New York is a city where lively debates and discussions are common. But lately, a new subject has been dominating the conversations, involving a famous video game character from Stellar Blade. A video that shows how New Yorkers feel about the character design has become viral, igniting a fiery debate about cultural sensitivity and representation in the gaming industry.
How New Yorkers Reacted to the Stellar Blade’s Main Character
Stellar Blade is a game that boasts an immersive world and captivating characters. But it has also attracted a lot of controversy.
The main character, a mysterious and powerful figure, has been labeled as ‘whitewashed’ by the game developers. This label comes from the perception that the character, who is meant to reflect Asian heritage, has been given traits that are more common among Western white women.
One of the most outspoken critics in the video, a New Yorker, singled out the character’s nose as a major issue. They said that the nose, a key feature of any face, had been made to look more Western and less Asian. In theory that would be an example of white-washing, a term that refers to the practice of media to portray characters of color with white or lighter-skinned actors, or in this case, designs.
The word the New Yorker used to call Stellar Blade’s character was “wasian”, a combination of ‘white’ and ‘Asian’, implying a mixture of the two ethnicities.
The character’s ethnicity was not the only thing that drew criticism. Many New Yorkers also voiced their worries about the character’s age.
Even though the character is a main player in a sophisticated story, the character looks very young, almost too young for some. This, along with a radical change in appearance from the apparent inspiration of the design, has made many fans feel alienated and puzzled.
The character’s physical appearance has also been a source of dispute. Critics say that the character has been oversexualized, a frequent complaint in the gaming industry where female characters are often designed with unrealistic body shapes and skimpy outfits.
One New Yorker even said that the character looked like it had been designed by men who had never met a real woman, resulting in an unrealistic and idealized version based on fantasy rather than reality.
New Yorkers react to Stellar Blade #StellarBlade PS5 Video Game pic.twitter.com/ZrzD6S50hm
— Karim Jovian (@KJovian) February 7, 2024
This controversy has caused a lot of backlash against the Stellar Blade developers, who are now accused of cultural appropriation and whitewashing by people on social media. The developers, who probably expected their character to be a success with fans, are now facing a PR nightmare as they deal with the turbulent waters of public opinion.
