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Flowmoney · Oct 28, 2016

It basically asks your gender and there is only two choices. I fail see to novelty in it. I know that you can pick one or the other but what if you associate with neither or both? I just find it lame that it is asking you if you are a boy or girl in the first place and implying that you are either.

I mean what if someone in real life went up to people and asked that question?

Is this something that is forever going to be a tradition of the Pokémon mainline games and remakes? I mean it doesn't have to be worded the way it is , Pokémon Go at least tried to do something about it.

GuitarGuruu · Oct 28, 2016

I don't believe this is an issue. It's Pokémon.

orthodoxy1095 · Oct 28, 2016

The alternative would be to have an actual character creator with options for clothing, hair, skin colors, names, pronouns, and more.

But that's too much work for Game Freak. Not happening any time soon.

AsylumBlue · Oct 28, 2016

NinjaCoachZ · Oct 28, 2016

The game could stand to have a basic character creator, yeah. With default designs of course, but definitely still with options.

hupla · Oct 28, 2016

Pokémon Go solved this by asking what your "style" was when picking an avatar and I'd like to see more things do this

Cynar · Oct 28, 2016

orthodoxy1095 said:
The alternative would be to have an actual character creator with options for clothing, hair, skin colors, names, pronouns, and more.

But that's too much work for Game Freak. Not happening any time soon.

Exactly this. Until there's a character creator this is the best we're going to get.

Dryk · Oct 28, 2016

It looks like they might be doing away with it in lieu of a character select screen. But as far as I know clothing is still gendered.

Lord of Ostia · Oct 28, 2016

orthodoxy1095 said:
The alternative would be to have an actual character creator with options for clothing, hair, skin colors, names, pronouns, and more.

But that's too much work for Game Freak. Not happening any time soon.

Yep, I agree with this. Having more in depth character creation would help with this. As for whether or not offering a binary gender choice is outdated...yes, it is a bit outdated. However, given Nintendo's handling of LGBTQ issues in their games recently I'm not really surprised.

ugly · Oct 28, 2016

It's funny cuz it was actually a welcomed addition when it was introduced. The added customization was the cherry on top in a time where people weren't expecting it of every piece of media and device they used. A lot of female players felt catered to. I don't think it's decidedly problematic but it could stand to be evolved, sure. Perhaps they could just ask which character you are instead of asking if you're a boy or a girl?

hupla said:
Pokémon Go solved this by asking what your "style" was when picking an avatar and I'd like to see more things do this

Well, there you go. I think this is a fairly elegant solution. I personally don't like character creators anyway - gaming isn't a medium of self-expression to me. I much prefer being a patron of a tailored experience.

GinoFelino · Oct 28, 2016

GuitarGuruu said:
I don't believe this is an issue. It's Pokémon.

What? Loads of kids play it. If anything, that makes it way more important

PrinnyBomb · Oct 28, 2016

I don't see a problem with it, it's double the amount of avatars we get to choose from compared to red/blue/gold/silver

Lil'DigiOp · Oct 28, 2016

Conun said:
It basically asks your gender and there is only two choices. I fail see to novelty in it. I know that you can pick one or the other but what if you associate with neither or both? I just find it lame that it is asking you if you are a boy or girl in the first place and implying that you are either.

I mean what if someone in real life went up to people and asked that question?

Is this something that is forever going to be a tradition of the Pokémon mainline games and remakes? I mean it doesn't have to be worded the way it is , Pokémon Go at least tried to do something about it.

EDIT: Let me just scrub this post since I don't want to be quoted to hell and back.

cw_sasuke · Oct 28, 2016

Its not really outdated - but they might need to work on a more modern approach down the line. Doubt that many of their customers are offended by that.

Lord of Ostia said:
. However, given Nintendo's handling of LGBTQ issues in their games recently I'm not really surprised.

...and here we go.

goldenpp72 · Oct 28, 2016

I find it sad that the idea of a game asking if you're a boy or girl is becoming an offensive concept :/

playXray · Oct 28, 2016

Maybe they should rephrase it, "what do you want your character to be?" or something like that. It then gives people the flexibility to make their character look however they want without forcing people to identify their own gender to the game.

NinjaCoachZ · Oct 28, 2016

girlfriendofagamer said:
I'm all about tolerance and acceptance but fuck.... We can't even be okay with deciding if your a boy or girl. That's a new fucking level of sensitivity in my book.

You can appreciate that it has the option to choose between those genders but also wish for further options. Giving non-binary people a slice of the fun too can only be a nice thing.

Dice// · Oct 28, 2016

The lack of customization in general is I think the deeper problem that affects this one too.

Solve the former and you solve the latter quite a bit.

Kurita · Oct 28, 2016

Well... I get your point but for the overwhelming majority of people of play these games it's a non-issue so I doubt it crossed their minds.

NoblesseOblige · Oct 28, 2016

GuitarGuruu said:
I don't believe this is an issue. It's Pokémon.

What's it being pokemon got to do with anything?

goldenpp72 said:
I find it sad that the idea of a game asking if you're a boy or girl is becoming an offensive concept :/

I find it sad that making a suggestion that a game include additional options is an offensive concept to you. :/

Sorcerer Supreme · Oct 28, 2016

it's a kids game

Massive Duck. C.M. · Oct 28, 2016

"Who better suits you" or some variant

give me my money Game Freak

Dice// said:
The lack of customization in general is I think the deeper problem that affects this one too.

Solve the former and you solve the latter quite a bit.

This too, X/Y was dope

ugly · Oct 28, 2016

girlfriendofagamer said:
I'm all about tolerance and acceptance but fuck.... Now we shouldnt even be okay with deciding if youre a boy or girl? That's a new fucking level of sensitivity in my book.

I think the best approach is to nip it in the bud. If you can make a slight alteration that saves a bunch of people feeling upset it's better for business anyway.

StayDead · Oct 28, 2016

Is it not asking you for what biological sex you identify as? Maybe I'm wrong, but I always thought what biological sex you indentify as was different to gender.

cw_sasuke · Oct 28, 2016

goldenpp72 said:
I find it sad that the idea of a game asking if you're a boy or girl is becoming an offensive concept :/

I agree.

Then again its the first time i heard someone complaining about it - doubt too many get worked up by that.

AlexFlame116 · Oct 28, 2016

Sorry but no I don't think so. I do believe that we should have a character creator though.

GinoFelino · Oct 28, 2016

goldenpp72 said:
I find it sad that the idea of a game asking if you're a boy or girl is becoming an offensive concept :/

cw_sasuke said:
Its not really outdated - but they might need to work on a more modern approach down the line. Doubt that many of their customers are offended by that.

...and here we go.

girlfriendofagamer said:
I'm all about tolerance and acceptance but fuck.... Now we shouldnt even be okay with deciding if youre a boy or girl? That's a new fucking level of sensitivity in my book.

Can't we just agree that it's preferred to be a little more modern about this?

No one here is directly offended and that's not the point either.

It's okay to love something and also admit that a minor point of it is a bit outdated nowadays.

psynergylover · Oct 28, 2016

I don't think so, I'm sorry you feel misrepresented in pokemon, I doubt nintendo would go to such lenghts to remedy this.

have other games done this?

Lord of Ostia · Oct 28, 2016

cw_sasuke said:
Its not really outdated - but they might need to work on a more modern approach down the line. Doubt that many of their customers are offended by that.

...and here we go.

What? I'm not suggesting Nintendo is any worse than most other publishers/developers when it comes to LGBTQ issues, but they certainly aren't all that great at handling them either.

Platy · Oct 28, 2016

I think Pokemon Go's way is basicaly the best thing you can expect from a pokemon game

ugly · Oct 28, 2016

Dice// said:
The lack of customization in general is I think the deeper problem that affects this one too.

Solve the former and you solve the latter quite a bit.

How does added customisation fit into the design ethos for the pokemon series? How does it meaningfully add to the Pokemon experience? I'd rather see them cut it back to one gender than bloat the experience with unnecessary systems.

cw_sasuke · Oct 28, 2016

GinoFelino said:
Can't we just agree that it's preferred to be a little more modern about this?

No one here is directly offended and that's not the point either.

It's okay to love something and also admit that a minor point of it is a bit outdated nowadays.

Whats outdated about asking if you wanna play as boy or a girl ?
Its a role play game - you end up playing a person. How many +30y old Pokemon players get offended because they cant have their avatar being an old man instead of a child ?

Lord of Ostia said:
What? I'm not suggesting Nintendo is any worse than most other publishers/developers when it comes to LGBTQ issues, but they certainly aren't all that great at handling them either.

Its a learning process for most people - these devs/companies learn from mistakes and adapt to their customer needs.

Jockel · Oct 28, 2016

I'm kind of baffled. I get that people associate themselves with other genders and all, but I don't think that you should expect games to cater to a Frostsexual Nebulakin audience. Pokémon is already better than most games by letting you choose to be female. If you're transgender just pick the one you're more comfortable with. And in the end you're playing a character in a mainstream video game, not making a statement about yourself.

SolicitorPirate · Oct 28, 2016

Saints Row 2 is still the gold standard with their gender slider.

It's weird but cool how that fucking franchise is still far and away one of the most socially progressive franchises in games.

aitakute · Oct 28, 2016

I'm a man and I play as girl character because it's cute. Cuteness is justice

Mushroomer25 · Oct 28, 2016

It's an interesting dilemma, and one that Animal Crossing has also struggled with. They want the player to experience character creation in-universe, so that means making the avatar choices through a dialogue tree. But that can be tricky to write around, if you want to be inclusive to nontraditional players. Putting in a character creator is the obvious option (while making all gender options a controllable variable, ala Sims 4) - but that's artistically limiting.

-Mutsukki- · Oct 28, 2016

GinoFelino said:
Can't we just agree that it's preferred to be a little more modern about this?

No one here is directly offended and that's not the point either.

It's okay to love something and also admit that a minor point of it is a bit outdated nowadays.

No...? Why would I agree with something... I don't really agree? It's not outdated nor offensive, it's just a direct and innocent question, assuming anything out of it is just being dishonest.

Kids are usually going to be either a boy or a girl, even if they identify otherwise. The problem is not with the question, the problem is criticizing the boy for playing as the girl and vice-versa

Sephiroth_VII · Oct 28, 2016

goldenpp72 said:
I find it sad that the idea of a game asking if you're a boy or girl is becoming an offensive concept :/

I'm right there with you. Maybe I'm getting old, but I really don't see the issue. Choose whichever one you feel closest to, there are only two physical genders, after all. It's not like it defines you as a person.

Dio · Oct 28, 2016

psynergylover said:
I don't think so, I'm sorry you feel misrepresented in pokemon, I doubt nintendo would go to such lenghts to remedy this.

have other games done this?

Interestingly, Demon's Souls and Dark Souls had a 'gender slider' where one side was masculine in appearance and one side was feminine.

YianGaruga · Oct 28, 2016

I understand what OPs issue is, but the game is asking if your player character is (visually) a boy or a girl, not about you. It's not the same thing.

More customization would always be nice, but I don't see the choice or the phrasing of the question as an issue.

A character creator wouldn't fix this, you'd still have to choose an avatar that either appears male or female.

Twiforce · Oct 28, 2016

already ITT: cis people get all uneasy about being reminded gender isn't a binary, trivialize non-binary people for wanting acknowledgement and validation

Lil'DigiOp · Oct 28, 2016

GinoFelino said:
Can't we just agree that it's preferred to be a little more modern about this?

No one here is directly offended and that's not the point either.

It's okay to love something and also admit that a minor point of it is a bit outdated nowadays.

I don't want to play defense force, I'm just actually confused by OP's proposition.

The game is asking the player "Are you a boy or girl?"

Even if you are trans, you likely identify with one gender or the other. I just really can't see how this develops concern. This is outside me enjoying the games, that's not even relevant to my opinion.

Lord of Ostia · Oct 28, 2016

t's also not about being offensive to people, it's about being inclusive to people. Children are told from a very young age they must conform to a strict gender binary, even when that doesn't describe their own sense of self. Allowing for more varied customization options helps them embrace their own identity. They are probably used to having to pick between the standard gender binary, sure. But wouldn't it be nice if they could represent their own identity, the way they actually wanted to?

SolicitorPirate · Oct 28, 2016

Twiforce said:
already ITT: cis people get all uneasy about being reminded gender isn't a binary, trivialize non-binary people for wanting acknowledgement and validation

Does any of that surprise you? Everyone loves talking about open minded they are until something goes past their comfort zone. Then suddenly it's a non issue raised by the easily offended

GinoFelino · Oct 28, 2016

-Mutsukki- said:
No...? Why would I agree with something... I don't really agree? It's not outdated nor offensive, it's just a direct and innocent question, assuming anything out of it is just being dishonest.

Kids are usually going to be either a boy or a girl, even if they identify otherwise. The problem is not with the question, the problem is criticizing the boy for playing as the girl and vice-versa

cw_sasuke said:
Whats outdated about asking if you wanna play as boy or a girl ?
Its a role play game - you end up playing a person. How many +30y old Pokemon players get offended because they cant have their avatar being an old man instead of a child ?

Its a learning process for most people - these devs/companies learn from mistakes and adapt to their customer needs.

My point is that it's irrelevant how many of their customers are 'offended'.

DonMigs85 · Oct 28, 2016

cw_sasuke · Oct 28, 2016

GinoFelino said:
My point is that it's irrelevant how many of their customers are 'offended'.

Its always relevant - they are a business.

-Mutsukki- · Oct 28, 2016

Lord of Ostia said:
t's also not about being offensive to people, it's about being inclusive to people. Children are told from a very young age they must conform to a strict gender binary, even when that doesn't describe their own sense of self. Allowing for more varied customization options helps them embrace their own identity. They are probably used to having to pick between the standard gender binary, sure. But wouldn't it be nice if they could represent their own identity, the way they actually wanted to?

Do kids... actually complain about this though? Or are you just projecting? I have yet to hear something like this from a kid

Salty Rice · Oct 28, 2016

Really dont get this thread. Why should choice being outdated?

Also i think OP doesnt understand that the game asks the gender of your character not of you playing.

"What is your name?" "DICKFART". Its the professor asking your character.

Seloth · Oct 28, 2016

It's definitely worth questioning that's for sure.

I'm not sure that "it's a kid game" or "I don't see the issue" are very great responses.

What's the negative in rewording the question to be a bit more appropriate during these modern times? Who's that going to hurt exactly?

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