Video games, please stop

[JudgeGame]

Long story short: I played a video game. It was very racist. I'm upset. I just wanted to let out some steam and encourage people to do the same. If you want to critisize a game, remember to be constructive and not just go on a rant.

Video games, please stop making the enemies non-descript jungle warriors wearing loinchoths, wooden masks and wooden armor. This may be very obvious but developers haven't quite got the message. A long time ago, european countries began to colonize other continents. Throughout this process they killed, tortured and/or enslaved a lot of people on the basis that they were not real people because they looked different and their culture was "savage". This is known as empirialism and in retrospect was a huge dick move. There is a lot of imagery associated with this era and by using it as reason to kill people you come off as very racist. So try not to do that,OK?

 

[shadowuser10141]

What game are you talking about?

 

[GoaThief]

I think you need to be a bit more specific, also I don't believe imperialism to be totally evil either. Neither were tribesmen (for want of a better term for your description) from many different cultures all over the globe loving hippys - usually quite the opposite.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

It's Resident Evil 5. It's Resident Evil 5, isn't it?

 

[KarmaTheAlligator]

I'm tired of games trying to please everyone by including or removing content just to be politically correct. The idea that there has to be a girl, there as to be a token ethnic guy, there has to be anything, really, that idea has got to stop. You cannot please everyone, so don't even try, just do your thing.

 

[Tom_green_day]

I don't know a single game like that...

 

[Goofguy]

Could you elaborate? Context would help encourage more discussion in this thread...

 

[Darquenaut]

Sounds like Resident Evil 5 to me...

Anyway, fun story. I'm presently going through a bunch of older titles that I missed playing when they first came out. Last weekend, I played through Crackdown and honestly... it was kinda offensive. You're a super soldier/cop and you have to take out three gang operations. The first is a greasy Mexican-styled game who are importing drugs and weapons into the city. Next is the Russian/ Immigrant gang which is causing overpopulation and taking all the jobs. And then finally you have the Asian-centric gang which is responsible for unethical business practices and scientific experimentation. Granted at the end, there is a 30-second twist but that's it. I played through it, and took some pleasure in eradicating the horrible stereotypes from the world, but... this came out in 2007. Not 1967 or 1987... 2007.

Six years later, I'd like to think the gaming populace has changed a lot, but that fact is companies will continue to make boneheaded games as long as there is a boneheaded audience buying them. We might lambast the douchebag bros that play FPS games that seem to live their lives through the lenses Maxim magazine gave 'em, or the neckbeard basement dwellers who vent their passive-aggressive rage towards anything that doesn't stimulate their stomachs or their dicks - but so long as they're the biggest purchasing demographic, video gaming companies are going to continue giving them what they want, and to hell with any extraneous thought behind anything else behind it.

But... things are changing. I just hope quickly enough.

 

[nevarran]

A long time ago, someone did something. And now we cannot play game where enemies wear wooden masks and wooden armor.
How the hell is that racist?
Your rant is as vague as the title of the topic you made. Try to be more specific and maybe we'll understand what you want to say.

 

[Guy from the 80's]

I recall Hitman being accused of racism because there was a level you could kill Indians. Yeah, killing people regarding of their race or gender is of course racist.

Some people see racism all over the place when there is none.

Video games, please stop making the enemies non-descript jungle warriors wearing loinchoths, wooden masks and wooden armor. This may be very obvious but developers haven't quite got the message. A long time ago, european countries began to colonize other continents. Throughout this process they killed, tortured and/or enslaved a lot of people on the basis that they were not real people because they looked different and their culture was "savage". This is known as empirialism and in retrospect was a huge dick move. There is a lot of imagery associated with this era and by using it as reason to kill people you come off as very racist. So try not to do that,OK?

It was not just Europeans who colonized other countries. That card you play is just ignorant.
Also, how come societies that didnt know how to make steel wont wear plate armor in games? Wooden armor is teh racist.

 

[shrekfan246]

I played a video game. It was very zombieest. I'm upset.

Video games, please stop making the enemies nondescript zombie warriors with decaying skin and dismembered limbs. This may be very obvious but developers haven't quite got the message. A long time ago, zombies rose up against the 99% in order to secure their own rights, because we all kept talking about bashing their brains in and all of our media is focused on killing them instead of coexisting with them. Why can't we all just get along? All this senseless zombie killing just comes off as very zombieest. So try not to do that, OK?

Spoiler

The only game I can think of in recent memory that did anything like that is Revelations 2012, which is pretty notoriously shite anyway. So maybe expand more on what you're actually talking about?

And if, by chance, it's supposed to be a somewhat historical game, ascribing "racism" to what should be a historical portrayal of something is your problem, not the game developer's.

This sounds like all of the complaints that Call of Duty is racist because the primary enemies in most of the games aren't American.

 

[The Unworthy Gentleman]

A long time ago, european countries began to colonize other continents. Throughout this process they killed, tortured and/or enslaved a lot of people on the basis that they were not real people because they looked different and their culture was "savage".

Fact! White people aren't the only people to enslave others!
Fact! White people didn't only enslave black people!
Fact! White people didn't enslave based on skin colour, but because they could!
Fact! Making enemies black and giving them a tribal culture isn't racist!
Fact! You're overreacting!

I'm sure you don't complain when you're put up against Nazis portrayed as brutal murderers that constantly shout at each other, because it's the exact same thing. The idea is you need an enemy that fits into the setting and if that means making them Nazis or making them tribal warriors then you're going to have to do that. If these guys are in a game set in an urban area with no explanation for it then, yeah, it's racist. Maybe if you gave some context in the OP we'd know but just saying "racist game" doesn't really help.

 

[FalloutJack]

It's Resident Evil 5. It's Resident Evil 5, isn't it?

Look, I'm not saying that it's Resident Evil 5...but it's Resident Evil 5.

Though, the reasons it sucks has nothing to do with racism.

 

[ItsNotRudy]

Long story short: I played a video game. It was very racist. I'm upset. I just wanted to let out some steam and encourage people to do the same. If you want to critisize a game, remember to be constructive and not just go on a rant.

Video games, please stop making the enemies non-descript jungle warriors wearing loinchoths, wooden masks and wooden armor. This may be very obvious but developers haven't quite got the message. A long time ago, european countries began to colonize other continents. Throughout this process they killed, tortured and/or enslaved a lot of people on the basis that they were not real people because they looked different and their culture was "savage". This is known as empirialism and in retrospect was a huge dick move. There is a lot of imagery associated with this era and by using it as reason to kill people you come off as very racist. So try not to do that,OK?

If the enemies are just landless, faceless, loincloth-wearing savages, how is it racism? What race are they exactly? Are they Asian, African, Caucasian, Hispanic? "jungle warriors" existed everywhere, China, Brasil, Africa...

 

[LiquidGrape]

Why are some people seemingly trying to defend the blatant racism of Resident Evil 5? At least I assume this is the game we're talking about. It is a categorically racist game, and no, not because the enemies are predominantly people of colour - but because the portrayal of them is so woefully misinformed and dehumanising in its exoticism that it goes above and beyond anything that has come before or since.

Spoiler: I mean seriously. Look at this crap and tell me there are equivalent portrayals of white zombies in Resident Evil's canon.

Also, how come societies that didnt know how to make steel wont wear plate armor in games? Wooden armor is teh racist.

Considering metallurgy has a long history in sub-Saharan Africa, it actually is pretty strange. Oh wait, Western and Middle-Eastern exploitation and colonialism happened.

 

[BreakfastMan]

At first I wanted to simply type "I see what you did there".

But on second thought I can't tell if you are serious now OP. Honestly I really don't get why people feel that they need to enforce some sort of control over what developers can actually create.

I know, right? Fecking critics man, who likes those guys? Always bringing us down and "criticizing games". Bah! Down with them, I say! Down with Jeff Gertsman! Down with Jim Sterling! Down with them all! We can't have my precious feelings hurt because I can't take someone criticizing something I like, now can we?

 

[Beffudled Sheep_v1legacy]

Why are some people seemingly trying to defend the blatant racism of Resident Evil 5? At least I assume this is the game we're talking about. It is a categorically racist game, and no, not because the enemies are predominantly people of colour - but because the portrayal of them is so woefully misinformed and dehumanising in its exoticism that it goes above and beyond anything that has come before or since.

Spoiler: I mean seriously. Look at this crap and tell me there are equivalent portrayals of white zombies in Resident Evil's canon.

Also, how come societies that didnt know how to make steel wont wear plate armor in games? Wooden armor is teh racist.

Considering metallurgy has a long history in sub-Saharan Africa, it actually is pretty strange. Oh wait, Western and Middle-Eastern exploitation and colonialism happened.

Honestly I don't think many of the people in this thread are discussing Resi 5 and it seems that those who have mentioned it are all calling it out on being crap.
And did they really look like that? Yeesh, its been a long while since I've played, I'd totally forgotten.

I'm pretty sure tribal Africans have actual clothes as well and don't wear grass either.
Damn game artists.

 

[Beffudled Sheep_v1legacy]

Long story short: I played a video game. It was very racist. I'm upset. I just wanted to let out some steam and encourage people to do the same. If you want to critisize a game, remember to be constructive and not just go on a rant.

Video games, please stop making the enemies non-descript jungle warriors wearing loinchoths, wooden masks and wooden armor. This may be very obvious but developers haven't quite got the message. A long time ago, european countries began to colonize other continents. Throughout this process they killed, tortured and/or enslaved a lot of people on the basis that they were not real people because they looked different and their culture was "savage". This is known as empirialism and in retrospect was a huge dick move. There is a lot of imagery associated with this era and by using it as reason to kill people you come off as very racist. So try not to do that,OK?

Also I'd like to know what game you're talking about, just for curiosity.

 

[Nazulu]

Why are some people seemingly trying to defend the blatant racism of Resident Evil 5? At least I assume this is the game we're talking about. It is a categorically racist game, and no, not because the enemies are predominantly people of colour - but because the portrayal of them is so woefully misinformed and dehumanising in its exoticism that it goes above and beyond anything that has come before or since.

Spoiler: I mean seriously. Look at this crap and tell me there are equivalent portrayals of white zombies in Resident Evil's canon.

So were they like that before they became zombies or whatever they are? Even then, why can't they attempt to look more threatening? Those enemies look pretty damn mean.

Also, I've seen a couple of movies that had barbaric tribes hanging skulls everywhere, using voodoo magic and making sacrifices. And I'm not sure if that happened in real life or not but it did make them scary villains.

 

[Guffe]

Would be funny if everyone is thinking OP is talking about ResEv5 and he's actually sad about Tetris or PacMan