Capcom Says No to Another Resident Evil 5 Controversy

[squid5580]

I think some people might be over-simplifying the discussion. The issue was not that the zombies were black - the game is set in Africa, of course they're black - it was how the villagers, whether infected or not, were portrayed. I'm certain that Capcom didn't mean to, but it tapped into a lot of very old, racist imagery with the trailers it released, and that was what people were upset about.

Oh so it isn't ok to place fictional characters in a fictional world without being PC? I could understand if Chris went in there with a whip and a boat and started rounding them up but c'mon. This is complete and utter fiction. The work of a few peoples imaginations put on a disc. Maybe the people who made it really are racist. Who knows but for something to be racist there should be real intent. There was no hate in RE5. Chris didn't giggle and say "oh goody a black zombie to shoot". There was no propaganda, no hate. But alot of internet raging (even before the game came out, when all we knew it was set in Africa there was rage).

Would it have been less racist if they got the cast of a GTA game and had the zombies dropping N bombs every 2 seconds? Instead of being tribesmen they could have been gangsta zombies. I get it that is OK but giving them spears and putting them in the past is wrong. Cuz no one would ever want to be portrayed like that but being portrayed as a bunch of dirtbag criminals that hits far closer to home is fine.

 

[Dommyboy]

There are too many white people in this forum, it's racist!

 

[Glademaster_v1legacy]

Remember folks. It's fine for a white cop(ish) person to kill Spaniards in Spain. But if a White cop kills Africans in Africa, its wrong.

It's not so much that he simply killed black people as it was the way they were portrayed on some levels.

RE4 didn't have Spaniard zombies dancing around sombreros, or sleeping and selling oranges on street corners.

But RE5 had black people coming out of straw huts and yelling "OOGA BOOGA!" Like some sort of blatantly racist early cartoons depicting them.

Do I think they intended to be racist, though? No. I'm with Yahtzee on this one, I think they're just idiots. Completely oblivious to the the impact they might have with certain content.

Em there are actually still tribes out there in the world that are still a bit like that. It's not like they were actual people though. They were Zombies. This is what people seem to forget the tribe and all the people there were peaceful and they were turned into Zombies. Well technically Infected but still they were not human anymore. They did not say Ooga Booga. They were not depicted racistly but like an African tribe is might actually be like when infected by a mind altering parasite.

 

[ShadowsofHope]

-Snip-

That makes more sense. I forgot about Shiva's outfit.

From that perspective, I agree.

 

[robandall]

Utter bullshit. I'm pretty sure Sri Lankan's don't have cults in volcanos who rip people's hearts out (ala Temple of Doom) but it's fantasy so you just enjoy the ride. I didn't jump out of my chair when a spear chucker came running at me (actually I thought about Eddie Murphey's rant in Blowfinger and laughed) as I'm capable of differentiating between people being put in fantasy settings and people being negatively discriminated against based on their race. It's about time white people terrified of being exposed as racists stopped trying to be 'racially sensitive' and us brown folk stopped being hypersensitive.

 

[DTWolfwood]

Dont agree with the amount of flak they got for RE5. (there are really black ppl in Africa omg say it isn't so!)

But if you want to sell to an audience who feels they are righteous in not being offended, best run it thru with the ppl who deal with this kind of issue, PR Department.

1 request tho, Capcom PLEASE let the Resident Evil Franchise die. Or rename it to Umbrella Corp Action Adventure Zombie Shooter or something. :sigh: guess with the money they are making re-branding this franchise as an shooter that's unlikely to happen. Well at the least get rid of the "wait and shoot" mechanic. Thats just antiqued for what it is now.

 

[chinangel]

I think they should be less worried with thin racism controversies and worry more with making games that aren't just bad.

Bring back the "SURVIVAL" and "HORROR" part of their games. There is nothing horrifying about mowing down villages of shambling 'zombies' (I use the term loosely) with a gattling gun. There is no concern with survival either.

Simply put, start making resident evil games isntead of action games bearing the resident evil title. Go back to horror. go back to survival. GO BACK TO A GOOD GAME!

THEN start worrying about cultural impact, or what stereotypes may or may not be being supported.

rant mode: on - [off]

 

[mxfox408]

Im going to hear alot of shit for this but this is true. White man calls a blcck man ni***r = white man being sued for racist and hate speach and a bunch of ignorant black people start protesting.
Black man calls a white man trailor trash = white man accuses him of racism and in responce a bunch of ignorant black people start protesting. those same people also said if you didnt vote for obama your racist. i hate that these blind morons call racism on everything.

 

[Jumplion]

I think some people might be over-simplifying the discussion. The issue was not that the zombies were black - the game is set in Africa, of course they're black - it was how the villagers, whether infected or not, were portrayed. I'm certain that Capcom didn't mean to, but it tapped into a lot of very old, racist imagery with the trailers it released, and that was what people were upset about.

Oh so it isn't ok to place fictional characters in a fictional world without being PC? I could understand if Chris went in there with a whip and a boat and started rounding them up but c'mon. This is complete and utter fiction. The work of a few peoples imaginations put on a disc. Maybe the people who made it really are racist. Who knows but for something to be racist there should be real intent. There was no hate in RE5. Chris didn't giggle and say "oh goody a black zombie to shoot". There was no propaganda, no hate. But alot of internet raging (even before the game came out, when all we knew it was set in Africa there was rage).

Would it have been less racist if they got the cast of a GTA game and had the zombies dropping N bombs every 2 seconds? Instead of being tribesmen they could have been gangsta zombies. I get it that is OK but giving them spears and putting them in the past is wrong. Cuz no one would ever want to be portrayed like that but being portrayed as a bunch of dirtbag criminals that hits far closer to home is fine.

I direct you to my first post [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/7.227931-Capcom-Says-No-to-Another-Resident-Evil-5-Controversy?page=4#7852635], specifically MovieBob/GameOverThinker's video. Maybe not so much "racism", per se, but it's still there, and going "LALALALALA BLACK PEOPLE IN AFRICA LALALA REVERSE IT WITH WHITE PEOPLE AND IT'S NOT RACIST, LALALA" isn't going to help the image of the video game industry and it's users very well. It's a wonder how absolutely ignorant some people in the gaming "culture" can be (not you, just the people who use knee-jerk reactions, send various death threats to anyone who disagrees (proving their point), and other various unpleasantries)

 

[squid5580]

I think some people might be over-simplifying the discussion. The issue was not that the zombies were black - the game is set in Africa, of course they're black - it was how the villagers, whether infected or not, were portrayed. I'm certain that Capcom didn't mean to, but it tapped into a lot of very old, racist imagery with the trailers it released, and that was what people were upset about.

Oh so it isn't ok to place fictional characters in a fictional world without being PC? I could understand if Chris went in there with a whip and a boat and started rounding them up but c'mon. This is complete and utter fiction. The work of a few peoples imaginations put on a disc. Maybe the people who made it really are racist. Who knows but for something to be racist there should be real intent. There was no hate in RE5. Chris didn't giggle and say "oh goody a black zombie to shoot". There was no propaganda, no hate. But alot of internet raging (even before the game came out, when all we knew it was set in Africa there was rage).

Would it have been less racist if they got the cast of a GTA game and had the zombies dropping N bombs every 2 seconds? Instead of being tribesmen they could have been gangsta zombies. I get it that is OK but giving them spears and putting them in the past is wrong. Cuz no one would ever want to be portrayed like that but being portrayed as a bunch of dirtbag criminals that hits far closer to home is fine.

I direct you to my first post [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/7.227931-Capcom-Says-No-to-Another-Resident-Evil-5-Controversy?page=4#7852635], specifically MovieBob/GameOverThinker's video. Maybe not so much "racism", per se, but it's still there, and going "LALALALALA BLACK PEOPLE IN AFRICA LALALA REVERSE IT WITH WHITE PEOPLE AND IT'S NOT RACIST, LALALA" isn't going to help the image of the video game industry and it's users very well. It's a wonder how absolutely ignorant some people in the gaming "culture" can be (not you, just the people who use knee-jerk reactions, send various death threats to anyone who disagrees (proving their point), and other various unpleasantries)

I agree the reaction from the gamer side didn't (and consistently doesn't on most matters) help. That doesn't mean the attack was justified in the first place. The problem as I see it we all take knocks. We all get portrayed in a less than stellar light in all mediums at some point or another no matter what race. Sometimes it is all in fun other times it is of a more serious matter. But this is a call for censorship. They should be allowed the creative freedom to put a white man in an Africa to kill zombies without the fear of the internet attacking. Lets face it throwing out the R word is not something that should be taken lightly but it is. And while there still is individual racism (that frankly there always will be and nothing can be done about that) society racism is dead and buried. We are all equal now. And with equality comes the good and the bad. Afterall if I raged everytime the white man was portrayed in a negative stereotypical light I would never have time for gaming.

 

[Jumplion]

I agree the reaction from the gamer side didn't (and consistently doesn't on most matters) help. That doesn't mean the attack was justified in the first place. The problem as I see it we all take knocks. We all get portrayed in a less than stellar light in all mediums at some point or another no matter what race. Sometimes it is all in fun other times it is of a more serious matter. But this is a call for censorship. They should be allowed the creative freedom to put a white man in an Africa to kill zombies without the fear of the internet attacking. Lets face it throwing out the R word is not something that should be taken lightly but it is. And while there still is individual racism (that frankly there always will be and nothing can be done about that) society racism is dead and buried. We are all equal now. And with equality comes the good and the bad. Afterall if I raged everytime the white man was portrayed in a negative stereotypical light I would never have time for gaming.

Like MovieBob said, it's not so much "racism" as much as it's just cultural ignorance. And again again, it's not really the debate that annoys me, it's the ignorance of ignoring the debate that annoys me. We can't really evolve as a medium if, to even the slight amount of criticism from anyone, we just go "LALALALALA YOU STUPID LALALA"

Though the only white stereotype I can think of are "White guys can't dance" and that's pretty hard to deny [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xi4O1yi6b0]

 

[squid5580]

I agree the reaction from the gamer side didn't (and consistently doesn't on most matters) help. That doesn't mean the attack was justified in the first place. The problem as I see it we all take knocks. We all get portrayed in a less than stellar light in all mediums at some point or another no matter what race. Sometimes it is all in fun other times it is of a more serious matter. But this is a call for censorship. They should be allowed the creative freedom to put a white man in an Africa to kill zombies without the fear of the internet attacking. Lets face it throwing out the R word is not something that should be taken lightly but it is. And while there still is individual racism (that frankly there always will be and nothing can be done about that) society racism is dead and buried. We are all equal now. And with equality comes the good and the bad. Afterall if I raged everytime the white man was portrayed in a negative stereotypical light I would never have time for gaming.

Like MovieBob said, it's not so much "racism" as much as it's just cultural ignorance. And again again, it's not really the debate that annoys me, it's the ignorance of ignoring the debate that annoys me. We can't really evolve as a medium if, to even the slight amount of criticism from anyone, we just go "LALALALALA YOU STUPID LALALA"

Though the only white stereotype I can think of are "White guys can't dance" and that's pretty hard to deny [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xi4O1yi6b0]

How many times have we seen the white greedy fatcat businessman who cuts corners and unleashes some sort of hell? White people are constantly being stereotyped as greedy selfish bastards who will sell out the world for a few bucks. I mean just because my forefathers came to this land and weren't exactly nice to the natives (understatement) does that mean we should be portrayed like that in games? No I say because it is a racist stereotype. Well it would be if there was some rule about white people being victims of racism as well. Instead it is cliche'd or a parody.

And that is the reason why I don't like to define myself as a gamer. I don't want to throw my hat in with that lot.

 

[Jumplion]

How many times have we seen the white greedy fatcat businessman who cuts corners and unleashes some sort of hell? White people are constantly being stereotyped as greedy selfish bastards who will sell out the world for a few bucks. I mean just because my forefathers came to this land and weren't exactly nice to the natives (understatement) does that mean we should be portrayed like that in games? No I say because it is a racist stereotype. Well it would be if there was some rule about white people being victims of racism as well. Instead it is cliche'd or a parody.

Oh, pfft, good point, didn't think of that one.

But really, you can't exactly be "racist" to white guys since, well, we're a friggin' world dominance. It's like, you can be mean and rude to Christians, maybe offensive, but you can't really be "racist" against them.

Though, then again, the Muslim religion dominates to over a billion, yet people can be racist to Muslims by putting them together with the "A-rabs!" and "Terrurists!" (Example; While I was driving I saw someone with an Anti-Obama bumbersticker saying "Somewhere in Kenya or India a village is missing their idiots" Maybe related, maybe not, just sort of wanted to say it)

But whatever, I'm rambling with no purpose now. You have your opinion, I have mine, but thank you for not going "YOU'RE AN IDIOT FOR THINKING RE5 IS RACIST" or some form of that.

 

[squid5580]

How many times have we seen the white greedy fatcat businessman who cuts corners and unleashes some sort of hell? White people are constantly being stereotyped as greedy selfish bastards who will sell out the world for a few bucks. I mean just because my forefathers came to this land and weren't exactly nice to the natives (understatement) does that mean we should be portrayed like that in games? No I say because it is a racist stereotype. Well it would be if there was some rule about white people being victims of racism as well. Instead it is cliche'd or a parody.

Oh, pfft, good point, didn't think of that one.

But really, you can't exactly be "racist" to white guys since, well, we're a friggin' world dominance. It's like, you can be mean and rude to Christians, maybe offensive, but you can't really be "racist" against them.

Though, then again, the Muslim religion dominates to over a billion, yet people can be racist to Muslims by putting them together with the "A-rabs!" and "Terrurists!" (Example; While I was driving I saw someone with an Anti-Obama bumbersticker saying "Somewhere in Kenya or India a village is missing their idiots" Maybe related, maybe not, just sort of wanted to say it)

But whatever, I'm rambling with no purpose now. You have your opinion, I have mine, but thank you for not going "YOU'RE AN IDIOT FOR THINKING RE5 IS RACIST" or some form of that.

You wanna know what I think about that last line. I think it is a trap. I think that is the exact response they are trying to get from us. The first article about this that I recall happened months before the game even launched. It sprung up because of a trailer. And knowing that gamers are a passionate bunch he knew that a controversy like that would draw alot of hits to his site. And he knew that any rational arguement would be lost in a sea of "LALALALALA YOU STUPID LALALA" so all he would have to do is keep feeding the fire. But it goes even deeper than that. Look at good ole Jack Thompson. He managed to insult the intelligence of every parent/guardian out there (what we are to stupid to understand what a big fucking M and the word MATURE underneath means?) a fact that got lost in the sea of nerdrage. I am seriously beginning to doubt that they believe what they say and are just stringing words together that will get the desired result. And then they get to point at the results and say see told you. I do believe they call that entrapment.

 

[Jake Martinez]

It's interesting to me how many people in this thread completely fail at recognizing what could possibly be construed as objectionable about this game, even if they don't particularly agree with it.

Here is a hint for those of you slow on the uptake (and there appears to be quite a few of you):

It's not that the "enemies" in the game were black. As many have stated, being as the game took place in Africa, that would actually be expected.

It was the way that the enemies were characterized and portrayed.

Imagine for an instance that you were developing a platformer and in the course of your game design you determine that enemies have two abilities:

1) They can come up to you and steal your money.
2) When you kill them, they explode into gold coins.

Sounds pretty generic and common so far right?

Well, what if you decide that your platformer takes place in Israel and that the enemies in question are hasidic jewish zombies?

None of you guys see how someone could possibly be a little offended about this? Sure, with our fictional game in question it's not likely that I'm making it as a statement about jewish stereotypes, but that doesn't mean that my ignorance is really excusable is it?

It's actually kind of sad to me that so many gamers here are looking at a way to take umbrage when the appropriate reaction is probably just to shrug your shoulders and go "meh, they're dumb."

 

[VanityGirl]

Resident Evil 5 is a shitty game. Not a single scary moment in the entire game. But people complaining about killing black people in Africa is retarded. I hope their next RE game is like Resident Evil 4. That was the best RE game IMO.

Was RE4 shitty too because it also wasn't scary? You say you want them to make it like RE4, but you just complained that RE5 was shitty and without any scary moments.
The only complaint I had in RE5 was having Sheva as a companion. I still felt a slight sense of panic when a chainsaw guy was running at me and I throughly enjoyed the general gameplay.

Resident Evil has switched from a horror game to a horror/action game. Resident Evil 4 was the turning point. Sure you were nervous about guys running at you with chainsaws, but where you ever truly frightened? No. The horror/action genre works very well in Resident Evil, which is why Resident Evil 4 and 5 were met with high scores and a amount of high popularity.

 

[kouriichi]

So let me get this straight?
its wrong to shoot black people, but its ok to shoot white people?
I thought it was wrong to shoot anyone.

Oh wait, i see!
They want us to make everyone in africa a white person!
That way its not racist, just completely false.

Im black, and i didnt see a single problem with the game.
infact, i giggled and i blew theyer heads off.

I enjoyed RE5, i really did. And i didnt think for a second it was racist.

Now that i think about it, arnt they the racist ones? for seeing a problem with one human killing another?

 

[Jumplion]

So let me get this straight?
its wrong to shoot black people, but its ok to shoot white people?
I thought it was wrong to shoot anyone.

Oh wait, i see!
They want us to make everyone in africa a white person!
That way its not racist, just completely false.

Im black, and i didnt see a single problem with the game.
infact, i giggled and i blew theyer heads off.

I enjoyed RE5, i really did. And i didnt think for a second it was racist.

Now that i think about it, arnt they the racist ones? for seeing a problem with one human killing another?

I direct you to this post;

snip

Seriously, stop with the knee-jerk reactions of "OMG, WTF IT'S NOT RACIST YOU'RE RACIST FOR THINKING ITS RACIST!#@" crap, it was never about how black people were in the game, it was how they were depicted.

Do we really need to start this whole thing back again?

 

[kouriichi]

So let me get this straight?
its wrong to shoot black people, but its ok to shoot white people?
I thought it was wrong to shoot anyone.

Oh wait, i see!
They want us to make everyone in africa a white person!
That way its not racist, just completely false.

Im black, and i didnt see a single problem with the game.
infact, i giggled and i blew theyer heads off.

I enjoyed RE5, i really did. And i didnt think for a second it was racist.

Now that i think about it, arnt they the racist ones? for seeing a problem with one human killing another?

I direct you to this post;

snip

Seriously, stop with the knee-jerk reactions of "OMG, WTF IT'S NOT RACIST YOU'RE RACIST FOR THINKING ITS RACIST!#@" crap, it was never about how black people were in the game, it was how they were depicted.

Do we really need to start this whole thing back again?

Yes! I say we do.
And i think we should sue these idiots for racism and live happy off the income for 20-23 years before being hit by a car and put into a coma.

 

[Jumplion]

Yes! I say we do.
And i think we should sue these idiots for racism and live happy off the income for 20-23 years before being hit by a car and put into a coma.

Yes, let's not discuss the possibility of unintentional racism on Capcoms part and further develope the medium for the better. MovieBob [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhopxZqQrmo] says it wonderfully.