Crackdown Offers Four New Agent Skins

Crackdown is coming out today in the US, and Real Time Worlds is already offering four new agent skins for your downloading pleasure. Major Nelson reports that one of the agent skins features a Sam Fisher style headgear. The download is completely free and available for those of you who own Crackdown.

[Smoove808]

I like the idea of downloadable content for games. The new skins for crackdown will be great for various reasons. Now think about this...Is it possible that a gamer would boycot a particular game based on the LEADING CHARACTERS RACE. I think what I am raising may be a little over the top and just looking into deep, but for some reason with the sudden release of new skins to alter the characters likeness, this theory strikes me. It is also evident that there are many people online who exhibit racial prejudices, I for one am not one of them but I would like to here some honest feelings of the extent of such behaviors. How far does it go? Do you want a white agent? or do you ever feel reluctant to purchase or even demo for such a reason. I don't want to create any controversy or anger, but it is just an interesting thought.

[Grown Folks Talk]

it's out there and it happens. it's not much different than what some people on this site say to each other. they know they can get away with it because they are anonymous. most of these people wouldn't say crap like they do to people face. racism is never going away, it's just concealed a little better. i doubt we'll see anybody release Ku Klux Klan: Rally at Sundown anytime soon, but i bet somebody would buy it if they did. on the crackdown note, you can already use other skins. at least in the demo you could. later, your friend, Clayton Bigsby.

[Sphinx]

However, I don't think it is always because of racism. Sometimes, as a white male, I want to feel like I am the character. It is hard to do that when the guy is a different race, or if the main character is a female. For example, I recently played Prey, and while I really enjoyed the game, it was really weird being a native American. It was a little distracting, and made the game a little less immersive at times. Another example would be Tomb Raider... I've never gotten into Tomb Raider... I'm sure the game is fun, which I've played a little, but it is distracting to be a female. Like I said, it makes the experience a little less believable, and a little less immersive.

[ryanjtravis]

I doubt it - just think about GTA:San Andreas. The main/leading character is black and it is one of the best selling games of all-time.

[Smoove808]

I agree with all of you. Firstly, racism is very concealed. Kind of like sweeping under the rug. The world is for sure a better place to live in for all. Strives and attempts to live better amongst another are visible. This is true, because I abide by these types of morals. Less hatred and more love for your brother, judge the individual by his character. Current events in the world go directly against my thoughts of the world being a better place, but those are arguably different battles. I commend those people who bite their tongue and see a bigger picture. This type of exercise is better for quality of self and future of society.

I was thinking of my own experiences with games and I have to agree I was turned of by Tomb Raider due to the fact that the lead was a female. It is a great game surely, but this was a block for me. I understand your view about relating to a character and submerging into the role and experience.

While writing my initial comment, I automatically thought about GTA and how the character is black, but this title has so many years behind it. Its a monster of a franchise. So whether the main character is a black man or Super Mario it would be always smash hit.

I wonder about the master chief! Maybe something are better left to the unknown.

Anyways, thanks for some of your thoughts. It was interesting to read some your views.

[OC_MurphysLaw]

Sadly it still exists....and I am sure more than a few will have mis-givings about playing as an Afro-American character. Personally I think that is just non-sense. I will admit that with regards to 1st person games I think the immersion factor can come into play as Sphinx stated. Any game I play that more or less leaves the character ambiguous tends to be easier for me to get into as opposed to say a "Perfect Dark" or "Prey" where the main character is clearly flushed out and their sex/background plays a prominent role. That said...it doesn't completely keep me from enjoying the game all that much so its really just an esthetic kind of thing.

[Havince]

Coz in the game cant you choose different race from the start ??????

You could in the demo, you had asian, white, black.

i downloaded this content last night and was suprised it was FREE, i love free downloads lol

[Eclipticus]

i never had a problem race. I played and beat both Prey and TR:Legend. And enjoyed them. for the story. I am not a big FPS player. but the immersive and background of Prey, plus the concept kept me till the end. While playing legend. it was okay. but i just wanted to finish it. I always thought how much better Prince of persia was and why wont they make it BC. but being a female protagonist never took away. Infactt being a big brute in Gears of War, while fun was less immersive than Prey. And to the halo question? would it really matter. if he removed his helmet and was black, asian or middel eastern? If the story took place in the future. where we will be ever closer to one race. would it matter. For the older gamers. what was your response to the end of METROID. when you found out you played a girl? did that detract from the fun and enjoyment?