When N'gai Croal criticized Capcom's artistic decisions in Resident Evil 5, he boldly claimed that "nobody black worked on this game," a suggestion I found to be a little presumptuous and just a little bit prejudiced in its own right -- something I brought up when he and I argued the matter. My instinct was right, it seems, as Capcom has revealed that yes, black people did indeed work on Resident Evil 5.
"There are black members in the development team. We do have staff working on the game, who are aware of the historical background and we are constantly checking these kinds of things with them," stated producer Jun Takeuchi. "We certainly didn’t anticipate the reaction. We were quite surprised. I think everyone understands that we never set out to with the intention to make anything that was racist - that was never our intention."
Of course, most of RE5's critics have kept their heads down since Capcom blew their presumptions apart bit by bit, but it's always nice to feel a little vindication. That said, I expect this "controversy" to get even more ridiculous once the mainstream press get their hands on it. If Capcom wasn't prepared for the Internet's backlash, I hope they at least prepare themselves for what the reactionary American and British public can unleash.
Jim Sterling serves as reviews editor for Destructoid.com, head of the Podtoid podcast, and produces a number of news stories, original features, one-of-a-kind videos. With his passionate argumentative style, controversial opinions, harsh delivery, and dedication to brutal honesty Sterling is a name that you can't help but recognize.
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Contest:
1:56 PM on 07.23.2008
| 
DO WANT
I am offended.
Delay the game for a year.
Well, then Spanish guys should be angry for RE4, and my fellow Italian countrymen and I should be upset for pretty much every TV show in North America (lol)
seriously, there are lots of people with too much time on their hands who don't know what to do better than annoy other people with stupid arguments. What's bad is that lately those people choose to annoy especially us gamers.
This.
Pretty soon we won't be able to base any video games on any real setting.
i justify playing the RE series by reminding others that some of my best friends are zombies.
Don't get me wrong, I think this whole racist angle is bullshit from ALL sides. Let's all just shut the fuck up, and finish the goddamn game.
If you listen to the last 1up Yours podcast he actually talks about this subject a little more and about how he actually met black people from Capcom working on the game after he made that statement. Kind of funny.
Well, I think implying a racist slant on something you're only giving a "first impression" on is a rather foolhardy move. I hope in the future he thinks a little further ahead before doing that. Controls, graphics, design, small character elements - okay, if you're just going on one trailer and nothing else.
Saying that Capcom "should be more sensitive" and thoroughly implying that the premise of the game is racist because black zombies get shot is something to be saved for when you actually get some time to play the game, observe the story, etc.
The game is set in Africa. It's pretty simple. I'm tired of the race/sex/ect. cards constantly being thrown around. Fuck everyone.
Well, he was talking about the imagery and the context of which people less educated about the game would have none of. For fear of spiraling back in to this discussion, I'm just going to say read my old blog about it.
Now if it was a black guy killing pretty white children.... the shit would hit the fan my British friend.
Much like in the Fat Princess discussion, outrage means shit anymore. True concern over racial or gender issues has all but died. We're left with this faux "everything is offensive" garbage that literally coaxes the bile from my throat.
My point exactly was that, IF there is no context to the game, all you've seen is a trailer - then any immediate reactions will amount to the braying of the ignorant. Besides, I don't buy it for a second that his only concern was how "other, less informed people" were going to react. I think the only reason it crossed his mind is because his very first instinct was that of these fabled "less informed people".
IMAGERY, CONTEXT, BLOG.
The rest of my post still stands, verbatim.
What GuitarAtomik said in his excellent blog.
What if you have no idea what Capcom or Resident Evil is? There is no context then. It still won't change the gut reaction of the IMAGERY. Emphasis on "IMAGERY".
I'm not saying that gives people the automatic right to rail on the game as racist because it's their fault if they don't research up on the subject beforehand. But that is NOT what N'Gai was doing. He was basically just trying to save Capcom the trouble by explaining why some people will construe it that way and that they might want to be more careful about it later (which they have).
HILARIOUS.
Where are the people who fight for the Zombies' rights?
Who cares what the non-gaming audience thinks? They also want to find a rape scene in GTA. And think Mass Effect is hardcore porn. They are retarded and don't deserve the amount of attention we give them.
Hey. I'm just explaining N'Gai's side since everyone automatically thinks that he thinks the game is racist. I can't blame him for giving a company advice on how to avoid a situation like the ones you mentioned.
How about the marketing team that assembled and approved the trailer? :) Regardless, I think everyone's on the same line by now that the game itself isn't pushing some racist agenda.
What Guitar Atomik said.
I wrote a blog about the trailer curfuffle myself. A couple actually, if you're interested in clicking my name and scrolling back a apge or two
It's not a great advertisment saying Africa and or it's inhabitants are evil or wrong for being black (and if anything is more "the plight of africa as far as desease is concerned is awful") and It shouln't be a big straw dummy to be burnt by people who belive that they are percictued but in reality are shouting at thier own shadow.
Martin Luther King, Jr. would be sick at the utter nonsence the bunch of absolute whinging that's going on about fucking pixels.
Excuse me, I'm going to go fucking import Final Fantasy 4 DS. Try and call me a racest for that.
How is this pulling a race card?
. . . w/e its Wednesday . . . w/e its Wednesday . . .
Since when were the Japanese obligated to defend themselves against black people playing the race card? They had nothing to do with slavery of black people in America. That alone should instill good faith in people that this game is just trying to tell a story that's set in Africa, and not trying to show that it's fun to shoot black people.
Blacks who play the race card have way more power than any other race that plays the race card, including Asians, and that's not right.
Also, N'Gai is an idiotic stereotype.
So basically N'Gai and everyone else is practicing prejudice, but at the same time saying that the game is prejudice.
All I have to say is practice what you preach.
2+2 does not always = 4 in quantum physics.
A black person popping white peeps in a game is racist to blacks (due to stereotype?).
A White person popping black peeps in a game is racist to blacks (due to stereotype?).
Either way is supoosedly 'racist', regardless of the story or backround which is stupid IMHO.
I see this as reverse racism. Just because it could racist does not mean it is when you look at the context.
Just out of interest, is any black gamers actualy offended that this game set in africa means a white man is blasting a majority of black zombies (due to storyline and location). Also in GTA San Andreas where any black gamers worried they where being racistly potrayed for blasting the majority of white characters?
Both games are from oposite sides shooting each other, but which can be viewed as being racist against blacks only.... yet, tbh I do not think anyone truely thinks this is the case apart from the shit stirring mother fuckers in politics who just love a new story to try and kick off civil unrest so then they can 'try' and solve it (or say 'I told you so', when when it 'kicks off' when it was actualy them that set down the poison) and try to look a heroic.
I do not care if I am in a game as a white blasting blacks or in a game as a black blasting whites or if it is random or whatever........ Just aslong as it fits the story and scene for a specific sensible none racist reason.
Seriously 'who the fuck cares' apart from those trying to make something out of nothing simply to cause trouble?
It is set in Africa FFS, if it was set in Iceland and a white was shooting blacks then fair enough. Or set in Afrika and it was a Black shooting whites then both fair enough as they are out of context and have no reason to be that way logicaly.
Anyway, nuff said.
Anyone who thinks these games are racist are probabaly racist themself for being a tool to think so (or just attention seeking trolling mutha fuckers).
<facepalm> Let's take it even further. I mean, we're all just made of atoms. Can racism even exist at the molecular level? I think not. Therefore, it cannot exist.
What nonsense. Also, it's not a Wii game. At least not yet.
Context goes back on you since neither of you have any context on N'Gai. The man has written some of the most intelligent articles on the video game industry for Time. He is GOOD friends with the 1up staff and shows up on the 1upYours podcast practically once a month. He is constantly on the Gametrailers round table videos.
The dude is not a raving racist stereotyping guy.
You may say "Well why should I know about all that stuff. It doesn't interest me." but then you have no context on him and have no right to call him what you're calling him. Ironic huh?
Not to mention that if you think he's being racist or stereotyping you've TOTALLY misunderstood what he was saying. Stop being so defensive people.