Battlefield 1 Might Feature The Franchise’s First African-American Playable Protagonist

Diversity is definitely something that we need more of in all forms of entertainment and media and it seems Battlefield 1 might make a pretty big step in this direction. Through leaked images and leaked promotional pictures it seems the game might feature the franchises’s first ever playable black protagonist.

[detroitmademe]

My first reaction is I'm a little sad that it's set in world war 1 simply because of the weapons and vehicles back then. That being said I can't wait for the reveal today and I'm gonna reserve judgment till then.

[Rimeskeem]

According to IGN the game is set in an alternative reality WW1 theme. Not really sure why the word alternative is used...

[Aenea]

Ohhh! That means they can introduce weapons that didn't exist back then! Alternate history books are fantastic!

Loving the Harry Turtledove series which starts during American Civil war where one tiny thing changes the outcome and the North and South are separated, South gets help from France and England, the North from Germany. There's a second civil war in these books which preceded WW1 and because of that advancements in weapons, tanks for instance, go faster and are available earlier, then when WW1 in Europe starts and in the US the North is allied with Germany and the South with France and England a war starts there as well. This causes even more faster advances in weapon development...

Basically they can add many things to this setting if it's indeed alternate history, which can be rather an awesome idea!

[b163o1]

^^^ Somebody's excited lol. JK, on a serious note I think I may go pick those up, you hyped them up so much I must experience them myself.... Kudos

BOOKS!

[aconnellan]

Just to quickly nip this in the bud, according to a DICE dev, that's not true:

"Get ready to interpret a lot of things in this video. Danny Berlin, the lead designer for Battlefield 1 at EA’s DICE studio, said he could only comment on what was in the video during an interview with GamesBeat. He said that the game’s based on historical material, and it won’t have a fictionalized “alternate history” with modern weapons. Whatever is in the trailer really did happen at some point in the varied history of the Great War, Berlin said"

Source: http://venturebeat.com/2016...

[Twinblade]

Could you imagine flying in a blimp and by the time you reach your goal, the match is already over? Lol.

[PurpHerbison]

The WW1 weapons are great and when portrayed properly they take a lot of skill to use correctly. That alone is extremely satisfying versus picking up any modern weapon from any modern shooter and spraying your way to #1 in the match. Every single WW1 weapon should have a different and unique feel. I can't tell you how many modern shooters I played over the last decade where they had so many different guns but they all felt similar.

[WeAreLegion]

Cool. Whatever. Just make it good.

Edit: What did I say?

[Paytaa]

This has the potential to have the first solid Battlefield campaign since the Bad Company games.

[iTechHeads]

Why?

[Paytaa]

Because it's World War 1 and I haven't played a World War shooter in forever.

[AnubisG]

Because having a black dude on the poster makes the game automatically superior than anything. That's SJW thinking.

[Paytaa]

No one is saying it's superior to anything, just embracing diversity. I mean it's a small change but at least it isn't generic white marine 4.0 again. Plus it's most likely a Harlem Hellfighter which is really cool.

[letsgopal]

What do you have aganist generic white marines? Why do we have to put black dudes/asians into every game/tv show/movie to embrace diversity?

[Paytaa]

I don't have anything against white marines lol I just think it's cool when it's not the same old shit all the time.

Does it truly bother you that different types of media are including more than one race? And since when is it everything?

You have an opinion on what type of stuff you want to watch or play but so does an "SJW". Neither opinion matters more than another lol

[PurpHerbison]

Harlem Hellfighter would be really cool. They spent the most time in combat so it makes a lot of sense.

[subtenko]

What he is saying it, the first thing when you make a game shouldnt be "diversity" You should focus on the plot. You could have the most diverse characters and items in a game it it be a big flop. But if you focus on the right things first then everything is good. "diversity" isnt the primary concern for a gamer. (oe, just because the skin color of a character doesnt mean the game sucks)

So yea, hopefully young and old devs dont get the wrong thinking from this

[remixx116]

@letsgopal

"Why do we have to put black/Asians into every every game/TV show/movie to embrace diversity"

....because there aren't any....

You can't embrace diversity without actually being diverse. It's funny how you get all defensive when he never said anything was wrong with the norm "generic white marines" other than the fact that they are indeed generic. It's almost as if the gaming medium and other forms of entertainment fail to realize that other races do actually exist.

That is why it's surprising when a dev actually strays away from the white male and tries something different, people take notice. Then the first people to ask "why does it matter" are white males.

Smh

Edit: also to further my statement, no this will not all n of a sudden make the games campaign better, in fact I'm Fairly sure it'll suck.

[Paytaa]

@subtenko Well since it was DICE's creative decision, how would it affect what they're doing with the game? No one told them to make a diverse cast but it would be realistic to have one.

It's literally their game they can do what they want

[Eonjay]

No one said that. You sound like a racist bigot. Now we can't even have black people on the cover of a game without SJW claims? Get out of here with that.

[00]

what do you expect when SJW use there aggressive militant attitude to force their propaganda down everyone throats?

this wouldn't even have been a problem 10 years ago because nobody would care about things like how diversity is represented but now sjw are pointing out individuals because of their identity and making a big issues out of it. so they can parade around their little accessories and have there hipster friends pat them on the back.

You can thank the regressive liberals for ruining all the good will normal people had. and it not surprising that there is a push back now. and as a person who's mixed race I have to ask why is the protagonist being black matter? seems kind of irrelevant to battlefield because nobody play's it for the story.

[Paytaa]

@00 Are you fucking kidding me? Wait, the key to winning the Internet is repeatedly say liberal and SJW.

The people who aggressively attack SJW's are no better. Aggressively attacking anyone is pure stupidity.

10 years ago was 10 years ago. If you can't adapt with the times then sorry you're getting left behind.

And also, correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't conservatives the ones actively trying to ban and censor video games since I don't know Doom and Mortal Kombat came out in the 90s?

The ones who hate having diversity in games are the same people who always have Dorito cheese dust on their fingers, sipping on mountain dew, and intentionally starting Internet fights.

[subtenko]

Well said Eonjay.

"Diverse is cool but hopefully its not the most important thing to a dev when making a video game"

^ Logical statement but noooo people want the decision of "Ok I got a game idea but I need to pick the race of the characters first" needs to be the priorty of making a game? I dont think so.... LIke most are saying, its cool but it shouldnt be the top priority of a game.

[InTheLab]

00

20 years ago I'm wondering why the Black characters in Street Fighter look like caricatures of actual Black people.

I'm wondering why every Asian is either a genius or Yakuza.

Wondering why Hispanics were all gang members

And lastly, why Whites are widely represented in nearly every game made. From the hard boiled warfigher to the adventurers that travel to green places to murder the natives for treasure, and even plumbers who conquer mushroom kingdoms.

Yes certain groups go overboard but as a whole, the video game industry could use more diversity, be it Black, Asian, Hispanic, or otherwise.

[Themba76]

don't worry he should be happy he's getting donald trump and leave it at that

[00]

@paytaa
I think you missed my point 10 years people cared more about quality then identity politics. 2016 diversity means tokenism by the social justice clique, for social virtue signaling to pat themselves on the back.

"The ones who hate having diversity in games are the same people who always have Dorito cheese dust on their fingers, sipping on mountain dew, and intentionally starting Internet fights. " and you just proved my point with your nice generalization.

@inthelab

the problem is when the crazies take over the asylum, nobody will want to make stuff with actual diversity if they have to deal with hatefulled, bigoted, can never be pleased SJW attacking you because you didn't do it the specific way they wanted you to and getting there friends to harass you. it is going to do nothing but drive people away and or worse not even bothering because of that attitude right now they are the loud obnoxious. harpies that are the face of it.

@Themba76
I don't much care for trump, but I'll be laughing because it will be the regressive lefty liberals that bring him victory. by making him counter-culture and the type of symbol that irritates people like you.

[BlakHavoc]

You're taking it too seriously, its just a black guy as the protagonist. They're simply just embracing diversity, I knew this shit would rub some ppl the wrong way smh.

[subtenko]

No dude people are cool, they just see the people acting like it should be priority #1, as in the health and safety of the developers workers comes last and the diversity of a game character comes first kind thing. People just concerned devs will not have their priority's straight (and yes there are cringe examples of it. Some of which make it look BAD for said characters)

[NarooN]

I'm not sure what's worse: actual SJW's or the super-insecure conspiracy-theory tin-foil hat-wearing e-militants who instantly pollute the room with their anti-SJW rhetoric anytime something pops up that has to do with diversity or actual social justice pops up (not saying this game featuring a playable black protagonist is social justice, just an example.)

I mean holy shit, what is wrong with you people?

[Antifan]

Wow, making problems where there aren't any?
Who said this, though? Or you just pulled it out your buttocks?

[Jayszen]

@AnubisG

Maybe it is your thinking but most Black and Asian people around the world would consider the game just a game, only this time with a African American on the cover instead of the usual White dude.

[letsgopal]

It may be just a shadow.

[ISHU]

Nice eye dude! /s

[SpinalRemains138]

I don't care if they're purple. I just want a solid game.

[WeAreLegion]

Agreed. Though I don't know why I got the disagrees for saying the same thing. Haha.

[detroitmademe]

Im black and I could care less about the ethnicity of the protagonist. If I had it my way I'd want to create my own character. I thought we were passed this after starhawk's main character. But anyway just give me great gameplay with lots of variety and I'm good

[subtenko]

The only real thing it can effect is the characters character, or storyline (ie. black history, or w/e race history/background) then again just because someone has played a 'stereotypical black role' doesnt mean another person from another race doesnt act like that

[_-EDMIX-_]

100% agreed because of the time period of the game his ethnicity very much could fit the narrative and could be a key component to the story itself.

If we had a game set during the Civil War or even in World War 1 if you had a female in the game it would be a big deal because of how women were seen in those time periods in regards to combat or lack thereof.

A gender or race can be seen as very key to the narrative if it's trying to fit a specific history and show something.

[BlakHavoc]

Ya I don't think its that serious as its just a game but I don't mind diversity either.

[Ipunchbabiesforfun]

I hate the world. Lol who cares if he's a black and Asian lesbian female from Spain? Do people really worry about race this much?!?!

[BlakHavoc]

In games its a dumb argument imo, cause its a fucking fictional game character. But in other forms of entertainment like movies and tv shows I understand the argument, cause you could be affecting ppls livelihoods by failing to diversify.

[Ipunchbabiesforfun]

Wrong. "Failing to diversify." Better idea, everyone stop being so fucking sensitive and grow up. Lol this is the thinking that leads to black characters in the fantastic four...changing characters so people don't cry is absolutely pathetic.

[TheViltsuZ]

No it's not. http://i.imgur.com/0Lqde1m....

[PCGAMERONLY]

Who gives a damn rat

[subtenko]

Good idea, a rat character in BF would be even better! Ted cruz xD

[PCGAMERONLY]

No its lyin Ted

[Imalwaysright]

Ok...

[Kornholic]

Yeah. So what?

[scark92]

Would be nice if they took the Battlefield Modern Combat route and make you a generic character, and when you die, you move to another soldier, and up the difficulty.

[q8kik]

They're going to kill him at the end.................

[ScorpiusX]

Is that a cape on him ?

[Antifan]

Don't think so. I thought this was a promotional image for the preorder bonus, hell fighters?

[JohnathanACE]

Interesting approach their taking as it seems we'll be playing as a Harlem Hellfighters instead of a generic solider. Potentially good story here, lets just hope they don't get into a race based preachy storyline. And it's about time we had a WW1 game.

[Hercules189]

Agreed, we all know every white person was the devil back in those days until the 1960s and then everyone magically got along or at least that's how Hollywood portrays their white guilt movies.

[GoPanthers999]

If so, its about time. I am a caucasian dude and I like having some variety of main character. Glad to see it.

[Kemo_Spear]

And now that the reveal video is now out, this stupid click bate site is way off the mark yet again!
I swear to god, this web site has got to be the worst.

[Apoca1ypse]

I'm going to say this now. No one cares what colour the main character is. What people care about is whether or not the game will be good. I mean Battlefield typically has silent Protagonists anyways.

what people will not like is if the game is off touting how "progressive" it is for having black main character and shoving that in peoples face throughout the entire game.

[Helios86]

Ofc the campaign is going to be centered around Americans again, what a crock of shit.

[Docknoss]

WW1 was a war fought almost entirely by Europeans and millions lost their lives. Americans were only in the war for a year. If this was WW2 or Vietnam I'd understand. I see this as an insult to the majority of men that fought in the great war.

[Cartman55125]

Usually I would say I don't care what color the character is, as long as it's fun. However, given the time period and black roles in the military, this is certainly a fresh take and good news.