Racism and video games: Nintendo with Animal Crossing before New Horizons

[Rubygame]

It is late at night but suddenly I thought about something I had never seriously noticed before, and I'm ashamed and then saddened because of it. In practice my character on New Leaf has tanned, it is the first time and I was very happy because I love very dark skin, so I thought: "I would like she were like this all year round." At some point the lighting... I realized the powerful racism that has been in all video games from the beginning. I was already aware of it, but I hadn't noticed, I don't know why, that this topic with Animal Crossing was so close to me. I started looking for articles on the internet about racism in video games and how Nintendo treated this topic ... I read an article in which a guy of color said he could finally be himself thanks to ACNH and I really felt privileged and ashamed for never having thought of all the people of color who played AC with a fair skin character. I wonder if the kids of color who played Pokémon or Animal crossing felt different from others because of a stupid video game.

Guys, is there anyone who suffered from this racism in videogames? If you want you can talk about it, but if you don't feel like it don't do it. I just wanted to write this post trying to point out the issue and raise awareness, although maybe only me has noticed this racism so evident in video games only now.
I read that some people are annoyed that those with fair skin write "black lives matter" and I can understand the reason, but I think it's right to say it now ❤
(In case sorry for my bad English)

 

[fluttershy300]

Poc player here! Yeah I was annoyed that I couldn’t be darkskin and more annoyed that it took them 17+ years to add that choice in. Some poc peeps probably didn’t care but for many of us that did, I’m glad it’s finally a choice. Took them long enough though! Honestly I don’t mind people with fair skin saying black lives matter. That just means you’re a ally! Now when people say that “all lives matter” that’s when it’s a problem. I thank you for making this thread btw. It’s nice to know someone other than poc gets it. :’)

 

[QueenOpossum]

For context, I am a white cis woman in America.

When I was a kid, I was BLOWN AWAY when I got Pokemon Crystal and you could choose to play as a girl. I loved, loved, LOVED Crystal. Part of it was the design of the Johto region and the beginnings of a real plot in the games, but part of it I'm sure is that I felt like my character was me. (When I played Blue, I named my character Ash, because a boy wouldn't be Melissa). I was going on a Pokemon Journey. I was going to be the very best, like no one ever was.

I am glad that media companies are being pushed to diversify in other ways, not just gender, but race and sexuality too. Its still not close to equal or perfect, but small progress is nice to see.

I hope little kids can get games that feel like their story. Especially when there's self insert/silent protagonists, there is no reason why you shouldn't be able to make choices about your character.

I love hearing stories about little kids and Mile Morales, and I'm happy to see Sony making the next big Spiderman game on PS5 about him.

Anyway. My two cents.

 

[Rubygame]

Poc player here! Yeah I was annoyed that I couldn’t be darkskin and more annoyed that it took them 17+ years to add that choice in. Some poc peeps probably didn’t care but for many of us that did, I’m glad it’s finally a choice. Took them long enough though! Honestly I don’t mind people with fair skin saying black lives matter. That just means you’re a ally! Now when people say that “all lives matter” that’s when it’s a problem. I thank you for making this thread btw. It’s nice to know someone other than poc gets it. :’)

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and I'm really grateful you appreciate the thread ❤

For context, I am a white cis woman in America.

When I was a kid, I was BLOWN AWAY when I got Pokemon Crystal and you could choose to play as a girl. I loved, loved, LOVED Crystal. Part of it was the design of the Johto region and the beginnings of a real plot in the games, but part of it I'm sure is that I felt like my character was me. (When I played Blue, I named my character Ash, because a boy wouldn't be Melissa). I was going on a Pokemon Journey. I was going to be the very best, like no one ever was.

I am glad that media companies are being pushed to diversify in other ways, not just gender, but race and sexuality too. Its still not close to equal or perfect, but small progress is nice to see.

I hope little kids can get games that feel like their story. Especially when there's self insert/silent protagonists, there is no reason why you shouldn't be able to make choices about your character.

I love hearing stories about little kids and Mile Morales, and I'm happy to see Sony making the next big Spiderman game on PS5 about him.

Anyway. My two cents.

Indeed, obviously, in addition to the problem of racism, there is the LGBT problem and the role of women in video games, which has always been sexualized or devalued.
The first character who brought prestige to the female world was Samus in Metroid. In an article I read, it was written that the feminist community struggled to get realistic armature for female characters, who are continually represented with armature that leaves parts of the body uncovered, making that armature useless.
The female character has now become normal in video games, but it must continue to improve.
About LGBT characters, have already appeared since 1980-90, but because of the historical eterosexism, they have always been downsized or ridiculed.
I read that originally LGBT characters in the original video game were changed in the rest of the world with wrong translations on purpose. "Some games, for example, originally included trans characters, such as Birdo of Super Mario Bros, Poison from the Final Fight series, and Flea Chrono Trigger."

Thank you for pointing out that there was no female character in the Pokémon games from the beginning, I didn't realize it because I started playing with Diamond and Pearl, and here too I must feel privileged. And I'm so happy with the game that Sony is making, I hope this will positively shape those who are the future of our planet: kids.❤

 

[DarkDesertFox]

I wouldn't really call New Leaf racist for the lack of skin tones. Considering the game's focal region is Japan, primarily consisting of light skin tones. I would call it an oversight if anything. Including it in New Horizons was a step in the right direction showing they acknowledge the variety in its player base. It's good they're starting to do that more.

 

[Rubygame]

I wouldn't really call New Leaf racist for the lack of skin tones. Considering the game's focal region is Japan, primarily consisting of light skin tones. I would call it an oversight if anything. Including it in New Horizons was a step in the right direction showing they acknowledge the variety in its player base. It's good they're starting to do that more.

I don't blame Nintendo directly, but what I think is that it was never an oversight, but always a choice. I'll explain:
Maybe we could also call it oversight, but any big software house like Nintendo aims to spread its game all over the world for economic gain, not by chance while before the Japanese games remembered a lot the Japanese culture, then they became much more "inclusive", "global", because it was understood that this is how it attracted more foreign audience and therefore more profit. In my opinion it is always about choices. Before they could afford to decide not to include the color of the skin because it probably would not have raised anyone's objections in Japan, but in 2020 one cannot decide to leave out such an important aspect for convenience, because globalization is no longer a choice, but an obligation.
We have not to accuse Nintendo or Sony or Bandai Namco etc. but we must understand that such an "oversight" has always been serious, in 1980/90 when characters of color were mostly bad characters and LGBT characters were ridiculed, as well as in 2012, when it is decided not to include dark skin in a game based on personation for convenience, despite the times had changed.
Fortunately, the following year ACNL, Nintendo released Pokémon X and Y which allowed you to choose the dark-skinned character for the first time.
I don't accuse anyone, but racism and heterosexism, even if unconscious, has always been there, now that we are aware of it we can solve the problem and remedy past mistakes.
(all I wrote is because I read some articles about sociology studies on video games, because after all video games are part of mass culture and this means that they reflect the mass culture of a specific historical period.)

Sorry for my bad English and thank you for share your opinion!

 

[rubyrubert]

I remember how you had to tan in the summer to get dark skin in WW which was laughably bad to me even as a kid… I’m glad there’s more customizable options for MCs in games like Pokemon and AC as they expanded to be more global

 

[Alienfish]

(white cis woman here)

I don't see it as racism per se...more like overlooking that one thing that could been added earlier, but I really wish they would have added it at least in NL since they had more gfx resources to work with and you would think that one company would be more inclusive. So glad they added to PC and NH though, I like making different kind of characters and respectfully with different skin colours also.

I also see DarkDesertFox' point, which I also think is a factor most people forget when they are discussing Japanese origin games. They have very different perspectives to this and other things.

 

[Rubygame]

I remember how you had to tan in the summer to get dark skin in WW which was laughably bad to me even as a kid… I’m glad there’s more customizable options for MCs in games like Pokemon and AC as they expanded to be more global

And I'm glad to hear you say it ❤

(white cis woman here)

I don't see it as racism per se...more like overlooking that one thing that could been added earlier, but I really wish they would have added it at least in NL since they had more gfx resources to work with and you would think that one company would be more inclusive. So glad they added to PC and NH though, I like making different kind of characters and respectfully with different skin colours also.

I also see DarkDesertFox' point, which I also think is a factor most people forget when they are discussing Japanese origin games. They have very different perspectives to this and other things.

Maybe the title of my thread is too explicit because it seems like an explicit accusation to Nintendo. In any case, as I said to DarkDesertFox, no software houses was racist on purpose, but it has always been an unconscious racism dictated by the ways of thinking and the customs of the time. Putting a character of color into a game and giving it a bad role was a stereotype, that even if done in "good faith", was still racist. Sexualizing a woman was considered normal but was still the result of a powerful and unconscious heterosexism of that society. Likewise, ridiculing LGBT characters was the product of an unconscious homophobia. As I said, these "oversights" could have existed until the early 2000s, but from then on the real globalization began and in 2012 Nintendo chose not to insert dark skin, but knew very well that it could be done. It is not racism in the sense that you are intentionally harming people of color, it is racism from a sociological point of view, that is, people of color are not given importance for ways of thinking and stereotypes present in a certain society, in this case the Japanese one. The point is that if it had been an economic question, that is, all the people of color would no longer have bought video games, then everything would have been resolved more quickly, because as I said the big software houses cannot afford not to satisfy their foreign public, considering that it is the main source of profit. And that's why the woman is still sexualized in video games today (to satisfy the straight male audience). I focused on New Leaf because we are talking about 2012, not 1980, globalization had already started a long time ago, and Nintendo had fans of color from all over the world. This is why I call it "choice". Nintendo has chosen not to insert dark skin by convention because it would not have raised objections. Perhaps before 2000 we could still have talked about "oversights". (but still in 1992 in Mortal Kombat X was inserted, against the current, Kung Jin, the first gay character, and by choice)
I repeat, it is not intentional but unconscious racism, it is obvious that Japanese society has other ways of thinking, but with today's globalization, those who expatriate a product all over the world can't afford to offend, albeit unconsciously, their public by an ethical point of view. In fact if today the woman is still sexualized it is because it is a choice, because awareness exists, but the economic gain is greater. Instead the problem of racism, however, has improved considerably, and LGBT characters have also increased.
I just wish we all understood how fast and powerful globalization has been and how many ethical and social problems have yet to be resolved, how much unconsciousness there is still and so how much awareness is needed for the new globalized world, which must take responsibility for becoming such. If we had been divided countries that could not communicate with each other except in a political sense, then it would have been possible to justify those who cannot reach out to the "Other", but we have decided to be all united, and we cannot always keep quiet and allow this union to be only economic. Social movements are as important today as yesterday, it is important to fight for everyone's rights.

I always apologize for my bad English and thank you too for replying!

 

[Nostalgicdreamerqueen]

I’m white but I thought they would have had skin colour options since the beginning? Bit strange really it’s just an option that should be there especially if you want your character to be like you. It’s just quite strange how they didn’t add it in the beginning I’ve always thought that

 

[fluttershy300]

I’m probably gonna get hate for this but The “Animal Crossing was originally from Japan and most of the population has fair skin” excuse is getting old. It took them 10+ years to finally add this option in even after it had became a globalized game. In 2016 when they made Welcome Amiibo they even updated the mii mask which at first didn’t let you change your player’s whole body to dark skin so to my understanding they knew POC were also playing this game. Why was it so hard for them to add that feature in back in 2016. Added all them little updates but still didn’t add the feature to change your skin color. They literally had chances. Hell I would even say they had a change to add that feature when they decided they wanted mii masks to come into existence and I think the mii mask was introduced before New Leaf.

 

[Rubygame]

I’m probably gonna get hate for this but The “Animal Crossing was originally from Japan and most of the population has fair skin” excuse is getting old. It took them 10+ years to finally add this option in even after it had became a globalized game. In 2016 when they made Welcome Amiibo they even updated the mii mask which at first didn’t let you change your player’s whole body to dark skin so to my understanding they knew POC were also playing this game. Why was it so hard for them to add that feature in back in 2016. Added all them little updates but still didn’t add the feature to change your skin color. They literally had chances. Hell I would even say they had a change to add that feature when they decided they wanted mii masks to come into existence and I think the mii mask was introduced before New Leaf.

I had completely forgotten about this! In fact, I read it in that boy's article I mentioned in the first post. Thanks for pointing it out and for supporting my own opinion ❤

 

[Lightspring]

To be fair, I’m also a POC, and it’s really nice that they finally added more skin colors to New Horizons. Japan is a really homogenous country with the majority of the population being fair skinned Japanese people, and the West and East have different moral values so it’s a bit harsh to compare the two using a Western perspective. It’s a step in the right direction, so I hope that they continue and be more inclusive with future games!

 

[Romaki]

I mean they're still not good in New Horizons, the eyelids look terrible. I'm white, but as a woman I experienced not existing in a game where you're supposed to play yourself. I don't really mind it in old games, but going forwards it just seems so terrible to still exclude groups of people.

I know it's Japanese, but in general having a diverse team of developers helps with issues like the nose looking invisible on dark skin tones.
Inclusion is the first step, but you also have to do right by people if you want it to matter. Otherwise they'll just be seen as an afterthought.

Spoiler: Invisible Nose

Spoiler: Eyelids

 

[fluttershy300]

I mean they're still not good in New Horizons, the eyelids look terrible. I'm white, but as a woman I experienced not existing in a game where you're supposed to play yourself. I don't really mind it in old games, but going forwards it just seems so terrible to still exclude groups of people.

I know it's Japanese, but in general having a diverse team of developers helps with issues like the nose looking invisible on dark skin tones.
Inclusion is the first step, but you also have to do right by people if you want it to matter. Otherwise they'll just be seen as an afterthought.

Spoiler: Invisible Nose

Spoiler: Eyelids

Of course be respectful, I don’t think anybody was rude.

 

[Rubygame]

I mean they're still not good in New Horizons, the eyelids look terrible. I'm white, but as a woman I experienced not existing in a game where you're supposed to play yourself. I don't really mind it in old games, but going forwards it just seems so terrible to still exclude groups of people.

I know it's Japanese, but in general having a diverse team of developers helps with issues like the nose looking invisible on dark skin tones.
Inclusion is the first step, but you also have to do right by people if you want it to matter. Otherwise they'll just be seen as an afterthought.

Spoiler: Invisible Nose

Spoiler: Eyelids

I hadn't noticed the problem of the nose because I don't play New Horizons and a pink nose on dark skin is actually too unrealistic. The fact that there are no noses or eyelids of the same color as the skins is a not negligible shortcoming, thanks for letting me know!
I have to change my mind, we needs to improve better , but at least we are going in the right direction! ❤

 

[Alienfish]

I repeat, it is not intentional but unconscious racism, it is obvious that Japanese society has other ways of thinking, but with today's globalization, those who expatriate a product all over the world can't afford to offend, albeit unconsciously, their public by an ethical point of view. In fact if today the woman is still sexualized it is because it is a choice, because awareness exists, but the economic gain is greater. Instead the problem of racism, however, has improved considerably, and LGBT characters have also increased.
I just wish we all understood how fast and powerful globalization has been and how many ethical and social problems have yet to be resolved, how much unconsciousness there is still and so how much awareness is needed for the new globalized world, which must take responsibility for becoming such. If we had been divided countries that could not communicate with each other except in a political sense, then it would have been possible to justify those who cannot reach out to the "Other", but we have decided to be all united, and we cannot always keep quiet and allow this union to be only economic. Social movements are as important today as yesterday, it is important to fight for everyone's rights.

I always apologize for my bad English and thank you too for replying!

I'm not gonna have a lecture on Japanese culture history but I can say they are pretty traditional/old fashioned even with globalization and remember they were a pretty closed country compared to most nations.

Also if you look at most games they have pretty typical Japanese depictions and I think people overthink that stuff is happening fast and people are mostly slow to change, for good or bad. I'm not really sure how that applies to that one exclusion in games exactly but about the LGBTQ+ things, while it's coming more and more I sadly think they have to tone it down for all-ages games since those things are banned in some countries still and would make it not release-able there (or they would have to put a PG-13/R18 rating on those games cause "adult stuff" and "kids shouldn't be exposed" etc., talking about a global market). And also the LGBTQ+ community in Japan is not as open as in the west either, I think people forget that as well.

Also yeah, just Japanese in culture I wish more people in general would read up on at least a bit cause yes it's homogeneous, and cause most discussions turn into the problem with they being unintentionally racist, whereas if someone in the West would made NH without different skin colours they would be lynched. The Japan that people generally know is different from if you would actually go there.

Post automatically merged: Jul 28, 2020

Also by no means I'm defending their actions on things, but yeah just a bit perspective.

 

[Rubygame]

I'm not gonna have a lecture on Japanese culture history but I can say they are pretty traditional/old fashioned even with globalization and remember they were a pretty closed country compared to most nations.

Also if you look at most games they have pretty typical Japanese depictions and I think people overthink that stuff is happening fast and people are mostly slow to change, for good or bad. I'm not really sure how that applies to that one exclusion in games exactly but about the LGBTQ+ things, while it's coming more and more I sadly think they have to tone it down for all-ages games since those things are banned in some countries still and would make it not release-able there (or they would have to put a PG-13/R18 rating on those games cause "adult stuff" and "kids shouldn't be exposed" etc., talking about a global market). And also the LGBTQ+ community in Japan is not as open as in the west either, I think people forget that as well.

Also yeah, just Japanese in culture I wish more people in general would read up on at least a bit cause yes it's homogeneous, and cause most discussions turn into the problem with they being unintentionally racist, whereas if someone in the West would made NH without different skin colours they would be lynched. The Japan that people generally know is different from if you would actually go there.

Post automatically merged: Jul 28, 2020

Also by no means I'm defending their actions on things, but yeah just a bit perspective.

In my answer to DarkDesertfox I think it is understood that I know the Japanese mentality. I talked about the choices that software houses have made only for economic gain. In message for you I talked about the fact that if inserting dark skin or not had made the gains decrease they would have done it a long time ago. And I concluded by saying that we must not be united only from an economic point of view since we must take responsibility for what we export. As LGBTQ + games need a target in countries that are not pro them, so dark skin must be inserted if you decide to export to a foreign country where a large part of the population is of color. The key word is "respect". Today many playstation games (therefore from Sony) have LGBT themes and characters of color (Watch Dogs 2 the first I'm thinking). Japanese society has made mistakes in the past, now it can no longer afford to do it, and must go in the right direction. It is doing so because ethical issues and "politically correct" are now delicate and important topics because of globalization. Japan was justifiable before, now no longer. Racism, women's sexualization, homophobia, even if unconscious, have always been in Japanese society(and also in other societies) and still exist today, but today are not unconscious. And today they cannot afford to export their closed mentality in addition to the game, today there is a need for respect for everything and everyone. This is how it should be, but obviously if the world were perfect we would be in the Utopia of More.

This is why there is a need to spread awareness, and hope (and fight) for a better future, because people of color are part of our people, even if the Japanese do not have people of color in their society we have them and we want them to be respect because they are part of our society. As I said in the message to DarkDesertFox, from 2013 onwards Nintendo added dark skin in many games like Pokémon because it could no longer afford not to, but with Animal Crossing it made two mistakes as Romaki and Sherb20 specified. The fact of the pink nose looks like a prank...

But as I said everything is changing and going in the good direction. Today it is no longer we who must understand them, but they who must understand the rest of the world, and it seems they are succeeding.

Btw, I understand your opinion!

 

[Alienfish]

-

I agree, though the world has changed since 2012 and 2020 when it's come to NH (and since PC was released when they added it before). And I don't defend their actions in games, and for AC which is an all-ages game, yes they have to apply that with skin colours for a world-wide release. (though if you look at more niche game they can definitely have other views on things...I've played a few).

Should also be said about Japan, that they take big difference on private vs. public life and stuff and you don't have to be polite or addressing in a game or tv-show. Sure, they might have been more conscious here due to a Western release and to appeal to all countries but yea my point was people(not you) need to be more into other cultures before they attack stuff, though here it's more obvious it had to be added.

Though I think we should really understand the Japan that is over there, cause it's a whole other thing playing a game or enjoying a band from there, another living there for a year and getting into their culture and hierarchy. It's like some people created another "Japan" that is vast different.

 

[Corrie]

I'm gonna throw this out there that Pokemon and AC are both from Japan and well, they're a little... xenophobic over there so to me it's not surprising that it took that long to finally introduce multiple types of skin tones.

I'm glad they did though!