the US just keeps assuming they're white
Japan isn't exactly diverse (99.4% or more Asian), so I guess they weren't really expecting to accommodate less than 0.6% of their people x.x
I guess it would make sense if they were planning to make it widely available in the US, they would give a skin color option. It could have been in the NA exclusive version or something
Japan isn't exactly diverse (99.4% or more Asian), so I guess they weren't really expecting to accommodate less than 0.6% of their people x.x
I guess it would make sense if they were planning to make it widely available in the US, they would give a skin color option. It could have been in the NA exclusive version or something
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Jaymes Keller
A Cynical Brit
It's not often that I jump into any forum both-feet first, but in this case, I'm going to do it.
I feel that the ability to choose your race is very valid. I can see that the game is made by a Japanese company, and the diversity in Japan isn't nearly as much as the US or Europe, but still, I argue it would make people feel more inclusive.
Maybe, what could be done, is have two character creation systems, the "classic" method, in which you answer cryptic questions to choose what you look like, and an "advanced" method, which let's you choose every part of your character, along with starter outfits. Does it fit in with AC? Maybe not, but I can't think of anything better than that.
People will argue until they're blue in the face that it's not needed, but I have to disagree. There is a chance that someone may feel that they're not welcome in the AC universe, which is sad, in my view. In all honesty, Nintendo should do more to welcome anyone into the game, no matter what race.
Finally, just to lighten the mood slightly, yes, I know I'm making AC sound like a Star Trek series, but hey, you've got almost every animal under the sun, and you're pretty much like Picard (or any other captain in the series, really, take your pick XP)
I feel that the ability to choose your race is very valid. I can see that the game is made by a Japanese company, and the diversity in Japan isn't nearly as much as the US or Europe, but still, I argue it would make people feel more inclusive.
Maybe, what could be done, is have two character creation systems, the "classic" method, in which you answer cryptic questions to choose what you look like, and an "advanced" method, which let's you choose every part of your character, along with starter outfits. Does it fit in with AC? Maybe not, but I can't think of anything better than that.
People will argue until they're blue in the face that it's not needed, but I have to disagree. There is a chance that someone may feel that they're not welcome in the AC universe, which is sad, in my view. In all honesty, Nintendo should do more to welcome anyone into the game, no matter what race.
Finally, just to lighten the mood slightly, yes, I know I'm making AC sound like a Star Trek series, but hey, you've got almost every animal under the sun, and you're pretty much like Picard (or any other captain in the series, really, take your pick XP)
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