Gears Of War Boss On Importance Of Diversity And Inclusivity

Gears of War boss Rod Fergusson has spoken about the importance of inclusive game design and diversity in the workplace. During his keynote address as PAX South, Fergusson said he was inspired by the Stephen Frost quote, "Unless you consciously include, you will unconsciously exclude."

[AK91]

Um okay try making the MP playable launch next time, I think that would help Gears 6 more.

[Sciurus_vulgaris]

It’s very odd that so many characters present in the campaign weren’t in the MP at launch. Some mismanagement scheduling with voice actors must of occurred. However, I think it was the inclusion of hero mechanics in horde, escape and arcade that stunted the games character roster. As a PvP player who plays competitive modes I care nothing for the hero mechanics. Hero mechanics weren’t necessary and I play competitive to avoid them.

[General Shrooms]

No, they're intentionally withholding them so they can be sold and drip fed later. The "Hero" excuse is transparent BS.

[GottaBjimmyb]

I'll be honest, I truly admire adversity of culture and ideas, but the idea that diversity=race, or specifically that diversity just means adding a black guy or a woman to content just make no sense to me. It would be like if black panther added white character to make sure there wasn't too much "black representation" in the movie, not because the actor was the best part for the role, or added to the product, it wouldn't make sense. While I would be adamantly against intentional removal or hindrance by race, that doesn't mean it should be a requirement. IDK, tough issue, but these kinds of statement just seem like they want brownie points for something basically everyone agrees with.

[Gaming101]

To be clear, there is absolutely zero evidence that including people of different races or genders makes games or movies magically better. Diversity of thought is true diversity, not skin colour, not gender, not sexuality or gender identity. Go to a liberal arts college you'll find a whole bunch of people who look completely different, but they all think the same. That's not diversity of thought, and it doesn't improve anything. You end up with group think and no one challenges the status quo of woke culture.

[bluefox755]

Diversity of ideas? No? You don't care about that? Oh? Just diversity of skin color, genital, and genital preference? How is this obvious pandering popular with anyone? Imagine thinking so little of someone that you think they need to see other people that look like them to enjoy a game.

[sampsonon]

so if they are inclusive they are pandering? so what if they weren't being inclusive, wouldn't that also be considered "pandering" to a certain demographic? lol
strange.

[rainslacker]

Pandering is when they come into interviews or tweets and talk about how progressive they, or their work are, and talk about how it's what people want, or should want. That elevates the rather small group of vocal people to feel important and that their cause is just.

Hence, pandering.

Just being inclusive, not making a big deal about it, and making it natural or better yet, unrelated to the plot and just another part of the character which has no real signficance but isn't a deterrent, is not pandering. That's what's called character design, and good character design isn't based on specific representations of different groups, except where it's culturally or socially relevant. A good character, most of the time should be able to have any single aspect of their surface level characteristics changed, and still remain a good character. Their sexual orientation should be moot, even if it's made known within the game, with the rare exception where that's actually part of the story....which doesn't happen in games much, but can be witnessed in some movies or TV.

It's the spectacle of inclusion and diversity which is more the problem than the actual act of being inclusive. When the spectacle no longer exists, then these creators will have achieved what those who make the most fuss about it should want to achieve.

[Christopher]

***Imagine thinking so little of someone that you think they need to see other people that look like them to enjoy a game.***

As someone who moderates, the number of people who complain that they would have to play as a female protagonist in games like HZD were really prevalent at times. Same thing is happening with TLoUP2, even if you play as Ellie for a section in the first game and Joel is old as heck.

So, if male gamers can't accept the occasional female protagonist in a new IP, why is it a problem that some female gamers, who have less protagonist representation in Western games by a very large factor, want to play as a female character because they feel weird always playing as male characters?

[rainslacker]

So, his point is rendered moot because a rather small subsection of gamers can't get past their ability to play as a different gender? I mean, H:ZD sold something like 10 million copies didn't it? That's COD level sales right there. It sounds like a good portion of the community, or even those not active in the community, didn't have much issue with a female avatar.

I think the belief among game designers and investors that male protagonists will appeal more to the general market place is long dead. The 25-35 male gamer may still be the most predominate target market for high profile games which we mostly talk about here, but the main protagonist gender is usually picked for story purposes. Some developers just prefer female characters, and getting them into games nowadays isn't really a fight like it was back in the 80's and 90's.

I'm going to be 100% honest with you. When I look at who has a problem with playing characters with certain physical or social traits, it seems to be the ones that have the most to say about games NOT being diverse or inclusive that have more problems with it than the community at large. They're saying that they want games that represent them, because they can't make connections, and it's by far their most common underlying argument that doesn't involve shaming the community. If we're going to be judged because we aren't willing to play certain characters....even if it's a extremely small group that may feel that way, shouldn't these same people be judged for not being able to connect with characters that aren't like them? It seems they have a harder time finding the commonalities between all of us, than the average gamer does.

[Sono421]

Sales, and the fact many men who can choose their gender in RPG's intentionally chose to play as women shows that your anecdotal evidence means squat. The most idiotic myth in our current generation is that men don't want women in gaming, whether it be playing them, or being in them, when in all actuality it is the complete opposite. Anyone who plays online games will see that if there is a girl in the lobby she immediately becomes the center of everyone's attention and they all try to get her attention.

"*Imagine thinking so little of someone that you think they need to see other people that look like them to enjoy a game.*"

This couldn't be more accurate, I literally couldn't care less about what skin color, or gender the protagonist is, I loved HZD, I loved Uncharted, I loved Tlou, I loved Halo, I loved Bioshock, and my love for all of those series has absolutely NOTHING to do with any of their skin color or gender, if you're whining about "oh there isn't any female representation, or any african american representation" You are saying you literally can't enjoy the game because of character's gender/race, how is that not racist/sexist?

Since you brought it up Christopher let's go by this majority rules idea you brought up, you seem to be making it out as if so many people are complaining about a female lead like it's such a huge problem, well sales prove you wrong so no point beating that to death, but by a vast majority there are way more articles complaining about lack of diversity than not right? You are choosing the majority but act like you're in the minority, it's absurd.

If you even try to bring up Battlefield V as an example of people being upset by women in games then it is clear to everyone here you are being intentionally dishonest or just so stuck in your negative mindset no matter what is said to you, you will perceive it negatively because you either have a victim complex or are just a naturally negative personality.

[bluefox755]

@rainslackers Exactly, the angry vocal minority always have a disproportionate influence on anything. The rest of us just don't care, but we're constantly bombarded with this idea that representation matters. I don't think it does to most people. If I'm reading a story, I don't care if the protagonist has the same skin color as me or the same genitals. I just want it to be a good story, and I'm against anything that puts itself in competition with that. Games that have an overt focus on diversity just feel contrived and condescending to the very people it claims to appeal to. When I was a kid, one of my favorite shows was Fresh Prince. It never occured to me while watching the show that I can't enjoy it because they have a different skin color than I, it was just funny, and that was all that mattered. Identitarianism is killing society, be it racial, gender, or otherwise.

[Gameseeker_Frampt]

Pandering is a big part of video games, it only has become a problem since the white male is no longer the one being pandered to. Did you really never notice the decades of Japanese video game developers making games staring white males?

[2pacalypsenow]

Why does he need to say "As a straight white man"

As if being a straight white man is a bad thing.

[Christopher]

He didn't, Gamespot wrote that.

[2pacalypsenow]

Why does anyone need to say that.

[Christopher]

The full quote was more of an indicator of his fallings as he sees it. It was about how his circle of influence and friends was a reflection of him as a straight while male. Essentially, he doesn't interact with a lot of people who aren't like him.

It's not that being a straight white man is bad, but when you have the job of selling to people from almost every background, you might want to start understanding every element of that audience better and he is trying to do that because he doesn't have it in his personal life.

At no point did he say being who he is was bad.

[rainslacker]

Understanding human nature is more important than understanding specific traits that may exist within certain groups of people. People all share common traits and understanding and are able to empathize based on those factors. The understanding other groups is helpful when you are trying to be inclusive, just so you don't alienate those people, but it's a chicken and egg scenario. You don't gain understanding by trying to represent them, you gain understanding by representing them properly, in a way that is human, because at that point, you see them as human, and treat them as such. When you make someone special, it makes them less human, or elevates them beyond the most basic foundation which unites us all.

[Sono421]

"It was about how his circle of influence and friends was a reflection of him as a straight while male. Essentially, he doesn't interact with a lot of people who aren't like him."

So all straight white males are the same? I can tell you right now, I have the most in common with my buddy from Georgia and we are not the same race. Before you even try to backpedal you specifically say

"he doesn't interact with a lot of people who aren't like him."

So you think just because they are the same gender/race they are like each other? Is that not racism/sexism? let me answer that for you, yes it is. The problem with your identity politics is it puts everyone in a box, when in reality everyone are individuals, who just happen to be a certain race/gender. The second you start to pander to one race/gender, you're being racist/sexist.

[Gameseeker_Frampt]

Probably because he is a straight white man.

Also, he didn't say it as a bad thing - he was talking about what he is familiar with and that, oddly enough, talking to people who are different is a good way to understand them.

I swear, you snowflakes get triggered by everything these days.

[ginsunuva]

It's not, but straight white men tend to have it easiest in most facets of life.

[S2Killinit]

Cant we all just get along??

[Fist4achin]

Oh, they meant the actual GoW boss of the company. I thought it was one of the many bosses faced in the campaigns.

Silly me! I was going to say, their stances might be rough since their focus was on killing/enslaving humanity.

[StormSailor]

What is the substantial importance of color, gender or sexual orientation being mandatorily represented in a fictional universe?

This becomes an even more ridiculous need when the characters in question are pixels and polygons

[Christopher]

If there is no substantial importance, should we be arguing at all when it happens or when someone expressed a desire to not do the usual white male?

[StormSailor]

We are discussing because there is a forced agenda on this, something that doesn't happen with Japanese development for example.

It's an artificial debate

[Christopher]

***We are discussing because there is a forced agenda***

Gamers of different backgrounds expressing how they would like to see representations of themselves in games is a forced agenda? Doesn't that mean complaining about that forced agenda is just as much of a forced agenda?

You utilize the word mandatory in your original comment and yet that isn't happening either. It's a hyperbolic expression of how you perceive companies beginning to represent more diverse backgrounds, but ignored that most games don't do that in general.

And Japan is known for its closed society approach, from the Dutch traders hundreds of years ago to today. But Western society is nothing like that, but you're arguing for it to be like that? Why?

[Christopher]

***So I think it's fair to ask why it bothers other people especially when they say things like that.***

That's the thing, people are asking for representation but still play games that don't represent them in that manner. If they were bothered by playing things that didn't represent them, then they wouldn't play them. But they are.

What's funny is I see way more complaints about people being forced to play women or deal with sexual orientation other than straight than I so gay or non-whites complain about having to play white characters.

People are asking for it and you assume that means they are bothered by playing white characters? It's just a preference. I like red heads, if rather play as a red head, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to play a game that doesn't have a red-haired protagonist.

[Sono421]

"Gamers of different backgrounds expressing how they would like to see representations of themselves in games"

Again this is extremely racist/sexist if you absolutely cannot relate to a character because they aren't the same gender/race as you, then you are IN FACT the problem, you are the one viewing things through the lens of race/gender and can't simply just relate to someone based on their character, you are putting yourself in that box and that is your problem to get over, not everyone else's.

You have things twisted.

[TheGamez100]

*sigh*...who cares. Just make the game fun and good...

[bluefox755]

Political activists care, but so many normal people just go along with it like it's gospel. Presumably out of fear of being called racist or some such nonsense.

[Xaevi]

It's more important to write the story you want to write. If it includes a diverse cast off characters then great, if it doesn't then that's great too. Pandering goes both ways, but there's no denying that there seems to be a lean towards diversity just cause there's a few idiots complaining in their Twitter posts. It's disingenuine to me.

[W34KN35S]

Inclusivity and diversity are great ......as long as the essentials like STORY,MECHANICS, AND GAMEPLAY take priority.Political Agendas should NEVER be the identity of a game or character.Now Some people may not care about inclusivity and diversity but some people do, I will say this, its hard to judge one's own views on the matter when the market caters to yourself. I would be interested to see if gaming icons like Mario,Kratos,Master Chief, Marcus Fenix , Geralt (Witcher), Dante(DMC),and Doom Slayer just to name a few would be as popular as they are today if they were all black , hispanic, asian or etc..I think the real problem is the majority of time when political agendas are inserted into media they come at the expense of the essentials and are mainly used to score some points with people who were never interested in the product to begin with.

AGAIN IN CAPS.. JUST IN CASE ANYONE DIDNT UNDERSTAND MY POINT , DIVERSITY IS A GOOD THING BUT IT SHOULD NEVER COME BEFORE THE ESSENTIALS (GAMEPLAY,STORY,MECHANICS etc...)In other words make the game good first , then focus on the all the extra stuff.

[rainslacker]

It's important sure. But making a good game, and a good story(if story based) is more important. People can overlook not having every character some non-white or mixed race, or not having any of those characters at all if they can connect to the character and the story is good. Some will fuss about it, but those who play it won't actually care that much. Even if you add those inclusive and diverse people, if you can't make people care about them, then you've failed at the task of making good story and characters. No creator, writer, or designer should get extra credit because they made someone that fits within the context of what's being talked about here. Characters aren't interestesting because they're Hispanic, Black, or have a specific sexual preference. Very rarely do those things have much to do with the characters themselves in relation to game stories, and if there is relation to the story, then they can be judged on if their representation is adequate, but still, it boils down to if the story and characterizations are good based on the context of the story.

[jznrpg]

If they have a custom character creator and people can make whatever they want . I don’t mind if they add different types of people in games just don’t make it stereotypical or it feel like it’s thrown in just to have said people.

[sampsonon]

I've felt that way for 20 yrs. except was only able to pick a white male character.
sucks i know.

[sampsonon]

Ok, i really want to know why white men are angry about other people being in games.
Argument i mostly hear is "when it's warranted" what does that mean?
Do you mean that pop John Paul should be a white male actor? sure, i get it.
But what i fail to understand, and please bare with me, is when is it that it's ok to have none white males? A game about a jungle, a game about hookers? a game about selling curry?
So if a developer writes a story for a game that's about a guy that left the Special forces and is a patriot, and he happens to be native American why care? and here is another saying i hear a lot "shoved down our throats" it's political? it's a negative? Well what about all those Native Americans that fought and died in wars in order for you to live comfortable... nothing? no gratitude at all?

a lot of people, cultures from around the world, different sex's and LGBQ people have sacrificed for us to be here.

I want good games. I don't care if the protagonist is white, black, female, gay, straight. As long as it's a well made game, movie, or music.

Life is too short to be soo angry about nothing.

smile at someone today, and watch them smile back. It doesn't matter who they are.

Peace!

[Sono421]

Completely misrepresenting the argument/statement. Who is complaining about natives in games? Where is that? This article is complaining about the exact opposite, the non inclusion of whatever non white race you want to pick, you are wrong about the side that is complaining here bud. The ones doing the complaining are the ones who would agree with you, not the other way around.

No one cares if you're black, white, asian, whatever, race is irrelevant, a well written character is what's most important, and you'll find most people on here saying that, but you won't find a single comment saying what you're claiming, what you're doing is building up a strawman, literally NO ONE on here is claiming what you're saying they're claiming. Only people complaining about it being too white without actually saying that. They say it in a more subtle way like "we need more diversity so I have characters I can relate to"

Sorry but if you can't relate to a character for the sole reason of they are a different gender/race than what you are, then YOU are the problem and ONLY you. You say life's too short to be so angry but clearly you must be projecting, because none of this so called anger is present anywhere in this entire discussion, as neither is the argument you claim they are making, sounds like your getting all riled up over something literally not a single person here has said.

[sampsonon]

I will leave you this quote from the the article. Fergusson
"Unless you consciously include, you will unconsciously exclude."

I'm done with you. I can't debate with ignorant people.

[Sono421]

Lol....I literally wrote that down as a prediction that you would respond with something just like that, well except I said you would call me dumb... eh ignorant not much of a difference, but also that you would shut down the discussion because you can't actually rebuttal any of my points, too predictable bud.

[nibblo]

TBH Gears 5 is hardly breaking barriers here, yes there is Kait who is playable for about 3/4 of the game but apart from her gender the character plays exactly the same as anyone else and it's a fairly standard Gears game overall. Maybe he is talking about his dev team? Not sure.

[Sophisticated_Chap]

Inclusivity/diversity are fine if it fits the narative of the game. The problem today, is that we know that people with leftist political leanings control Hollywood, the mainstream media, academia, and the video game industry, and they are using these institutions to submerge the public with their belief system.

Social media has become a tool for the left to force their beliefs onto the general public at large, by sending twitter mobs to ruin people for having beliefs different to theirs (cancel culture). The left has been very effective at weaponizing social media indeed, so even if people who work for a game studio don't believe in the inclusivity/diversity doctrine, they will go along with it for fear of bad publicity and having their careers ruined by the twitter mobsters.

Inclusivity/diversity are buzzwords that are used to further the leftist political agenda. There is a very anti-white and in particular, anti-white male sentiment that is enshrined within the leftist agenda(unless you identify as gay of course). The crazy thing is that this is happening in majority white countries, like Canada, who's population is 71% white. This is a tactic used to divide the population and cause disruption, and it sure looks like they're doing a great job at that.

Why don't these leftist inclusivity mobsters go virtue signal to companies in Japan, China, South Korea, Russia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria and many many other societies which aren't diverse at all? Most of these countries look at us as being the laughing stock of the world. This kind of BS wouldn't get far outside of the USA, U.K., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany, France, the non-country of Belgium, and maybe Italy.

It's clear, that parents are going to have to be much more aware and vigilent of the indoctrination that is going on in games like Geras 5, where they have all of the LGBT flags up for sale as DLC. As it stands, big tech and social media are educating the kids with leftist propaganda, and parents will wonder what is going on with their children, not knowing, or being ignorant to what messages they are being exposed to on a daily basis.

[sampsonon]

"Inclusivity/diversity are fine if it fits the narative of the game." so when is it ok to not have diversity? your argument can work both ways.

So the next uncharted can be a black guy? or does the black guy only fit in a "boys in the hood" style game?

[Sophisticated_Chap]

If you create a game series with a specifc protagonist in mind, stick with it. Don't change it for the sake of political correctness. If that protagonist happens to be black, great, roll with it. This goes for movies also, where I am a huge fan of the Blade series.

If it's a WW2 game set in Europe, then remain true to the mainline facts surrounding that conflict, so that we get to experience what that conflict was really like. Don't bring in different races just for inclusivity/diversity.

[sampsonon]

this read is funny coming from an immigrant. the irony

[Sophisticated_Chap]

Edit: wrong post.

[2ndhandcorn]

Dont get too woke Gears .

[SlagWolf]

Should have focused more on making a better game then diversity because it was shit

[sushimama]

"Unless you consciously include, you will unconsciously exclude."

This will inadvertently affect the quality of any story or narrative in a bad way. Any inclusions or exclusions should come about naturally during the creative process. If your story is all straight people then so be it. MOVIES that do this usually flop at the box office and it's because they just plain suck. Leave the woke crap behind. Leave the identity politics behind. Just create naturally. Just my opinion, don't get all crazy.

[akurtz]

This is why Gears 5 was a dump.