I really wish people would understand pointing out things does not equal looking to be offended. Or crying racism for lol’s. For example, I shared this image from Hellblade on the I Need Diverse Games tumblr as well as on twitter, along with follow up text & table flip gif:

Hellblade white girl locs

Everyone is talking about the perma-death in Hellblade game. We’re damn tired of a tribal aesthetic and locs as signs of [savagery]¹. But can we get a black character with good natural hair in a game? Nope, but non-humans, and white folks in a dystopian setting sure can.

It was not long before the you’re looking to be offended! You’re the real racist chorus started up. Get a new tune. I didn’t even know the game existed until the perma-death chatter lit up my TL. A friend was streaming so I checked it out. I notice the white fem lead with locs, the pseudo tribal aesthetic immediately. After playing HZD I’m even more aware of these things. I will say, Hellblade looks fucking amazing. I’ll give credit where it’s due. Much like HZD it’s a beautiful game, but very dark.

However, a game is manufactured by people. Who had to make design decisions for the protagonist, the world etc. So it was a choice. They could have not gone with locs. Any choice but that. Easily identifiable braids, a short pony tail, anything else but that. Oh and of course I got the but Celts! But Vikings! Uh, no. What they had were not locs as we know them. Have a link and come back after you read that post.

They also ignored the other point which was; its tiring seeing black hair styles on everyone but black characters. Those locs actually look good, that’s what makes me annoyed. Clearly game makers can put hairstyles like locs in games & do it well. They just don’t take that extra step and actually make them available to humans. But a white lead in a dystopian setting? Sure! Seeing this stuff over and over is exhausting. No one is out here looking to be offended or tracking down racism for fun.

I don’t know why people have this idea that marginalised folks are out here just looking under rocks for shit to bothered by. We’re not.

I’d rather not spend time on it, but hey the industry keeps failing me so I’m going to keep pointing it out. Maybe someone will listen. So when people bring up these issues? Maybe hear what they are saying instead of slotting in your preconceived notions on the topic?Or if you open your mouth with some “you’re just looking to be offended” bullshit, don’t be surprised at the resulting block on twitter, tumblr or refusal to engage with you; especially if “just want to ask a question”.

¹ = Someone pointed out using savagery re: certain looks and aesthetics was possibly the wrong phrasing over on the I Need Diverse Games tumblr. 

Published by cypheroftyr

Tanya DePass is the founder and Director of I Need Diverse Games, a not-for-profit organization based in Chicago, which is dedicated to better diversification of all aspects of gaming. I Need Diverse Games serves the community by supporting marginalized developers, attendance at the Game Developer Conference by participating in the GDC Scholarship program, helps assist attendance at other industry events, and is seeking partnership with organizations and initiatives. Tanya is a lifelong Chicagoan who loves everything about gaming, #INeedDiverseGames spawn point, and wants to make the industry better and more inclusive for everyone. She’s part of the Rivals of Waterdeep actual play stream on twitch.tv/rivalsofwaterdeep, a partnered Twitch variety broadcaster; and often speaks on issues of diversity, feminism, race, intersectionality & other topics online, at conventions and as a public speaker.. She’s also contributed to publications at Green Ronin, Paizo and Monte Cook Games and is the co-developer for the Fifth Season RPG based on N.K. Jemisin’s three time Hugo award winning Broken Earth trilogy. She’s the creator and Creative Director of Into the Mother Lands, a Twitch supported RPG and Actual Play stream, airing weekly on her channel, twitch.tv/cypheroftyr. Additionally, she is a Senior Annenberg labs Civic Media Fellow at USC. She’s also the creator and Creative Director of Into the Mother Lands, a new sci fi afro-futurist RPG developed with a team of all POC and Black creators; live streamed on her twitch channel, /cypheroftyr. She’s named as one of The Game Awards Future Class 2020, a diverse group of builders, thinkers and dreamers whose voices elevate and diversify our artform. It recognizes individuals around the world who represent the bright, bold and inclusive future for video games. She was also named as one of Gamers of the Year 2020 by Kotaku along with three of her contemporaries. She was also invited to the Xbox MVP program in February 2021. Her work to make the industry more inclusive has been highlighted in Game Changer, Directed by Tina Charles, WNBA star & olympian as well as filmmaker. The short documentary premiered at Tribeca 2021, as part of the Queen Collective; an initiative started by Queen Latifah, supported by Proctor & Gamble in an effort to get more Black women into film making. Game Changer was also featured as part of BETHer’s 2021 Juneteenth Programming on 19 June 2021. Tanya is the programming & diversity coordinator for OrcaCon and GaymerX. She also serves on the Board of Directors for OrcaCon and was named the Chair for Take This in January 2023. She often speaks on issues of diversity, feminism, race, intersectionality & other topics at conventions. Her writing about games and games critique appears in Uncanny Magazine, Polygon, Wiscon Chronicles, Vice Gaming, Paste Games, Mic, and other publications. She’s the editor of Game Devs and Others: Tales from the Margins (2018, CRC Press) and contributed to The Advanced Game Narrative Toolbox. (2019, CRC Press) Writer Bio for pubs: Tanya is the Founder and Director of I Need Diverse Games, a not-for-profit organization based in Chicago. She’s part of Rivals of Waterdeep, an actual play D&D show on twitch.tv/rivalsofwaterdeep; the programming coordinator for OrcaCon & GaymerX; and often speaks on issues of diversity, feminism, race, intersectionality & other topics at conventions. She’s on the Board of Take This as well as a Stream Ambassador, and was part of the inaugural cohort of The Game Awards Future Class. Her work to make the industry more inclusive has been highlighted in Game Changer, Directed by Tina Charles, WNBA star & olympian as well as filmmaker. The short documentary premiered at Tribeca 2021, as part of the Queen Collective; an initiative started by Queen Latifah, supported by Proctor & Gamble in an effort to get more Black women into film making. Game Changer was also featured as part of BETHer’s 2021 Juneteenth Programming on 19 June 2021.

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  1. Pingback: Facing the Darkness Within: The Importance of Acting in Observer and Hellblade — Feminist Frequency

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