VGJ

Contributor
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Ignoring the Issues

VGJ|6252d ago |Blog Post|9|


Resident Evil 5 has caused a firestorm of controversy, with it’s trailer of Chris Redfield( a white man) extinguishing a virus threat in Africa. Of course Africa has a history, one that should not be forgotten when making such a game. N’Gai Croal touched on this subject in an interview with MTV Multiplayer. However, my accusation mostly has nothing to do with RE5 itself, but with the nature of outrage in my community.

 

To myself, and I stress the word myself, it seems that a greater insult to the Black community is the way we are portrayed in other games. Games that glorify the underbelly of our community and the very things that tether out legs like anchors. Granted, games are just games, but if we are to engage RE5 with such scrutiny and ignore more pressing issues in the industry, then we are truly the ones ignorant.

 

These games are more racist and insulting than RE5 could ever hope to be.

First of all, I don’t want to be represented by 50 Cent. More so, I think 50 Cent’s games are rubbish, and that’s not only on the game play front. “50 Cent Bulletproof” is a game that was shunned by critics and players alike.

 

I played the game for 20 minutes, and put it down. Not because of game play or visuals, but because I was tired of the ‘black gangster stereotype.’ Bulletproof glorified this lifestyle choice, seemingly blind to some real struggles the community faces.

 

It was sickening to me, a person who thinks that poverty, social class, and the struggle of African-Americans should not be presented in such a package. These games met no controversy spare the men on Capitol Hill. No commentators stepped up to discuss the obvious stereotypes, and I felt like I was the only one looking at this with such disgust..

 

Other games, like “Def Jam: Fight for NY”, depict favorite rappers in a way that makes them SEEM like they are gangsters. Fighting over territory and beating the “crap” out of each other in underground rings. However, I will admit that the fighting mechanics were great and it was a fun game. Yet, I could not ignore the theatre it took place in.

 

Now, I’m not saying that games like this shouldn’t be published. I believe that games are an expression of their creators, and each has a message to get across.(while some may be bogged down by dollar signs).



 

 But, why is it that a game like RE5 with a legitimate storyline, dealing with a very serious outbreak, gets immediately shunned and games like “Bulletproof” skate by our community smiling all the way?

 

RE5 may have controversial aspects, but does it not bring a spotlight to the tragedy that plagues parts of the continent? Does it not show the poverty that many are subjected to? Does it not illustrate the ways a virus can spread in places that lack proper medical care or any type of system to deal with such threats?

 

Now, what does the Def Jam or the 50 cent games do for the Black community? They feature black protagonists, but how do they help the depiction of blacks inAmerica and elsewhere?  The truth is: they don’t. I think that RE5, if done properly, can do more good than harm and bring a great discussion to the table. It is a shame that we harp on games like RE5, but do not attack entertainment that blatantly depict the community in it’s worst light.

 

Doing this, takes the legitimacy out of REAL commentary on troubling games. One cannot turn a blind eye to popular culture, simply because it is popular.

 

 If we are to try and accuse RE5 from being ignorant of current times, then we should be critical of games like “Bulletproof” for being ignorant of the real struggle within Black America.

xTHRASHx6253d ago

early in the blog you said "N’Gai Croal touched on this subject in an interview with MTV Multiplayer." and then you just continued on. i am unsure if there is some sort of quote after this was mentioned or if you were just stating that Croal said something about it. But could article.

kira9896252d ago

The fact that they use RE5 as a way to speak about racism is completly ridiculous...

What really makes me mad though is that they are bringing up these issues 1 game to late!!!
The fact that RE4 had a white man(Leon) going into a spanish country and doing the exact same thing that Chris is doing in RE5! Why isnt didnt this spout controversy!!!

As you said each game has a message to present, so i say before we hack at this game with racist slander, Lets at least hear it out

socomnick6252d ago

Im spanish and i did not find Resident Evil 4 racist at all. I also dont see why people are pissed about killing black zombies in Resident Evil 5. My advise to everyone is to stop trying to find non existent racism and get on with your life. No people aren't out to get you stop being so daam defensive. What really annoys me is the double standard nobody mentions Obama's racist pastor.

PS360WII6252d ago

Well you have to see that in Def Jam and Bulletproof they were not the ones getting attacked or punished they were the ones dishing it out which makes it okay, and in RE5 they are the ones getting shot at. While yes being shown as a gangster isn't really that great it's still cool. What can you do these are the standards we live in and everyone is a hypocrite

xTHRASHx6252d ago

often people say that white people think things like the RE5 controversy are racist. people say that whites blow it out of proportion, i was wondering what you all think... i mean are you white or black? and how do you feel about the RE5 trailer?

PS360WII6252d ago

I'm white and I think people who say RE5 is racist need a nice dose of reality to be honest.

kira9896251d ago

And I take no offense to the RE5 trailer..

Mind you if the game were to use an offenses term which i will not mention then I would be upset.. But things like really dont mean much to me!

VGJ6252d ago (Edited 6252d ago )

I'm black, as you can tell from the article. Personally, when I first viewed the trailer I could understand where people from the outside were coming from. With no prior knowlodge of the series they would take it a whole different way and pounce on it before even digging deeper. I call it the gut reaction.

It was kind of the same reaction I had the first time I viewed it, but I understood the history of the RE series and therefore understood the context which the trailer was put in. My point with this writing was to say that we can't jump down the throat of something, when other games are overtly disgraceful and have no legitamate plot or reason to back up its content. Other than..

"Well, hes a gangster..."

A friend of mine also has an article on the subject, up on a blog I contribute to, uber.com/games. Check it out.

name6252d ago

If Resident Evil 5 were a movie people would obviously see something wrong with it. The thing that's bothering people is not really how black people would respond to it, but how some people who aren't too fond of blacks will. Honestly though, people call people they kill online n*ggers for christ's sake. People are bothered playing games that they feel other people will take a bit differently than them.

I for one don't believe Resident evil 5 is racist. I don't think anyone actually believes capcom really came up with some racist agenda to slander black people. The only thing that bothers me about this whole thing is that a huge percentage of people saying they think it's rediculous that people are offended by it, don't think ANYTHING is racist and attack anyone who says anything is. Those same people would attack someone saying something is racist, but won't say anything to someone who says something racist.

I also noticed alot of black people running up and saying "I'm black and I'm not offended by this game". You say this crap because you know certain people are gonna write off your entire race as having one opinion on something. You have to tell everyone you're not offended even if they had no reason to believe you were in the first place. It's like when that WHITE guy said uncharted was racist and a bunch of uninformed idiots came in ranting about how black people are easily offended. You don't have to prove anything to anyone.

Oh and Spaniards are considered Caucasian.

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