Poll: Is Resident Evil 5 Racist?

[anti_strunt]

Gamers say installment in popular series is not [bad thing]?! Surely this must be the result of careful, objective weighting of the arguments on both sides. Or not. Gamers have never been very keen on critical analysis (with the emphasis on "critical") of their favourite pasttime.

Oh and the game takes place in Haiti not Africa.
Just placing it out there since so many people are saying stuff like 'African people', 'drop someone in Africa'.

Basically it's like this, people calling this game racist ARE WRONG, but that doesn't give you the right to make fun of them, do not dismiss some of the accusations that said people make, instead make them understand why they're wrong. They have a point though, on the surface this game may look racist but it really isn't.

I haven't played the game nor do I plan to, nor have I really paid much attention to the furor around it. As far as I can tell, it's not actually racist. But it may certainly appear to be at a cursory glance, what with the lone white hero being attacked by a horde of black savages possessed by a viral epidemic (the comparison with AIDS has already been made).

The failure of many "gamers" to approach the subject maturely with good arguments and an awareness of cultural readings and the nature and history of racism (which could effectively have defused the entire situation) instead of defensive, kneejerk virtiol about "political correctness" or whathaveyou only reflects poorly upon the community as a whole.

The title isn't really racist, even though it appear to be. We should be trying to point out how and why it isn't, instead of alternatively crying "oppression!" or pointing and laughing like a clique of teenagers on a schoolyard.

Basically, we "gamers" should show that we can handle serious issues in an adult fashion - so far we aren't doing the best job at it.

 

[Eiseman]

Not racist, but! Seems to carry overtones that are uncomfortably similar to modern-day Africa's geopolitical turmoil (poverty and the hellhole lifestyle that comes with it being the most prominent, with just a touch of AIDS). I hope the plot somehow addresses some of those issues, or Capcom's gonna look like a bunch of insensitive pricks who don't give two shits about the plight of poor people.

I agree with Bocaj and anti_srunt, you guys are reacting a bit too... absent-mindedly. It doesn't have to be racist to be politically incorrect.

 

[Mr Goostoff]

Racist is so out of context now-a-days. I can go out and shoot a white guy, and it's assault or whatever, i'm not a legal person. but if I go out and shoot a black guy, then it's assault, a hate crime, all that horse shit. They're trying to abolish Racism, and they're only adding to the problems. Not to mention black people toss the racist card too much anyways.

 

[Nezron]

I live in South africa so....

If i had my say in it if the game was the other way around there would probably be more buyers for the game and the way that they portray the game is not really that much different from South Africa most of those scene's are like a re-copy of our down town area's. I myself love the series so racism is not an issue here.

 

[Collymilad08]

No, it's a victim of the ridiculous PC-society we live in.

The game is set in Africa, and last time i checked, it was mainly Africans that live there. The main characters for RE have always been white. This whole racist thing is a PC slant on something that is nothing more than a logical conclusion to the game characters/setting.

What really gets me is, if there was a game where you played a black character, and you went killing white "zombies" somewhere in America/Europe would anyone even bat an eyelid? No.

Just to finish, if someone want's to bring up how it's different because white people were never persecuted in the same way then sorry, no - I wasn't born till about 250 years AFTER slavery was abolished, and there's no-one alive that had anything to do with it (at least legeally) - so why should I feel any guilt? Yes, we should remember - but no-one alive today had anything to do with it personally.

Funny thing is - nothing i've said in this post is racist, yet I know for a fact that some people will think I am, but then that's the world we live in today, eh?

 

[MrGFunk]

It'd better be racist, that's the only reason I bought the other four. - Erm, No.

The idea Resident Evil 5 is racist is ridiculous. When I heard it months ago in the news I couldn't believe someone even considered it.

It's set in Africa. Unless the T virus also changes your skin colour what would you expect.

Well... let's see, the game takes place in Africa. The majority of African citizens are black. If Las Plagas was released in Africa, the majority of the zombies would end up being black. What's the problem with that logic? Not having black zombies would be racist.

Exactly.

 

[-Javelin-]

It's certainly not racist, but I'd imagine the concerns come from the fact you've got your typical American, designer stubble, fauxhawk, strong jaw line hero rampaging through African villages killing it's inhabitants in a multitude of gory ways.
Now this isn't my point of view, because in the early resident evil it was white people who took the brunt of the umbrella corporations lack of attention to a failsafe program that works and as it has been mentioned in RE4 it was the Spaniards but no one cried "RACISM" then.

 

[MrGFunk]

Guys, there was more to the original "Resident Evil 5 is racist" arguement... loads of good points

This is a gaming forum, intelligence is frowned upon.

Seriously, I agree with you.

On the other side, for as many people who won't play the game because it's racist, there will be an equal amount who will, just because you kill black people. =(

Sad but true. Hopefully, both those groups are pretty small. The belief in racism also perpetuates racism. - I'm not saying I don't believe racism exists but I'm shocked and surprised everytime I witness it.

 

[Sombra Negra]

RE5 isn't racist. You're not killing Africans because they're from Africa, or don't look like you. You're killing them because they want to EAT YOUR FUCKING FACE. That seems like a good enough excuse to me.

 

[GuerrillaClock]

*Sigh* I can't believe this debate even exists. Of course it isn't racist, neither was RE4, no wonder developers don't want to try out new settings and stories when this reaction greets them. Maybe all games everywhere should take place in a middle class white neighbourhood, that's not racist at all is it?

 

[Joos]

Africans aren't a minority in Africa.

 

[Sexual Harassment Panda]

Can't believe there is even a question to be asked here. The term "racism" gets thrown around so much now I don't think we truely understand what it means anymore. I'll attempt to help. Racism ?noun 1. a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule others.
2. a policy, system of government, etc., based upon or fostering such a doctrine; discrimination.
3. hatred or intolerance of another race or other races.

That is 3 blatent failures at making a connection. Black people in Africa is logical...and you don't shoot them for cultural reasons or the fact that they aren't the same colour as the character you are controlling...but because if you don't they will eat your brains. No need to be jumpy about the issue of race. Just be logical.

 

[SunoffaBeach]

I remember there was a game where I played a black guy who killed white guys all across California. Was that racism? No.

I do think that racists will love this game and will probably abuse it.
BUT that doesn't mean the game itself is racist.

Your "friends" basically tell you that if you like this game, then you must be a racist or a very ignorant person.

On a side note: If it's ok to play a criminal, why is it not ok to play a racist?
Lots of actors play racists and that doesn't mean they ARE racists.

 

[Hevoo]

Wouldnt be racist if they were in Africa and they didn't have black people....

Look at it this way, There zombies that happen to be black, because the majority of people are black in Africa.

I see no racism.

Someone who said this game is racist, tell me why...

 

[Baby Tea]

You know, with an OVERWHELMING support for 'it's not racist' in the poll, I'm surprised this has gone on for 4 pages! Hasn't a consensus been reached?

Of course it's not racist!

I'm surprised more people don't get upset when black people play 'thugs' or criminals. Doesn't that perpetuate a racial stereotype? So get mad over that.

The game isn't shooting black people who have watermelon in one hand and Kentucky Fried Chicken in the other saying 'yes sah, nah sah'. THAT is racism and abhorrent. THEN I could see people getting really pissed, and rightly so!

It's set in Africa, the denizens of Africa were infected with this virus (Or whatever), said denizens are black, that's called maintaining the setting of the game. Not racism.

 

[Fox1789]

it isnt racist.. damn they didnt have this big of a controversy when they where in spain killing all latinos.. people are too sensitive with all this racism crap.. why dont we just learn to hate people equally?