Far Cry 4 Creative Director Responds to Box Art Concerns of Racism

[roseofbattle]

Far Cry 4 Creative Director Responds to Box Art Concerns of Racism

While some people raised concerns over Far Cry 4's box art, the creative director says the character featured in the center of the image is not the player.

When Far Cry 4 was announced along with a promotional image of the box art, some people voiced concerns over the image and whether it was racist. Far Cry 4 creative director Alex Hutchinson revealed two details concerning the art, which depicts a lighter-skinned man sitting on the remains of a statue with his hand on the head of a kneeling darker-skinned man.

"Just so it's clear for those jumping to conclusions: He's not white and that's not the player," Hutchinson wrote on Twitter as a response to a GamesIndustry.biz article about the controversial art and how it appears out of context. [http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2014-05-19-far-cry-4-already-playing-with-fire]

Concerns over the image being racist in part lay in the depiction of the lighter-skinned character. He is framed to be in the middle of the image, smirking, and in power over the darker-skinned character. Previously, Far Cry 3, which features a white protagonist, has been criticized as racist. In response lead writer Jeffrey Yohalem called the game "a subversion of any kinds of racist stereotypes." [http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/12/19/far-cry-3s-jeffrey-yohalem-on-racism-torture-and-satire/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+RockPaperShotgun+%28Rock%2C+Paper%2C+Shotgun%29&utm_content=Google+Reader]

A Far Cry 4 preorder screen leaked a brief synopsis of the game's plot. [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/134640-Far-Cry-4-Preorder-Screen-Leaks-Story-Details] The details indicate the player will assume the role of Ajay Ghale, who has traveled to a country named Kyrat in the Himalayas and is caught up in a civil war to overthrow an oppressive dictator.

Source: Twitter [https://twitter.com/BangBangClick/status/468555813963845632]


Permalink

 

[uchytjes]

To think the main character is the same as the character on that cover art means that you aren't very genre-savvy. I mean, he has all the makings of a complete bad guy: Hes sitting on a throne, he has weapons strewn all around him, he has what appears to be some man-slave or otherwise captive person, and that pose just gives off a sense of evil.

Hell, the only cover I've seen like this where the person in the center was the protagonist is Saints Row 4, and you're an absolute dick in that game.

 

[Thyunda]

Evidently this game is supposed to be in a similar style to the third incarnation...so why, in any sense of anything, would the player character be that guy on the throne?

 

[Synthetica]

Were people actually thinking that he was the protagonist? Interesting.

 

[Magnus Greel]

Of course it's racist, HE'S THE FUCKING BAD GUY.

 

[XenoScifi]

Hmmm, the first time seeing this art I sure did not view it as racist. I am glad there are those that do, point it out, and then expect it be the truth and expects others to follow in behind them. Making something out of nothing....media, BAH.

 

[TiberiusEsuriens]

To think the main character is the same as the character on that cover art means that you aren't very genre-savvy. I mean, he has all the makings of a complete bad guy: Hes sitting on a throne, he has weapons strewn all around him, he has what appears to be some man-slave or otherwise captive person, and that pose just gives off a sense of evil.

Hell, the only cover I've seen like this where the person in the center was the protagonist is Saints Row 4, and you're an absolute dick in that game.

I don't think being genre-savvy has anything to do with it. While he fits the antagonist stereotype of most FarCry games, 'scraggly weapon laden smart-ass' describes almost every other FPS protagonist to date. The only reason someone would guess that he isn't the protagonist is because western marketing teams would never let the main character have a hairstyle and shirt color so "flamboyant". (aside from Deep Silver, but you already pointed out Saints Row has it's own negative quirks)

 

[StarStruckStrumpets]

For fuck's sake. I just don't care any more. Everything is racist or sexist to the kind of social justice shit-stains the gaming industry has for consumers. Can we even explore themes like racism and sexism any more? Is depicting racism racist? I give up. It's this kind of infantile willingness to decry anything potentially offensive that makes me want to leave games behind as a whole.

Seriously, what is wrong with people? OMG, light skinned south asian man in a position of power over a fairly light skinned, dirty south asian man, RACISM!

Exactly. It's pathetic.

Then again, it isn't just games. This kind of first-world socio-political obsession is everywhere.

 

[tangoprime]

Seriously, what is wrong with people? OMG, light skinned south asian man in a position of power over a fairly light skinned, dirty south asian man, RACISM!

 

[Dragonlayer]

Uhh....wasn't it completely fucking obvious that the purple suited dude was the villain?

Like, because he's sitting on destroyed "native" monuments, with an arrogant smirk while forcing a local person to hold a live grenade?

For fuck's sake people.

Lets use our brains next time and take into account the general themes of a series and the context of them shall we, before screaming "RACISM!!!"?

 

[saltyanon]

The only reason someone would guess that he isn't the protagonist is because western marketing teams would never let the main character have a hairstyle and shirt color so "flamboyant". (aside from Deep Silver, but you already pointed out Saints Row has it's own negative quirks)

Or you know, it kind of has a similar style to Far Cry 3's cover.

Spoiler

 

[Absolutionis]

People need to understand that not everyone plays video games and not everyone played Far Cry 3.

Also, many people judge a video game by its cover.

 

[Shinkicker444]

People really need to stop leaping onto the racism card bandwagon feet first without knowing anything about the target of their anger.

 

[nevarran]

Racism?! Oh, for fuck's sake, man, this is getting ridiculous.
Leaving aside the fact, that whoever thought this is the main character, is a complete moron and has zero knowledge on the series and gaming in general.
But we can't have any type of enemies/bad guys in games and not having someone bitching about it. We can't have dark skinned people, we can't have Asian people, we can't have gay people, we can't have women...
The main character of a game can fight only robots, aliens (and they should not have any resemblance to humans whatsoever) and Nazis (the Germans are to ashamed to complain).
That being said, the main character can only be a person of color, female, gay and a little chubby, wearing a large tracksuit, garden boots and a hat.

 

[Frankster]

Goddamnit I was really looking forward to playing as Brayko from Alpha Protocol.


Damn it all to hell, yet another gaming dream ruined.

 

[zombiejoe]

People need to understand that not everyone plays video games and not everyone played Far Cry 3.

Also, many people judge a video game by its cover.

So what if they don't play video games? They should do research on what they're talking about.

So what if they haven't played Far Cry 3, or any of the Far Cry games? They should do research into what those games are like before talking about them.

And yes, people do judge games based on covers, but that gives no excuse to blow an issue out of preparation.

 

[Bke]

To be fair, Farcry 3 was pretty racist in its depiction of the Polynesians. However this observation is drawn from the content of Farcry 3, I wouldn't wanna judge a whole game by its cover art. I mean "spec-ops the line" is a thing that happened so you'd figure people had wised up to appearances not conveying the full experience.

That said this is probably non-gamers, as it were, commenting on the boxart and I for one do not want to hear another national debate regarding videogames as something to be concerned about so it's best ubisoft nips this one in the bud, and hard.

 

[Daaaah Whoosh]

I'm sorry, but I really don't like the claims of racism here. We don't know why the white (or albino?) guy seems to be controlling the non-white guy, but there's a pretty low chance it's based on race. It could be based on class, or age, or culture, or as some sort of hazing ritual, or any number of factors. Saying "The white guy is being mean to the non-white guy because he's white" seems more racist to me than the picture itself. It even makes it seem like the only way such poses would not be racist would be if the white guy was the enslaved one, which I would think is just as bad (not any worse or better, mind you, just equal). I understand that this sort of thing used to be racist, but I hardly believe that the Far Cry 4 publicity people are hardcore racists.