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Final Fantasy 16’s producer said every wrong thing when asked about the game’s diversityThe magic crystals are historically accurate, see
The magic crystals are historically accurate, see
In a sprawling interview withIGN,Final Fantasy 16producer Naoki Yoshida addressed the lack of apparent racial diversity in the game’s trailers. “This is a difficult question, but not one that was unexpected,” said Yoshida, before standing immediately upon every rake in front of him.
“This is a difficult question, but not one that was unexpected, seeing as diversity in entertainment media has become a much-discussed topic as of late. The answer I have, however, may end up being disappointing to some depending on individual expectations,” starts Yoshida.
FINAL FANTASY XVI “DOMINANCE”Watch on YouTube
FINAL FANTASY XVI “DOMINANCE”
As Yoshida predicted, I’m disappointed with the answer. Specifically, the invocation of medieval Europe as a reason for homogeneity in a fantasy setting is infuriating. In part because medieval Europe had diversity, and becausehistory is messyand themiddle ages were weird.
Yoshida’s response doesn’t stop there, however. “Ultimately, we felt that while incorporating ethnic diversity into Valisthea was important, an over-incorporation into this single corner of a much larger world could end up causing a violation of those narrative boundaries we originally set for ourselves,” he says. “The story we are telling is fantasy, yes, but it is also rooted in reality.
“In the end, we simply want the focus to be less on the outward appearance of our characters and more on who they are as people — people who are complex and diverse in their natures, backgrounds, beliefs, personalities, and motivations. People whose stories we can resonate with. There is diversity in Valisthea. Diversity that, while not all-encompassing, is synergistic with the setting we’ve created and is true to the inspirations from which we are drawing.”
Which just about covers all the bad idea bases, from ‘we made everyone white because the alternative might be controversial’ to ‘our game about magic is just being true to history’ to the entirely self-defeating ‘the appearance of our characters is totally irrelevant anyway’. Even if you believe the lie that medieval Europe lacked all racial diversity: Final Fantasy 16, a game about crystals going wrong, is clearly drawing on history in only extremely selective ways. Making everyone or almost everyone white was a choice.
