“While I’ll admit that I initially rolled my eyes at yet another Gruff White Male Protagonist."

I noticed this quote while reading the preview of Days Gone. As a white male myself I'm struggling to see what the issue with my body type being represented as the lead of this game. Especially when stats would tell you that most American biker gang leaders are white males. Are developers no longer free to make the choices they want?

https://m.ie.ign.com/articles/2019/03/06/days-gone-open-world-gameplay-impressions

From what I can tell from your quote they seem to go on to say how they grew to like the character despite their original reaction to a very common character canvas?

Edit: Yeah the write goes on about how much they empathised with him etc. 

People seem very quick to get outraged at any sort of mention like this, when it doesn't take much to think that he clearly meant that a white guy beardy scruffy main character has been beat to death. 

That's the time we live in. Afterall diversity equals humanity minus 'white male'.

The initial reaction is the problem here. White males should be looked at as equals to every other type of human. As an Irish white male, my white male ancestors were treated like dirt by the British so why should I be downgraded, just because other white males from other races were dominant in the past? 

I enjoy games with white female, black female and black male leads among other races but the gender or race of the lead is not why. It's because the character created is cool or likeable. If the lead is white male their judgment will still be based on their personality not their race or gender. 

It reminds me of the time I tried watching the "Murphy Brown" reboot with my wife.  In one episode, Murphy Brown is arguing in a bar with a right-wing extremist and at one point she calls him "an old white man".  Not a "bitter" old man, or anything descriptive of his attitude or beliefs that she disagrees with.  But "an old white man" as if just being white should convey negative connotations on its own.   

Yeah I'm conflictedif it's good orbad we've been ignoring blatant white racism for so long d

"Reverse racism" is a thing, and it is spreading like the plague. People tend to be racists anyway, no one says anything publicly, but we all hate each other.

Anyway, a game shouldn't be judged by the looks of its protagonist. Having a female lead doesn't make a game automatically better, balancing the game to highlight her badass-Ness does. Same applies to men of all races, just because you're a black man doesn't mean you're not likeable, relatable, and a badass.

The character just looks boring to me. What color or sex they are doesn't matter.

He didn't roll his eyes because the character's male or because the character's white. He rolled his eyes because the character looks just like a ton of other protagonists out there, who just happen to be white, male and gruff. It has nothing to do with "reverse racism" or any political agenda you might be trying to imply here, but instead with the sameyness in the appearence of video game protagonists.

I don't get outraged by shit like this, i just stop reading and dismiss a preview or review when they start to emphasize race or gender in games or movies where it really shouldn't matter.