I am feeling alienated and offended by Bioware

[Saulkar]

odds at some point america will take over mexico and canada probably for resources and there is no way either of them could survive the attack so I would call it realistic.

But by doing so it would evoke a militarized response from the U.N. That would not be pretty.

Dude the UN does shit all and it is useless

I did say it would be ugly. More argument than anything, sorry for being vague.

 

[Saulkar]

Perhaps it's just me, but the only video game characters I remember having a specific cultural identity are American, Japanese, Russian, and the occasional Brit. Or, rather, the only ones with a realistic cultural identity, so sorry, but the Saboteur doesn't count for "Oirish", and the countless Hispanic soldiers with large machine guns do not count for Mexicans or Spaniards. Unless... Where's Niko from again? I thought it was just general, "Made-up-istan"?

He was from the nation of Serbia if I remember correctly.

 

[Saulkar]

Dude did you read the whole thing? The overall story is a lack of representing our own nation in a medium we are incredable at using generating an overbearing sense of cultural insignificance in my own media industry.

Honestly I didn't because nationalism is not important, and that's something all future space games say on an overt level when the entire human race is seen as one body. Name a space game where nationalism was presented in a positive light. You won't, because the only contexts nationalism has in a universe where all nations are sort of melded into a race is either as naive but well intentioned or racist. Did you also find Firefly offensive? The Chinese usurp basically half of human race's culture.

No because it is from the States, why it bugs me with Canada (and my issue was only started with Mass Effect) is because we hardly ever represent ourselves in a videogame and it happens where we sometimes inadvertently missrepresent ourselves. Jeeze I cannot remember the name of the game. 5 or 7 years old title. The effect is so strong because rather than not featuring ourselves in a game, they put something a number of Canadians acutally fear, it has less effect coming from the States because they are indifferent, not careless. Ah jeeze, I am not making any sense, send me a note later and maybe I can explain my point of view better.

 

[TaboriHK]

No because it is from the States, why it bugs me with Canada (and my issue was only started with Mass Effect) is because we hardly ever represent ourselves in a videogame and it happens where we sometimes inadvertently missrepresent ourselves. Jeeze I cannot remember the name of the game. 5 or 7 years old title. The effect is so strong because rather than not featuring ourselves in a game, they put something a number of Canadians acutally fear, it has less effect coming from the States because they are indifferent, not careless. Ah jeeze, I am not making any sense, send me a note later and maybe I can explain my point of view better.

It doesn't make you feel better at all that the male Shepard is so obviously Canadian that even Americans can instantly recognize the accent, and he saves the universe twice?

 

[Isilidur]

Either way, I agree with you, but on a wider scale. I'd like to see more characters with real backgrounds, not just the pile of stereotypes we usually get with any character that has any culture at all. I'd like to see Chinese, Australians, Africans (of the non tribal-tattooed, not strong and silent type), even Canadians, so long as they aren't the dreaded French-Canadians... But that's a debate for another day, basically, video games need better characterization, and better variety of characters.

 

[Saulkar]

No because it is from the States, why it bugs me with Canada (and my issue was only started with Mass Effect) is because we hardly ever represent ourselves in a videogame and it happens where we sometimes inadvertently missrepresent ourselves. Jeeze I cannot remember the name of the game. 5 or 7 years old title. The effect is so strong because rather than not featuring ourselves in a game, they put something a number of Canadians acutally fear, it has less effect coming from the States because they are indifferent, not careless. Ah jeeze, I am not making any sense, send me a note later and maybe I can explain my point of view better.

It doesn't make you feel better at all that the male Shepard is so obviously Canadian that even Americans can instantly recognize the accent, and he saves the universe twice?

It does in a way, but I guess you could say I am paranoid. I do not need them to actually say he is Canadian, you can tell that for yourself, it was more a spure of the moment feeling a betrail that started this topic, I am also worried about the current status of the videogame industry in Canada as a whole and how the States dominate it. But I guess since less people are posting I feel I can keep my thought in order and reply more thoughtfully and politely. I am ok with Mathew Fox playing commander Sheperd in the potential movie, I am though worried that they will outright call him American instead of leaving him ambiguous like he/she is in the game. That I feel is the right way to go.

 

[Saulkar]

Either way, I agree with you, but on a wider scale. I'd like to see more characters with real backgrounds, not just the pile of stereotypes we usually get with any character that has any culture at all. I'd like to see Chinese, Australians, Africans (of the non tribal-tattooed, not strong and silent type), even Canadians, so long as they aren't the dreaded French-Canadians... But that's a debate for another day, basically, video games need better characterization, and better variety of characters.

Amen, that was the best neutral response yet.

 

[TaboriHK]

It does in a way, but I guess you could say I am paranoid. I do not need them to actually say he is Canadian, you can tell that for yourself, it was more a spure of the moment feeling a betrail that started this topic, I am also worried about the current status of the videogame industry in Canada as a whole and how the States dominate it. But I guess since less people are posting I feel I can keep my thought in order and reply more thoughtfully and politely. I am ok with Mathew Fox playing commander Sheperd in the potential movie, I am though worried that they will outright call him American instead of leaving him ambiguous like he/she is in the game. That I feel is the right way to go.

I'm an American if you couldn't tell, and it always amazes me the range of emotion our country inspires from people. To me, it's always been a country with a lot of sucky politicians that just happens to have more nukes than everyone else. I get feeling political pressure from a country as wealthy and militaristic as ours but I never really understood the subtle ways that affects people, like in this example. I'm not a rich person so maybe I just don't tap into it, or maybe because I'm here, it's not directly touching me, but to say your art is threatened or that there's some kind of apologist thing happening is astounding to me. If anything, I read that as a shot at American imperialism and nothing else. How you could make that about Canadians being ashamed is amazing.

 

[dogenzakaminion]

I dono't really see what you are complaining about. You esentailly want Canadian developers to make games based in or featuring Canada and it's culture, right? Why is that so important?

In all of videogame history I can name two instances when Norway was featured, and sure, that was cool, but I'm not gonna get mad at f.ex. Funcom because they made a game out of Conan's mthyology instead of the Norse mythology. Developers make the games they want, and if they don't see their own culture working itself into a game then thats their choice. Who am I to say anything against it.

For the record, I love Bioware and Funcom and I think they make some realy great games. I focus on their games and not where they come from...

 

[TheGreatKlaid]

Aye! What's thees yur all mahd aboot? Star Ocean, Futurama, I theenk even Star Trek had thw 'ole erth as one big coontry? They all take place aboot the same time as Mass Effect. Also, I think I started canadian then quickly slipped into bad scottish....

 

[Isilidur]

Aye! What's thees yur all mahd aboot? Star Ocean, Futurama, I theenk even Star Trek had thw 'ole erth as one big coontry? They all take place aboot the same time as Mass Effect. Also, I think I started canadian then quickly slipped into bad scottish....

I Think you started and stayed super-stereotypical Scottish, I have a few Canadian friends, and have yet to ever hear one say "aye" in a serious manor, It's not that they use different words or even different pronunciations, I can usually tell a Canadian accent mostly by inflection... Or if they're French-Canadian.

 

[Saulkar]

Hey, if this means you're leaving, Saulkar, can...can I have your stuff?

I am not leaving, just shutting down the topic, only appearing once in a while to see if anybody added any food for thought.

 

[darkdots]

I learned that the Koran was created by a busines man that couldn't keep up with the Jews. He was kicked out of town, found the bibile, re-wrote it with weapons, came back and took his town by force and killed the Jews off. Now people hate me. But it's a fact. So you need to be very careful when you write to consider your audience that you don't piss anyone off. Learning Michael Jackson molested children is not something you want to say during the Michael Jackson Dance Pary For Kids Game, or whatever it's called. Hey good luck on your communication skills. I'm still working on mine too. LOL

 

[Saulkar]

It does in a way, but I guess you could say I am paranoid. I do not need them to actually say he is Canadian, you can tell that for yourself, it was more a spure of the moment feeling a betrail that started this topic, I am also worried about the current status of the videogame industry in Canada as a whole and how the States dominate it. But I guess since less people are posting I feel I can keep my thought in order and reply more thoughtfully and politely. I am ok with Mathew Fox playing commander Sheperd in the potential movie, I am though worried that they will outright call him American instead of leaving him ambiguous like he/she is in the game. That I feel is the right way to go.

I'm an American if you couldn't tell, and it always amazes me the range of emotion our country inspires from people. To me, it's always been a country with a lot of sucky politicians that just happens to have more nukes than everyone else. I get feeling political pressure from a country as wealthy and militaristic as ours but I never really understood the subtle ways that affects people, like in this example. I'm not a rich person so maybe I just don't tap into it, or maybe because I'm here, it's not directly touching me, but to say your art is threatened or that there's some kind of apologist thing happening is astounding to me. If anything, I read that as a shot at American imperialism and nothing else. How you could make that about Canadians being ashamed is amazing.

Whats this about shame? I missed what you said.

 

[Saulkar]

Hey good luck on your communication skills.

Silence! I keel you!

 

[Setsuri21]

I did not say that they ever painted Canada in bad light. I was implying we are never represented by our videogame industry, if and when it happens, would it actually be in a positive light? Is where I was going with this.

Let me get this straight, you feel "alienated and offended" because the videogame industry rarely has Canada in it, period. No representation, no games centered around it, no protagonists from there, almost no references at all. If this is the case, I have a reasoning for this: People don't know you. Quite simple really. America? Everyone knows this Stereotype: the apple pie loving,rough rider gung-ho patriots who valiantly charge into combat and face there problems head on. Or the british stereotype of being of being sneaky, polite and professional. These sorts of stereotypes are what you see in the industry all the time, because they paint a specific picture.
Canada does not have any of these stereotypes. It could, but I can't think of a game who has had the burly, upbeat lumberjack, or the also upbeat crackshot sniper who lives out in the wilderness. These characters are never explored, mainly because most stereotypes people think when they think Canada don't fit the typical protagonist role. in the tradional five man band, the sinper (Lancer, for you tropers out there) and strong guy aren't the main characters.
Ultimately, I come down to familiarity.

 

[Double A]

Wait, you feel alienated and offended by BioWare for being more American than Canadian?

Well, that's very nice and all, but I feel alienated and offended by BioWare because they're making Dragon Age 2 more hack'n'slash, like how they made Mass Effect 2 more shooter. So what's more depressing? Where a game company that alienates its country, in the era of globalization, or a game company that alienates its own core fanbase?

 

[zehydra]

P.S. I did not forget money is a key factor, but that excuse can only hold for so long.

Canadians aren't so immature as to care about the setting or the flag on the protagonist's coat.

That I understand fully! I do not want to go flashing around "Hey I Am Canadian", but rather if someone asks where I am from and what culture I represent I want to say I am Canadian.

Just curious. Why? (Late comer, missed the original thread)

 

[renzozuken2002]

BioWare gives subtle hints that Shepard's Origins could be Canadian:
1. The voice actor, Mark Meer, has a slight Canadian accent
2. He receives the Blood Dragon Armour from the Edmonton Blood Dragons (although that might be just because BioWare's headquarters are in Edmonton.)

The fact that you keep saying everyone is missing the point leads me to believe you are possibly a troll.
Canada has never been an attention-whore, why should we start now?
And living in Canada I can safely say that we are a boring country with a boring culture(unless you consider our love of beaver, bacon and maple syrup to be exciting).
We're just a country filled with nice people, and if you were a true proud Canadian you wouldn't be making such a big deal out of this. I must wonder if you are even Canadian.

Infact, I thank BioWare for not making Canada out to be a big deal, Canada is not some slutty whore flaunting her ass at every nerd looking to jerk off at lumberjack porn. We are a high-class country that demands high-class games, and BioWare provides them.
I am anticipating a response going along the lines of "Read my post, you've missed the point." After that I can probably write you off as a successful troll for keeping this thread going for 6-7 pages repeating the same thing to everyone's well thought arguments.