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[Aggelos]

FUCK this racially insensitive bullshit.
Are all Italians rude animals as seen in The Sopranos? Are all Spaniards crazy, ugly farmers as seen in RE4?

No, they are not.
But we didn't see any people complaining about racist imagery for those cases. We have the racism issue now Biohazard 5.

 

[VeritasVierge]

nobody is taking offense to the idea of shooting black people. JESUS. Its the imagery. Its the way the setting looks and what kind of history that evokes.

Because they are stupid. If the RE5 trailer was better edited, and the people "pre-zombie state" didn't look like they were hostile and inuman, then none of this would be a discussion. People just don't understand what the imagery looks like out of context to people who never played a RE/Biohazard game before.

I really want to do a game as an example where it looks like helpless concentration camp imprisoned Jews seem to be getting offed no other reason than to exploit them. At least that's what a badly edited trailer that's out of context would leave an impression as. It would be the same as this even if there was a legitimate story to be told.

 

[drakesfortune]

1. You not thinking it's racist has no bearing on the opinions of people who do.

2. There is a colossal difference between "acknowledging these places in the world" and "sending in a giant white guy to shoot African peasants in the face".

Oh, you're right, he's shooting those black people because they are black. Right? I'd agree, that's racist. Oh wait...they're ZOMBIES!!!!!! He's shooting them because they're zombies, and THEY are trying to kill HIM, or more likely they are trying to turn him into a zombie and maybe eat a little bit of his brain.

And you thinking it is racist has no bearing on those of us who think it's not. Dun dun duh!!!

Oh and I don't believe for ONE second that Capcom intended for this to be racist in ANY way. So in the truest sense, it is not racist.

 

[Death_Born]

What freaking history? I don't get it at all
Does this have something to do with blackface? With fat-lipped Square RPG characters?
I dob't get that shit at all. Then again, people on the OT have told me 10,000 BC was racist

If anything, the Japanese are racist, they don't include ethnic minorities in their jRPGs. Really, when was the last time you saw a black or latino in Pokemon? It's just not right!

Spoiler

So what if it takes place in an alternate reality Japan?

 

[Snowden]

Its okay to kill people in games.

Its not okay to kill black people in games.

No.

 

[StreetDisciple]

Really? Isnt the game supposed to be set in the world of today in afrika, Why would they change it? I know racism is still alive but i dont see racism in this game, its not like he's saying OH SHES BLACK LETS KILL HER! There is a virus in that country and its kill or be killed, no matter what the colour of peoples skin is, people are making a huge deal out of this, but the fact is its realistic in a sense that it looks like african american people, but that doesnt make it racist. Its not like they are wearing rich suits in Afrika and stuff, id rather have it realistic, and who knows maybe not all the black people in the game will be bad guys, but there will be people you can save too, will it still be racist then? Im trying to understand what people mean but i just cant, and im not a racist.

Lol!! That's why i stated you will never understand, so it's not my duty to try to make you. Black people are not coming out and saying these things about the game for no reason, they are saying it because it truly is disturbing. I have no problem with this game set in Africa if all ethnicities are represented equally as infected. All i see so far is a "white cop" busting caps on black African and middle eastern people

 

[Kosma]

1. American shooting spaniards? American-Spanish war flashback
2. Spaniards depicted as a poor , backwards people.
3. Farmers have strange extreme cult, could be seen as critique of the powerfull position of the Catholic church there.
4. Cops in the opening sequence are stereotypical facist Franko era guys, wtf. As if that period isnt painfull enough for the spanish.
5. Also crooked spanish speaking foreign cop stereotype ahoy.
6. No jewish/arab spaniards in the game. Strange considering the spanish population build up. Very stereotypical to depict them as only the Castellan type spaniard.

 

[Night_Trekker]

If the RE5 trailer was better edited, and the people "pre-zombie state" didn't look like they were hostile and inuman, then none of this would be a discussion. People just don't understand what the imagery looks like out of context to people who never played a RE/Biohazard game before.

Oh, how wrong you are. Many of the same complaints would still be made.

 

[AmMortal]

this thread is blowing up!:lol

 

[WrikaWrek]

N'Gai Croal should shut the fuck up.

I love how these African American people, who barely have any ties of their own to the countries of the mother land, jump at the notion of racist imagery.

I actually know people who truly are African, zimbabwe, cape verd, angola, etc. They don't give a shit, heck i've shown a friend of mine the video, it wasn't even brought up, he just said it looked awesome.

Seriously, just because he's black doesn't mean he is connected to you, he probably doesn't speak your language, he doesn't share your culture, etc.

Stop dividing things by color, fuck color man, we are all the same, flesh and blood, what sets us apart is culture.

So seriously, if white people don't care about the imagery shown in Hostel/Res4 (Crazy ass white people, violent without morals, cult shit) then African Americans should stop thinking they are all that and realize that they are just fighting for attention.

You're not the center of the world. I'm just sick of this shit, if only because i actually have african friends.

 

[Snowden]

Lol!! That's why i stated you will never understand, so it's not my duty to try to make you. Black people are not coming out and saying these things about the game for no reason, they are saying it because it truly is disturbing. I have no problem with this game set in Africa if all ethnicities are represented equally as infected. All i see so far is a "white cop" busting caps on black African and middle eastern people

The demographics aren't equal. Have you been to Africa?

I've been to Africa. There's a lot of black folks.

 

[Anasui Kishibe]

2. There is a colossal difference between "acknowledging these places in the world" and "sending in a giant white guy to shoot African peasants in the face".

yeah, because that's what Chris clearly does in the trailer. He shows up and starts killing black people.

Chris wanders around, enters in a house in which he thinks there's something wrong, and witnesses that zombie guy becoming a zombie. Then the zombie guy ATTACKS him


Clearly the thing you just described, man

 

[RevenantKioku]

1. You not thinking it's racist has no bearing on the opinions of people who do.

2. There is a colossal difference between "acknowledging these places in the world" and "sending in a giant white guy to shoot African peasants in the face".

You know, I'll just say it. Mindsets like this help feed racism and keep it alive.

 

[Dot50Cal]

One other point. As Chris enters the village (from the second trailer), we can see he isn't attacked, but some of the populace look at him in menacing ways, while others ignore him and go about their daily lives (shit! Two black men conversing! RACIST!). I believe even the producer said Chris wont get attacked right away when he enters the village. Then in this latest footage from the Takeuci interview, we see Chris finds two infected villagers dragging an un-infected one into a house, where hes infected and attacks Chris (in the second trailer). This seems to be the point where all hell breaks loose and Chris is attacked by everyone. Eventually, all of the villagers are called away by something, since we see the town being desolate in the second trailer.

This is just like how RE4 opened, except you didn't have people still being infected, or the "zombies" having enough intelligence to hide the fact they are infected until the "outsider" became a threat.

I really wish N'gai would do his homework on stuff if hes going to throw bombs like this.

 

[Aggelos]

But a a single white guy hero killing tons of black people in a trailer is completely racially neutral? Are you serious?

Is he killing them, or is he defending himself?????????????????

 

[Father_Brain]

Some people are just too sensitive for their own good.

This thread certainly proves that... though not in the way you meant.

 

[Synless]

N'Gai Croal should shut the fuck up.

I love how these African American people, who barely have any ties of their own to the countries of the mother land, jump at the notion of racist imagery.

I actually know people who truly are African, zimbabwe, cape verd, angola, etc. They don't give a shit, heck i've shown a friend of mine the video, it wasn't even brought up, he just said it looked awesome.

Seriously, just because he's black doesn't mean he is connected to you, he probably doesn't speak your language, he doesn't share your culture, etc.

Stop dividing things by color, fuck color man, we are all the same, flesh and blood, what sets us apart is culture.

So seriously, if white people don't care about the imagery shown in Hostel/Res4 (Crazy ass white people, violent without morals, cult shit) then African Americans should stop thinking they are all that and realize that they are just fighting for attention.

You're not the center of the world. I'm just sick of this shit, if only because i actually have african friends.

Thank you

 

[VeritasVierge]

Oh, how wrong you are. Many of the same complaints would still be made.

Maybe by people looking for a reason to attack it but the trailer was just poorly done. I'm black and I'm from Haiti.. How do you think it made me feel first time it showed up? Oh wait, that makes me racist if I can analyze and point out it's major flaw despite having played every zombie game before it.

 

[Nolan.]

Is it? The imagery is extremely similar, the only difference is the lack of text. In fact, the RE5 imagery is even more extreme, with "black" and "white" trying to kill each other.

So this is racist...

But a a single white guy hero killing tons of black people in a trailer is completely racially neutral? Are you serious?

I think racism wasn't the intention more than ''thought provoking'' the only thing I never quite got about the add is that it blatantly down played one version of the product. I mean i'd imagine Sony would like to think both versions are suppose to be as good. So never quite got why the white version was being marketed as better, from that add anyway.

 

[harSon]

and Africans aren't generally depicted as crazy ugly zombies.


man, this thread pisses me off. So, RE5 is set in Africa, in some sort of poor village which is SO DIFFERENT from reality. People have been infected by a virus, and turn into cannibal zombies. SO RACIST

I wish you were right :lol

 

[Snowden]

2. There is a colossal difference between "acknowledging these places in the world" and "sending in a giant white guy to shoot African peasants in the face".

In the Resident Evil series, a game that has, from its inception, contained a central component of SHOOTING and KILLING zombies.

You're right. Chris should only kill the white devils, and the blacks should be immune and shown as righteous angels above it all.

 

[Kosma]

I really want to do a game as an example where it looks like helpless concentration camp imprisoned Jews seem to be getting offed no other reason than to exploit them. At least that's what a badly edited trailer that's out of context would leave an impression as. It would be the same as this even if there was a legitimate story to be told.

If youre comparing the holocaust to slavery you need to go back to school kid.

Not in the same league.

Entirely different ballgame even.

 

[Zzoram]

When people are looking for racism these days, they find it. That's a fact.

You should hear one of my friends go on about Lord Of The Rings and King Kong. It's amazing to listen to him since I know he hasn't looked into what History Tolkien was trying to create. And he doesn't try to either. Hopefully after N'Gai has played the game, he'll change his mind. Hell, maybe we will.

And about that picture of the guy in the game, he has BLOOD coming out of his eyes. That is not normal or racist. Something is clearly wrong with him.

I always imagined in my head when I read LOTR that Faramir was Black. He was described as being dark skinned or something in the book, and that's what I assumed.

 

[avatar299]

nobody is taking offense to the idea of shooting black people. JESUS. Its the imagery. Its the way the setting looks and what kind of history that evokes.

So I can't aim for a dark and dreary mood in a scene which contains black people, becuase I'll have people like N'Gai and Harson bitching?

There is no reason why this game should be scrutinized by anything more than local news when it arrives, but it will be becuase people on the internet will bitch and complain about dumb shit like "Why are they so dark?"

 

[Jacobi]

N'Gai Croal should shut the fuck up.

I love how these African American people, who barely have any ties of their own to the countries of the mother land, jump at the notion of racist imagery.

I actually know people who truly are African, zimbabwe, cape verd, angola, etc. They don't give a shit, heck i've shown a friend of mine the video, it wasn't even brought up, he just said it looked awesome.

I would imagine most Africans would like a game taking part in Africa at all

 

[AmMortal]

Crap guys:lol

 

[Anasui Kishibe]

I already see Capcom including some sort of black scientist sidekick just to shut off this crap

then people will say "see?? BLACK SIDEKICK. sidekick, NOT MAIN CHARACTER"


bleh.

 

[StreetDisciple]

The demographics aren't equal. Have you been to Africa?

I've been to Africa. There's a lot of black folks.

I know this what is you point?

 

[Tobor]

Oh, you're right, he's shooting those black people because they are black. Right? I'd agree, that's racist. Oh wait...they're ZOMBIES!!!!!! He's shooting them because they're zombies, and THEY are trying to kill HIM, or more likely they are trying to turn him into a zombie and maybe eat a little bit of his brain.

And you thinking it is racist has no bearing on those of us who think it's not. Dun dun duh!!!

Plot <> imagery.

I personally don't think it's intent was racist, but I live in a free society, and I will defend anyone's right to have their opinion.

What I have an issue with, is with some of you guys putting your heads in the sand and not understanding the social and cultural implications of what this imagery means to people in this country, especially in the South(where I live). I hear white people using the N word in normal conversation, so forgive me if I see this issue a little differently.

And again, tip of the iceberg. Wait until Oprah/Fox News/political punditry get ahold of this.

 

[cvxfreak]

1. American shooting spaniards? American-Spanish war flashback
2. Spaniards depicted as a poor , backwards people.
3. Farmers have strange extreme cult, could be seen as critique of the powerfull position of the Catholic church there.
4. Cops in the opening sequence are stereotypical facist Franko era guys, wtf. As if that period isnt painfull enough for the spanish.
5. Also crooked spanish speaking foreign cop stereotype ahoy.
6. No jewish/arab spaniards in the game. Strange considering the spanish population build up. Very stereotypical to depict them as only the Castellan type spaniard.

As I said earlier, I think in this case the reactions of the people are more important than the integrity of the actual game product. You're a history major so controversial creative work is nothing new to you. Mentioning whether RE4 is analogous to RE5 isn't so important. It's whether RE5 will strike a chord moreso than RE4. And it will.

 

[Router]

You people that take offense to killing Black Zombies are so screwed when the inevitable Zombie Apocalypse comes. :lol

 

[einhard]

Only in America.

 

[Night_Trekker]

Maybe by people looking for a reason to attack it but the trailer was just poorly done. I'm black and I'm from Haiti.. How do you think it made me feel first time it showed up? Oh wait, that makes me racist if I can analyze and point out it's major flaw despite having played every zombie game before it.

I did not imply that you are in any way racist and I do not think you are. I don't even know you. I'm simply saying that, regardless of the explanation behind the in-game action, this game was obviously going to ruffle feathers with its current setting.

 

[Nolan.]

If youre comparing the holocaust to slavery you need to go back to school kid.

Not in the same league.

Entirely different ballgame even.

Wow.

 

[Synless]

I think racism wasn't the intention more that ''thought provoking'' the only thing I never quite got about the add is that it blatanly down played one version of the product. I mean i'd imagine Sony would like to think both versions are suppose to be as good. So never quite got why the white version was being marketed as better, from that add anyway.

It was because it was the new color that was coming out. They two colors were fighting, it wasn't like it was saying the white one was better, why? Because she was the only one making physical contact? Well here's another ad from the same thing. Didn't hear anyone bitch about or show this one.

 

[Ysiadmihi]

This is getting stupid. I really feel bad for people who only see race and think about it 24 hours a day.

 

[AmMortal]

I always imagined in my head when I read LOTR that Faramir was Black. He was described as being dark skinned or something in the book, and that's what I assumed.

Faramir was actually BLACK?

Racism?

Seriousyl though, why didn't they keep him that way, I mean there are no black people in that whole middle earth....

ow wait
...

the trolls...of sauran.....they look black....omg..O..M..G

 

[Evlar]

I mean, if you want to get offended at RE5, fine. But there's nothing- nothing at all- to get offended at in this game that's not also present in at least one of the previous games, and where was the outrage then?

It boils down to being A-OK with a RE protagonist mowing down ill people of one color but being very disturbed about it happening to people of another color. Or, to use the difficult logic of the article, being disturbed by the depiction of a black guy going insane and homicidal but unworried when a similar process happens to white guys in the other games.

 

[Zzoram]

It was because it was the new color that was coming out. They two colors were fighting, it wasn't like it was saying the white one was better, why? Because she was the only one making physical contact? Well here's another ad from the same thing. Didn't hear anyone bitch about or show this one.

This one is kinda hot.

 

[AmMortal]

This one is kinda hot.

yes!
Females are our uniting factor...

 

[Kosma]

As I said earlier, I think in this case the reactions of the people are more important than the integrity of the actual game product. You're a history major so controversial creative work is nothing new to you. Mentioning whether RE4 is analogous to RE5 isn't so important. It's whether RE5 will strike a chord moreso than RE4. And it will.

I know but, I feel, as a history major, it is my duty to protect the truth and learn people to see things in perspective.

I hope you understand what Im saying. And I think you do.

 

[Jacobi]

Plot <> imagery.

I personally don't think it's intent was racist, but I live in a free society, and I will defend anyone's right to have their opinion.

What I have an issue with, is with some of you guys putting your heads in the sand and not understanding the social and cultural implications of what this imagery means to people in this country, especially in the South(where I live). I hear white people using the N word in normal conversation, so forgive me if I see this issue a little differently.

So the world has to focus on American history whenever they make art?

 

[KTallguy]

Now, I agree that shooting Spaniards in RE4 and white people in 95% of games out there isn't inherently less or more racist than shooting black people. However, the nerves that are struck vary across different groups of people, justified or not, and it's undeniable the tensions RE5 will raise with some black people. In that sense, even if those people are right or wrong, I think the game is treading into dangerous territory on the PR front.

This is the reality. It's not any different, but this uproar shows that just some simple imagery can remind people of the horrible events of the past they're familiar with.

PR for this game is going to be hell.

However, the sad thing is that RE5 is racist, but shooting only Arabs or Koreans or Spanish people is not, for these perspective based reasons. Why do Koreans watch the Crysis protagonist grab Korean characters by the neck and toss them into buildings/shoot them in the head, and not complain?

Of course, Japanese people generally have no clue what the western perspective of African-Americans or Africans is.

But in terms of gameplay, the inherent fact that the Africans in the game have dark skin means that they can easily hide in shadows, scaring the hell out of the protagonist. That's an interesting dynamic to me, but the average person might say that's a racist comment... maybe.

And this is why all of the "arab" looking characters in MGS4 have nice, safe, US accents. And why Mei Ling's Chinese accent was changed for Twin Snakes, etc. PR and the public judging things at a cursorary glance and not looking to see if there's anything behind their comments.

This game will be used by racist individuals to get their kicks though. That's for damn sure. It's sad that we can't have nice things.

 

[Ikael]

I respect N´Gai a lot. But he is freaking wrong on that. "Racist imaginery"? Americans are oversensitive about it, end of the story. Racism never crossed my mind when I saw the trailer, until people started to bitch about it on the Internet.

As I said earlier, I think in this case the reactions of the people are more important than the integrity of the actual game product. You're a history major so controversial creative work is nothing new to you. Mentioning whether RE4 is analogous to RE5 isn't so important. It's whether RE5 will strike a chord moreso than RE4. And it will.

Then the problem is on the people, not on the videogame. This is a similar hivemind situation created by the Mohammed´s caricature. The problem was not on the caricature, but on the people that overreacted and felt "offended" by them.

 

[VeritasVierge]

If youre comparing the holocaust to slavery you need to be shot in the face.

No, I'm not comparing the two. 6 million black people weren't murdered. My point is if you take a very sensitive hot button issue like the image of people suffering tied with so much history, people will take it out of context no matter what. The ones that need to be shot in the face are people like wrickweck or whatever that refuse to be open minded and look at the eprspective of someone who isn't familiar with the RE storyline because the imagery is misleading in sorts. That's all N'Gai is saying yet he's being told to shut the fuck up?

GAF never ceases to amaze me with it's inherit stupidity.

 

[ypo]

But I don't know if that is really progressing things. No one is asking anyone to forget what happened before, but the day no gives a shit about shooting black enemies in videogames anymore than white enemies in videogames will be a day of true equality.

Didn't you get the memo? The only path to racial equality and harmony is constant accusation of racism.

 

[Nolan.]

It was because it was the new color that was coming out. They two colors were fighting, it wasn't like it was saying the white one was better, why? Because she was the only one making physical contact? Well here's another ad from the same thing. Didn't hear anyone bitch about or show this one.

Iv'e seen all of them think there were 3 or so, but I still thought they could have been more of a happy tone. Maybe les it up a bit have them hold hands and nealry kiss. Nah I think it's because it made me buy the white one around or near that time so for some reason thats the idea I got from it.

 

[Joe211]

Aren't people from Spain considered caucasian? I'm not sure why people continue to make this argument.

yep lmao at this argument spaniard are from Europe and they are white some people need a brain.

An idea for capcom next RE should take action in Israel with a main character from Germany...

 

[Zzoram]

Faramir was actually BLACK?

Racism?

Seriousyl though, why didn't they keep him that way, I mean there are no black people in that whole middle earth....

ow wait
...

the trolls...of sauran.....they look black....omg..O..M..G

No, there was no description of "race", other than Human vs Elf vs Orc etc. in the LOTR books. I just attributed in my head ethnicities to certain characters, based on the description of the character. It just so happens that everyone else thought everyone in the book was white, but that's the thing about books. Everyone interprets the story differently.

 

[Kosma]

Wow.

Yes the diabolical plan to mass murder an entire nation/peoples by industrial means and speeds is EXACTLY the same as enslaving people.

Being brought to camp, shaven, then gassed to death by millions is EXACTLY the same as being set to work on plantations.