Racism in Games

[El Santos]

Hi Just thought it was a important to talk about issue in games.this came about a article attacking RE 5 (http://kotaku.com/gaming/zombie-racism/black-looks-on-re-5-racism-284725.php)
I think the people that are calling these game are racially stupid. Why didn't they complain about RE 4 Leon(white guy) was killing the Spanish in Spain. Seriously when I was playing RE 4 I was like this is awesome I know what he saying. What I 'm saying is there is real racial issue to complain about. That see there's the Smyrna Police and the KKK which is 1 in the same.

[Puppet Master]

No matter what is done the fact of the matter is someone will find a reason to bitch about it.

[Chuplayer]

I played King of Fighters 98 with a friend of mine. He's black.

Without thinking about it, I chose Lucky as one of my characters. He's black. I play as him a lot.

When I got around to using Lucky, my friend jokingly said, "No way! They just had to give him a basketball, didn't they?"

I misunderstood him and thought he was talking about Mai's basketballs, but I should've known better because hers are more like beachballs.

[GetterBeam]

As far as the bar goes in terms of making a racist game, I doubt RE5...even if it was actively trying...could hope to best Plok! for SNES.

That game illustrates the secret of making racism in a game so powerful it may very well affect you for the rest of your life. Driving soundtrack, a generational struggle, tragic circumstances, breakneck adventure, and an epic sense of a quest are the secrets to pushing such a message in a game.

Prior to watching the TAS of the game, I was like most people. Sure, I'd had some annoying run-ins in the past...but mainly it was going along with the crowd as far as my peers and elders that I had in my life...to where ya just felt it was natual and came from within you. Then came Plok!...and it blew the doors off the true understanding when it comes down to a passionate hatred of FLEAS! The story, action, music...all sucked in me and I've hated Fleas 100 times more ever since.

http://tasvideos.org SNES section...there's a torrent that still seems to live as well as a direct emu file for play back on a PC. Come for the ridiculous gameplay and music showcased, leave with a passionate hatred for Fleas.

[Johnny]

The RE5 thing is an absolute fucking joke. Was it racism when CJ in GTA: San Andreas was killing white guys? No it wasn't. If it was all white zombies/characters, some cunt would be whining that non-whites weren't represented enough.

The whole politically correct gaming thing has gotten way out of hand. From Manhunt 2 being banned, to Brain Training and Mario Party 8 being pulled for featuring the word 'spastic' to Zack and Wiki having an Islamic phrase removed, it's just not funny anymore.

There needs to be a new movie/play/book for all these moral guardians to rally against and leave us to play games in peace.

[Lovely]

Wait... "spastic" is a "bad" word now? When did this happen? Am I missing a meaning here 0_o ?

[Johnny]

Wait... "spastic" is a "bad" word now? When did this happen? Am I missing a meaning here 0_o ?

Well, in the US, it generally means (from what I can tell) something completely different than it does in the UK.

The US meaning is something more akin to crazy or frantic, whereas the UK word is a derogatory term for someone who is mentally ill.

The Brain Training game used the word as an 'insult', i.e. if you got a low score, it called you a spastic. Which I can kinda see how it could offend.
On the other hand, the word in Mario Party was in a completely different context (seems to have been left in from the US translation). I think the phrase was something like "this train is going spastic", in other words "this train is moving in an unpredictable/odd way" but for one reason or another someone has decided that even in that context (where it was a train and not, y'know, an actual person being referred to) it was offensive. Trains have feelings too I guess :sigh: :roll:

EDIT: This (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spastic) should explain it better.

[Chacranajxy]

As far as the RE5 thing, people need to get the fuck over it. Unfortunately, I have no interest in the race card or the people who hide behind it.

[JeffDM]

Well, in the US, it generally means (from what I can tell) something completely different than it does in the UK.

I don't think the connotation is that much lighter here. It may be more accepted but I think the meaning is still similar in the US.

[Greywing]

To Zack and Wiki having an Islamic phrase removed, it's just not funny anymore.

Uhh... say wha? O.O

[Gundamhead]

I guess I can kinda see where they are coming on this one. The sub-human hordes and all that. Except that they already killed a bunch of white zombies in the previous games. Also isn't Resident Evil made by a Japanese company (Capcom)? Do they think the Japanese have some sort of deeply held racial animosity with people in Africa? So yeah, doesn't hold up to well.

[Greywing]

Just finished looking at the actual Kotaku article. Umm... wow. Does the lady complaining realise there were four games before it where you're killing predominantly caucasian zombies and one with hispanic villager...zombie... things? Or that the games are made in Japan? I mean, surely black flesheaters have been painfully under-represented until now! </sarcasm>

I've seriously got no time for racism. But, just as Joe Quesada, the Editor in Chief of Marvel Comics, frequently says: "Now here’s the way I see it. I’m Hispanic, and there is a serious lack of Hispanic representation in comics today, so I’d personally love to see more Hispanics as lead characters or heroes in the future. However, by me asking for and desiring that kind of inclusion into the world of mainstream comics, I have to accept all that comes with that. Heroes are placed into dangerous situations, sometimes heroes get killed, sometimes they get placed into torturous peril and yes, sometimes they get attacked by the Brood. For me to ask for inclusion and then to find exception to the things that come with that inclusion is then in effect me asking for special treatment and exclusion from the process."

Now, ravening zombie hordes aren't exactly main characters but whose to say that Chris won't be aided in Africa by, for example, a strong black woman character who can more than hold her own and is on a level footing with him? Or perhaps, in a massive plot twist, Chris is killed or infected a hour into the game and you play it as one of the uninfected humans who, in Africa, are largely going to be black?

Her view seems very sensationalised - if RE5 was set in Korea or India, does anyone think for a second she's be complaining that the game featured Chris killing Asian or Indian zombies? Or is it more likely she's just bitching to make a political statement that once again uses videogames as an easy target?

[Citizen Klaus]

To Zack and Wiki having an Islamic phrase removed, it's just not funny anymore.

Uhh... say wha? O.O

Read (http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/01/islamic-phrase-removed-from-zack-and-wiki/) and learn.

Edit: Also check here (http://biz.gamedaily.com/industry/news/?id=16999) for the original source.

[WRX]

I always thought RE games were more prejudiced against the metabolically-challenged than any particular race.

[Lego]

I wouldn't call it racism but a lot of games have tip toed around the Islamic community. Even OOT was edited because the Fire Temple chant sounded like a Muslim prayer. As for racism you usually see it via stereotypes. The asian character has swords and can do karate, the black guy is good at athletics and can kick ass, and the white guy is the "I crap puppies" type of guy.

I can't remember the last time I encountered blatant racism inside a game.

[CrazyAsano]

To Zack and Wiki having an Islamic phrase removed, it's just not funny anymore.

Uhh... say wha? O.O

Read (http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/01/islamic-phrase-removed-from-zack-and-wiki/) and learn.

Edit: Also check here (http://biz.gamedaily.com/industry/news/?id=16999) for the original source.
Is there any way I can acquire this knowledge without learning?

[Greywing]

To Zack and Wiki having an Islamic phrase removed, it's just not funny anymore.

Uhh... say wha? O.O

Read (http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/01/islamic-phrase-removed-from-zack-and-wiki/) and learn.

Edit: Also check here (http://biz.gamedaily.com/industry/news/?id=16999) for the original source.
Is there any way I can acquire this knowledge without learning?

Cyberbrain implant.

[Isuzu Inugami]

Read (http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/01/islamic-phrase-removed-from-zack-and-wiki/) and learn.


Is there any way I can acquire this knowledge without learning?

Just read it with your eyes closed.

[Merr]

Eh, I can totally see where this woman is coming from, but I do think she may be blowing things a bit out of proportion. H

Her concern is slightly valid though, since it is conceivable that the whole "white man killing black people" thing could contribute to racist ways of thinking that already exist in the world. It's one thing to have a game where you kill Spanish people in Spain, since there really isn't much bigotry against Spaniards in the world (although I'm sure it exists somewhere out there). There is a legitimate problem with racism against black people though, so the game could potentially reinforce that type of thinking since it's already out there (I kind of doubt it will though). You have to remember that the state of society itself has an effect on whether something is legitimately racist.

Enough of that though, since I don't want to get into a long sociological argument with someone. I don't think the game should be censored or anything, but I also don't think that this woman is just a paranoid nutbag bent on ridding the world of all entertainment. She has a point.

[broodwars]

Personally, I have to call B.S. on the lady's argument. RE5 takes place in Africa it seems, so who was she expecting he'd be shooting? A chinese sect of Yakuza?

Now, if the game were about Chris being sent to Africa to spread the T-Virus or something because Malaria wasn't effective enough to kill the mostly-black populace, THEN she would have a point. But it's not, so she doesn't.

[Zorak]

This is a joke, right?

[DKL]

Actually, I think the game is set in Haiti...

Anyway... when you think of the setting...

What the hell kind of people do you expect to find?

People from the setting; for one thing, it'd be damn unnatural if the vast majority of the people from the location weren't actually people from the location.

Also, the context here, I'm assuming, is that Las Plagas was brought over from the 4th game... so of course they're acting all screwy.

Yeah... this is kind of a stupid issue... but hey, you can count on one thing: this game shall eventually be the source of many an inappropriate joke.

(already is at the other board I'm going to, actually)

Oh...

And I need a 360; this game is gonna be fuckin' EPIC.

[Lovely]

Here's the actual blog in question (http://www.blacklooks.org/page/2) for those of you who hadn't seen it.

Aaah, it's a racist blog itself actually. The original blog post has a LOT of comments from gamers. Most pretty civil, telling the author that the previious games in the series involved mostly white zombies.
Her response?
All Zombies should be white.

...Right.

Than her friend writes a post in this same blog, totally ignoring the good responses and only picking out the few ignorant ones. She then stated (in a nutshell) that all gamers are evil and that she sensed another Columbine happening.

....Right.

[Lego]

Man, we gamers take shots from everyone don't we?

[GetterBeam]

First you get the sugar.

Then you get the power.

Then you get the women.

Until gamers hold office, insane cash, etc...it will always be held towards more insane standards than Film, TV, Books, and whatnot.

"All Zombies must be White."

Somebody better warn this bitch to never watch Blackula or else she might hurt herself in a fit of passionate, indignant rapture.

[Fudce]

This is a quote from the complaintant blog:
This is problematic on so many levels, including the depiction of Black people as inhuman savages, the killing of Black people by a white man in military clothing, and the fact that this video game is marketed to children and young adults. Start them young... fearing, hating, and destroying Black people.
(bolding by me)

It lost all credibility when they claimed that Resident Evil (RE4 was rated 15 by the BBFC, PEGI, a voluntary rating scheme in Europe rated it 18+) is aimed at children. Young Adults maybe, but not children.

Anyway, I'm gonna step away from this one, it's stepping too close to the "politics" line for my liking.

[Lego]

Thats why people fight so hard against dicks like Tack Jhompson. Gamers know that almost all of his stuff is a load of BS, but the general "OMG GAMERS ARE KILLERS" public doesn't. You let things like this go unchallenged and you have people behave exactly like this woman. Only a matter of time before Rev. Al jumps on board claiming its racist.

[HitokiriShadow]

Here's the actual blog in question (http://www.blacklooks.org/page/2) for those of you who hadn't seen it.

Aaah, it's a racist blog itself actually. The original blog post has a LOT of comments from gamers. Most pretty civil, telling the author that the previious games in the series involved mostly white zombies.
Her response?
All Zombies should be white.

...Right.

Than her friend writes a post in this same blog, totally ignoring the good responses and only picking out the few ignorant ones. She then stated (in a nutshell) that all gamers are evil and that she sensed another Columbine happening.

....Right.

My favorite response:

I´m spanish.

Resident Evil 4 was sited in Spain.

Everybody around the world killed the spanish people in the game.

We still alive. What a surprise!!

Sadly, the woman that wrote this probably didn't bother reading most of it.

It was great how the two or three people who supported her also ignored all of the sane and reasoned comments. And, sadly, 4chan helped reinforce their opinions of videogamers.

[indigo0086]

The people I'm most ashamed of from this whole "fiasco"...Gamers.

It was the gamers who decided that a sigle blog be the subject of such heated debate as though it came flaming through the nostrils of Jack Thompson himself. It was the gamers who decided that her blog needed inarticulate and insulting comments however deserving they believe it to be. It was the gamers that blew things out of proportion.

One person voiced their opinion, welcome to humanity (or at least a civilized subset of it). If you don't like it, fine, but don't give this class action attention because it contains words like "black" and "white" and "game" and "race". If you're unlucky enough, those words will visit you throughout your lifetime, just fyi. If this makes it on the news...I'll blame you, the gamers.

But maybe it's just me, let's make some topics equally undeserving of such discussion such as "Gas Barrel victims, what do their families think" or "Demeaning wardrobe and the female characters affected by them".

[JeffDM]

Here's the actual blog in question (http://www.blacklooks.org/page/2) for those of you who hadn't seen it.

Aaah, it's a racist blog itself actually. The original blog post has a LOT of comments from gamers. Most pretty civil, telling the author that the previious games in the series involved mostly white zombies.
Her response?
All Zombies should be white.

...Right.

I guess all the racists should be white too, but that's not the case.



Than her friend writes a post in this same blog, totally ignoring the good responses and only picking out the few ignorant ones. She then stated (in a nutshell) that all gamers are evil and that she sensed another Columbine happening.

....Right.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I think this is called a red herring diversion. I think that's a clue that she subconciously knows that she's got a pretty weak argument. This kind of person tried to pin games on the VT fruit but it wasn't true there, I don't think any of the popular culture scapegoats were involved.

[Mark]

The article is totally a knee-jerk reaction to a screenshot or something. The game takes place in Haiti. Chances are, you'll be fighting zombiefied Haitians. If it was in China, it'd be zombiefied Chinese. If it was in Canada, it'd be zombiefied lumberjacks.
It's just a matter of geography.