seth schiesel - Kotaku

posts about #sethschiesel more →
New York Times on RE5: The Truth About African Zombies
Prince Of Persia Culturally Irresponsible

Your version of Internet Explorer is not supported. Please upgrade to the most recent version in order to view comments.

Dsmvwl Admin Promote to frontpage Approve user Ban user ×

Does Not Equal
03/16/09

In reply to New York Times on RE5: The Truth About African Zombies
Clearly, no zombies worked on this article.
Reply

Does Not Equal was starred Does Not Equal was unstarred

TheHeartless
03/16/09

In reply to New York Times on RE5: The Truth About African Zombies
Brilliant.
Reply

TheHeartless was starred TheHeartless was unstarred

jayntampa
03/16/09

In reply to New York Times on RE5: The Truth About African Zombies
The whole zombie genre is a subversive political commentary -- and, it works especially well in Africa. The plot of the story is the opposite of racist - I believe it brings to light the years of terrible treatment that continent has endured.

Africa faced a terrible colonial period which raped the land of resources and returned nothing to the people. The story very much emphasizes this and frames a question asking whether anything has really changed.

So, I think Capcom made a powerful political and moral statement with that ...

... of course, then they have you pillaging tribal homes for relics to make a buck, and the moral high ground goes out the window.
Reply

jayntampa was starred jayntampa was unstarred

Diamond_Sutra
03/16/09

@jayntampa:

Interestingly enough, while I kept myself open to both camps, I came away (currently on Act 6) with the same conclusion:

The way that the bad guys are experimenting on Africans in the game is very much a throwback to how the indigenous population was treated under the British and Dutch (holy cow, those Dutch: they were the worst).

The fact that everyone goes into a rage and wears "old, traditional paint and clothing" (as explained by the diaries) really made sense as well, why you come across "uncivilized" Africa without going the whole "Ooga Booga" route.

And yeah, I too noticed that I'm walking around ancient cultural sites, smashing every damned piece of pottery I can find to look for gold. Holy cow I felt really guilty in places, pretty much a living example of colonialism: Break their crap and find gold! Shoot Africans, and lots of them drop gold which I can use to buy guns!

But yeah, the way that the evil company exploits Africa is similar to old colonialism. So if nothing else, when reading the diaries you really feel some of the colonial BS that the continent has gone through.
Reply

Diamond_Sutra was starred Diamond_Sutra was unstarred

ccruse1112
03/16/09

In reply to New York Times on RE5: The Truth About African Zombies
I think Adam Sessler on X-play said it bet. This game isnt racist but it has images that are insensitive to many Americans based on our HISTORY. And it would be fine if Capcom had a reason for choosing this location if it added to the narrative, but it doesn't. Which means its offensive just for the sake of being offensive, and that's sad.
Reply

ccruse1112 was starred ccruse1112 was unstarred

LucasReis
03/16/09

@ccruse1112: Well-said. HISTORY. But hey, history = past. These people need to live in the PRESENT! :D
Reply

LucasReis was starred LucasReis was unstarred

Shiryu
03/16/09

In reply to New York Times on RE5: The Truth About African Zombies
The Shotgun sees no race, the shotgun cares not for race. The Shotgun just heals every zombie the same way. All hail the Shotgun.
Reply

Shiryu was starred Shiryu was unstarred

heretrix
03/16/09

In reply to New York Times on RE5: The Truth About African Zombies
This bullshit again? The game isn't racist, nobody worth listening to said it was (Ngai didn't say it was)and it's getting really annoying seeing this and anything related to it being repeated over and over.

The game rocks in coop btw.
Reply

heretrix was starred heretrix was unstarred

Nicolas Grignon
03/16/09

In reply to New York Times on RE5: The Truth About African Zombies
it's not about the game it's about the ones who will play this game for the wrong reasons.... and there are a lot unfortunately!
Reply

Nicolas Grignon was starred Nicolas Grignon was unstarred

TRT-X
03/16/09

@Nicolas Grignon: That has got to be the stupidest thing I have read in a LOOOONG time.
Reply

TRT-X was starred TRT-X was unstarred

Alfie Roberts
03/16/09

In reply to New York Times on RE5: The Truth About African Zombies
ugh its not racist but its still insensitive. ill use the holocaust because unless genocide or slavery is involved i dont think people understand why something could be considered racist by someone. imagine if re5 was set in 1940's detention camp in germany and the zombies jewish, results of hitlers experiments? theres the same history there shit most africans do have a virus that was introduced by an evil corporation
Reply

Alfie Roberts was starred Alfie Roberts was unstarred

LucasReis
03/16/09

@Alfie Roberts: That would be a cross between Wolfentein 3D and Resident Evil, pretty interesting. hehehe
Reply

LucasReis was starred LucasReis was unstarred

svenhoek
03/16/09

In reply to New York Times on RE5: The Truth About African Zombies
I thought the game was very racist myself.

*Waits*

Seriously, this shouldnt even be a discussion anymore. I dont care if your a homeless, gay, half Arab and black crack baby with 3 kids, if you turn into a zombie, I'm going to blow your fucking head off.
Reply

svenhoek was starred svenhoek was unstarred

UltimatePancakeSensation
03/16/09

@svenhoek: While the base concept of shooting zombies regardless of their race isn't racist, there IS racism in the game. Not enough to be worthy of such a controversy, but it exists.

Big ol' example: the zombies in this game dress up in their ancestor's tribal outfits and attack with shields and spears. I have never seen a game where white zombies put on powdered wigs and a tricorne hat, then proceed to shoot me with a flintlock pistol.
Reply

EvilMetsFan: still a Mets fan.
03/16/09

@UltimatePancakeSensation: YOu know, this is an underdevekoped region of Africa. So, they still rely on hunting/fishing and making their own stuff. There are areas in South America that still run around in tribes. So your argument holds no water.
Reply

UltimatePancakeSensation
03/16/09

@EvilMetsFan: You must not have played the game, because there's a diary entry in the area this is happening that literally mentions the fact that the people are "dressing up like their ancestors".
Reply

yomachaser
03/16/09

@UltimatePancakeSensation:

They weren't dressing in ancestral armor, those were supposed to be primitive bushmen not modern folk returning to tribal roots.

If you were to set a similar scene in North America it would have been something like a zombie Inuit village (awesome) or zombie Ainu or something for Asia so that's not really racism.
Reply

yomachaser was starred yomachaser was unstarred

UltimatePancakeSensation
03/16/09

@yomachaser: Once again, play the game and read the diary entry. I don't have a transcript of it, but it is written by one of the natives about his peers, and there is no possible way that it could be misinterpreted.
Reply

AEREC
03/16/09

In reply to New York Times on RE5: The Truth About African Zombies
I really don't get the racist flak this game has been getting. It takes place in Africa so obviously the game will consist predominantly of Africans.
Reply

AEREC was starred AEREC was unstarred

BubbleF**kingBuddy
03/16/09

@AEREC: N'Gai simply mentioned why he felt someone might find it offensive, and said Capcom should have been more careful about how the first trailer played out.

And then a million butthurt folks turned it into a strawman for their "those darn minorities!" arguments.
Reply

BubbleF**kingBuddy was starred

TRT-X
03/16/09

@CoralineF**kingJones: In what way could Capcom have made the trailer more carefully? How do you advertise a game about a white protagonist and black "zombies" without showing the white protagonist or black zombies?
Reply

TRT-X was starred TRT-X was unstarred

BubbleF**kingBuddy
03/16/09

@TRT-X: Anyone who never heard of Resident Evil would just see a white guy running around shooting Black people. no mention of motives, just shooting Africans.
Reply

BubbleF**kingBuddy was starred

topheavy
03/16/09

In reply to New York Times on RE5: The Truth About African Zombies
That totally ended the debate for me. There really shouldn't have been any stupid debate to begin with.

Who says that there is even racism in america to begin with? Wasn't that dealt a couple of generations ago?
Reply

topheavy was starred topheavy was unstarred

heretrix
03/16/09

@Momentarylogic: Holy shit, No offense, but are you a complete idiot?

Seriously did you just say that? Jesus Christ.
Reply

heretrix was starred heretrix was unstarred

moyogo
03/16/09

In reply to New York Times on RE5: The Truth About African Zombies
I, for one, intend to negotiate with the zombie hordes. Who's with me?
Reply

moyogo was starred moyogo was unstarred

rabbibert
03/16/09

@moyogo: I tried that and they chopped my head off with a chainsaw, it wasn't pretty.
Reply

rabbibert was starred rabbibert was unstarred

thabookiemonster
03/16/09

In reply to New York Times on RE5: The Truth About African Zombies
i think it's ridiculous i mean RE4 was set in Spain and had spanish zombies and no 1 complained cuz its only natural considering the setting...so why shouldn't there be black zombies in africa? people can be so ignorant sometimes to the point where i really have to laugh @ how stupid they are!!
Reply

thabookiemonster was starred thabookiemonster was unstarred

moyogo
03/16/09

@thabookiemonster: Do you laugh while typing your ampersand at their stupidity?

People aren't mad because they put black zombies in Africa, they're mad because the game had a white guy going to Africa to clean 'em out. I am not defending that position (or even clearly outlining one) but your outright dismissal of criticism of the game is truly stupid.
Reply

moyogo was starred moyogo was unstarred

LucasReis
03/16/09

@J_skellington: Truest truth of all truths!
Reply

LucasReis was starred LucasReis was unstarred

LittleDeadEpic!
03/16/09

In reply to New York Times on RE5: The Truth About African Zombies
doubt hes even played the game or he would know THEY ARE NOT ZOMBIES!
Reply

LittleDeadEpic! was starred LittleDeadEpic! was unstarred

TRT-X
03/16/09

@LittleDeadEpic!: Yeah, let's focus on that aspect of the review...and not the part where he's actually saying something that NEEDS TO BE SAID regarding the whole "racism" issue with this game.
Reply

TRT-X was starred TRT-X was unstarred

CoastalP47
03/16/09

In reply to New York Times on RE5: The Truth About African Zombies
I like this guy, he has some sense in an otherwise nonsensible world.
Reply

CoastalP47 was starred CoastalP47 was unstarred

BubbleF**kingBuddy
03/16/09

@CoastalP47: I'd say the guy with the most sense would be the one that stopped, looked around, and notice that nobody at all said the game was racist.
Reply

BubbleF**kingBuddy was starred

Earlier discussions Other discussions Show all discussions Show featured discussions only Start a new discussion

#sethschiesel

Kotaku

SUBSCRIBE TO Kotaku

New York Times on RE5: The Truth About African Zombies

Prince Of Persia Culturally Irresponsible

Login

Reset Password

Register

Submit Your Comment