Political undertones & games..

[Scott_Arm]

Scott_Arm, the next move for you is to see the trailer obviously - because... well, I mean we're talking about 'experiencing' here afterall.

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/22800.html

(It looks like the comments section of the link has already degenerated into typical game-land fare...)

I just watched it, and I definitely understand why some people would be upset by it. I don't believe it was meant to be hurtful, but I can see how some people would be uncomfortable with the imagery.

 

[dobwal]

Oh, and you were almost so close.

First.. The outcry would be the same because the only ones who believe this to be racist are racists themselves. Searching for inequity in everything because they feel the differences they are searching for actually exist..

You don't have to a racist to be sensitive to it especially if you are or were a victim of it. You don't go from 400 years of slavery, which was abolished in 1865 to a hundred years of segregation which was ended during the 60s and 70s and then go "racism is no where to be found" in 2007. However, in these days and time, most of what people perceive as racism is mostly just prejudice.

Second, where do you think the Haitian folklore came from? Where do you think Voodoo (and therefore, zombies) originated?

In West Africa.

It is perfectly sensible and in no way racist, to have a zombie themed game set in Africa where the majority of zombies would be black.

Africa is where the zombie mythos originated and the majority of the inhabitants are black!

An individual would have to have no knowledge of the origins of the zombie myth, as well as no knowledge as to the demographics of Africa in order to see racism.

Zombie creation sprung from Haitian voodoo and is not a general part of the voodoo religion.

 

[NavNucST3]

I admit it certainly crossed my mind watching it as well.

Heh, what crossed my mind was that white people would probably care more about it than me/"us". Having said that, knowing the general level of "respect" I have received in Asian countries, it only briefly crosses my mind because of the developer, but at the end of the day, I don't care.

xbd, I agree with your movie choice, Constant Gardner, thoroughly enjoyed the movie.

All things being equal I have more of a problem with "hip" voice acting than shooting a bunch of black or puerto rican people

 

[Moonblade]

This has to be one of the weirdest posts, and strangest come-backs I've ever seen ...

Thank you

You know what you'd think if you were black, because of life experience ... Your life experience of being white educates you about being black, how?

You're white and you don't care about how black people are portrayed in entertainment and media, so how does that show to me that you understand what it's like to be black?

A classic, dude. You don't know me yet you judge my life experience and understanding abilities based on the color of my skin?

Well, let me tell you something. My mother was an immigrant and everytime something was stolen on school property, teachers targeted my mother and her sisters first because of their roots. I too know what it's like to be a target. Guess what. We never whined about it because we knew it wouldn't have helped anyway.

 

[Dresden]

Political undertones? I don't see how in this situation politics is applicable. It seems to me it's more noise being made by an underground group, and I say "group" with almost a laugh, that's trying way too hard to make mountains out of molehills.

I blame the Don Imus "incident," if that's what you call it.

 

[Scott_Arm]

Thank you

A classic, dude. You don't know me yet you judge my life experience and understanding abilities based on the color of my skin?

Well, let me tell you something. My mother was an immigrant and everytime something was stolen on school property, teachers targeted my mother and her sisters first because of their roots. I too know what it's like to be a target. Guess what. We never whined about it because we knew it woudn't have helped anyway.

I'm not judging you, and certainly not for the colour of your skin. I just know that you aren't black so you there's no way you would know how your life and experience would be different if you were. Everyone has hardships, but they're all different. You can call the person that wrote the blog a "whiner" all you want, but it's an ignorant opinion. Some black people are going to be offended by this game, and some are not. It all depends on their experience in life. I can understand how some of them would be offended, knowing a tiny bit about the history of black people throughout the world.

If you want to talk about classic arguments, stop using the always infallible, "because I wouldn't," argument.

 

[Carl B]

I'm going to move this to general discussion now, as that's probably where it should have gone originally, but it has been generally amicable thus far - and I think that speaks well for the forum. I would advise that anyone that values their sanity abandon this thread and not follow it to general discussion though.