D&D and minorities? [Archive] - Wizards Community

D&D and minorities? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
JohhnyWadd
10-03-07, 02:36 PM I'm kind of troubled.
Looking at WOTC products only a small percentage of people in the pictures and painted miniaytures are blacks or other minorities. also very few minorities seem to play this game.
Is WOTC racist? How could they help spread divercity in their product line and encourage more people of color to play the game?
adamb0nd
10-03-07, 02:56 PM Oh, **** off. I am friends with a black gamer, an Indian gamer, and a native american gamer. Grow up and stop trolling.
Arabella
10-03-07, 02:59 PM I don't know about that. I've seen some gold skinned people and some green things as well. I don't think color matters in this case at all. And what about the drow?
http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc91/Arabellagoodwinter/DevilDrowLarge.jpg
gullas
10-03-07, 03:01 PM well I don't think WOTC are racist , I mean c'mon look at redgar he's an african american and so is Ember the monk and Mialee looks like a asian and Hennet looks like a Philipino in the phb so no I don't think WOTC are racist , well its true that many other chars are shown as white people but I mean c'mon its a game of fantasy , sure a Dwarf can look asian , black or white and in the same way your elfs could be green , the things you "see" in the game are only limited by your own imagination:P
Witch
10-03-07, 03:08 PM I know several Asian people who play the game. Black people too, as well as other minorities. It's true that minorities play D&D less - I suppose it is because the nerdy subculture is mostly dominated by white males, at least in Europe and Northern America, the regions rich enough to support a large RPG market. Reaching minorities that are mostly out of touch with a given subculture is difficult, especially when marketing a loaded term such as D&D. It happens, though, but you can't expect a sudden inflow - although one can try. I'm not sure that they don't use sufficient minorities in their images though.

For example, the Art Gallery of the PHB v3.5: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ag/20030705a

Out of the humans, we've got:
Jozan: White
Ember: Black
Alhandra: I'm unsure
Hennet: Mediterranean

Doesn't sound like that bad a representation to me.
Trench_Raider
10-03-07, 03:24 PM Oh please....
Do you REALLY think that in today's sickenly PC society that any major game company would purposely adopt a racist policy that might effect it's marketing?

You actually answered your own question when you pointed out that not too many minorities play D&D. For good or for ill, wargaming of all sorts (RPGs, fantasy, and especially historical minitaure games) remain an extremely white hobby. Be it cultural or economic reasons, non-whites simply do not flock to these games as much as they do other hobbies.

For example, depending on which source you read, blacks make up about 14% of the US population. However I have never (and I have travelled all over the country) encountered a gaming group or wargame club that aproaches that demographic mix. Now granted, I might just not be acountering them. After all, gamers like most humans tend to gravitate toward their own kind and will often self-segregate when not forced together. But I rather doubt it.

So when asking "why are not more people in the art and products produced by WotC, black or other non-whites", the answer is quite simple: market forces. The majority of their customers are white, so they produce images that their customer base can more easily indentify with. To attempt to force them to be more "diverse" might actualy harm their sales.
It's certainly not some "racist" plot.

"Trench Raider"
Trench_Raider
10-03-07, 03:28 PM I mean c'mon look at redgar he's an african american

I have to laugh when I see people so used to PC-speak that they slip up and use it in inapropriate ways. I'm reminded of a kid who once asked about the "African-americans" in my 15mm Eastern Imperial Roman army! :D

America does not exist in any of the D&D settings, thus no one is any kind of American, let alone an "African-American". Redgar is black, negro, or just plain old dark skinned.

"Trench Raider"
Seeker95
10-03-07, 04:30 PM Is WOTC racist?Highly doubtful. Hell, among the iconic humans, only one of them is white (Jozan).How could they help spread diversity in their product line and encourage more people of color to play the game?Convince more people of color to self-identify as geeks?
Darkarcher736
10-03-07, 04:35 PM D&D's poster child:
http://www.wizards.com/leaving.asp?url=/dnd/images/FR_ART/People/DrizztDoUrden.jpg&origin=dnd_4art_20010614a

White? I think not.
The Ubbergeek
10-03-07, 04:48 PM D&D's poster child:
http://www.toddlockwood.com/resources/images/galleries/new_art/03/drizzt_guen.jpg

White? I think not.

Well, the market is in majority still heterosexual male WASP. It's however improving/changing, slowly.
WizO_Brak
10-03-07, 05:06 PM I think this thread has been discussed fairly well up to this point and the topic can be closed.

~Brak

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
JohhnyWadd 10-03-07, 02:36 PM	I'm kind of troubled. Looking at WOTC products only a small percentage of people in the pictures and painted miniaytures are blacks or other minorities. also very few minorities seem to play this game. Is WOTC racist? How could they help spread divercity in their product line and encourage more people of color to play the game?
adamb0nd 10-03-07, 02:56 PM	Oh, **** off. I am friends with a black gamer, an Indian gamer, and a native american gamer. Grow up and stop trolling.
Arabella 10-03-07, 02:59 PM	I don't know about that. I've seen some gold skinned people and some green things as well. I don't think color matters in this case at all. And what about the drow? http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc91/Arabellagoodwinter/DevilDrowLarge.jpg
gullas 10-03-07, 03:01 PM	well I don't think WOTC are racist , I mean c'mon look at redgar he's an african american and so is Ember the monk and Mialee looks like a asian and Hennet looks like a Philipino in the phb so no I don't think WOTC are racist , well its true that many other chars are shown as white people but I mean c'mon its a game of fantasy , sure a Dwarf can look asian , black or white and in the same way your elfs could be green , the things you "see" in the game are only limited by your own imagination:P
Witch 10-03-07, 03:08 PM	I know several Asian people who play the game. Black people too, as well as other minorities. It's true that minorities play D&D less - I suppose it is because the nerdy subculture is mostly dominated by white males, at least in Europe and Northern America, the regions rich enough to support a large RPG market. Reaching minorities that are mostly out of touch with a given subculture is difficult, especially when marketing a loaded term such as D&D. It happens, though, but you can't expect a sudden inflow - although one can try. I'm not sure that they don't use sufficient minorities in their images though. For example, the Art Gallery of the PHB v3.5: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ag/20030705a Out of the humans, we've got: Jozan: White Ember: Black Alhandra: I'm unsure Hennet: Mediterranean Doesn't sound like that bad a representation to me.
Trench_Raider 10-03-07, 03:24 PM	Oh please.... Do you REALLY think that in today's sickenly PC society that any major game company would purposely adopt a racist policy that might effect it's marketing? You actually answered your own question when you pointed out that not too many minorities play D&D. For good or for ill, wargaming of all sorts (RPGs, fantasy, and especially historical minitaure games) remain an extremely white hobby. Be it cultural or economic reasons, non-whites simply do not flock to these games as much as they do other hobbies. For example, depending on which source you read, blacks make up about 14% of the US population. However I have never (and I have travelled all over the country) encountered a gaming group or wargame club that aproaches that demographic mix. Now granted, I might just not be acountering them. After all, gamers like most humans tend to gravitate toward their own kind and will often self-segregate when not forced together. But I rather doubt it. So when asking "why are not more people in the art and products produced by WotC, black or other non-whites", the answer is quite simple: market forces. The majority of their customers are white, so they produce images that their customer base can more easily indentify with. To attempt to force them to be more "diverse" might actualy harm their sales. It's certainly not some "racist" plot. "Trench Raider"
Trench_Raider 10-03-07, 03:28 PM	I mean c'mon look at redgar he's an african american I have to laugh when I see people so used to PC-speak that they slip up and use it in inapropriate ways. I'm reminded of a kid who once asked about the "African-americans" in my 15mm Eastern Imperial Roman army! :D America does not exist in any of the D&D settings, thus no one is any kind of American, let alone an "African-American". Redgar is black, negro, or just plain old dark skinned. "Trench Raider"
Seeker95 10-03-07, 04:30 PM	Is WOTC racist?Highly doubtful. Hell, among the iconic humans, only one of them is white (Jozan).How could they help spread diversity in their product line and encourage more people of color to play the game?Convince more people of color to self-identify as geeks?
Darkarcher736 10-03-07, 04:35 PM	D&D's poster child: http://www.wizards.com/leaving.asp?url=/dnd/images/FR_ART/People/DrizztDoUrden.jpg&origin=dnd_4art_20010614a White? I think not.
The Ubbergeek 10-03-07, 04:48 PM	D&D's poster child: http://www.toddlockwood.com/resources/images/galleries/new_art/03/drizzt_guen.jpg White? I think not. Well, the market is in majority still heterosexual male WASP. It's however improving/changing, slowly.
WizO_Brak 10-03-07, 05:06 PM	I think this thread has been discussed fairly well up to this point and the topic can be closed. ~Brak