Over on the Acclaim message boards, the news has popped up that in their new game, Dance! Online, you have to pay in order to have a character with black skin. Yes, you have to PAY MONEY in order to be a different race. Why? Well, let's go to coasterguy26, an "Acclaim Player Moderator" for a response.
Black is an EXTRA feature. It makes your person look unique, so that is an EXTRA feature. Therefore, you having to PAY for it. (Or ask a friend to pay for it).
Well, that's not helping things. Someone from Acclaim Staff chimed into all of this with what the actual situation is:
As an optional character upgrade, we must put this in the item shop for players to acquire. This is the only way to offer the African-American heads. However, it should be EASILY accessible to all, so we made it just 1 POINT in the shop (which is basically for FREE). You don't have to spend any money to get it, just play the game and earn points. Thanks!
Nonetheless, this is absolutely insane that if I were to ever play this game, I would have to earn the right to be black. The problem is that there's no benefit to buying the "black outfit" for your character -- it's simply a stylistic difference. To add fuel to the fire, the game allows marriages, but as one commenter at Broken Toys points out, doesn't allow gay marriages.
[Via GameSetWatch]
Contest:
12:07 PM on 04.16.2007
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So you're forced to be white? That sucks. What about Asian?
Acclaim more like AKKKLAIM amirite?
No, white people don't dominate the industry at all.
ahem, so what about us lower class humans, known as mecsi-cans?
so how many virtual slaves can i buy
WINO has a brokeback mountain avatar... oh boy
Well, going for something less gay looking than the final fantasy guys shouldn't have been that hard.
I know what you mean. Its just being "PC". I knew an "african-american" once in high school. But he was white. From Kenya.
I descended from Ireland. You don't call me Irish-American. I'm just some white guy, or honkey (but hung like a donkey).
Being PC is just retarded. Oh, I'm sorry, Retarded-American. It never makes any sense.
WTF FTW!
this is actually a good thing.
I hope not. ; ;
Racial stereotypes and imminent PR disasters FTW!
I don't want to see Destructoid sensationalizing the gaming news like conventional news sites, but it looks like its happening!
YOU GOT: CLOWN SHOES!
CREDIBILITY: DOWN!