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

[90sgamer]

Dear offended people:
Two lies told to everyone as a child:
1. There is no such thing as a stupid question.
2. Everyone is entitled to their opinion.

Racism: "actions, practices or beliefs, or social or political systems that consider different races to be ranked as inherently superior or inferior to each other, based on presumed shared inheritable traits, abilities, or qualities." [Wikipedia]

This shouldn't even be a discussion. A picture can't be racist because a picture isn't capable of action, practices or beliefs.

Bad guys do bad things. Bad guys want to rape Lara Croft. The writer of that bad guy is not endorsing rape when fictionalizing that event. Bad guys are racist. The writer is not endorsing racism by writing a racist bad guy. Bad guys have bad traits. Good guys (who are written well) have bad traits too, that they either overcome or else are handicapped by those traits.

I don't want my writers of fiction to be pressured by financial interests into making their art politically correct. I want them to have the freedom to write whatever story they feel they want to write. If you don't like it, then don't buy their game and consume whatever art fits your needs. Don't force all art to conform to your preferences. You don't see people like me invading your preferred art and say, "this isn't offensive enough, change it."

Offended people: please piss off. Your opinion is not valid. You are not entitled to it. Being offended does not make you entitled to anything.
Sincerely,
me.

 

[Baresark]

snip.

Yeah, I like what you're saying.

Another way of doing that could be to have had missions with Jason alongside the tribal warriors be designed for realistically (a stronger emphasis on taking out your enemies strategically, helping your companions, a higher chance of being killed, ect) and have moments where Jason is alone and going full Rambo being drug induced hallucinations. While he may be seeing himself gunning down countless waves of enemies, in reality he's killed maybe 2 or 3 pirates by surprise and shot in the air a bunch of times.

I always felt the much smarter native population was just taking advantage of Jason. They are like, "We'll tell him he is the only one who is strong enough to take them out. Then if he succeeds, we don't have to worry about pirates anymore. And if he fails, one less white boy to worry about in the world and we don't look involved."

 

[90sgamer]

snip.

Yeah, I like what you're saying.

Another way of doing that could be to have had missions with Jason alongside the tribal warriors be designed for realistically (a stronger emphasis on taking out your enemies strategically, helping your companions, a higher chance of being killed, ect) and have moments where Jason is alone and going full Rambo being drug induced hallucinations. While he may be seeing himself gunning down countless waves of enemies, in reality he's killed maybe 2 or 3 pirates by surprise and shot in the air a bunch of times.

I always felt the much smarter native population was just taking advantage of Jason. They are like, "We'll tell him he is the only one who is strong enough to take them out. Then if he succeeds, we don't have to worry about pirates anymore. And if he fails, one less white boy to worry about in the world and we don't look involved."

The reason you feel that way is because that IS how it happened. Every time Jason took over a stronghold the local population lazily rolls up in a vehicle, some guy camps out near the bulletin board and says, "your work isn't done yet. [Do these things too]," in a tone that does not even hint at anything other than authoritative instruction. It's so obvious Jason was being used through the entire duration of the game that I can't comprehend how some people don't get it.

 

[Baresark]

snip.

Yeah, I like what you're saying.

Another way of doing that could be to have had missions with Jason alongside the tribal warriors be designed for realistically (a stronger emphasis on taking out your enemies strategically, helping your companions, a higher chance of being killed, ect) and have moments where Jason is alone and going full Rambo being drug induced hallucinations. While he may be seeing himself gunning down countless waves of enemies, in reality he's killed maybe 2 or 3 pirates by surprise and shot in the air a bunch of times.

I always felt the much smarter native population was just taking advantage of Jason. They are like, "We'll tell him he is the only one who is strong enough to take them out. Then if he succeeds, we don't have to worry about pirates anymore. And if he fails, one less white boy to worry about in the world and we don't look involved."

The reason you feel that way is because that IS how it happened. Every time Jason took over a stronghold the local population lazily rolls up in a vehicle, some guy camps out near the bulletin board and says, "your work isn't done yet. [Do these things too]," in a tone that does not even hint at anything other than authoritative instruction. It's so obvious Jason was being used through the entire duration of the game that I can't comprehend how some people don't get it.

That is exactly my point. Everyone is screaming racism and white savior trope. All I saw was stupid kid getting used by the natives.

 

[Madame_Lawliet]

Okay, in fairness, put yourself into the shoes of someone who doesn't know anything about the Farcry series and holds either strong Buddhist beliefs and/or an Indian heritage. perhaps they wouldn't know that Farcry 3 had basically the same kind of cover, and without that knowledge they might think this is a game about subjecting natives and taking over the Himalayas, yeah the exact opposite is true but not everybody knows that.
I thought it was pretty obvious that Anderson Cooper here was the villain, but as a rule it's usually pretty fair to assume that the lighter skinned guy in the center frame of a video game's box art is the player character, so I can somewhat see the confusion.

 

[aPod]

Nothing to see here.

I guess looking for imagined boogeymen make people feel good about themselves. I'm easily offended by absolutely nothing too though so i should be more tolerant i guess.

 

[beastro]

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

If they didn't there'd be nothing to be outraged over.

 

[Cowabungaa]

Isn't assuming he's Caucasian because he has relatively light skin and blonde hair, y'know, actually racist?

I swear, too many people shout before they listen, throw opinions around without deliberating and consideration. People should be more patient, slow down a little. Actually make that a lot.

 

[Lightknight]

Isn't assuming he's Caucasian because he has relatively light skin and blonde hair, y'know, actually racist?

I swear, too many people shout before they listen, throw opinions around without deliberating and consideration. People should be more patient, slow down a little. Actually make that a lot.

What's funny is that even if he were white, how is it somehow racist to depict that? It's not like Anglo Saxons haven't been known for imperialism or anything... The cover isn't saying that what the guy is doing is good. Just displaying what he's doing. And what is he doing that's particularly racist? He's making a guy hold a grenade. Presumably an enemy of his or someone that has offended him. What kind of extrapolation needs to be done to assume that his actions are because of the guy's race?

 

[nightmare_gorilla]

as far as I can see it pretty easily depicts the "white people are evil" idea. that's just being fair right? if you make a colored person evil it's racist but as long as the person doing reprehensible acts is white that's totally PC. at least that's how it's been explained to me.

 

[chiggerwood]

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.

FUCKING, THANK YOU!

You're anger matches my own, I seriously just want to grab these people and scream at them:


Having said that, I don't think giving up on games is the best course of action. We just need to calm down and remember that this is just another cycle and eventually it'll end, and in the meantime I'm just going to live in my own imaginary world that's ruled over by an octopus. You're welcome to join me.

Spoiler: ALL HAIL OUR KING!

 

[seris]

Im getting really tired of everything being racist and sexist. Can we just shut up and get over it instead of over analysing something that the artists and writers didnt purposefully try to do?