Does Ethnic matter in Video Game marketing?

Video Games of today feature all types of different cultures, but with this said, looking back on a majority of triple A titles, they always feature one of two ethnics as the main characters of the video game's plot. White American, or Japanese characters are usually the main focus of a lot of popular games, "Is it because White or Japanese influenced characters are more guaranteed to sell more copies?"

The other day I was thinking about picking up a copy of Final Fantasy XIII-2, but I refuse to pay for an ending to the game, so that got me thinking... What ever happened to the Final Fantasy game titled Versus XIII. I surfed the internet looking for a trailer, and it wasn't hard to find. I began to watch it and I was enjoying it quite a bit, until I came across a scene where it seems to be the other characters in the game walking dramatically to there car. All the characters seem to look alike, I know they're different, but I couldn't help feel like I've seen these characters before. Where's the variety in ethnics??? and I'm not talking about adding some other ethnic as a Support character, I'm talking main Character. Everyone says, "Well that's there culture." Yea and they're Square Enix, they have enough money to go and explore new cultures, hell! with the internet they can just search other cultures.
Just  because of this one pic I took from the trailer it got me thinking. Is this a marketing thing???, making a main character other than what has become the status quo, are developers afraid they won't see a profit? Not getting it??? ok let me paint you a picture.

Naughty Dog's Uncharted is a well written, adventure game for Playstation 3, and a lot of fans like the series main character Nathan Drake. Now... what if Nathan was Mexican, would this game still be as popular as it is today, what if there was only one white guy in this whole game, and it was Cutter from the third installment, would people be interested in buying it. Gameplay is still the same, Graphics are as beautiful as ever, and the storyline is unlike no other. What if Final Fantasy's Lightning was of Puerto Rican decent, would she be as popular or would the game have even sold?

Look at Naughty Dog's new Title the Last of Us.

The Two Main characters are Caucasians, what if the Male protagonist was a African American, with an Asian American Girl, would the game still recieve the same amount of hype that is now. The game is based off some sort of disaster in a city where I assume there is other ethnics.

Now we have the new Prototype game coming out, and it features an African American Protagonist, but the Hype to this title is minimum, there are some people waiting for this game, but we all know it's not going to be game of the year. Is it the character, or is it because gamers are cautious because of the previous title.

I was recently looking through my game collection, and I notice out of the 200+ titles that I own only Five of them feature ethincs other than White or Japanese as the main characters.
Why am I asking this question??? Simply because I can? and I want to know other people's thoughts, I mean Grand Theft Auto Series did it, added all kinds of ethnic main characters in there games, but GTA games will sell regardless. The main question is, Why don't we have more Ethnics playing as main Characters in video games? and is it indeed a Marketing equation?

Unplayed Impressions - Resident Evil Operation Raccoon City

In just five days, Capcom's brand new Resident Evil title "Operation  Raccoon City" hit's North America's store shelves. Although it's a RE title, not too many gamers are excited for the game, flooded with complaints from a small majority of fans. Fans are already judging the game, and it's developer Slant Six Games, saying it graphically looks to close to the well known Socom Series, that the company is known for. Many say that Capcom is trying to hard, to cater to western Gamers, "Is it them catering to western Gamers, or are they trying something new?". To many are quick to judge. Yes! we all know it's not survival horror, but this game wasn't meant to be, it's a Four player Co-Op Action experience. We also know that the series story never went the way RE:ORC is telling it, Slant Six already explained that it's a what if story, it doesn't effect the main lore. Although the game is off to a rocky start with fans, that doesn't mean it won't be fun, try it first, then judge.

DLC - Deceitful Large Corporations

Now we're all are aware of the, money hungry gaming corporations that use DLC to collect off profits. However!, How far is too far?
Plenty of games have used DLC to profit off of gaming sales, Capcom, Activision, Hell you name it. Although there are complaints from
Gamers all over the world, there are equal shares of them buying it. A large majority are pretty pissed because of the most recent DLC
that was announced, which was from 2 of the biggest games to come out in March.

Bioware's Mass Effect 3 was on top of this list, gamers around the world were so excited for the release of the major conclusion to the trilogy. This excitement would suddenly die out to the shit-storm known as day one DLC, that EA announced on there behalf. The DLC was a key part in Mass Effect 3 story, that included the mysterious Alien race known as the Protheans as A PLAYABLE F**KING CHARACTER. WHY THE F**K DO WE HAVE TO PAY FOR THAT???, what makes this worst, they came up with some stupid reason to add it for free to the Collector's Edition, Hey assholes!!! technically we're still paying for it.

  Next is the king of tricking gamers into the DLC goodness train, Capcom. Capcom has made a name for themselves by screwing over gamers this generation, with there incomplete games. We all remember the Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 Fiasco don't we, well it seems Capcom hasn't learned there lesson when they just released Capcom X Tekken, and why should they learn, fans still by into there bull crap. Just recently, fans found out that there are 12 additional characters locked away on the disc, that you have to pay for later. WAIT! WHAT!!!, Capcom's response "save hard drive space and to ensure for a smooth transition when the DLC is available." Who else calls bull!!!

Unplayed Impressions - Medal Of Honor Warfighter

Yes!!! EA!, Yes!!! please, this is exactly what we want!!!, another First-Person Shooter, we don't have enough of these, even though you gave us Medal of Honor, Battlefield 3, and Syndicate, gamers want more of this. To be honest when I saw this I couldn't help but laugh my way to tears of melancholy. Is this really what gaming has become, everyone trying to take the crown from Activision's Call of Duty series, I haven't seen this much stupidity since everyone tried to draw like Jim Lee in the 90's. Seriously, all that talent in the game industry, and can't one of these so called graduates think of something fresh and new. I'm telling you it's gonna happen, gaming's gonna have another crash. WATCH!!!!

The Unplayed - Freedom Fighters Review

Freedom Fighters is without a shadow of a doubt, one of the most creative Third-Person shooters to ever come out on the Playstation 2. It has an engaging storyline, Squad mechanics, and a brilliant musical score that sets the mood for every mission you take on. Freedom Fighters is a cult classic, it's so much of a classic game in fact, that when Turning Point: Fall of Liberty was Annouced, you couldn't help think Freedom Fighters. When the story of Homefront came to light, you could not help but think... HEY?? What ever happened to FREEDOM FIGHTERS.

Freedom Fighters story is set in an alternate time-line, where the Soviet Union ended World War II, by creating the Nuclear Bomb First and dropping it over Berlin. So picture the Soviet Union being the most powerful country in the world, and the United States is second rate. Over the course of time they invade countless country, and the great US of A, is on this country we're going to dominate next list. You play as Christopher Stone, a plumber who's doing a daily routine with his brother, to go unclog some woman's sink, only to walk into the leader of the Resistance home, that gets crashed by AK47 carrying Soviet Soldiers, On a Monday Morning.

The game-play for Freedom Fighters is solid and easy to learn, you can run and gun, although it's not recommended if your playing on Normal or anything higher than that difficulty, cause you will die a lot, trust me. You have to use cover, but because this is an older game, there is no cover system. So boys and girls, take off those diapers that this generation has given you, run behind those box and crates and press that crouch button like there's no tomorrow. Throughout the game you have to take over certain bases and blow up different structures such as helipads and electric generators, doing these things makes other missions easier. Not getting it... Ok, let me explain. If there is a Chopper in Queens, shooting at your squad, Go over to Brooklyn, blow up the helipad with the Chopper on it, and it won't show up at queens anymore, get it now, Chopper go bye bye. Squad mechanics is where you have most of your fun, you can recruit Freedom Fighters right off the street to fight along side you. You can issue your brave Men and Women to regroup, defend, or attack. What makes the system really impressive is, everything you do such as, healing a wounded civilian, to blowing up bridges or infrastructures gains you more charisma. Charisma represents how much the people believe in you, and the more people that believe in you, grants you more Fighters you can recruit and take into battle.

The game's Narrative is told, at points when your at the Resistance's base of operations, through the supporting cast letting you know what going on in the city streets, or thorough a Soviet propaganda News channel on a Television shown in between acts. What really pushes this game, is its soundtrack, the musical score that Freedom Fighters puts out, makes you feel the emotion of what the Freedom Fighters are going through, and what they lost in the process. This game's music is iconic to fans of the series, hell by the time I was finish, my girlfriend was humming the theme.

Overall, It's damn there awesome!!!, there is nothing wrong with this game, the AI is a challenging, your squad listens, they take cover where needed, and the game emotionally grabs you right from the start. Even to this day, I still pop it in and play it all the way from beginning to end, cause it's just that damn good. We don't get games like this anymore, EA!!! Listen to the fans.......
WE DEMAND OUR SEQUEL TO FREEDOM FIGHTERS, THAT'S NOT A FIRST-PERSON SHOOTER.

OVERALL - 10 out of 10

Unplayed Impressions - Rayman Origins

Hands down, the coolest, most creative, Platform game this console generation. Why isn't Rayman Origins, game of the year... Oh yea, because it's not a generic first, or third-person shooter. I tell you I haven't seen this much creativity in a game since the PS1 Era. I bought this game not really knowing what I was getting myself into, I just know a lot of gamers mentioned it, a select few praised it, and the other majority doesn't care because they spend most of there time drooling over the new Mass Effect 3 trailer. (NEWSFLASH!!!! Just because you turn an RPG with shooting mechanics into a full fledge Turd-person shooter, doesn't mean it's better) Rayman Origins is a breath of fresh air when it comes to this gaming generation, and I wish I knew about this game earlier, I would have gladly coughed up $60 for something with this much originality.