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A bit of dangerous thing to do is discuss Racism, my best and longest running friends are both racist who love to joke about the fact that there is a race of people who aren’t white. If you mock the acne problem one of them suffers he will respond, “It isn’t fair you pick on me because of my looks.” The irony in that statement is incredible and maybe one day I’ll point it out to him. Now naturally I don’t hate racists (considering these two happen to be my friends) but I’m far from racist, I see no problem with dating a black woman (in fact I have) and I see no problem if a black man/woman takes charge of the country. Colour doesn’t tell me if the guy walking down the street is going to mug me or not, just as the way a woman looks won’t tell me what sort of person she is.
Women in fact are enjoying (well should be) the decline in sexism that is slowly occurring throughout the world. This being a gaming forum will of course have me relate to games. Every Resident Evil title will have a main character featuring both genders, Pokémon now comes equipped with both sexes and characters such as Lara Croft, Joanna Dark and Samus Aran (the latter has been around a while) can all stand by Mario, James Bond and Indiana Jones as pioneering characters of the game industry. I still question some small sexist problems in games, Resident Evil was one of the first games to feature both genders as a main character but why is it Jill Valentine gets a gun to start with whilst Chris only has a knife? And why in the sequel does Clare have the pleasure of the best weapon (Rocket Launcher) whilst Leon has to deal with pitiful items? So there is still many sexist issues to be addressed but with the dawn of this new generation comes a new respect for the female gamer, and the role models they have. So whilst the ladies are having their problems addressed with there is another overlooked part of gaming, racism. I now set you all a task to find for me a black action game character that is from the imagination of the designer and not copied from a film (a.k.a Blade).
Difficult isn’t it? Mike Le roi (Shadowman - Acclaim) is the best I could think of, who is in fact taken from a comic book. More to the point though he is also a troubled man who had his entire family killed because he couldn’t pay of a debt from a gang of thugs. Sounds like the perfect role model the gaming industry has created for black people doesn’t it (Note: sarcasm doesn’t work in text)? What other games do black people appear in then? Why of course black people appear in beat ‘em ups all the time, but here we have again a major problem, why is it the majority of dark coloured characters appear in fighting games? Is it because the majority of black people run around beating people up? Ok I’ll quit these rhetorical questions for the moment. The industry whether they’re aware of it or not depicts the black man as either a man with a disturbed and troubled past or a guy who’ll beat you up at the nearest opportunity. Are game developers aware how many children play games? And how they are affecting them? Whilst playing Resident Evil I soon discovered the token “black guy” who occasionally appears in the games gets killed every time. Yet why is it the black characters are simple “token” characters to add to the body count? Why aren’t they the main characters?
Could films have a direct influence over this? I watched Jurassic Park 3 the other day for the first time and I knew it wouldn’t take long for the black pilot to be eaten, and I wasn’t disappointed. Yet this happens frequently in films, the black guy is either bad or is good but dies relatively quickly. Nevertheless movies are slowly edging away from the racial prejudice they’re famed for, as more and more black men are becoming main characters in films. The use of “men” is an important one; it is as if coloured people will constantly live a less developed life than white ones. Whilst games and films have finally acknowledged white females as the heroine rather than the eye candy, black men have only just reached the same state. How long will it be before Black Women take the leading role? Oh yes god forbid the idea of a leading character in a computer game being both female AND black that is surly ridiculous? And as stupid as my statement maybe you’ll find it even harder to think of a black female character in a computer game PERIOD yet alone as a main character. The only one that springs to mind is Jacqueline from the WWF (or WWE) games.
No matter how much I hope I just can’t see the next resident to the mushroom kingdom to be anything but a green Dinosaur or a white male. A game world like Hyrule (The legend of Zelda) is filled with many different species including water people and giant talking rocks, yet throughout the entire adventure you won’t find one black man, not even in the desert worlds. So take note Capcom, if you’re looking for a new hero for Resident Evil 4 (5) try and make it female and black, to set a precedent for millions of others and make the future a better place.
Here’s to the future.
Dringo.
Women in fact are enjoying (well should be) the decline in sexism that is slowly occurring throughout the world. This being a gaming forum will of course have me relate to games. Every Resident Evil title will have a main character featuring both genders, Pokémon now comes equipped with both sexes and characters such as Lara Croft, Joanna Dark and Samus Aran (the latter has been around a while) can all stand by Mario, James Bond and Indiana Jones as pioneering characters of the game industry. I still question some small sexist problems in games, Resident Evil was one of the first games to feature both genders as a main character but why is it Jill Valentine gets a gun to start with whilst Chris only has a knife? And why in the sequel does Clare have the pleasure of the best weapon (Rocket Launcher) whilst Leon has to deal with pitiful items? So there is still many sexist issues to be addressed but with the dawn of this new generation comes a new respect for the female gamer, and the role models they have. So whilst the ladies are having their problems addressed with there is another overlooked part of gaming, racism. I now set you all a task to find for me a black action game character that is from the imagination of the designer and not copied from a film (a.k.a Blade).
Difficult isn’t it? Mike Le roi (Shadowman - Acclaim) is the best I could think of, who is in fact taken from a comic book. More to the point though he is also a troubled man who had his entire family killed because he couldn’t pay of a debt from a gang of thugs. Sounds like the perfect role model the gaming industry has created for black people doesn’t it (Note: sarcasm doesn’t work in text)? What other games do black people appear in then? Why of course black people appear in beat ‘em ups all the time, but here we have again a major problem, why is it the majority of dark coloured characters appear in fighting games? Is it because the majority of black people run around beating people up? Ok I’ll quit these rhetorical questions for the moment. The industry whether they’re aware of it or not depicts the black man as either a man with a disturbed and troubled past or a guy who’ll beat you up at the nearest opportunity. Are game developers aware how many children play games? And how they are affecting them? Whilst playing Resident Evil I soon discovered the token “black guy” who occasionally appears in the games gets killed every time. Yet why is it the black characters are simple “token” characters to add to the body count? Why aren’t they the main characters?
Could films have a direct influence over this? I watched Jurassic Park 3 the other day for the first time and I knew it wouldn’t take long for the black pilot to be eaten, and I wasn’t disappointed. Yet this happens frequently in films, the black guy is either bad or is good but dies relatively quickly. Nevertheless movies are slowly edging away from the racial prejudice they’re famed for, as more and more black men are becoming main characters in films. The use of “men” is an important one; it is as if coloured people will constantly live a less developed life than white ones. Whilst games and films have finally acknowledged white females as the heroine rather than the eye candy, black men have only just reached the same state. How long will it be before Black Women take the leading role? Oh yes god forbid the idea of a leading character in a computer game being both female AND black that is surly ridiculous? And as stupid as my statement maybe you’ll find it even harder to think of a black female character in a computer game PERIOD yet alone as a main character. The only one that springs to mind is Jacqueline from the WWF (or WWE) games.
No matter how much I hope I just can’t see the next resident to the mushroom kingdom to be anything but a green Dinosaur or a white male. A game world like Hyrule (The legend of Zelda) is filled with many different species including water people and giant talking rocks, yet throughout the entire adventure you won’t find one black man, not even in the desert worlds. So take note Capcom, if you’re looking for a new hero for Resident Evil 4 (5) try and make it female and black, to set a precedent for millions of others and make the future a better place.
Here’s to the future.
Dringo.
Page:
Video games are an Art as is films but they're also a form of Media. And Media be it newspaper, films, radio whatever has a direct influence over the consumer. Video game designers should try and consider this fact, that by not featuring black people in games children playing them won't be discovering how black people can be hero's too.
Yes it is a form of expression but as it comes closer to films it should hae a much better cultural diversity within it.
Yes it is a form of expression but as it comes closer to films it should hae a much better cultural diversity within it.
I know that when people think of characters, they generally base them around the people around them and people like themselves.
Devellopers should make characters how they want, not just to "stamp out racism".
And I know that you say that there aren't so many black people develloping games, but there's no reason why they CAN'T, if they really wanted to that is.
Devellopers should make characters how they want, not just to "stamp out racism".
And I know that you say that there aren't so many black people develloping games, but there's no reason why they CAN'T, if they really wanted to that is.
Strafex wrote:
> It's not deliberate racism.
I know but maybe developers should be more deliberate.
> Devellopers/producers/directors picture their game how they imagined
> it.
> I think that it would be more racist to make a special concessions for
> black people just for the sake of it.
How many black developers do you know Strafex? The only time there is a black character is because the book/film/story it is based on features a black person. Maybe when we have more coloured designers we'll see some more black main characters.
> It's not deliberate racism.
I know but maybe developers should be more deliberate.
> Devellopers/producers/directors picture their game how they imagined
> it.
> I think that it would be more racist to make a special concessions for
> black people just for the sake of it.
How many black developers do you know Strafex? The only time there is a black character is because the book/film/story it is based on features a black person. Maybe when we have more coloured designers we'll see some more black main characters.
hey dringo, a good point well made.
But you say sexism is declining, it is towards women, but I believe it to rising towards men. Mainly due I think to the fact that we are scared to say so, we're so used to women saying things are sexist towards them, we don't think (or care) if things are sexist towards us.
A few minor things, such as Ladies drinks are free at nightclubs, women paying less for many services. I agree that their wages are in many cases not up to scratch yet, and this needs to be rectified. But women have fought so long and so hard for equality, they need to see that equality works both ways. You can't have your cake and eat it. This isn't the fault of most women, just extremist organisations and womens lib. I agree women are entitled to anything men are, but if we men do anything remotely sexist, we are apt to have people come down on us like a tonne of bricks. It should happen the other way aswell.
Equality swings both ways, and I think whenever we are in the early motions of allowing people who have been pre-judged in the past, to live as we do, with complete independance, we tend to turn a blind eye to their abusing the same laws of prejudice that we were doing. This goes for races and sexes. This might just be my experience, but I have met many more prejudiced people from races other than mine, than I have people of my own race. Of course, this is my small cross-section of society, but it has given me this outlook. If I am wrong, please say so, after all my experience is only one of millions.
I hope I haven't offended anyone here, just wanted to say my bit.
Thanks
But you say sexism is declining, it is towards women, but I believe it to rising towards men. Mainly due I think to the fact that we are scared to say so, we're so used to women saying things are sexist towards them, we don't think (or care) if things are sexist towards us.
A few minor things, such as Ladies drinks are free at nightclubs, women paying less for many services. I agree that their wages are in many cases not up to scratch yet, and this needs to be rectified. But women have fought so long and so hard for equality, they need to see that equality works both ways. You can't have your cake and eat it. This isn't the fault of most women, just extremist organisations and womens lib. I agree women are entitled to anything men are, but if we men do anything remotely sexist, we are apt to have people come down on us like a tonne of bricks. It should happen the other way aswell.
Equality swings both ways, and I think whenever we are in the early motions of allowing people who have been pre-judged in the past, to live as we do, with complete independance, we tend to turn a blind eye to their abusing the same laws of prejudice that we were doing. This goes for races and sexes. This might just be my experience, but I have met many more prejudiced people from races other than mine, than I have people of my own race. Of course, this is my small cross-section of society, but it has given me this outlook. If I am wrong, please say so, after all my experience is only one of millions.
I hope I haven't offended anyone here, just wanted to say my bit.
Thanks
The metropolitan police are showing a stupidly steriotypical theory on racism, If you assult a black man; it's racism. If a black man assults you; he (or she) has another excuse. but it is the opposite in a naturally black country. If i have cum out racist i am sorry, coz im not. but great article neway. P.S. cud u lot do me a favour an d go on the ps1 & ps2 section and on the smash court tennis,...wot is your fave tennis sim so i can becum a regular. cheers :D
I think developers like to use Stereo typical values to boost their games sales. Over the years there haven't been many black people staring in the lead roles as action heroes, the best example of this is Blade starring Wesley Snipes, the film shows the class in Snipe's acting and how it doesn't always have to contain a white person conquering all evil. As time is moving on quickly racism is being irradicated from games and films but the idea of mixing the races in games is a good idea, thatay everyone is happy!
Anyway good post!
Anyway good post!
It's not deliberate racism.
Devellopers/producers/directors picture their game how they imagined it.
I think that it would be more racist to make a special concessions for black people just for the sake of it.
Just make a game/film how you see fit.
Devellopers/producers/directors picture their game how they imagined it.
I think that it would be more racist to make a special concessions for black people just for the sake of it.
Just make a game/film how you see fit.
My thoughts on racism:
Yes, unfortunately, there are still racist people in the country. Tragically, most of these are not caucasian.
My thoughts on sexism:
Yes, there are unfortunately still some sexists in the country.
Tragically, the vast majority of these are female.
Yes, unfortunately, there are still racist people in the country. Tragically, most of these are not caucasian.
My thoughts on sexism:
Yes, there are unfortunately still some sexists in the country.
Tragically, the vast majority of these are female.
A bit of dangerous thing to do is discuss Racism, my best and longest running friends are both racist who love to joke about the fact that there is a race of people who aren’t white. If you mock the acne problem one of them suffers he will respond, “It isn’t fair you pick on me because of my looks.” The irony in that statement is incredible and maybe one day I’ll point it out to him. Now naturally I don’t hate racists (considering these two happen to be my friends) but I’m far from racist, I see no problem with dating a black woman (in fact I have) and I see no problem if a black man/woman takes charge of the country. Colour doesn’t tell me if the guy walking down the street is going to mug me or not, just as the way a woman looks won’t tell me what sort of person she is.
Women in fact are enjoying (well should be) the decline in sexism that is slowly occurring throughout the world. This being a gaming forum will of course have me relate to games. Every Resident Evil title will have a main character featuring both genders, Pokémon now comes equipped with both sexes and characters such as Lara Croft, Joanna Dark and Samus Aran (the latter has been around a while) can all stand by Mario, James Bond and Indiana Jones as pioneering characters of the game industry. I still question some small sexist problems in games, Resident Evil was one of the first games to feature both genders as a main character but why is it Jill Valentine gets a gun to start with whilst Chris only has a knife? And why in the sequel does Clare have the pleasure of the best weapon (Rocket Launcher) whilst Leon has to deal with pitiful items? So there is still many sexist issues to be addressed but with the dawn of this new generation comes a new respect for the female gamer, and the role models they have. So whilst the ladies are having their problems addressed with there is another overlooked part of gaming, racism. I now set you all a task to find for me a black action game character that is from the imagination of the designer and not copied from a film (a.k.a Blade).
Difficult isn’t it? Mike Le roi (Shadowman - Acclaim) is the best I could think of, who is in fact taken from a comic book. More to the point though he is also a troubled man who had his entire family killed because he couldn’t pay of a debt from a gang of thugs. Sounds like the perfect role model the gaming industry has created for black people doesn’t it (Note: sarcasm doesn’t work in text)? What other games do black people appear in then? Why of course black people appear in beat ‘em ups all the time, but here we have again a major problem, why is it the majority of dark coloured characters appear in fighting games? Is it because the majority of black people run around beating people up? Ok I’ll quit these rhetorical questions for the moment. The industry whether they’re aware of it or not depicts the black man as either a man with a disturbed and troubled past or a guy who’ll beat you up at the nearest opportunity. Are game developers aware how many children play games? And how they are affecting them? Whilst playing Resident Evil I soon discovered the token “black guy” who occasionally appears in the games gets killed every time. Yet why is it the black characters are simple “token” characters to add to the body count? Why aren’t they the main characters?
Could films have a direct influence over this? I watched Jurassic Park 3 the other day for the first time and I knew it wouldn’t take long for the black pilot to be eaten, and I wasn’t disappointed. Yet this happens frequently in films, the black guy is either bad or is good but dies relatively quickly. Nevertheless movies are slowly edging away from the racial prejudice they’re famed for, as more and more black men are becoming main characters in films. The use of “men” is an important one; it is as if coloured people will constantly live a less developed life than white ones. Whilst games and films have finally acknowledged white females as the heroine rather than the eye candy, black men have only just reached the same state. How long will it be before Black Women take the leading role? Oh yes god forbid the idea of a leading character in a computer game being both female AND black that is surly ridiculous? And as stupid as my statement maybe you’ll find it even harder to think of a black female character in a computer game PERIOD yet alone as a main character. The only one that springs to mind is Jacqueline from the WWF (or WWE) games.
No matter how much I hope I just can’t see the next resident to the mushroom kingdom to be anything but a green Dinosaur or a white male. A game world like Hyrule (The legend of Zelda) is filled with many different species including water people and giant talking rocks, yet throughout the entire adventure you won’t find one black man, not even in the desert worlds. So take note Capcom, if you’re looking for a new hero for Resident Evil 4 (5) try and make it female and black, to set a precedent for millions of others and make the future a better place.
Here’s to the future.
Dringo.
Women in fact are enjoying (well should be) the decline in sexism that is slowly occurring throughout the world. This being a gaming forum will of course have me relate to games. Every Resident Evil title will have a main character featuring both genders, Pokémon now comes equipped with both sexes and characters such as Lara Croft, Joanna Dark and Samus Aran (the latter has been around a while) can all stand by Mario, James Bond and Indiana Jones as pioneering characters of the game industry. I still question some small sexist problems in games, Resident Evil was one of the first games to feature both genders as a main character but why is it Jill Valentine gets a gun to start with whilst Chris only has a knife? And why in the sequel does Clare have the pleasure of the best weapon (Rocket Launcher) whilst Leon has to deal with pitiful items? So there is still many sexist issues to be addressed but with the dawn of this new generation comes a new respect for the female gamer, and the role models they have. So whilst the ladies are having their problems addressed with there is another overlooked part of gaming, racism. I now set you all a task to find for me a black action game character that is from the imagination of the designer and not copied from a film (a.k.a Blade).
Difficult isn’t it? Mike Le roi (Shadowman - Acclaim) is the best I could think of, who is in fact taken from a comic book. More to the point though he is also a troubled man who had his entire family killed because he couldn’t pay of a debt from a gang of thugs. Sounds like the perfect role model the gaming industry has created for black people doesn’t it (Note: sarcasm doesn’t work in text)? What other games do black people appear in then? Why of course black people appear in beat ‘em ups all the time, but here we have again a major problem, why is it the majority of dark coloured characters appear in fighting games? Is it because the majority of black people run around beating people up? Ok I’ll quit these rhetorical questions for the moment. The industry whether they’re aware of it or not depicts the black man as either a man with a disturbed and troubled past or a guy who’ll beat you up at the nearest opportunity. Are game developers aware how many children play games? And how they are affecting them? Whilst playing Resident Evil I soon discovered the token “black guy” who occasionally appears in the games gets killed every time. Yet why is it the black characters are simple “token” characters to add to the body count? Why aren’t they the main characters?
Could films have a direct influence over this? I watched Jurassic Park 3 the other day for the first time and I knew it wouldn’t take long for the black pilot to be eaten, and I wasn’t disappointed. Yet this happens frequently in films, the black guy is either bad or is good but dies relatively quickly. Nevertheless movies are slowly edging away from the racial prejudice they’re famed for, as more and more black men are becoming main characters in films. The use of “men” is an important one; it is as if coloured people will constantly live a less developed life than white ones. Whilst games and films have finally acknowledged white females as the heroine rather than the eye candy, black men have only just reached the same state. How long will it be before Black Women take the leading role? Oh yes god forbid the idea of a leading character in a computer game being both female AND black that is surly ridiculous? And as stupid as my statement maybe you’ll find it even harder to think of a black female character in a computer game PERIOD yet alone as a main character. The only one that springs to mind is Jacqueline from the WWF (or WWE) games.
No matter how much I hope I just can’t see the next resident to the mushroom kingdom to be anything but a green Dinosaur or a white male. A game world like Hyrule (The legend of Zelda) is filled with many different species including water people and giant talking rocks, yet throughout the entire adventure you won’t find one black man, not even in the desert worlds. So take note Capcom, if you’re looking for a new hero for Resident Evil 4 (5) try and make it female and black, to set a precedent for millions of others and make the future a better place.
Here’s to the future.
Dringo.
Page: