Carnival Games: Only for vanilla faces?
by Eric Caoili 
{ Sep 3rd 2007 at 11:30AM }
You can't really expect much from a budget release like Carnival Games, but Go Nintendo has reportedly received a number of complaints regarding the character creation process in the party game collection, specifically on the lack of darker skin tone choices. Judging by the screenshot above, you're limited to playing as the palest of the pale, completely untanned after having developed a vampiric aversion to the sun.
Though we doubt that developer Cat Daddy Games intentionally limited race and color selection, it does seem a bit lazy on their part; diversity is an obvious point for any game with customizable characters. Perhaps the studio just didn't have the time or resources to implement everything they were hoping to?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Bobby Harner @ Sep 3rd 2007 11:40AM
hey the game sucks anyways who cares
vidGuy @ Sep 3rd 2007 12:16PM
Unfortunate, but really, I see no reason to be offended by this. There are many more things in this world that deserve our attention yet go unnoticed.
Seriously, that headline is the most offensive thing here, IMO.
ELIJAH @ Sep 3rd 2007 12:54PM
THE HEADLINE IS OFFENSIVE ALSO. WHAT DO YOU CALL ME, I AM MIXED .THESE PROBLEMS NEED TO BE ADDRESSED.
Alisha Karabinus @ Sep 3rd 2007 12:56PM
How is the headline MORE offensive than the developer assuming only white folks would be playing the game?
Yeah, there are more important things in the world, but here we talk about video games, not poverty or child abuse or the abysmal health care situation in many nations (insert your own issue here). It's a definite oversight to assume that only one type of avatar is needed for any game, because people of any age most often (see: not everyone) like to use an image that reflects their own self image.
T @ Sep 3rd 2007 1:00PM
Of course it's a problem. One of the biggest problems with race is that when you switch on the TV, who do you see? White people. And it's everywhere and prevalent. It's eurocentrism and it's disturbing to people who aren't White because you rarely see people you can relate to. And this game is another case of eurocentrism.
And the title is offensive? Boo fuckin hoo. It says vanilla faces. Stop victimizing yourself.
Zan @ Sep 3rd 2007 1:10PM
Does it really matter, the game sucks anyway!
ELIJAH @ Sep 3rd 2007 1:21PM
ONE NOTE PLEASE DONT TAKE ALL CAPS AS HATE. GIVEN THE FACT EVERYONE WHO ENTERS THE SITE CAN SEE THIS, PEOPLE HAVE TO WATCH THEIR WORDS AND I ALSO THOUGHT THIS WAS FOR RELEVANT MATTERS POVERTY NEED NOT APPLY. @ALISHA I AM NOT CALLING YOU BIAST.
ELIJAH @ Sep 3rd 2007 1:24PM
LETS JUST SQUASH THE MATTER. AND START ANEW.
sakeoishii @ Sep 3rd 2007 1:29PM
Only vanilla face red necks go to carnivals anyway so I don't see a problem with it, they know their demographic.
vidGuy @ Sep 3rd 2007 1:30PM
"How is the headline MORE offensive than the developer assuming only white folks would be playing the game?"
The headline is more offensive to me because it was an intentional use of derogatory slang, whereas the game could have been accidental. We don't know WHY there are only white faces available for character creation. You assume that the developers had an alterior motive for doing so - that they intentionally put only white faces in the game. Maybe they made a character creation mode and meant to come back to it to add options but didn't get the time?
I understand this is a video game site, Alisha, and I have no problem with this being discussed here and not other issues. But if someone is going to get upset over this and not other issues that have a greater impact on the world I think there's a problem. Speaking of avatar creation, though, you know that you can't create a Mii with red hair? Why isn't that being discussed?
"Stop victimizing yourself"? Somehow I don't think I'm going to let a derogatory headline ruin my view of the world. I don't let things I see on TV hurt me either.
I see why people would be upset by something like that, T, but I really don't think it's some conspiracy against other races. I wonder if the research would show if it's a white-dominanted industry with mainly white roles? No wonder you see a prodominently white representation.
I mean, the NBA and NFL are now predominantly black. Is that a reason for me to get upset?
Mr Khan @ Sep 3rd 2007 1:37PM
I hope this doesn't turn into another Vladimir Cole "Round Eye" Blue Dragon incident
anyone here remember that debacle?
bug @ Sep 3rd 2007 1:45PM
So am I the only one that thought that it was a Borat semi-reference?
ELIJAH @ Sep 3rd 2007 1:57PM
THERE WILL ALWAYS BE CONTROVERSY WHEN DEALING WITH RACE WE SHOULD ALL KNOW BECAUSE THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE ADAMANT ABOUT THEIR SEPARIST VIEWS. YOU CAN ALSO MAKE RED HAIRED MIIS BUT THE COLOR IS NOT VIBRANT MUCH AS HOW RED CLOTHED MIIS LOOK PINK.
E8 Foe @ Sep 3rd 2007 1:54PM
Bug, no. I don't even think it was a "semi" reference.
I seriously doubt the developer meant any disrespect to chocolate faces by not allowing them to have a horrible looking character in a semi-crappy game have roughly the same skin color as they do. But I do have to admit, it's a very strange oversight. On the other hand, I wouldn't have even noticed if it was pointed out to me. I'm not sure what that says about me.
ELIJAH @ Sep 3rd 2007 2:23PM
@E8FOE THIS AFFECTS A SPECTRUM OF ETHNICITIES AND "CHOCOLATE FACE" ISNT RIGHT REGARDLESS OF WHAT RACE YOU ARE BECAUSE WE CANT SEE YOU AND ITS STILL OFFENSIVE.
T @ Sep 3rd 2007 2:09PM
"I see why people would be upset by something like that, T, but I really don't think it's some conspiracy against other races."
The eurocentrism I speak of isn't a conspiracy. It's just a fact of life that White seems to be the default race (and come on, don't deny that).
I'm just saying it's an issue because they allowed you to be white but not anything else. People say "they ran out of time" but the point I'm making is that why is it necessarily white that is always there and others are bonus? Why is white the default? I don't think the developers of the game are racist themselves, but as usual they are part of eurocentrism.
And yes, there are bigger issues, and this isn't real racism, but you can't ignore the problem because eurocentrism is a far-reaching problem that this CONTRIBUTES to.
PS: Who is actually THAT offended by vanilla face? It holds none of the power that real racial slang holds.
ELIJAH @ Sep 3rd 2007 2:10PM
@SAKEOISHII YOU SHOULD NOT SAY THAT ITS TOTALLY UNCALLED FOR.
ELIJAH @ Sep 3rd 2007 2:27PM
@T ITS OFFENSIVE ALL WAYS AND THIS HINTS TO ANOTHER PROBLEM WHICH IS THE LACK OF TOLERANCE TO ALL RACES BY ALL RACES.
Christopher Mitrione @ Sep 3rd 2007 2:23PM
If it ain't white, it ain't right!
vidGuy @ Sep 3rd 2007 2:31PM
Here's how you tell if a word is offensive derogatory slang:
if the word's counterpart for another race is offensive, the word is offensive.
I understand the Borat reference but the term "chocolate face" is offensive to some and therefore "vanilla face" is too. "Cracker" is offensive because the counterpart is essentially banned. You can do this for any derogatory word, not just those that are used against blacks and whites.
Bobby Harner @ Sep 3rd 2007 2:33PM
Hey sakeoishii you sound like Con from King of the Hill
Skyone @ Sep 3rd 2007 2:34PM
@ELIJAH:
stfu fatass
T @ Sep 3rd 2007 2:48PM
@vidguy
No, the way to tell if slang is offensive is by studying it's history, its use and its context. I don't go about calling people vanilla faces, but it's not really THAT offensive compared to other things.
vidGuy @ Sep 3rd 2007 2:53PM
Oh I agree, history and context are important. But I have a problem with people thinking vanilla faces is okay to use when chocolate faces isn't, or cracker is okay to use when the n word isn't. Sure, the n word has a history and context of being used often and causing a lot of hate and violence - but a derogatory word doesn't need to cause that to be offensive.
RAINER @ Sep 3rd 2007 2:54PM
GOD I HATE RACE-RELATED HUMOR. I AM SO INTOLERANT!
Valien @ Sep 3rd 2007 3:06PM
OH NOS! TEH ALL CAPS OFFENDS ME AND MY 50% WHITE 50% AZN BACKGROUND. >_<
Goodness people, it's a game. Not a political statement. If people are finding offense at this low-budget game then they have some serious issues...
And yes I'm 50/50 (actually more like Heinz 57). No big deal for me.
ELIJAH @ Sep 3rd 2007 3:12PM
@SKYONE U REALLY WANNA TALK, SAY SOMETHING U KNOW U UNEDUCATED PRICK.
E8 Foe @ Sep 3rd 2007 3:11PM
Actually, Elijah, when Borat said it, it was intended to be ironic - playing against white Americans' politically correct notions of...eh, never mind.
Sorry if I offended you, but it was just a joke. Sorry if you can't read this, these little letters are what happens when you turn of the caps lock.
ELIJAH @ Sep 3rd 2007 3:19PM
Whats the difference about all caps,its not foreign in some weird text.
vidGuy @ Sep 3rd 2007 3:21PM
ELIJAH, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netiquette, especially: "Contributors should avoid the use of all CAPITAL LETTERS in posts. ALL CAPS is considered "shouting" and causes readability issues."
ELIJAH @ Sep 3rd 2007 3:42PM
What's with the flamethrower directed at me and I am not the only one who commented, so W.T.F . You wouldn't say it in the real world so hide behind ur LCD screens and "MIXED" does not mean half u incompetent penisgoblin. Read the thread from the start no one got emotional. AND THE CAPS WAS BECAUSE I WAS USING MY CELL F.T.FLAMERS.
E8 Foe @ Sep 3rd 2007 3:55PM
Fair enough, Elijah. It wasn't just you. You just stood out because of your all caps posting.
However, in case it was directed toward me (and I don't really think it was), I have yet to say anything on here that I wouldn't genuinely say to someone in the real world. True.
Has anybody played this game? I rented it, and it's really not completely horrible. Nothing special, but better than it has a right to be.
Jenova @ Sep 3rd 2007 6:01PM
Lol, you guys are so dumb. The headline is a reference to Borat and a funny one at that, yea, there must be so many white people at home genuinely offended at being related to vanilla! Also it wouldn't have taken the game makers long to make faces of other races as the graphics suck pretty bad.
MidnightScott @ Sep 3rd 2007 8:58PM
This post seriously needs to be deleted, because all I see is a bunch of people telling each other to stfu, when this is just to discuss why the developer didn't include any other skin colors besides white.
However, my take is that they ran out of time/too lazy to add in any other colors, and/or went over budget. However, there is so much more wrong with this world than a silly budget crap videogame not including other colors for the skin. You realize Nintendo added skin color to characters in Pokémon Battle Revolution, that wasn't in the Japanese version originally...I'm just saying that the devs of the game were probably just too lazy to add in anything else and just wanted to make a quick buck. It's like those games based off of TV Shows & Movies, they always seem to lack any real quality whatsoever.
monkey_v_Robot @ Sep 3rd 2007 10:16PM
Alisha is such a bigot. She hates you.
Ralph @ Sep 4th 2007 5:06AM
I had little respect for Weblog's Inc to begin with now it is all gone out the window.
Leaving a post up that generates this sort of response is clearly a bad choice. The people at Weblog's Inc most likely love the controversy stiring up here though or else they would have stepped in by now.
Stop reading blogs like this and they will go away. You can get much better, more informed, news and commentary from people who aren't paid money to just make stuff up on a blog without actually playing the games.
Alisha Karabinus @ Sep 4th 2007 10:46AM
Gosh, how dare we let people discuss anything! We should censor all the comments.
Alisha Karabinus @ Sep 4th 2007 10:57AM
Now, on a more serious note, to vidGuy: I dunno, I always thought the reddish color was close. It didn't occur to me. However, I will most definitely agree that the Mii system needs a LOT more options, but it seems that at least they tried. With this, it appears they didn't. I'd rather see them scrap an entire minigame (because really, we have plenty) than discard any non-white customization features.
Issues like this (and to me, as a woman, yes, it's an issue) always remind me of Fable. Fable was missing a LOT of features that were advertised, obviously, but the worst was that they crowed you could be anyone you wanted to be... so long as what you wanted to be was a guy who looked a certain way.
Now, I'll play as a guy all day long if the story is built around a male character. Doesn't bother me a bit. But if you promise customization or a personalized experience, then deliver. That's my take on it. It may not seem like a big issue to a lot of people, but to me, it moves beyond (accidental or purposeful) racism or gender discrimination -- it speaks of sloppy development. If they forgot half the world, what else did they gloss over?
If it's not a big deal to you? That's fine. No one's gonna throw stones (and speaking of, y'all play nice in the comments, please). But it's my belief that things like this should be discussed, just as we should discuss other more serious aspects of gaming, as well as silly things.
For the record, I wasn't trying to rag on you when I said "this is where we discuss video games," but rather, just attempting to make a point: as games go, this is an "issue," just like the problems with the ESRB are an "issue." If there are game-related issues we're not discussing that YOU think are important, let us know, and we'll widen our net. We're just a few people, after all.
BrandonIT @ Sep 4th 2007 12:55PM
I would like to step in here, only in defense of the game itself and it's fun-factor.
My wife and I rented this game this weekend and played it for over four hours each day. It's a blast as a casual game. My 60-year-old mom loved playing the "duck shoot" mini-game and my and I had a blast competing in all the different games and unlocking the various wacky prizes and outfits.
This game offers about 25 different games to play and while a few use the same motions, 85% are sufficiently varied to really be enjoyable. It also offers up to 4-players simultaneous play in the duck shooting, horse racing, and water balloon events, and maybe others.
This game has replaced Wii Sports as my new favorite party game to bring friends over to play. I give it 4/4 stars for fun.
vidGuy @ Sep 4th 2007 1:34PM
Thanks for the thoughtful response, Alisha. It's in my nature to play devil's advocate and it often causes arguments, so I appreciate when someone can develop a good argument without resorting to name calling and typical 'net violence (would you believe I'll be a licensed attorney in four years?). For the record, I agree with you.
I can see how avatar customization is a problem due to limitations, especially when games that DO put in females or races other than white often give them fewer options than /white male/. And there's definitely a big difference between playing a character (like you would if you watched a movie or read a book) versus customizing a character that is supposed to represent YOU.
I've said my piece in here, and believe me I didn't take offense to anyone's comments. I also would appreciate it if others keep this at least a semi-civil area... been here since late 05 (over 800 comments, ouch!) and it's always been a good place to discuss such things.
anonymous @ Sep 5th 2007 8:58AM
haha, relax we have a game for the white people only, but just wait there will be plenty'o'negroes in resident evil 5.
Shockgamer @ Sep 6th 2007 7:04AM
GameFlyd this. Jesus this game sucks so much. The fact that it has a character creation system that's can't accomplish something so basic just adds how lame the game was.
Luckily, Metroid Corruption came the next day and I was happy again.
Sihylm @ Sep 6th 2007 1:37PM
I related to Keenan and Kel even though I'm white.
Does race really mean that much to you?
Pff Racist!
Plaid Ninja @ Sep 16th 2007 11:49AM
I see a lot of people who couldn't care less about this problem. Seems to me that if you don't see a problem with this then you aren't adversely affected by racism. Not everyone is so lucky. The sad fact is racism is alive and well in our society. You would think that in this day & age it would be left behind with ideas like the earth being flat, but racism, like other traits, seems to get passed along through the generations.
Think about it - its not enough that you can't create a non white character. The only non white characters seen in the game are working the carnival. What message does that send?
Think beyond your own personal experience.