How Nintendo has Improved its Diversity in Video Games

Diversity in video games is an increasingly valuable commodity in the industry, and companies like Nintendo are starting to do better at it.

[PhoenixUp]

Datassversity has improved indeed

[New_Age_Retro_Hippie]

No lies detected.

[Cy]

More diversity, but their online is still garbage and they can't make enough consoles to supply a demand. Glad they worked on the important stuff first though.

[New_Age_Retro_Hippie]

Humm

I don't know that you know how game development works. Like, you do realize that the lack of quality online and the supply constraints aren't the result of diverse video games, right? Like, do you think that the writers are pulling double duty designing the netcode, or the artists are working on getting certain components to improve the supply issues?

I mean I know you're attempting some hot take about priorities, but this is not a zero-sum game lol

[Imalwaysright]

What does any of that have to do with their library of games?

[Kabukiface]

"Here boss! I just designed a new character. They're a hispanic nonbinary person and--"

"Where did you get all the paper to draw that model??"

"Oh, I went down to Office Depot and bought 30 trillion dollars worth of printer paper! That way I won't run out when I make a design for every possible combination of non white cisgendered heterosexual male characters!"

"But that was the money I was going to build to make seven billion nintendo switches and fix the worldwide internet! Gahhh! But at least we're being inclusive so it's okay I guess"

[Sciurus_vulgaris]

Many Nintendo characters aren't human, so why would they need to improve thier diversity?

[New_Age_Retro_Hippie]

But many are. Mario, Pokemon, The Legend of Zelda, Kirby, Metroid, Fire Emblem, Xenoblade, EarthBound, F-Zero, Animal Crossing, ARMS, Splatoon, Punch-Out!!, Advance Wars, Code Name S.T.E.A.M., HarmoKnight, Hotel Dusk, Custom Robo, Chibi-Robo, Kid Icarus, Starfy, Pikmin, Rhythm Heaven, WarioWare, Sin and Punishment, StarTropics, Wave Race, 1080, all of these series for at least a few characters use characters who are either human or who are reasonably facsimiles thereof (ie, Starfy has a mermaid, the Inklings are modeled after human traits in many areas, etc.). In the article, I address exclusively games where diversity is possible. And of course, being that diversity is not just racial, even diversity among non-humans is still possible.

[Gh05t]

Or you could let the devs make whatever game they want with whatever diversity they choose and if you feel there is a lack of diversity then by all means start making your own game. But you actually saying that they should make different games to your ideas and standards of diversity is artistically counter productive. You say you don't want forced diversity but from the rest of the suggestions it doesn't sound like you truly believe it when you say there is room for more diversity in older games or already made games... Sure but that is not what the developers wanted and to say they should have or could have is to say it is WRONG that they didn't.

Stop trying to make people feel bad for not making characters you want to see in a game. They made what they wanted and you are free to make what you want.

The problem most people have with ideas like yours is that you start from the premise that 1: There needs to be more diversity in game characters and 2: It's up to others to make it happen.

Most people honestly don't care about this topic. The person's sexual identity, gender, or sex isn't why they play the games. And to those that it does matter... Well we call those people narrow minded and move on.

Also I know it's hard for people like you to grasp but not all white characters are the same.

If you see discrimination, let me know and I'll help raise the BS flag, but lack of what you call diversity is not discrimination. When you find a team that wanted to make a character and were told no, I'm in on bringing that problem to light.

[New_Age_Retro_Hippie]

With respect, I have no idea what you are talking about. I never spoke of discrimination, nor did I claim that Nintendo was bad for having a low level of diversity. It feels like you're employing the "expectant projection" thing onto me. Projecting something you think is bad onto me and deciding I've said something bad. I more than agree that a developer should be able to do what they want, but at the same time, that comes with the caveat that people can talk about whether what they are doing is good in one respect or another. I mean, I even included that I have no problem that they don't want to (or didn't want to) make Link a girl, just that they shouldn't make such stupid excuses for it.

You speak of how little people care, but you're writing paragraphs in response to an article with pretty mild critique of Nintendo and reacting in such a way where you insert claims or sentiments into my text that I never expressed. I guess what is more accurate is that you care that others care.

[ChickeyCantor]

videos games were always diverse. Fuck off with this shit.

[New_Age_Retro_Hippie]

The article never claims that diversity didn't exist until recently, it spoke of how it improved over time. In fact, if you read the article, the first section points out how groundbreaking Punch-Out!! was despite its stereotypes, specifically about how Punch-Out!! actually has more dark-skinned boxers than light-skinned boxers and how Great Tiger for instance was the first Sikh character in video games.

Reading is a lot more productive than being triggered.

[ChickeyCantor]

nah I ain't triggered. Just completely done with the social political nonsense within gaming. If that's your kink by all means, imo it's absolute fucking shit.

[New_Age_Retro_Hippie]

I think more accurate is to say that people reading a title and then criticizing an article for not saying something that it actually said is nonsense. Just cop to the fact that you didn't bother to read the article and assumed its contents. Maybe you can take something from this experience and grow as a reader.

[septemberindecember]

Didn't Nintendo get a bit of backlash for making Marina and Twintelle? I mean, it seems like every time they try and create diverse characters a bunch of people say they didn't do it "correctly" and ruin the whole thing.

[New_Age_Retro_Hippie]

Not especially? I mean there were probably some people who didn't like certain aspects of the designs (either in terms of their writing or their actual design or whatever), but that is normal. And of course, no design is going to be perfect, and there may be certain aspects to criticize about them. It is kind of like how in the article I point out the Magypsies from Mother 3, discuss the positive intent behind their design while also discussing some of the flaws to their designs. It's a lot more nuanced than whether their efforts are good or bad, after all.

[septemberindecember]

I remember seeing quite a few people that were claiming Nintendo were racist over their designs. Both on Twitter and off of it. There was an article I read about Twintelle's hair being a representation of controversy surrounding other aspects of black peoples hair (something about it being weaponized) and another article about how she isn't a good representation of the black community.

Less so was Marina, but I saw an article or two about Marina being black and an Octoling, making her essentially the enemy in Splatoon 2 (even though she clearly isn't in the game), and something about her being dressed more revealing than Pearl.

You are right though, it's pretty normal to have at least a few people mad over any decision.

[KingKnight]

I think Marina, Twintelle and Olivia (from Sun and Moon) are mostly positive inclusions but it's so much that they're conventionally beautiful characters that are somewhat fetishized (Marina's cleavage and Twintelle's leathered big round bottom) from a lot of the fanbase. That's not to say that Nintendo shouldn't make beautiful dark-skin characters but it also stifles diversity in representation

[deafdani]

What backlash? Those characters were incredibly well received.

[septemberindecember]

You may refer to my other comment to understand the negativity I'm speaking of. I'm not trying to say it was gigantic, I'm just saying it was there.

[Razzer]

Diversity as a commodity. Wow.

[New_Age_Retro_Hippie]

I mean, yeah? It might be somewhat reductive, but it's the simplest way to describe it. People like a variety of characters, of character types, with a variety of experiences to them. For instance, would Street Fighter, Punch-Out!!, and Mortal Kombat be as well-remembered if it was only white guys? Criticisms of the depictions aside, you can find a lot of people who think it really cool that they have a Brazilian character, even if it is a jungleman.

[Razzer]

Edit: nah....nevermind

[bluefox755]

Great? Is this something that real people outside of the SJW bubble actually care about?

[New_Age_Retro_Hippie]

The problem with that conceit is that a person is often decried as an SJW for caring about it. Remember when SJWs were people who were ridiculously overzealous over a cause, and not simply people who you disagree with on topics like this?

[Kabukiface]

SJW? I think the correct term is "not me"

[michellelynn0976]

They have hired new people. That helps when you want to diversify your company. Nintendo was getting in a rut (a rut I still loved, but still a rut), now they are climbing out of it slowly.

[Kabukiface]

Why do people hate having diversity more than not having diversity? Why even care? Things like this affect other people, not you. When 90% of video game characters are straight white cis dudes, nothing is really being taken away from you. Every argument I see against being inclusive is just as much an argument for it. Chill out and give other people a chance to enjoy the game as much as you do.