Earlier this week GamePolitics covered the opening installments of MTV Multiplayers multipart feature on Black Professionals in Games.
And while Newsweeks popular video game writer NGai Croal was the focus of the series opening article, MTV Multiplayer decided to devote a second installment to his perspective on whether or not there is racist imagery in the controversial trailer for Capcoms upcoming Resident Evil 5.
GamePolitics readers will likley recall last years flap over the trailer which shows RE5s white protagonist mowing down scores of zombies, all black. The game is set in Haiti.
Croal was very clear in his view that the RE5 trailer contains racist imagery:
I was like, Wow, clearly no one black worked on this game. The point isnt that you cant have black zombies. There was a lot of imagery in that trailer that dovetailed with classic racist imagery. What was not funny, but sort of interesting [about the controversy], was that there were so many gamers who could not at all see it. Like literally couldnt see it
Its not as simple as saying, Oh, they shot Spanish zombies in Resident Evil 4, and now black zombies and thats why people are getting upset. The imagery is not the same. It doesnt carry the same history, it doesnt carry the same weight
Its very difficult in this country to have a conversation about race. Everyone brings to it their own history, their own perspective The music that theyre using in the trailer is very reminiscent of the music used in Black Hawk Down which was set in Africa Somalia. That actually was one of the things that was most disturbing because it sort of had a feeling as like, Wow, what research did this team do? Did they only watch Black Hawk Down and give it this kind of vibe?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYObhzZgzv8
http://www.gametrailers.com/player/22801.html
resident evil 5 extended trailer
Victor Godinez, who covers video games for the Dallas Morning News offers his reaction to Croals comments.
I am more than a little sympathetic to [some specific] objections [to Croals view]. On the other hand, anyone who watches that [RE5] preview and doesnt feel at least a little uncomfortable probably isnt paying attention.
As Mr. Croal acknowledges, all weve seen of this game so far is the preview And it could well be that Americans are so unconsciously drilled on what is and is not acceptable in discussions of race that discomfort over the trailer is simply subconscious political correctness kicking in.
In the Arizona Daily Star, Phil Villarreal writes:
Newsweeks NGai Croal by far the deepest thinker and best writer in the field of video game journalism sure seems to think [that RE5 is racist]. Judging from the trailer, he points out callous racial insensitivity that has apparently gone into, if not the game itself, at least its previews.
I think Croal has some valid points, but Id say hes being a little hypersensitive here. This is an industry that evolves around Mario, one of the most blatant ethnic caricatures imaginable. For whatever confluence of reasons, political correctness hasnt been able to penetrate the video game realm as much as it has other media, and whatever racism you find is largely due to innocent ignorance rather than any calculated agenda.
UPDATE: An e-mail from a reader pointed out that while NGai Croal was speaking of racism in the RE5 trailer, this article might be read as Croals condemnation of racism in the finished game itself. That would be difficult, since RE5 isnt scheduled for release until May of of 2009, according to GameStop.
Thus, Ive edited this article to make it clear that NGais comments were about the trailer specifically. Personally, I believe that the trailer represents the game, or, more specifically, a segment of the game that the publisher, Capcom, felt good enough about to release at E3 2007 as the official representation of RE5.
Moreover, if the trailer imagery contains elements of racism, it would have to be chopped from the final game entirely to avoid placing those elements into RE5. This could happen if Capcom is thinking about potential negative reactions to the game in the U.S. market. NGai comments on this aspect:
I dont know how Capcom feels about it. I think releasing that game is going to be very difficult. I think there are people and organizations who arent very understanding of games that if that imagery is brought to them theyre going to be like, Wait, hold up. I dont know how you could put that out. Then you have to say, Does Wal-Mart want to deal with that? Does Target want to deal with that?
Im not saying that censorship is the answer. Im saying that the same rights that allow Capcom to put the game out are the same rights that allow people to bring pressure on people who might release that game. This is why it is important to whoever works in the American office of a company like Capcom to be able to show this is the history, this is where this comes from, this is where we need to be more sensitive. Im not sure theyve done that yet.
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Link to the source of the GamePolitics excerpts:
http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2008...nt-evil-5-trailer-this-imagery-has-a-history/
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Is this really going to be an issue for Wal-Mart?
And while Newsweeks popular video game writer NGai Croal was the focus of the series opening article, MTV Multiplayer decided to devote a second installment to his perspective on whether or not there is racist imagery in the controversial trailer for Capcoms upcoming Resident Evil 5.
GamePolitics readers will likley recall last years flap over the trailer which shows RE5s white protagonist mowing down scores of zombies, all black. The game is set in Haiti.
Croal was very clear in his view that the RE5 trailer contains racist imagery:
I was like, Wow, clearly no one black worked on this game. The point isnt that you cant have black zombies. There was a lot of imagery in that trailer that dovetailed with classic racist imagery. What was not funny, but sort of interesting [about the controversy], was that there were so many gamers who could not at all see it. Like literally couldnt see it
Its not as simple as saying, Oh, they shot Spanish zombies in Resident Evil 4, and now black zombies and thats why people are getting upset. The imagery is not the same. It doesnt carry the same history, it doesnt carry the same weight
Its very difficult in this country to have a conversation about race. Everyone brings to it their own history, their own perspective The music that theyre using in the trailer is very reminiscent of the music used in Black Hawk Down which was set in Africa Somalia. That actually was one of the things that was most disturbing because it sort of had a feeling as like, Wow, what research did this team do? Did they only watch Black Hawk Down and give it this kind of vibe?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYObhzZgzv8
http://www.gametrailers.com/player/22801.html
resident evil 5 extended trailer
Victor Godinez, who covers video games for the Dallas Morning News offers his reaction to Croals comments.
I am more than a little sympathetic to [some specific] objections [to Croals view]. On the other hand, anyone who watches that [RE5] preview and doesnt feel at least a little uncomfortable probably isnt paying attention.
As Mr. Croal acknowledges, all weve seen of this game so far is the preview And it could well be that Americans are so unconsciously drilled on what is and is not acceptable in discussions of race that discomfort over the trailer is simply subconscious political correctness kicking in.
In the Arizona Daily Star, Phil Villarreal writes:
Newsweeks NGai Croal by far the deepest thinker and best writer in the field of video game journalism sure seems to think [that RE5 is racist]. Judging from the trailer, he points out callous racial insensitivity that has apparently gone into, if not the game itself, at least its previews.
I think Croal has some valid points, but Id say hes being a little hypersensitive here. This is an industry that evolves around Mario, one of the most blatant ethnic caricatures imaginable. For whatever confluence of reasons, political correctness hasnt been able to penetrate the video game realm as much as it has other media, and whatever racism you find is largely due to innocent ignorance rather than any calculated agenda.
UPDATE: An e-mail from a reader pointed out that while NGai Croal was speaking of racism in the RE5 trailer, this article might be read as Croals condemnation of racism in the finished game itself. That would be difficult, since RE5 isnt scheduled for release until May of of 2009, according to GameStop.
Thus, Ive edited this article to make it clear that NGais comments were about the trailer specifically. Personally, I believe that the trailer represents the game, or, more specifically, a segment of the game that the publisher, Capcom, felt good enough about to release at E3 2007 as the official representation of RE5.
Moreover, if the trailer imagery contains elements of racism, it would have to be chopped from the final game entirely to avoid placing those elements into RE5. This could happen if Capcom is thinking about potential negative reactions to the game in the U.S. market. NGai comments on this aspect:
I dont know how Capcom feels about it. I think releasing that game is going to be very difficult. I think there are people and organizations who arent very understanding of games that if that imagery is brought to them theyre going to be like, Wait, hold up. I dont know how you could put that out. Then you have to say, Does Wal-Mart want to deal with that? Does Target want to deal with that?
Im not saying that censorship is the answer. Im saying that the same rights that allow Capcom to put the game out are the same rights that allow people to bring pressure on people who might release that game. This is why it is important to whoever works in the American office of a company like Capcom to be able to show this is the history, this is where this comes from, this is where we need to be more sensitive. Im not sure theyve done that yet.
-----
Link to the source of the GamePolitics excerpts:
http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2008...nt-evil-5-trailer-this-imagery-has-a-history/
-----
Is this really going to be an issue for Wal-Mart?
