Britain in videogames

[Thaluikhain]

Bear in mind that Doctor Who started in the 60s when people still had the post colonial sense on national pride, "Britania rules the waves" etc etc. That and TV shows from england then had no chance of being broadcasted elsewhere due to the limitations of the medium so they could be as patriotic as they liked

Actually, though, when it started off, it wasn't very British centric at all. Although stories set on contemporary Earth would be set in Britain, they spent most of their time on alien worlds, or mucking about in the past. They dealt with French and American history before they did British history, which was at the end of the second series.

Imperial Guard are front line tank mulch.
They have an amazing array of armour to choose from but the actual soldiers, unless specialist, are just there to stand between the enemies guns and their own tanks to provide a meat shield.

Think "Operation Get behind the darkies" from south park and you're on the right lines.

There might be some argument there.

But...the IG don't seem very British. Of the regiments GW has ever done much with, you have Mongolians, Russians (both Soviet era and Tzarist era), a Middle Eastern one, a Vietnam era US one, a WW1 German one, a WW2 Afrika Corps one, a generic modern weatern one, a USMC in dress uniform on the parade ground one...yes, there's an obscure Zulu Wars era British one, and the MkMarty Sue Tanith one, which maybe sorta is scottish, a bit.

GW seems to think that foreign (or at least foreign sounding) influences would be more interesting. It's Blood Angels, not Blood Angles, after all.

 

[Sizzle Montyjing]

Doctor Who is Britain centric, it treats the rest of the world as secondary in importance to Britain. Which is terribly inaccurate Britain is not even the most important state in Europe let alone the world. Doctor Who should represent every nation equally based on their population and importance.
I'm joking of course I would hate to see Doctor Who change to be more PC, but I'm getting tired of hearing Brits yell "I'm important(cried the dust speck) why is my country not portrayed as I wish it to be." Sometimes I think the BBC must be filling your heads with delusions of grandeur.

All countries represent them selves as the center of the world, if Britain wants to be in games more they need to make more games. Also there are far more important countries that get ignorred way more then Britain. If you want to play games where everyone is represented play stuff like Europa Universalis III: Divine Wind, it does not have everybody but it has a lot.

That was a joke.
You do know that right?
I seriously don't think that Britain is TOO important, i mean, we are important, because we have some nukes!
But i don't think that we're to important, just like to get A BIT more media attention on what we do...

 

[spartandude]

Great Britain/England is overpowered as hell in Medieval II: Total War and Napoleon: Total War.
>_<

In Medieval they have armor-piercing Longbows, which are the best missle units besides the French Scots Guard (Which you'll probably never get anyway :l), and in Napoleon they have the best riflemen and light infantry in the entire game. Tain't fair. ;_;

Go play Victoria 2

 

[Sizzle Montyjing]

Amnesia: the Dark Descent is in England, is it not? At least, it's main character hails from Mayfair.

Yes, Britain is under used in video games, but so are a lot of countries. Even I, as an American, would like to see some video games outside of America, but what are you going to do? Saboteur did Paris fairly well, and I think they showed that we can do cities besides New York.

Thank you for bringing you're point across in a calm and well-mannered way, without trying to kill me.
I agree with you, what i was trying to get across in this thread is that everywhere else other than America is under used it games, i used Britain because i live in Britain, therefore i feel it effects me more.
But i would really like to see games based elsewhere, places like Russia, Germany and yes... Australia...

 

[Thyunda]

Australia features in video games as either crocodile dundee rip offs or....that's it.

Britain is usually lumped in I agree but you guys do get easily the best character in Reach, Jorge. I'd take that.

Jorge is Hungarian

Technically Jorge was born on reach so he's not anything, and he speaks with a british accent so that's good enough for me.

http://halo.wikia.com/wiki/Jorge-052

Well, the whole first mission takes place in the Hungarian-colonised parts of Reach, and he and the girl hold a conversation in Hungarian. The accents are similar, but his accent isn't actually British. I mistook it at first, but there's an Eastern tint you don't really notice unless you know what you're looking for.

 

[gentleben]

A harder challenge would be some Australian characters. With the exception of Under a Steel Sky (which was set in a future, distopian Australia where everyone speaks with an American accent), there aren't many other games set in Australia, or featuring Australians.

Miranda Lawson in Mass Effect 2.

Ozzie Mandrill from one of the Monkey Island games.

And... how could you possibly forget Crash Bandicoot??

Miranda Lawson doesn't have a confirmed nationality that I'm aware of. Just because she was based on an Australian actress does not make her Australian, otherwise the protagonist of CoD: Black Ops would be considered Australian too.

 

[ChupathingyX]

There might be some argument there.

But...the IG don't seem very British. Of the regiments GW has ever done much with, you have Mongolians, Russians (both Soviet era and Tzarist era), a Middle Eastern one, a Vietnam era US one, a WW1 German one, a WW2 Afrika Corps one, a generic modern weatern one, a USMC in dress uniform on the parade ground one...yes, there's an obscure Zulu Wars era British one, and the MkMarty Sue Tanith one, which maybe sorta is scottish, a bit.

GW seems to think that foreign (or at least foreign sounding) influences would be more interesting. It's Blood Angels, not Blood Angles, after all.

Although most of what you said is right, the Cadian IG in the Dawn of War games mostly have British accents as do the some of the commanders such as the Commissar and Inquisitor.

Also in W40K: Fire Warrior all of the major Imperium characters are voiced by British actors, of course that doesn't neccessarily make them British but it's close enough.

 

[Cheesus333]

Killing Floor is set primarily in England on the original levels.

And, lest we forget, "I TOLD YOU, I AM WELDIN' THIS DO-AH!"

Killing Floor is basically the british-est game ever. It is to Left 4 Dead as 28 Days Later was to the works of George Romero.

 

[Trippy Turtle]

Ever heard of an Australian in a game? Didn't think so. Actually i think one marine in Halo ODST was Aussie.

While on the topic, release dates and prices (including our Steam) are stupid over here as well.

 

[ChupathingyX]

Ever heard of an Australian in a game? Didn't think so. Actually i think one marine in Halo ODST was Aussie.

*Fiona Taylor from the Mercenaries series.
*Rook from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
*All of the animal characters from Crash Bandicoot...kinda.
*Sheila from Spyro: Year of the Dragon
*Kano from Mortal Kombat

That's off the top of my head, there's probably more.

 

[CardinalPiggles]

Off the top of my head, C&C Red Alert 3 had the 'Allies' which consisted of American and English soldiers, and without any inside conflict between the 2.

Wheatley was voiced by Stephen Merchant, who is British. Even though I find S.M. to be incredibly funny, the character he voiced just happened to be an idiot. Coincidence? I don't think so.

When a British voice actor is in an American game, he almost always plays to the stereotype; Tea drinking, cake eating, snobby ****.

As for British main characters in American games, I can't think of any, I honestly can't. Although someone will probably quote me to correct me.

Lastly, it's not fucking hard to remember there is a difference between England and the rest of Europe/ Britain. And American's wonder why they're stereotype is dumb.

 

[Matthew Dunn]

I think id like to see actual parts of England in videogames more, GTA London, Fallout London etc

Tangent start:Id like to see more of the north of england and less of london
im sick of london taking all the bloody credit

Being from the north east and "english" (non of this british rubbish) the most regocnition we get is Newcastle : end of tangent

The accent thing is always too southern, we should bring on a Middlesbrough accent GTA: Teesside ftw!

P.S anyone noticed that Bayonnetta has an English accent?

 

[Sizzle Montyjing]

I think id like to see actual parts of England in videogames more, GTA London, Fallout London etc

Tangent start:Id like to see more of the north of england and less of london
im sick of london taking all the bloody credit

Being from the north east and "english" (non of this british rubbish) the most regocnition we get is Newcastle : end of tangent

The accent thing is always too southern, we should bring on a Middlesbrough accent GTA: Teesside ftw!

P.S anyone noticed that Bayonnetta has an English accent?

To be honest i don't really know the difference between British and English, does it just mean UK and England?
And yeah, someone did mention Bayonetta before.

 

[Jakub324]

I think the use of the SAS in Modern Warfare was pretty cool. In fairness I can't think of any games where we're portrayed badly, we show up well in all the ones I've played with main characters that are British. All, what, four of them?

Erm, we shot a man tied to a chair when we were done interrogating him, no matter how much of a tosser he was, that's questionable.
OT: Most of the Imperial Guard in WH40K games are British none of them (excluding the Commissars) are unlike able.

Wasn't he the evil dictator who was in line with the Russian arms dealer and at one point nuked his own country? If I'm remembering correctly then he had it coming.

If not, it makes a good excuse to play through again.

Yeah, he was kind of a tosser, but you could say the same for Price and not be completely wrong. Personally, I would have shot him as well, but someone will always say it's the wrong thing to do.

 

[Jakub324]

I think id like to see actual parts of England in videogames more, GTA London, Fallout London etc

Tangent start:Id like to see more of the north of england and less of london
im sick of london taking all the bloody credit

Being from the north east and "english" (non of this british rubbish) the most regocnition we get is Newcastle : end of tangent

The accent thing is always too southern, we should bring on a Middlesbrough accent GTA: Teesside ftw!

P.S anyone noticed that Bayonnetta has an English accent?

To be honest i don't really know the difference between British and English, does it just mean UK and England?
And yeah, someone did mention Bayonetta before.

Britain includes England, Scotland and Wales. The UK includes England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. I know, we're picky bastards.

 

[ms_sunlight]

Miranda Lawson doesn't have a confirmed nationality that I'm aware of. Just because she was based on an Australian actress does not make her Australian, otherwise the protagonist of CoD: Black Ops would be considered Australian too.

Yeah, but Miranda does talk in an Australian accent, and she's not stated to be from anywhere else. On the balance of probabilities and without evidence to the contrary I'd say she's Aussie. I'm not just going by the fact Yvonne Strahovski is an Australian.

 

[Inkidu]

I'm British and i've always felt that Britain and British people are straight-up ignored in videogames and with these crappy release dates we get it always feels like we're just being lumped in with 'the rest of the world'. Hardly any individuality.
Maybe we just are.
Hell! We're even treated badly by are own countries game studios! (i have reason to beleive, correct me if i'm wrong)
So, what do you escapists feel about this? Do you agree or think that perhaps i should stop moaning and just suck it up.
Perhaps i'm delusional.
Please reply.

EDIT: please stop hating me...

Sean Hastings is without a doubt the best secondary character in modern gaming.

That being said, I think that the problem is that Britain has no heavy-hitters in the gaming industry except Lionhead (and they do okay, but that's once every three years or so). So, basically the fate of the British in games is left up to other nationalities.

 

[Sheetlebug]

Jorge is south African.

Really? Huh, he has pretty much the same accent as us Brits.

What accent is that? The London accent? Or are you talking about a Scouser accent? Perhaps Geordie? Aberdonian? Glaswegian? Cardiff? No wait, Sorry. Britain only has one overall accent, right?

To be honest i don't really know the difference between British and English, does it just mean UK and England

Wait wait wait. You're British? And you don't know basic information about your own country of origin? Man, what is up with that. I can understand Americans, etc. not knowing the details, since the only media exposure "Britain" really gets is people from England. But someone who is from Britain themselves not knowing? I don't even have words!

Note: Totally not a butthurt Scot here, at all.

 

[Sizzle Montyjing]

Wait wait wait. You're British? And you don't know basic information about your own country of origin? Man, what is up with that. I can understand Americans, etc. not knowing the details, since the only media exposure "Britain" really gets is people from England. But someone who is from Britain themselves not knowing? I don't even have words!

Note: Totally not a butthurt Scot here, at all.

Well, just goes to show how bad education is hurr de durr.
You know why i don't know?

Because of the fucking census.
Do you regard yourself to be English or British?
Uh, is there a difference in that context?

And i'm merely just a kid, so lighten the fuck up!
Now if you don't mind i'm going to punch some kittens in fury!
[sub]And it's all you're fault!!![/sub]