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Race

resident evil 5

"Clearly No One Black Worked On This Game"

In line with the earlier post on race in video games, Newsweek journalist N'Gai Croal offers these insights about the Resident Evil 5 trailer:


I looked at the Resident Evil 5 trailer and I was like, "Wow, clearly no one black worked on this game." Because I wonder, and I haven't sort of really dug into it that much, but I wonder what sort of advice Capcom gave them. The point isn't that you can't have black zombies. There was a lot of imagery in that trailer that dovetailed with classic racist imagery. What was not funny, but sort of interesting, was that there were so many gamers who could not at all see it. Like literally couldn't see it. So how could you have a conversation with people who don't understand what you're talking about and think that you're sort of seeing race where nothing exists?

There's more. If you're interested, hit the jump.
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gears of war

"Every Other Effin' Black Video Game Character"

Ah, the Cole Train. Not exactly the deepest of characters. Says Morgan Gray, Senior Producer at Crystal Dynamics:

Here's the thing: Cole Train on his own, no harm no foul. But what is Cole Train? Cole Train is basically like every other effin' black character in a video game. Like here comes the urban stereotype. Where is this 1990's — not even 2000 — black slang, where does this fit in this futuristic world that doesn't even take place on Earth? They go really far to do a lot of fictional justifications for this culture that they've built, and they go right back to this urban stereotype for the black character.
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lol

Halo Car Red Rings, Wii Car Takes Second in Race

With the release of Halo 3 just days away the ultimate faceoff went down over the weekend at the Dover Speedway: Halo 3 took on the Wii in the form of a NASCAR racing pitting Greg Biffle versus David Stremme.

Exactly 306 laps into the 440 lap race Stremme's number 40 car blew its engine and sidelined the racer. No, I'm not making that up: The Halo car got a red ring of death.

Meanwhile Biffle's Wii mobile landed a respectable second place. Ouch.

Dover 440


not to stir the pot, but

Totilo Weighs in on RE5 Debate, It's About Poverty not Race

The Resident Evil 5 trailer is provoking responses in all directions, and I hate to add fuel to the fire. But as someone who was a uncomfortable watching the trailer the first time he saw it at the Microsoft presser, who also hasn't seen a decent summation of his feelings on the topic, I can appreciate Stephen Totilo's perspective. And I hope you give it a shot:
My problem is that it presents a fantasy I don't desire. It looks like it's an advertisement to virtually shoot poor people. I know "Resident Evil" games are supposed to be about hiding from and shooting zombies — this one probably is too. Shooting zombies is something I can get behind...But when I see a town of what looks like impoverished African villagers — the very image of global poverty, the very spectacle that since my youth has been coded in me to evoke sympathy and charity — I don't want to pull the trigger.
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race

Racial Stereotyping in Video Games

Writer Richard O. Jones has a lengthy article up at Black Voice News, where he discusses the dangers of racial stereotyping in video games. Citing examples like Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, he contends that young Black and Latino children who constantly see themselves portrayed as thieves and killers are more likely to emulate them.
"If Blacks and Latinos are always portrayed as the villains, or as the victims who get killed often and easily, that is code for powerlessness," said Kansas State University psychologist John Murray, who's studied violence and stereotypes in the media for the past 30 years. "These image persist because too few minorities are in the industry."

It is a very good point he makes. The US video game industry is 80% Caucasian, and let's face it, white people tend to program white characters, mainly because it's what they are familiar with, but I suspect also out of a fear that if they portray a Black character they'll get it wrong, or offend someone. Just look at Barret from FFVII. More »

gnomes

The Great Gnomish Race

Being on a World of Warcraft kick lately, I just had to post this video of 16 Level 1 Gnomes racing between Ironforge and Stormwind, on a PVP server no less. I'd like to scowl at the Level 60 Horde bastards who eviscerated the little shrimps on their marathon, but hell, I'd have done the same thing. I'm a ganker. Thanks, Hard Gay!

clips

Gnomish Death Race 2000

While the video is twelve minutes, the race itself took an hour: 16 level 1 gnomes on a mad dash from Ironforge to Stormwind. More »