Why wasn't Dragon age declared racist?

[LaughingAtlas]

Did I miss it at some point?
Clarification: Most of us have probably seen the fear-mongering pricks that will take any and all oppurtunities to call games devilware, calling them racially insensitive being a popular form. As such, why didn't they pick up on Sten, the Qunari? (Coon-ari, weird?)

He's a dark-skinned, muscular person rescued by the player and follows them as a kind of mercenary without pay, an indentured servant if you will. He even acts (or at least urges the player to act) like a complete homocidal manic, insisting on ending lives at nearly every chance.

Let us review:
Dark skin
Depicts his people as bad through psychotic behavior
Member of a foriegn, but proud people that was spirited away from his nation. (or did he travel to ferelden himself?)
Acts as a kind of servant
First seen in a cage

Shouldn't some GEAMS R BAD group have jumped at this?
I'm aware of how silly a thing this may be to ask about, but still it won't leave me alone. Thoughts?

EDIT: Just to be clear, I'm not saying they should jump in to ruin things, it just seems odd, like watching airport security search everyone but the guy with the beeping breifcase.

EDIT AGAIN: Since a good deal of you were evidently not actually reading the post, let's try this again: I am not saying the game was racist, I'm saying it's strange that the jack thompsons of the world completely missed such an obvious oppurtunity to do their thing.
Christ, some of you are just as bad as they are.

 

[Leemaster777]

I just played Dragon Age myself, and I never got that impression.

I think you're just being over-sensitive.

 

[SomeLameStuff]

He's not really featured much in the trailers, which those groups watch to pick their next target. I don't think he even talked in the trailer.

Also, the darker skinned part isn't really noticable. It looks more of a tan really.

 

[Bebus]

Because Bioware haven't fallen prey to the over sensitive politically correct pricks who seem to dictate so much media nowadays. I'm sorry to say such servitude did, and still does exist.

Highlighting an issue does not automatically endorse it as acceptable. If anything, it proves the damage such actions can cause. No other game creators out there have the balls to tackle such tricky subjects these days, and I hope Bioware continue to actually stimulate our brains rather than just mindlessly jack them off like too many companies.

 

[OakTaooper]

Yeah, it's not really racist...If you actually play through Sten's personal quest, you discover that the Qunari people are very war oriented and enjoy slaughtering everything in their path. You'll actually have to get to know him in game.

 

[Spacewolf]

"Why wasn't Dragon age declared racist?"

Errr...because it's not?

whens that ever stopped people


and for the original poster i doubt he featured much in the trailers apart from brooding in the background and considering that those Games are bad groups very rarely actually play a game they most likey didnt get their overly tuned PC sensors beeping. and since normal people have a much more logical veiw of racism there wasnt a post relese uproar

 

[eggy32]

He doesn't depict his people as bad, he depicts himself as bad because he failed to do a quest he was sent to do and only stays with you because he can't return to his home.

 

[LaughingAtlas]

He's not really featured much in the trailers, which those groups watch to pick their next target. I don't think he even talked in the trailer.

Ah, that would probably explain it.

Also, the darker skinned part isn't really noticable. It looks more of a tan really.

True enough, but I'm pretty sure the media's take is that if someone's skin isn't "white" enough, it's "black."

 

[CarpathianMuffin]

I never thought of it like that, but I don't see how it's especially racist. But that's just me.

 

[AcacianLeaves]

Wait, Sten is black?

I always thought of him as more of a giant Russian bear type character, certainly not black or African.

Although remember, racism implies that there is hate behind these decisions. I certainly didn't get that impression. Sten was one of my favorite characters from the game, and I wish they had fleshed him out more.

 

[lacktheknack]

Because it isn't obvious at first glance. And the politically correct WAAAAAAAHmbulance drivers will do anything except look beyond what's obvious.

 

[Thwarted]

100% chance that the OP is white.

 

[Super Toast]

Because he's not really black.

 

[Toriver]

Let us review:
Dark skin

Yes, it's darker, but I wouldn't call it "black". You can make your own character's skin much darker.

Depicts his people as bad through psychotic behavior

If you're referring to his homicidal behavior, that's just him, not the qunari in general. They seemed to come off as a peaceful, if hard working, people when not at war, but totally ruthless when fighting someone else.

Member of a foriegn, but proud people that was spirited away from his nation. (or did he travel to ferelden himself?)

He was sent by the Qunari government to learn about the people of Ferelden and to investigate the Blight in order to prevent it from reaching Qunari lands.

Acts as a kind of servant

Of his own free will. You, as a player, never really force him to come with you. He realistically could have left at any time, but his own sense of honor prevented him from doing so. It's more like a knight or a samurai serving his lord than an indentured servant, IMO

First seen in a cage

But was quickly freed, and in the end, if you talk to Sten enough, he will come to terms with what happened to put him there.

If you really look hard enough, I can see where you might find some hint of racism, but I don't think it was ever meant to be that way, and 90% of players would likely never notice anything. I still don't exactly see what the problem is. I think it might be oversensitivity too.

EDIT: Forgot that they were investigating the Blight... corrected now.

 

[lacktheknack]

Because Bioware haven't fallen prey to the over sensitive politically correct pricks who seem to dictate so much media nowadays. I'm sorry to say such servitude did, and still does exist.

Highlighting an issue does not automatically endorse it as acceptable. If anything, it proves the damage such actions can cause. No other game creators out there have the balls to tackle such tricky subjects these days, and I hope Bioware continue to actually stimulate our brains rather than just mindlessly jack them off like too many companies.

Um, aren't we forgetting the Mass Effect "SeXbox" non-scandal?

 

[00slash00]

I just played Dragon Age myself, and I never got that impression.

I think you're just being over-sensitive.

i think you misunderstand his point. i dont think hes calling dragon age a racist game. i think hes saying that opponents of video games seem eager to take any opportunity to make claims of prejudice or corruption, in video games. i think hes saying that its surprising that these politically correct groups didnt jump all over this too. thats what i got from his post, anyway

 

[nick_knack]

Why hasn't it been jumped on? Because anyone who has played the game enough to know all that will have the whole game for context and is therefore not prone to a knee jerk reaction.

RE5 on the other had, showed the main character slaughtering black zombies right in the trailer. That is much easier to take out of context, because it is apparent for anyone to see. To know all that about Sten you have to actually get into the game.

Not to mention that even you don't have it all right. Let us review:

Physiologically different, dark skin isn't the only thing. He is pretty much of a different species if you read the lore.
Suffered a mental breakdown resulting in psychotic behavior, is repentant.
Sent to Ferelden on a military mission.
He isn't a servant, he follows you of his own will, he will leave at his crisis point if you do the wrong thing.
First seen in jail, due to admitted psychotic behavior.

 

[LaughingAtlas]

*snip*

Hrmm... I seem to have missed quite a bit, that answered most of my questions/half-baked theories.

Might be my fault for never really getting to know Sten.

 

[kokirisoldier]

He never traveled alone! He even tells you "i came here with several brothers". In the quest to get stens sword he tells you that him AND HIS COMPANIONS were seeking evidence about the blight being a serious threat. He also tells you that his race is a warrior race, proud and strong. He also tells you that he doesnt understand people (aka humans/elves/dwarfs/) kindness and sees is as a weakness BECAUSE HE IS FROM A WARRIOR SOCIETY! Its all role playing. In role playing you might get that 1 drow elf that becomes good, but honestly that doesn't happen very often, so you might as well just except the fact that Sten is a proud warrior from a proud warrior society from a race that is proud and warrior like and...seriously why did you even think of this topic dude its friggin see through and transparent as hell if you played the game.

*Edit*
If you were looking for a racism theme to start a thread about why didnt you look at the city elves for christ sake! It pretty much writes its self for you!