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[Snowden]

I know this what is you point?

You're asking for a game that's like one of those posters with a kid from every nationality equally represented (plus the standard kid in a wheel chair).

They're placing you in an area that where the majority of the population is black. If they want to maintain any true sense of place, the majority of your enemies are going to be black.

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.

YES

My friend is from Zimbabwe, and he hates it when a random black dude at our college will come up to him and just assume things because they both happen to share the same skin color. His culture is so far removed from any of the shit here, and the presumption that you share a common bond is stupid. It just furthers the delineation of the world by race, when culture is the real boundary for everything.

 

[Tobor]

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

Believe me, it is alive and well, with or without my "mindset".

I'll say it again, I'm firmly in the "intent was not racist" camp. But I also live in reality, and I am mystified that people are looking at this footage and not seeing how it can be construed that way.

 

[Spirit of Jazz]

Basically this. Accidental racism via cultural ignorance.

Right, because assuming ignorance because they're Japanese couldn't be perceived as "racist" at all? God forbid one of the reasons they chose 3rd world Africa as a location is due to the criminal drug testing trails pharmaceutical MNC's get up to over there hoping to spread a little more light on it for this generation of gamers?

Racism is about equality, it's not equal to think it's alright for some races to be depicted in such a light but not other.

 

[Virtua Ben]

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

So true.

 

[Synless]

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.

Is that seriously why Mei Ling's voice was changed?? I hate the world...and the people in it if true.

 

[Xater]

Only in America.

Pretty much. Nowhere else will anyone care.

 

[Htown]

We're talking about the IMAGERY in the trailer here, not the plot of the game. None of you think the IMAGERY has anything racially insensitive or even slightly problematic about it?

And if the game is no more racist than it would be if it was a black guy running around and killing white zombies in Europe, or a single black guy running around in World War II killing Nazis in Europe, consider this.

Nobody is making or is planning to make a game like that, but the game where a white guy runs around killing black people IS happening. Two of them, in fact, if you count Far Cry 2, which is apparently also set in Africa.

Even if the games themselves are not racist, which most likely they're not, why is it never the other way around?

 

[AmMortal]

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

Not in the same league.

Entirely different ballgame even.

both were the bad...bad memories from the history of humanity.

Many people would rather die then be a slave... so we can't be the judge of that.

 

[VeritasVierge]

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.

Oh, I was being sarcastic with you. I think you and I are agreeing here. I'm just saying, it doesn't matter what legitimate story that could be to have such imagery pop up. The fact it's there will offend alot of people. In my original post I said even if it was depting an evil Nazi experiment (everybody hates the Nazis) it would still draw criticism for being in there. Still the RE5 trailer was poorly edited because it presented everything out of context.

 

[RevenantKioku]

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.

Just a heads up, you might want to take your own advice about the open-mindedness if your posts in this thread are to be any indication. Just some kindly advice.

 

[Anasui Kishibe]

also, Link is clearly arian and Ganondorf is clearly Arab.

 

[Evlar]

We're talking about the IMAGERY in the trailer here, not the plot of the game. None of you think the IMAGERY has anything racially insensitive or even slightly problematic about it?

And if the game is no more racist than it would be if it was a black guy running around and killing white zombies in Europe, or a single black guy running around in World War II killing Nazis in Europe, consider this.

Nobody is making or is planning to make a game like that, but the game where a white guy runs around killing black people IS happening. Two of them, in fact, if you count Far Cry 2, which is apparently also set in Africa.

Even if the games themselves are not racist, which most likely they're not, why is it never the other way around?

I think it's a Resident Evil game and as such the imagery is very disturbing. The imagery for ALL the RE games has been very disturbing. You're running around killing lots and lots of people who are trying to eat you. You are watching a large population succumb to a terrible plague. It's not light-hearted comedy.

 

[chicken_ramen]

Newsweek’s N’Gai Croal: RE5 Trailer Imagery Is Racist

What sickens me about this entire thread is that, even without reading the article, all the information you need is right there in the headline.

RE5 TRAILER
IMAGERY
is racist.

And, essentially, this is what N'Gai says. He doesn't say that the game is racist. He doesn't say that you can't have black zombies. He actually goes to great lengths to show he's not saying that, and yet, everywhere this article is posted people just love to make up their own straw men to argue against. He even states several times the sage advice that people in this thread seem to be doling out: that final judgement will, of course, be left till the game is out.

Here it is in a nutshell:

The trailer, without any context, portrays the not yet zombified Africans as a group of dark, dangerous others. This imagery draws on, either intentionally or otherwise, classical racist imagery that dates back to colonial times.

Why put out a trailer like this? Do they think everyone who sees it will understand the context it exists in? Thats a very silly assumption. RE4 was big, but not that big.

 

[AmMortal]

You're asking for a game that's like one of those posters with a kid from every nationality equally represented (plus the standard kid in a wheel chair).

They're placing you in an area that where the majority of the population is black. If they want to maintain any true sense of place, the majority of your enemies are going to be black.



YES

My friend is from Zimbabwe, and he hates it when a random black dude at our college will come up to him and just assume things because they both happen to share the same skin color. His culture is so far removed from any of the shit here, and the presumption that you share a common bond is stupid. It just furthers the delineation of the world by race, when culture is the real boundary for everything.

best poster in this thread....

 

[Log4Girlz]

Those psp ads would have been better if the chicks were kissing...what a missed opportunity.

 

[Tobor]

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

A company that plans to make a large chunk of it's profit selling a product in America probably should.

 

[VeritasVierge]

Just a heads up, you might want to take your own advice about the open-mindedness if your posts in this thread are to be any indication. Just some kindly advice.

Show me where I haven't been open minded. Right now.

 

[lastendconductor]

STOP comparing this to RE4.
RE4 is not racist because "Spaniard" IS NOT A RACE. We are caucasian white. That game was full of ignorant and stupid shit like mixing us with latin-americans (Luis Sera was a fucking joke), but it was not racist, just ignorant.
The guys at CAPCOM have no fucking clue and they're just copying random racist stuff and imagery without giving it and afterthought just because it's "scary". Do you also think black hawk down is not racist? please.

 

[harSon]

You're asking for a game that's like one of those posters with a kid from every nationality equally represented (plus the standard kid in a wheel chair).

They're placing you in an area that where the majority of the population is black. If they want to maintain any true sense of place, the majority of your enemies are going to be black.



YES

My friend is from Zimbabwe, and he hates it when a random black dude at our college will come up to him and just assume things because they both happen to share the same skin color. His culture is so far removed from any of the shit here, and the presumption that you share a common bond is stupid. It just furthers the delineation of the world by race, when culture is the real boundary for everything.

I've personally been to Africa numerous times (Specifically South Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria) where I have a lot of family (On my step fathers side but we're still really close). I'd imagine they'd be uncomfortable with the game, especially my family from South Africa that lived through Apartheid.

 

[Father_Brain]

Believe me, it is alive and well, with or without my "mindset".

I'll say it again, I'm firmly in the "intent was not racist" camp. But I also live in reality, and I am mystified that people are looking at this footage and not seeing how it can be construed that way.

I completely agree with you. I'm not surprised, however, that most of GAF has responded with a collective "OMG N'GAI HAS JOINED THE PRO-CENSORSHIP PC POLICE FUCK HIM!!1!!!"

 

[Zzoram]

Those psp ads would have been better if the chicks were kissing...what a missed opportunity.

You should get into marketing

 

[Nolan.]

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

Where did I say anything about any being more than another. No offense because i've actually agreed with a lot of your posts up until now. Really i'm beggining to think some issues can turn some level headed people to almost all levels of crazy. If as humans we're all equal why the heck do we then turn around and put a stamp of whats more atrocious based of statistics washing out the basic message.? They both reflect just how callous and disgusting humans can be as a race. So again why is one more important to you based on numbers.?

 

[Campster]

What sickens me about this entire thread is that, even without reading the article, all the information you need is right there in the headline.

RE5 TRAILER
IMAGERY
is racist.

And, essentially, this is what N'Gai says. He doesn't say that the game is racist. He doesn't say that you can't have black zombies. He actually goes to great lengths to show he's not saying that, and yet, everywhere this article is posted people just love to make up their own straw men to argue against. He even states several times the sage advice that people in this thread seem to be doling out: that final judgement will, of course, be left till the game is out.

Here it is in a nutshell:

The trailer, without any context, portrays the not yet zombified Africans as a group of dark, dangerous others. This imagery draws on, either intentionally or otherwise, classical racist imagery that dates back to colonial times.

Why put out a trailer like this? Do they think everyone who sees it will understand the context it exists in? Thats a very silly assumption. RE4 was big, but not that big.

This is about as eloquently as you could put it, and I commend you for it.

However, I am amazed how quickly this thread degenerated into stupid name calling and screaming "RACISM" on both sides of the fence compared to the race in games culture thread.

 

[rockman zx]

I bet N´Gai enjoyed killing spanish people in RE4 and white people in other games. For the love of God, is a f***ing game not a political tool or racist propaganda.

 

[AmMortal]

They should take that route...Marcus Fenix isn't white OR black.

I remember hearing Kojima say that he didn't give Snake a particular colour in the artwork, beccause he wanted to make the players identify themselves with the him as much as possible.

until this day I still can't make out whether or not Snake is white or half black or arab...

 

[RevenantKioku]

Believe me, it is alive and well, with or without my "mindset".

Thanks? Aren't you the one talking about getting the heads out of the sand? Please try your ass.

I'll say it again, I'm firmly in the "intent was not racist" camp. But I also live in reality, and I am mystified that people are looking at this footage and not seeing how it can be construed that way.

I think what a lot of people are saying is "Stop." Stop wasting everyone's time trying to hot-button things that have no need.

 

[Joe211]

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.

you think it was cool to work on plantation aka being a slave if so you are dumber than I thought

 

[Reilly]

Controversy in video games? Why I never...

STOP comparing this to RE4.
RE4 is not racist because "Spaniard" IS NOT A RACE. We are caucasian white. That game was full of ignorant and stupid shit like mixing us with latin-americans (Luis Sera was a fucking joke), but it was not racist, just ignorant.
The guys at CAPCOM have no fucking clue and they're just copying random racist stuff and imagery without giving it and afterthought just because it's "scary". Do you also think black hawk down is not racist? please.

Joke post?

 

[Anasui Kishibe]

The trailer, without any context, portrays the not yet zombified Africans as a group of dark, dangerous others. This imagery draws on, either intentionally or otherwise, classical racist imagery that dates back to colonial times.

to YOU maybe. To me, it just looks like the black people attacking Christ are indeed MENTALLY zombified since it looks like the guy with the microphone sends 'em asfter him and they follow his orders without a blink


dark? dangerous? Guys chatting, one guy wandering around. Yeah, clearly racist

 

[Soule]

Well people can have their own opinions but I certainly do not think it's racist at all.

 

[GhaleonQ]

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.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dc4GethJnBg The shockwaves are still being felt. Death? Shameful.

 

[avatar299]

We're talking about the IMAGERY in the trailer here, not the plot of the game. None of you think the IMAGERY has anything racially insensitive or even slightly problematic about it?

Speaking as someone who has been to Africa to see family(Nigeria) and to it's rural areas, no I didn't find anything offensive. If you enter a village and they don't know who you are, they will stare your ass down. If you are perceived as a threat, they will attack you as a mob, becuase the police out there don't care.

Maybe the imagery is racist, but from my experiences except for the zombie rush, the trailer was not very inaccurate.

 

[shifty100]

N'Gai is a racist ......... it seems it is ok to shoot white zombies / people, but not black zombies / people.



If all races are equal ...... then equally we can shoot all races.

 

[Raging Spaniard]

It’s not as simple as saying, “Oh, they shot Spanish zombies in ‘Resident Evil 4,’ and now ‘black zombies and that’s why people are getting upset.” The imagery is not the same. It doesn’t carry the same history, it doesn’t carry the same weight…

I understand this part. Hes black, and can see racist things that white people don't understand as racist, that makes sense.

Problem is, N'Gai is NOT SPANISH, so you really wouldn't know if RE 4 is racist against Spaniards, but it is. Matter of fact, before all those pueblo people start attacking you, you think that the way they act is not racist against Spaniards?? Really?

 

[Kestastrophe]

God forbid one of the reasons they chose 3rd world Africa as a location is due to the criminal drug testing trails pharmaceutical MNC's get up to over there hoping to spread a little more light on it for this generation of gamers?

Good point. A situation such as this would quickly dismiss any racist accusations (wasn't the Constant Gardener about this?). I also agree that in order to be truly equal then everything should be viewed the same, but it seems as though that is not the case.

 

[Dot50Cal]

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.

The interview already suggests that Chris has a black team-mate. One of the artworks on the floor seems to show him.

 

[RevenantKioku]

Show me where I haven't been open minded. Right now.

Nah, I've wasted enough time here. But have fun! I may have opened up a door here that will change the lives of many!

 

[Snowden]

Maybe the imagery is racist

Its not for the reasons you've given. African societies can be highly xenophobic.

If you're ignorant about the context and want to see racism, you will. It doesn't make it so.

 

[Tom Penny]

It's definitely racist.

 

[VeritasVierge]

What sickens me about this entire thread is that, even without reading the article, all the information you need is right there in the headline.

RE5 TRAILER
IMAGERY
is racist.

And, essentially, this is what N'Gai says. He doesn't say that the game is racist. He doesn't say that you can't have black zombies. He actually goes to great lengths to show he's not saying that, and yet, everywhere this article is posted people just love to make up their own straw men to argue against. He even states several times the sage advice that people in this thread seem to be doling out: that final judgement will, of course, be left till the game is out.

Here it is in a nutshell:

The trailer, without any context, portrays the not yet zombified Africans as a group of dark, dangerous others. This imagery draws on, either intentionally or otherwise, classical racist imagery that dates back to colonial times.

Why put out a trailer like this? Do they think everyone who sees it will understand the context it exists in? Thats a very silly assumption. RE4 was big, but not that big.

OFT

 

[Zzoram]

They should take that route...Marcus Fenix isn't white OR black.

I remember hearing Kojima say that he didn't give Snake a particular colour in the artwork, beccause he wanted to make the players identify themselves with the him as much as possible.

until this day I still can't make out whether or not Snake is white or half black or arab...

So is that really the future of video game characters? All characters should just be racially ambiguous? I wouldn't mind that actually, and it would solve the problem of different groups being offended.

 

[AmMortal]

please close thread now :/

 

[BamYouHaveAids]

Except they were not.

Or do you think that black model would have done an ad that discriminates her? zing.

There were no complaints about the ads here in the Netherlands, where they were actually used and there are many black Dutchies.

I don't think the ad is racially insenstive, but this is some of the most ass-backward "logic" in this entire thread. Yes, a black person could play a role that stereotypes them. Just because a person of a certain race agrees to do a ad or play a role doesn't mean that the role is exempt from racial stereotypes. It's like saying Klan isn't racist because it let a black that hates blacks into its midst.

 

[VeritasVierge]

Nah, I've wasted enough time here. But have fun! I may have opened up a door here that will change the lives of many!

So do you just enjoy being a goddamned penis all the time? GTFO!

 

[Anasui Kishibe]

The interview already suggests that Chris has a black team-mate. One of the artworks on the floor seems to show him.

see.


also

 

[Zzoram]

to YOU maybe. To me, it just looks like the black people attacking Christ are indeed MENTALLY zombified since it looks like the guy with the microphone sends 'em asfter him and they follow his orders without a blink


dark? dangerous? Guys chatting, one guy wandering around. Yeah, clearly racist

Freudian slip? :lol

 

[digita1alchemy]

Is he killing them because they're black? Does it have anything to do with skin color? No? Good, glad you realize it's not racist.

You know, this is really all that needs to be said.

 

[Synless]

you think it was cool to work on plantation aka being a slave if so you are dumber than I thought

What's dumb is thinking that slavery and being massacred is even close to similar.

 

[Kabouter]

There were no complaints about the ads here in the Netherlands, where they were actually used and there are many black Dutchies.

To be fair, we have Sinterklaas (and more to the point, Zwarte Piet), a phenomenon that no foreigner could ever understand.

 

[Kipe]

I understand this part. Hes black, and can see racist things that white people don't understand as racist, that makes sense.

Problem is, N'Gai is NOT SPANISH, so you really wouldn't know if RE 4 is racist against Spaniards, but it is. Matter of fact, before all those pueblo people start attacking you, you think that the way they act is not racist against Spaniards?? Really?

What you and Dknight wrote is VERY interesting about RE4. :lol