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We've all heard about the racism controversy that revolved around Resident Evil 5 before it's release. As a result, blogger Willie Jefferson has brought up the question: Is Racism Becoming a Norm in Gaming?
Jefferson ripped into games such as Resident Evil 5, Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood and, oddly enough, the upcoming Left 4 Dead 2, claiming that these games all have one thing in common: They're racist in some way or another.
I am disturbed by the growing trend of racist undertones that are cropping up in video games.
One of the games that comes to mind is "Left 4 Dead 2." Though the game isn't out yet, it's already causing an uproar. Set in New Orleans, players will have to fight their way through hordes of zombies - with several of them who appear to be African-Americans. When I saw the first trailer for the game, all I could think about was Hurricane Katrina and the aftermath. Setting the game in a city that was scene of dead, bloated bodies floating by so soon afterward was a bad call, IMHO. The city has had enough to deal with -- Valve, you should have spared them, even if it's just a video game.
Another game, "Resident Evil 5," puts gamers into the heart of Africa, blasting zombies. I bet you'll never guess what color they are.
The game that really inspired this blog entry was Ubisoft's "Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood." The game starts out with players assuming the role of Ray, a Confederate officer, working to save his brother, Thomas, who's pinned down by Union soldiers. I nearly dropped the controller. I have so much respect for President Lincoln -- he wanted to preserve the Union and ended up freeing the slaves -- and have just as much respect for the Union Army.
However, the Confederacy, as far as I am concerned, wanted to keep their cheap slave labor and the like. I can not stand the Confederate flag -- I resist the urge to burn every last one that I see. To me, the flag represents hate -- and offends me and many others to no end. And to play a game, where I don't have a choice to be on the losing side -- and one I detest -- made me wonder how much research Ubisoft did for this game.
I don't have a problem blasting Nazis in "Call of Duty" and "Medal of Honor." I don't have a problem lighting up Imperial Army soldiers with my flamethrower in "World at War." But I do have a problem blasting soldiers in our country's Civil War.
News story attached to:
Additional sources:
- Houston Chronicle: Is Racism Becoming a Norm in Gaming? (gamepolitics.com)
- Left 4 Dead 2 is racist because 'several' zombies are black (destructoid.com)
Latest comment:
Most recently commented on by on Sep 4, 2009
Most recently commented on by on Sep 4, 2009
Comments
As with the Confederate thing, it plays into the story. They had to be on the Confederate side. Anyway, that is just like a German person being offended by playing COD. I'm sure many of them are not, so this guy is just a douchebag if he takes a videogame that personally.
Hurricane Katrina was 4 years ago, and a zombie apocalypse has nothing to do with that. The Civil War is dead and buried, it shouldn't bloody kill you to play a game on either side, yet alone annoy you enough to complain. And naturally having African zombies in Africa is completely unrealistic. Or are games just not allowed on that continent anymore?
Katrina happened; slavery exists; the civil war occurred; get over it. None of these subjects should be avoided, they should be explored from every viewpoint to their fullest. *bleep* your "touchy subjects;" they're only touchy to you and other brainwashed, hypersensitive crybabies.
I couldnt agree more.
People who point this crap out and feel they are right, are usually racist themselves. They are trying hard to prove to themselves that they are not.
*thumbs up*
I hope they make a Chinese zombie game so I can pretend to be offended by the white man and his hawt female China-lady partner slaughtering PROC farmers wielding pitchforks / torches / chainsaws / chopsticks while wearing rice sacks over their heads and screaming random Mandarin phrases.
People just need to chill with the "offense" thing. I think it has a lot to do with many starting to live with the "The world owes me" type of thinking. And it needs to stop. I'm not for offending on purpose with the intent of being a jerk, but still . . . stop being so easily offended!
That actually has confused me. A lot.
The story was meant to be about a personal family struggle, not "kill all Union soldiers because I feel like it."
Resident Evil 5. Released 2009. You play a white man who kills what seems to be african american, hispanic, and white zombies. Yet, it is being called racist.
Oh sweet irony.
Irks me when people cry "Racism!" and then come off as a racist themselves. It's like feminists who try to promote women's rights by hating men. Idiots.
OH SWEET MERCIFUL JESUS YES. *puts up no puerto ricans sign in front of store*
This is just stupid shit someone made up in order to get traffic on his/her site. There the racists since they don't care about the subject only the traffic.
Besides *classical music plays*
Everyone's a little bit racist sometimes
Doesn't mean we go around committing hate criiiiiiiimmmess
Ethnic jokes might be a hoot
but you laugh because there based on truth
Don't take them as personal attaaaaaaaackkkkss
Everyone enjoys them, so relax!
We all know what these people say are insanely stupid, but you know what? There's a good chance they know it is too, and they do it for a reason, giving them more attention is exactly what we should NOT be doing.
unless a video game, or anything else for that matter just outright says "African-Americans/another ethnicity are inferior to all other races", its NOT racism. no shit RE5 has a lot of black zombies, because the game takes place in *bleep*ing AFRICA, where there just so happens to be a lot of black ppl. lets not forget the game also stars a black woman, who kicks ass, as well as a couple other black characters (such as Josh). and because RE4 took place in a South American area, there were a lot of latino zombies.
If he really believes his own silliness then this guy is wacky.
contrary to popular belive there is no good or bad side all side are the same what changes is the point of view of the person
and second umm the game takes place in africa now im not a wordly man but i belive that in africa there is a larger population of black people so that would mean that most zombies would be black
or mayb next time capcom should do it in mexico but instead of mexicans there would be russians that way it would be weird and stuped instead of racist
What annoys me more than anything is the fact that he plucked a few comments from his responses and included them in his updated article, further playing the victim. That is crazy-sleazy to me, since he ignores the majority of well-written arguments. A few of the commenters called him on it.
and why bring up a Civil War fighting game in an article about racist undertones, that does not make sense at all, it was Americans vs. Americans.
I think this person does not like violence and does not know how to express it rationally..
and for those reading this I am an American, a black American I do not see a white guy shooting a bunch of black people... I see a bad-ass killing a bunch of zombies.
Racism is usually pointed out first by racists. Positively or negatively.. racism is racism
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