GAMER LOUNGE 20XX (NO CASUALS!!)

[Dolphman]

I won't read that article since every time something like this happens, those retards that claim to be feminists immediately think it's sexist.
Shit like this is getting annoying, and they forget there's already some cool and badass female protagonists in video games.
This is why those complaining are seen as sexist man-hating assholes. Even women I know faceplam over it.
Also the reason why I refuse to join Tumblr.

But the thing these idiots are complaining about is the fact Link can wear women's clothing in this game. "ACK! Crossdressing!"
Though, people do have problems with crossdressers, which is understandable.

[Kitsu]

Having problems with crossdressers (in general) may be "understandable" but not defensible.


More on topic, his reasoning kinda sounds like "can't bother," when really, it'd probably be better if he'd said "because we don't want to make that, we want to make what we're making"
making games without female protags is obviously okay, but the way he's phrased it (or maybe the way the journalist phrased it since I couldn't watch the source) can be interpreted to mean that similar stories (now and in the future) could not work with a girl player character

[Kriven]

I took what he said to mean something more along the lines of it not fitting within the established continuity. Like "Well, why isn't there a Prince Zelda?" Which wouldn't work because the franchise has established that only the princesses of Hyrule are named Zelda.

[Kosheh]

The reason given for not having female characters in Triforce Heroes was pretty stupid, but it was probably the only thing that came to his mind other than "because fuck you that's the way we made it".

It's ridiculous how much more outrage porn gaming journalism has generated in recent months, especially over petty shit.

The question in general is extremely stupid and the interviewer should feel stupid for attempting to soapbox on a gaming news site. I'm sorry, but it's pretty clear that the reporter hasn't actually played a Zelda game. Maybe they should just go back to Dark Souls and forever live a filthy casualite. This question's already been asked, and Aonuma's previously answered it.
The interviewer in all honesty, I feel asked the wrong person the right question.
Shikata has nothing to do with that decision; he's literally just responsible for directing: or instructing his team HOW the plot and gameplay works, hence his "shitty answer". His superior on the project said "Listen, this is Link. Link is not a cell phone. He is not a tuba. Link is the boy hero of Hyrule. Make sure he's still Link by the end of the game."

I mean...remember this?

Remember when this was a trending topic - "is Link finally a girl?" Aonuma played it cool. "No," he said. Link is never a girl. Link is, however, historically androgynous. He's purposely designed androgynously so the player, regardless of gender, can identify with Link.
Though, he's also never the same "Link", each tale in Zelda being about a different boy with the name "Link", with each of them having a unique origin story (Wind Waker Link is not Minish Cap Link is not Spirit Tracks Link) and the character is historically always a blonde-haired, blue-eyed boy in a green tunic.
(Personally, I feel like the player simply needs more concrete acknowledgement of gender identity in the game, because it's somehow not clear enough to today's players. Given Link's androgynous design, they could easily solve this question by asking "Are you a boy? Or a girl? Or...?" at the beginning of the game and then upon the player's answer, change the pronouns to he/she/they when describing Link. That's all they need to do and they've dodged a bullet)

The real question that should be asked (and not to Shikata; it should be directed to Aonuma) is "Link is historically an everyman character, and one of the few that can all players can identify with regardless of gender due to his androgynous design. However, he's historically been blonde-haired and blue-eyed (or cat-eyed). Is there anything in the mythos that explicitly states this? Do you think there's a chance we might eventually a game where the 'Link' character is presented as a woman or a character with a darker complexion?"
Aonuma might not be able to answer that question so easily on his feet, and probably say "Well, I thought Link looked cool with blonde hair, so we stuck with it (laughs)" but that'd get the cogs turning in his head that maybe the world is ready for a chapter of the Zelda series to star a historically game-changing (lol) Link (and one that other players can "better" identify with)
And it'll be good for gaming journalism because at least clickbait journalism will be able to write informative fluff articles about when Link's hair was brown, or pink, instead of pure garbage in exchange for a paycheck.

also, question, what does this

porn gaming journalism

mean. it's too early and i keep reading that literally

[Kriven]

also, question, what does this

porn gaming journalism

mean. it's too early and i keep reading that literally

You mean he wasn't talking about SDT?

[Kosheh]

also, question, what does this 

porn gaming journalism

mean. it's too early and i keep reading that literally

You mean he wasn't talking about SDT?

im still...lost here. SDT???



also wHY DIDNT ANYONE TELL ME ABOUT THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! blueblur might care but I don't know what region 3DS he has. If you don't have one, the EU version of the game is getting a "new" Nintendo 3DS bundle with special faceplates



YUP
YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYUP

i'm like a little TOO hyped right now and turns out you'll get Super Butouden 2 as a preorder bonus if you order from Amazon (though, if another retailer announces Hyper Dimension I might have to drop my preorder lol)

[BullockDS]

also, question, what does this

porn gaming journalism

mean. it's too early and i keep reading that literally

I'm saying that gaming journalism generates outrage porn. "Outrage porn" is insincere performed offense and hysteria, especially over ridiculous shit. Very popular in regular journalism for years, it's something that's gotten a hold of gaming journalism over the past year or so. Shit like this, the tumblr-sourced Fire Emblem controversy, crying over "the wrong Pac-Man game" getting into the Video Game Hall of Fame, etc.

[Kosheh]

also, question, what does this

porn gaming journalism

mean. it's too early and i keep reading that literally

I'm saying that gaming journalism generates outrage porn. "Outrage porn" is insincere performed offense and hysteria, especially over ridiculous shit. Very popular in regular journalism for years, it's something that's gotten a hold of gaming journalism over the past year or so. Shit like this, the tumblr-sourced Fire Emblem controversy, crying over "the wrong Pac-Man game" getting into the Video Game Hall of Fame, etc.

oh. "outrage porn" is an interesting term

I've always thought of it as "clickbait" but that's just me

crying over "the wrong Pac-Man game" getting into the Video Game Hall of Fame

d-did Pac-Man 2: The New Adventures get into the Video Game Hall of Fame? 
oh no

[BullockDS]

also, question, what does this
mean. it's too early and i keep reading that literally

I'm saying that gaming journalism generates outrage porn. "Outrage porn" is insincere performed offense and hysteria, especially over ridiculous shit. Very popular in regular journalism for years, it's something that's gotten a hold of gaming journalism over the past year or so. Shit like this, the tumblr-sourced Fire Emblem controversy, crying over "the wrong Pac-Man game" getting into the Video Game Hall of Fame, etc.

oh. "outrage porn" is an interesting term

I've always thought of it as "clickbait" but that's just me

crying over "the wrong Pac-Man game" getting into the Video Game Hall of Fame

d-did Pac-Man 2: The New Adventures get into the Video Game Hall of Fame? 
oh no

Well, no. The original Pac-Man game did. But it's apparently the "wrong one" since it wasn't Ms. Pac-Man.

[Kriven]

Ms. Pac-Man is pretty well known to be the superior title by Pac and arcade enthusiasts. I mean, I think you're getting at people being pissed at the fact that Boy Pac-Man got in because misogyny, but there are some real strong arguments for why Ms. Pac-Man should be in the HoF as well. Real strong technical arguments. Also strong arguments against it, and the original Pac-Man did save the industry...

IMO, they should both be in there. Those two games are both incredibly historically important to the medium.

[MrYoshbert]

Too bad Namco doesn't give .01 of a damn about Ms. Pac-Man nowadays.

[BullockDS]

Ms. Pac-Man is pretty well known to be the superior title by Pac and arcade enthusiasts. I mean, I think you're getting at people being pissed at the fact that Boy Pac-Man got in because misogyny, but there are some real strong arguments for why Ms. Pac-Man should be in the HoF as well. Real strong technical arguments. Also strong arguments against it, and the original Pac-Man did save the industry...

IMO, they should both be in there. Those two games are both incredibly historically important to the medium.

That's the thing: they were trying to play the "muh soggy knees" argument.

[Vipershark]

I've always thought of it as "clickbait" but that's just me

No, clickbait is more like
"He walked onstage and began to give a speech. Now I have shivers."
or
"This city is the fattest in America"
or
"25 things that only quadraplegics missing one eye will get"
where the title is extremely vague and doesn't actually explain what's inside the link on purpose to get you to click it just to see what the heck it's actually describing.
Or any Kotaku article. Or Buzzfeed "article".

[Helmo]

a historically game-changing (lol) Link (and one that other players can "better" identify with)

However, he's historically been blonde-haired and blue-eyed (or cat-eyed). Is there anything in the mythos that explicitly states this? Do you think there's a chance we might eventually a game where the 'Link' character is presented as a woman or a character with a darker complexion?"

Spoiler

Well in Wind Waker we see Tetra loses her tan when she becomes princess Zelda (which I thought was... unnecessary)

But for fucks sake though it really fucking steams me when people complain about "why isn't ___ an black lesbian? : (" 

I get why someone might want more diversity in games but why not make a new character instead of recoloring an existing one??

Why does anyone care, who honestly relates to any video game character let alone Link? :/

"Boy now that I can play as Dark Link/Linkle everything is so relatable now" *breaks into house smashes all the pots*

[Kriven]

who honestly relates to any video game character let alone Link? :/

I'm a short, overweight Italian with an unusually pale complexion who wears red shirts and denim pants pretty much daily...