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It's time we talk about portuguese representation in games or the lack of it
- Thread starter I-Nolomania
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I hope you are. If you dismiss someone just because they are Portuguese, or Indian, or Iranian, or Nigerian, or Russian, or whatever, you are being racist. Doesn't matter if the makeup of that country is majority white, black, Christian, Muslim, whatever. If you dismiss them just because of their nationality and for no other reason, you're being racist. Racism isn't just about some historic genealogy or religion of a person. It Also covers prejudice against a person due to their nationality of homeland. Which you're doing right now.
Representation is needed to help stop the oppression(no matter the media industry), and make games safe and welcoming for oppressed peoples.
People that aren't oppressed don't need that.
As a Portuguese why would there be a significant Portuguese representation in fighting games? Or most games for that matter, the reason why Portugal is pretty significant in football games is because Portugal is pretty good at football (we spend so much money on it), now if we were talking about historical games within certain periods, yeah sure then it makes sense to have Portugal there, and there have certainly been games that did a really poor job at it, but most games aren't set during the Age of Discovery (Early Age of Discovery even less so).
Are there good stories to be told involving Portugal that aren't even about the age of discovery? Yes, there are, but developers from other countries shouldn't really be the ones that have to go out of their way to tackle them, because most countries especially those that have been around for a while now also have great stories to be told, realistically the people that should be telling these stories should be Portuguese studios, which there are ofc very few.
Are there good stories to be told involving Portugal that aren't even about the age of discovery? Yes, there are, but developers from other countries shouldn't really be the ones that have to go out of their way to tackle them, because most countries especially those that have been around for a while now also have great stories to be told, realistically the people that should be telling these stories should be Portuguese studios, which there are ofc very few.
What the goddamn shit is going on in this thread with people dismissing Portugal? Holy shit.
I knew a bunch of you lot didn't know how to properly discuss things without going for extremes, but still... sad to see this.
Anyway, not as bad as lack of minorities' representation, but still OK to want representation. It's going to take a while though, imo, to get some main character or similar that is Portuguese.
I knew a bunch of you lot didn't know how to properly discuss things without going for extremes, but still... sad to see this.
Anyway, not as bad as lack of minorities' representation, but still OK to want representation. It's going to take a while though, imo, to get some main character or similar that is Portuguese.
The amount of whataboutism in this thread is insane. OP just asked for more Portugal in games, and everyone's dogpiling him like "BUT WHAT ABOUT [insert other thing here]"
If you're annoyed about lack of Swedish, Finnish, etc. representation in games, complain about that too! Join the cause! Don't vent on someone asking for Portugal to get a look in. Come on, guys, we smaller countries shouldn't be infighting here.
(Also, OP uses "Portuguese representation" to mean "characters/places representing Portugal". He didn't mean the modern American usage of the term meaning "minority representation", and you know it, so stop deliberately misinterpreting his point.)
If you're annoyed about lack of Swedish, Finnish, etc. representation in games, complain about that too! Join the cause! Don't vent on someone asking for Portugal to get a look in. Come on, guys, we smaller countries shouldn't be infighting here.
(Also, OP uses "Portuguese representation" to mean "characters/places representing Portugal". He didn't mean the modern American usage of the term meaning "minority representation", and you know it, so stop deliberately misinterpreting his point.)
One of the countries in Xenoblade 2 is Welsh-themed. Not quite the same, but it's something.
Outside of history based strategy games and sports (especially football) games, why should Portugal get representation in games over other bigger countries that also don't get representation in games?
What do we even have here that would be interesting to have in a game, be it setting wise or character wise?
Setting wise, probably the only interesting setting for a game would maybe be the age of discovery, I guess? But that time period is rarely used in games outside of the strategy genre, in which Portugal is often represented.
Characters wise, using the fighting games characters request as an example, what would a Portuguese character offer that other possible southern European characters from bigger countries wouldn't offer?
What do we even have here that would be interesting to have in a game, be it setting wise or character wise?
Setting wise, probably the only interesting setting for a game would maybe be the age of discovery, I guess? But that time period is rarely used in games outside of the strategy genre, in which Portugal is often represented.
Characters wise, using the fighting games characters request as an example, what would a Portuguese character offer that other possible southern European characters from bigger countries wouldn't offer?
No one has a right to representation in media. That's why historically victimized groups aren't represented while those in power are. Portugal is not a disempowered country and the Portuguese (like other western countries) have historically disempowered the minorities you suggest don't have a greater need for representation.
The need for representation stems from hundreds of years of degradation. And devaluing of minority lives. That's what people are trying to counter act with more minority representation.
Yeah and in the dictionary it says synonyms: xenophobia which covers prejudice against people of other countries.
I don't know why you're fighting so hard to be allowed to be nasty about an entire nation of people for no reason. You're not in the moral high ground here.
There's also people in here saying 'you don't need representation because you're not opressed'.
Representation isn't just about that. It can be as simple as wanting to see your country in a big piece of media.
I'm really excited about the UK being in Forza Horizon 4. The UK is not oppressed or lacking in representation but it's still exciting.
I imagine Portuguese people would feel the same about FH Portugal.
User Banned (2 Weeks): Dismissing concerns about representation through 'forced diversity' rhetoric, previous infractions for similar behaviour.
At the risk of being banned (yet again). I really hate all these representation concerns in games and in media in general.
I'm not being dismissive, but why are we forcing creatives to represent certain ideologies, cultures or races. Shouldn't creatives be left to do what they want and we as consumers choose with our wallets?
I'm chinese, born in Ireland, which is quite a rarity. Should I try to be making some noise about the Chinese/Irish representation in games? As I don't think I've ever seen it.
At the end of the day, we are all part of one race, the human race. As cliché as that may be, I seriously wish people could keep that in mind.
I'm not being dismissive, but why are we forcing creatives to represent certain ideologies, cultures or races. Shouldn't creatives be left to do what they want and we as consumers choose with our wallets?
I'm chinese, born in Ireland, which is quite a rarity. Should I try to be making some noise about the Chinese/Irish representation in games? As I don't think I've ever seen it.
At the end of the day, we are all part of one race, the human race. As cliché as that may be, I seriously wish people could keep that in mind.
How is this thread still going?
Mods watching the LeMans or something?
Of the ~195 countries on the planet, do devs have to be inclusive of all of them?
P.S I am Zambian, Zambia doesnt even show up in "inclusive" games where you can set your Icon/tag to pretty much any country on the planet....except Zambia, it doesnt really exist.
Mods watching the LeMans or something?
Of the ~195 countries on the planet, do devs have to be inclusive of all of them?
P.S I am Zambian, Zambia doesnt even show up in "inclusive" games where you can set your Icon/tag to pretty much any country on the planet....except Zambia, it doesnt really exist.
I didn't intimate it counted as representation. I was commiserating with OP that it was probably only Footballers that make their way into Video Games. Maybe could have worded it better.
Nobody is dismissing Portugal, been there, lovely country. It's not about Portugal, it's about the tone deafness of the OP.
It isn't racism, please stop with this
I'm Jamaican all I get is the typical Jamaican stereotype shit. It's annoying man
No one is saying Portugese people shouldnt be represented in video games. People are saying that there are, to them, more important groups that should be more represented than just people of one small country.
But instead of saying "Oh. I understand", you are saying people are racist, just because they personally think its more important to have lgbt characters, other races, other genders etc. in their games than "a portuguese, an egyptian, a morrocan etc.".
I would love this style in a fighting game, this is fucking rad.
Small countries usually just get lumped in with their larger nearby countries. Most games rarely have more than twenty or thirty characters at most. It'd be good to get some representation of the Portuguese but not likely.
That being said, wow at the posters in this thread.
And isn't Portigal like 80% Latina/brown skinned? They're absolutely a minority in any other country.
That being said, wow at the posters in this thread.
And isn't Portigal like 80% Latina/brown skinned? They're absolutely a minority in any other country.
Naw OP messed up when he tried to equate a desire and need for Portuguese representation with that of minorities.
I'm sorry, I'm too busy laughing my ass off at the irony of being called racist and xenophobic by someone whose country colonised mine, committed religious conversions by force, ran an illicit protection racket across an entire sea, brutally suppressed peaceful protests, and then refused to let go until militarily outmatched.
Okay, that's fine. But when people wade into this thread saying 'land robbers don't deserve represntation' 'no one cares about your country'; that's horrible.
One of the prominent characters in Xenoblade 2 had a Welsh accent. Not quite the same as a Welsh character but was interesting to hear. Couldn't stand it personally but I find anime characters talking in anything but Japanese pretty jarring.
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