Questionable Imagery: Racism in Games

I recently discovered to blog posts that deal with the issue of racism in games. The first is in response to Newsweek editor N'gai Croal's complaints about the racist imagery in the highly anticipated "Resident Evil 5." He argued that the creators at Capcom and gamers were being insensitive to the powerful images that depicted Africans in a very controversial manner. The second post is from Crystal Dynamics Senior Producer Morgan Gray in response to the well-established stereotypical representation of black men as athletes or thugs in video games. Both of these posts raise insightful questions and have sparked conscientious debate in the comments. I have included my own responses below:

Newsweek's N'Gai Croal: RE5 Trailer Imagery Is Racist
Comment:

N’Gai Croal has crafted a very insightful analysis of the issue. Something that I cannot say for myself after first seeing the trailer for Capcom's "Resident Evil 5." Being familiar with the series, I thought nothing of the imagery presented in the latest game in the series. It's a game about shooting zombies, and this particular one happens to take place in Africa. I don't recall a great controversy over Spanish zombies being shot at in the last game. Croal argues that Capcom is treading into dangerous territory because of the history behind the images used in the upcoming game. Rather than blatant racism, it could be that Capcom simply didn't research the issue enough. If this is the case, Croal is doing Capcom a favor by bringing this controversial issue to their attention before the game is released so that changes can be made. As Croal acknowledged, several organizations will attack the game for its powerful imagery. A white cop rampaging through an impoverished African town, shooting at dark-skinned zombie-like creatures lurking in the shadows. But like I said, I am familiar with the series and I know what the game is about. I wasn't personally offended by the imagery in the trailer, but I can see how uninformed individuals could possibly react. The problem lies in the fact that Capcom has released very little information on the game, so people are feeding off of the tiniest of scraps and constructing perceptions without enough about the game. Once Capcom releases more details on the story and other characters involved, this whole ordeal may cease to even be a problem. In the future, however, Capcom should understand what consequences they may face for creating such provocative imagery.

"Every Other Effin' Black Video Game Character"
Comment:

I wholeheartedly agree: this is something that desperately needs to be resolved. I've played a great number of games, but I can count on one hand how many have featured minority characters that aren't plagued by stereotypes. I think there are a couple of significant reasons for this unfortunate circumstance. The first is that this kind of stuff sells. Other forms of media use it, and it simply works. It gives people something that they can relate to, maybe not on the level of personal experience, but based on the preconceptions formed in their minds from consuming a variety of media over the years. The other problem is that minorities are greatly underrepresented in the games industry. Without a diverse background of people to create games, these type of problems arise. However, with respect to "Gears of War," I agree with other commenters that every character, not only the black soldier, was a stereotype of some sort. But when dealing with skin color, the issue of racism rises to the surface quickly.

Uncharted Territory: How Nintendo Is Bringing Gaming to the Masses

23 million consoles sold in just over one year. To declare the Nintendo Wii a success is a gross understatement. Since launch, Nintendo has lacked the ability to keep up with demand for the next-generation console. The video game system is a hit everywhere from elderly homes to the top of Amazon's wedding gift registry. Rarely found sitting on store shelves, eager customers find themselves resorting to eBay to pay double the retail price. Never before has a games console received so much buzz and attention from the public, managing to become one of the fastest-selling systems of all time. This popularity is due entirely to the Wii's unique motion-sensing control mechanism, requiring players to move their limbs and entire bodies to create virtual actions. This innovative method of gameplay has created interesting new ways to play games (when was the last time the elderly man in the above picture could participate in a bowling tournament?) With the Wii, Nintendo has created a brand new market for the video game industry by bringing mass appeal to the casual audience.

While Sony and Microsoft decided to cram the most robust graphics cards and advanced networking technology into their next-generation systems, Nintendo headed in the opposite direction, opting for simplicity and pure fun. The business decision was clearly a smart move, for the Wii has continued to outsell its competitors on a constant basis. Whereas Sony and Microsoft targeted the well-established hardcore gamer and entertainment aficionados, Nintendo reached out to a much larger untapped audience. And Nintendo makes a profit off of each Wii sold, whereas Sony and Microsoft manufacture their consoles at a loss due to their advanced architecture involving expensive components. But the Wii has many analysts concerned that Nintendo's explosive success is to be short-lived.

There exist a number of reasons to be uncertain about the Wii's future. First of all, the system is not a huge leap in technology over the Gamecube, Nintendo's previous console. It is essentially the same hardware with a new control scheme. Because the Wii entered the market already with outdated technology, it will likely not be able to sustain the projected ten-year life cycles of the Sony Playstation 3 and Microsoft XBox 360. Secondly, while the control scheme is fresh and fun, it has its share of issues. Many developers have tried unsuccessfully to map one-to-one controls, where the on-screen action is a direct representation of the player's movement. The traditional controller layout with buttons is still best suited for many gameplay needs. Possibly the most important reason to doubt the Wii's longevity is the poor performance of third party sales. Nintendo has a history of performing extremely well with its own first party software, almost to the point of casting a shadow over the rest of its software lineup. This was responsible for the downfall of the Gamecube, because without sufficient third party support, a system will not have enough games to continue to spur consumer interest and sales.

In an interview with Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata, the visionary recognizes this extremely dangerous pitfall and explains how the company is prepared to tackle such a risk. In another interview with renowned game designer Peter Molyneux, the issue of the Wii's core audience is discussed. A number of people are buying the system for the pack-in game, Wii Sports, and not touching another piece of software. Is this really causing the industry to grow? However, if Nintendo manages to keep its recent successes alive, the industry may very well see a drastic shift in approach, with all hardware manufacturers replacing industry-pushing technology with fun play mechanics.

Already, Nintendo's competitors have begun to add peripherals to their existing console designs to appeal to the fans of the Wii. Namely, Sony incorporated motion-sensing controls into its standard controller ironically soon after Nintendo announced the Wii. And just recently, Microsoft announced its answer to the Wii's unique control method. The Wii's impact on the gaming industry has been tremendous, from increasing the range of appeal for video games to bringing about a change in the way developers design games now to focus more on fun and creative gameplay. Whether the Wii's early successes will lead to a revolution in game design and its cultural perception remains to be seen in the coming years.