I began using the Pokémon Go app for the very first time with a basic understanding of how it works. When I was abroad in Ireland during the summer, I watched a couple of my friends play Pokémon Go when we walked around the city of Galway. Nowadays only a few of my friends still play the game.
When I first downloaded the app on my smartphone, I was able to customize my avatar and noticed that the player has two options: male or female with light skin tones. I also noted that customization is limited to a few clothing items, unless you make purchases through the app.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to interact with the Pokémon. When the app asked for permission to take photos and access my media file, I denied it. So when I tried to catch the Pokémon, the app crashed. I didn’t realize that the app needed that permission, so the issue resurfaced after I reinstalled it. After talking about Pokémon Go with some classmates, I realized that I had to grant the game that permission. Once I did that, I was finally able to catch Pokémon.
I wonder why the game doesn’t just use a unisex avatar with a spectrum of hairstyles/lengths, skin tones, and clothing in customization. From what I’ve noticed, thee player watches their selected avatar walk around a map and reflect their own position. They mainly see the back of their avatar as it moves.
Unlike multiplayer games like World of Warcraft, the avatar doesn’t have a significant role in the game. Identity can’t really be reflected by the avatar, and yet the player receives two choices regarding the avatar’s sex instead of a unisex character with a variety of clothing options. The article “Blackless Fantasy” presents the importance of having accurate racial representation in games. To achieve that, the video game has to offer space for players from different backgrounds and genders. Pokémon Go doesn’t achieve that, even though the avatar has the simple role of showing where the player is headed on a map. It’s designed for a particular audience, which excludes a black audience. I think Pokémon Go could improve and become more inclusive by using avatars that don’t only present a binary gender or one specific skin tone.