By now I'm sure we're all aware of Resident Evil 5's racism issue, but racial stereotyping is an issue that seems to go beyond beyond just one game.
Darion White, from Edge Online, takes a look at the way black characters are portrayed in video games, both the positive portrayals and the negative ones.
The article mostly focuses on newer titles, such as Resident Evil 5, Final Fantasy XIII and Metal Gear Solid 4, while also taking a look at the games of a decade ago, including Final Fantasy VII and Dead or Alive.

Go to the source for the full article- It's quite an interesting read.

February is Black History Month. As an African-American I want to take this opportunity to study some of the issue surrounding games and the portrayals of African characters or those with African heritage. I'd like to make comparisons between stereotypical, defective and one-dimensional characters like Barrett and Augustus Cole and more complex, but still problematic characters such as Carl 'CJ' Johnson. I'm also going to pick out some positive black characters in other entertainment media, as well as a precious few in games.

Black characters in video games aren’t difficult to find, but rare is the well-rounded and positive black protagonist. Black characters in games habitually range from stereotypical to non-existent. In contrast, black gamers consume a great deal of the medium and are a vastly growing and contributing demographic in the community. Why not create and implement characters that are actually relatable or who boast innovative societal behaviors?

Now, as a black gamer, I don’t want to single myself out in saying that creative black characters should entirely cater to representing me in whatever fashion. Nor do I exclusively desire to experience the personage of the black-American. What’s even more imperative is the element of portrayal, seen through the eyes and respective thought processes of all gamers.

It seems as if a black characters depicted by Japanese developers must always possess some form of gimmick (we can also see this in Japanese Manga and Anime). Another prime example of this is Dead or Alive’s Zack, a Dennis Rodman-looking, money and fame hungry, goofy, womanizing Muay Thai expert. DOA is a game in the fighter genre, so every character can be considered a one-dimensional protagonist one way or another, but up until the latest installment, the lone black character in the game was this dude? He’s not identifiable or relatable to 99% of black gamers (unless Dennis Rodman plays DOA, which is entirely possible).

Before we depart from exploring examples of black characters from Japanese developers, I’ll commend Capcom in their creation of Sheva Alomar, who stars in Resident Evil 5. As an African protagonist the player controls, she can easily be considered a role-model for any young black female and even a model of design for other developers as well. Seemingly, she is a tough, well-educated, and attractive woman with no external gimmickry of any kind. Her visual design, dialogue, and behavior are even authentic to her portrayed background and not reliant on media perceptions.

Miss Razz via edge-online.com »