Videogame characters are starting to look the same.

[Big-Cat]

I found this article on SRK originally and thought it'd be a good discussion.

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/117/1177659p1.html

Aside from laziness in terms of design, I don't see how people project themselves on characters like these. I also like the proposed redesign for Cole way more than the final design.

 

[Lythium]

But the design on the right is the original design from the first inFamous. Plus, your appearance in inFamous changes depending on your karma or whatever they call it. I prefer the final design of inFamous 2 Cole. :3c

Interesting article though.

 

[OmegaXXII]

I must say that they did bring up a good point about a generic looking Vin Diesel.

And what's with the GTA VI guy and Baldur? They look like they are lost twin brothers or something.

 

[Jimnymebob]

Out of all the characters in that article, I think Niko Bellic looks the least like the others.
But I agree that Cole's inFamous 2 design is much better than his original and the prototype design.

 

[finalark]

Not like this is a new thing. Generally in lesser and more forgettable games in every genre characters look alike due to lazy design. The fact that this same lazy design is common in big-name titles is troubling, though.

 

[SonicBOOM XS]

I knew Robin was looking like another guy, just couldn't pinpoint who.

I originally settled on Eminem, then this reminded me of the SW:TFU2 Apprentice. XD

But to me, Sev and the guy from Turok look really close. Just a cheek and hair difference.

 

[theeboredone]

Developers being lazy because they don't want to deal with "flowing" hair. Making someone have a buzz cut is the easy way out. Not asking for everyone's hair to be like all Japanese anime...but I mean, look at Nathan Drake.

Even their look is the same...not just the hair =/.

 

[Spire]

A great design.

 

[Ryu Shimazu]

^ Link looks better.

 

[OmegaXXII]

A great design.

What are you talking about? He already looks like this guy here:

 

[SonicBOOM XS]

Yays for 20 years of character originality.

 

[smash brawl player 99021]

This gets my vote for dumbest thread made.

 

[F8AL]

This gets my vote for dumbest thread made.

Yet you took the time to reply to it. Let them have their fun.

 

[Fuelbi]

Yays for 20 years of character originality.

Lies he ripped his look off someone else

 

[finalark]

Lies he ripped his look off someone else

Except for the fact that Adventure's redesign of Sonic is a million times better than the Genesis era Sonic

 

[Luigitoilet]

I like things about both designs, but overall I prefer the classic Sonic. The super long legs they gave modern Sonic is really weird to me.

 

[Fuelbi]

I like things about both designs, but overall I prefer the classic Sonic. The super long legs they gave modern Sonic is really weird to me.

Tall and slim IS the fashion these days amirite

@Finalark, the only reason why the adventure redesign is better was only because of those SOAP shoes

 

[OmegaXXII]

I like things about both designs, but overall I prefer the classic Sonic. The super long legs they gave modern Sonic is really weird to me.

Sonic looks like that because he simply "grew-up" from his early days.

Wait, what am I saying? :/

 

[UberMario]

Not like this is a new thing. Generally in lesser and more forgettable games in every genre characters look alike due to lazy design. The fact that this same lazy design is common in big-name titles is troubling, though.

^THIS

When Sonic came out, there were a ton of platformers involving humanoid animals when companies tried to bank on Sega's success. Most of the top companies, however, tried to stay as different from each other as possible.

Now though, even some of the newer Nintendo characters are starting to look like they were developed by their competition. Jiro looks and acts like a Sonic character while Pit's ally in the new Kid Icarus game looks like a Cloud wannabe.

Sonic looks like that because he simply "grew-up" from his early days.

Wait, what am I saying? :/

Considering Generations is coming out, this is going to be canon. >_>;

 

[finalark]

When Sonic came out, there were a ton of platformers involving humanoid animals when companies tried to bank on Sega's success. Most of the top companies, however, tried to stay as different from each other as possible.

Exactly. Go down to a retro gaming store (they exist) and just try and count the amount of SNES/Gen platformers that started humanoid animals. You would be there all day.

Now though, even some of the newer Nintendo characters are starting to look like they were developed by their competition. Jiro looks and acts like a Sonic character while Pit's ally in the new Kid Icarus game looks like a Cloud wannabe.

Who's Jiro? And Pit's ally reminds me more of Ject or Auron but the point is still the same.

 

[Big-Cat]

This is Jiro.
http://kotaku.com/5809735/the-rolling-western-might-be-nintendos-best+kept-secret

 

[Fuelbi]

Same could be said about TV. Back then every cartoon was basically an talking animal who looked a lot like Mickey

And wow does Jiro really resemble Sonic. They're both vermin, they both have spikey hair things, they can both roll up, and they both go really fast (at least when Jiro is curled up at least)

 

[finalark]

And wow does Jiro really resemble Sonic. They're both vermin, they both have spikey hair things, they can both roll up, and they both go really fast (at least when Jiro is curled up at least)

My thoughts exactly.

 

[Lythium]

That armadillo game looks just like Okamiden, except a little prettier.

They even use the same font.

 

[Mercurium]

Samus and Megaman.
To a certain degree.

 

[finalark]

Samus and Megaman.
To a certain degree.

The only reason why those two look similar is because they booth look mechanical and have a gun for an arm. The fact that their games are from two different genres (metroidvania and platformer, respectively) and the two very different tones those games have set them apart.

 

[Mercurium]

The only reason why those two look similar is because they booth look mechanical and have a gun for an arm. The fact that their games are from two different genres (metroidvania and platformer, respectively) and the two very different tones those games have set them apart.

Agreed for the gameplay aspect, I was only mentioning the two because the idea behind the character was the same.

And despite the differences between the two franchises, you'll still find people arguing that metroid is a mega-man ripoff or vice-versa.

I was citing similarities in the characters, not in the games they were from.

 

[finalark]

Agreed for the gameplay aspect, I was only mentioning the two because the idea behind the character was the same.

I disagree. Samus and Megaman are two very different characters. The idea behind Mega Man is that he's a robotic boy who can take the powers of other robots that he defeats in battle. Samus, on the other hand, is a woman in powered armor who travels to alien worlds to collect bounties on pirates. The only thing that Megaman and Samus have in common is that they both have gun arms.

And despite the differences between the two franchises, you'll still find people arguing that metroid is a mega-man ripoff or vice-versa.

Well those people are stupid.

 

[Pluvia]

They said they left out Marcus from Gears and Commander Shepard from Mass Effect. Well for one thing Marcus does look at least a bit different from the rest of them, and Shepard is supposed to look generic because his facial features, and sex and race, are fully customisable. If you can customise a character it doesn't really count because no one I know uses the bland default Shepard.

 

[GreenKirby]

I don't know why this is suddenly a problem. Muscular white guys with grumpy gus faces seems to be most popular with this country's video game demographic (which consists of white guys with varying muscular size and varying facial expressions)

It's the same thing in Japan only with their men being more thin, slender, and 'girly' looking. Nothing more than a cultural thing.

 

[OmegaXXII]

It's the same thing in Japan only with their men being more thin, slender, and 'girly' looking. Nothing more than a cultural thing.

This is true, two guys I can think off right out the bat is Marth and Roy.

 

[Fuelbi]

Yeah because who here in the US can actually think of a hero who isn't a generic Vin Diesel-like character and actually relate to him.

To me it seems like it's the film industry that's at fault for this. They're the ones who started with the generic guy who looks built and has a buzzcut. Now because games are trying to be more movie like (like metal gear) movies are spreading their influence to games as well. I mean seriously, tell me that Duke Nukem doesn't look like Arnold Schwarzenegger or that Soap McTavish doesn't look like that one guy who has a Mohawk

 

[Big-Cat]

In Duke's defense, he's supposed to look like an over the top action hero from the 90's.