Why?
So
recently I was asked “why bother” as in why is any of this important. After
all, as the person indicated, this is a make believe game we’re playing in
which the characters are whatever race, color or creed I as a player or a GM
deems fit. Thus whether or not the art shows me people like me it shouldn’t
matter. And on a certain level there is some truth to that. Nothing stops me
from playing a black character, or a Jewish character or a Latino or Asian or
any other kind of character I could possible think or dream of.
But
that doesn’t change the simple fact that how the hobby presents itself
influence how welcome I feel with in the hobby. When you market a product with
only white faces you tell the non white faces that they aren’t welcome. Or
maybe that you’re money is fine but we don’t value you enough to represent you
in art. It would be a kin to going to a restaurant and being told that “yeah it’s
ok to eat here but you have to come in through the back.” It creates this atmosphere
that you are not welcome.
For
people who have representation I’ve noticed that this feeling is kinda a hard
concept to grasp. People who see pictures of them don’t really link up to the
idea that not having those pictures actually maters. But most minorities
express a desire to be represented in any medium that they take an interest in.
Take
the comic book industry for example. Another place with fictional characters.
As the comic book market went more mainstream and people other than white males
started buying the comics they expressed a desire to also be equally represented
with in the pages of the books they were buying. It didn’t matter if you were
black, Asian, female or gay. All minorities have expressed a desire to be represented
in the pages of the comic books they like to read and collect. We see the same
thing in video games too.
Representation
also builds a link to the game. I know I’m personally more connected to games
that I feel represented in. I have founder memories playing WoD than I do of
playing D&D. It’s not due to any difference in the rules. Or even the games
styles. I just have a deeper connection to WoD (classic WoD I should say) than
I do to D&D because WoD has characters like me to identify with.
In
a perfect world none of this would really matter. But sadly we don’t live in
that world. This is
important to me because I want to feel that connection to
the games I buy. It is my money after all. And I know other minorities want
that connection too. They want that tie. They want to feel valued by the gaming
companies they spend money on. Just this afternoon I went from thinking “meh I’ll
get the Advanced Classes book at some point” to feeling like I needed to
preorder the book all based on the revelation that the new icon for one of the
new classes was a young Morgan Freeman (ok not really but he bears a resemblance).
 |
| Morgan Freeman if he were playing D&D |
Now
don’t get me wrong, at the end of the day I do know that there are bigger evils
in the world. I hold no delusions that I am the Malcolm X of gaming or anything
like that. But gamers/nerds/geeks are a passionate bunch. We are characterized
with feeling strongly about our hobbies. For showing passion. So when I talk
about these things I am just as passionate about it as I am when I’m pitching a
character idea to a GM or talking about why Stargate SG1 will still be hands
down better than any kind of movie reboot.
At
the end of the day I want to feel connected to the products I spend my free
time with. And oddly enough others do too.
