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by Shmebulock 2042 days ago
I think most people that waste their lives with video games and "make you feel good" fantasies of this kind don't care about historical accuracy; it's not about understanding reality but about feeling good and "engaged". That's what sells.

And yeah, the makers of samurai games definitely consider the marketability of their games with regards to races portrayed. Consider the samurai game "Nioh" which takes place in feudal Japan, has a white protagonists and includes a black character.

2 comments

>Consider the samurai game "Nioh" which takes place in feudal Japan, has a white protagonists and includes a black character.

You do know they were based on actual historical figures, right?

Huh, I didn't know that.

Still, I think it says a lot that they picked these particular historical moments instead of the probably overwhelming history of Asian people doing samurai-ey things

The question is not whether someone did in fact include black samurais, but whether not doing so would negatively impact the market for the game.

> "make you feel good" fantasies of this kind don't care about historical accuracy;

Similarly irrelevant.

The example I provided shows that people with actual skin in the game think that it impacts the market which to me is one of the best indicators that it actually does.

The impression that I have of people that play such games makes it seem plausible to me.

What would be a comment to your question that you wouldn't consider irrelevant? Should I conduct an experiment and let it be peer reviewed?