Perfect Dark reboot developer The Initiative, which is owned by Xbox Game Studios and Microsoft, declares that it values “inclusivity.”
A screenshot of Joanna Dark from Perfect Dark (2024), The Initiative
The developer’s goals and values are being scrutinized following a gameplay trailer of the Perfect Dark reboot that was showcased during the Xbox Games Showcase 2024 earlier this month.
READ: Microsoft And Xbox Roasted For Making ‘Perfect Dark’s’ Joanna Dark Look Like A Man
Many gamers criticized the character design of the game’s protagonist Joanna Dark claiming they made the character more masculine. They also criticized Microsoft, Xbox Game Studios, and The Initiative for giving the character the “modern audience” treatment.
One such gamer was YouTuber Melonie Mac, she wrote, “I will never forgive them for this, Joanna Dark gets the ‘modern audience’ treatment. The disrespect.”
I will never forgive them for this, Joanna Dark gets the “modern audience” treatment. The disrespect. pic.twitter.com/koukDTaa10
— Melonie Mac ✝️🎮🖤 (@MelonieMac) June 9, 2024
On the company’s website, The Initiative states, “We believe that people are our most important asset as we look to innovate and build the games of the future. Valuing inclusivity and trust, we foster a collaborative, thoughtful and self-aware environment where we continually strive to improve together.”
It adds, “Our experienced, passionate team is driven to build something great, and we believe that diversity of perspectives is key to our success.”
A screenshot of The Initiative’s website
Given the character design for Dark and the numerous criticisms it has received it is no surprise that the developer claims to value inclusivity. In fact, Xbox boss Phil Spencer also made it clear that one of the main benefits of the reboot for the company was to feature a female protagonist.
He told IGN, “I think it’s awesome for us. We can focus on a female protagonist in our lineup. We don’t have a lot of that in our first-party [lineup].”
Spencer added, “I think Joanna offers a lot of modern opportunities that I love to see the team kind of focusing on, having a strong protagonist.”
A screenshot of Perfect Dark (2024), The Initiative
It’s also not surprising given the studio has partnered with Crystal Dynamics in order to develop the game. Crystal Dynamics issued a trigger warning in front of the recently released Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Starring Lara Croft game. The trigger warning reads, “The games in this collection contain offensive depictions of people and cultures rooted in racial and ethnic prejudices. These stereotypes are deeply harmful, inexcusable, and do not align with our values at Crystal Dynamics.”
It adds, “Rather than removing this content, we have chosen to present it here in its original form, unaltered, in the hopes that we may acknowledge its harmful impact and learn from it.”
Tomb Raider I-III Remastered trigger warning
Microsoft, Xbox’s parent company, also has a Gaming For Everyone’s Product Inclusion Framework. This framework requires developers to ask a series of questions:
- Are you reinforcing any negative gender stereotypes?
- Are you unnecessarily introducing gender & gender barriers into your code or design?
- Are you creating playable female characters that are equal in skill and ability to their male peers. Are your female characters equipped with clothing and armor that fits their tasks? Do they have exaggerated body proportions?
- When the story allows, do you show male characters who display a full range of emotions, including joy, sadness, and vulnerability?
A screenshot of Microsoft’s Product Inclusion Action: Help Customers Feel Seen
Microsoft’s Head of Gaming for Everyone & Sustainability Katy Jo Wright informed Games Industry that the framework is not compulsory telling the outlet, “The framework is not a checklist. It’s not a mandate. Even internally, it’s not that at all. It’s just… a way for you to get your game into the hands of more players in a meaningful way.”
However, the Help Customers Feel Seen Product Inclusion Action page does provide a checklist to achieve the goals developers come up with. The third step specifically states:
3. Create & surface content that depicts diverse characters, stories and creators
- Create playable characters that reflect the broader population. Review how identities represented on screen (gender identities, races, sexual orientations, ability status, ages, and body sizes) match up to the broader population. Make sure that characters are not tokenized or stereotyped based on their identities.
- Review how identities represented in your product such as gender, race, sexuality, nationality, cultural, ability, age, and size compare to the broader global player population. Be intentional about which identities are present and highlighted according to what’s right for your product and market.
- Make sure that characters are not tokenized or stereotyped based on their identities. No person or character can be a monolith to represent all people with that identity.
- Practice inclusive casting for any talent required to bring representation to life in your product.
- Validate your execution for your Inclusive Listening Systems (consultants/advisory councils, user research).
A screenshot of Microsoft’s Product Inclusion Action: Help Customers Feel Seen
What do you make of The Initiative declaring that they value “inclusivity?”
