Comments on: Games, racism, cross-cultural (mis)communication http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2007/08/08/games-racism-cross-cultural-miscommunication/ EthanZ's musings on Africa, media and international development Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:45:31 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Ocean http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2007/08/08/games-racism-cross-cultural-miscommunication/comment-page-1/#comment-1435094 Ocean Sat, 21 Feb 2009 06:19:22 +0000 http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2007/08/08/games-racism-cross-cultural-miscommunication/#comment-1435094 to start off, I am white and a gamer. i must say that i am offended by her blog. first off, capcom (resident evil 5's creators) is a japanese company, and to point the finger at whites is ignorant. in doing this, many negative comments were expexted. second the past games in the series were all white zombies, it is not known for a virus to only infect persons of a paticulare skin color. furthermore, she posts a statement that she wishes for all zombies to be white. the then creates another blog comparing gamers to that of colimbine. i am highly offended and wished she hadnt ignored the serious comments and only read the racist ones. i am buying this game, and i asure you i am not violent or racist...please let that atleast be heard and not ignored. to start off, I am white and a gamer. i must say that i am offended by her blog. first off, capcom (resident evil 5′s creators) is a japanese company, and to point the finger at whites is ignorant. in doing this, many negative comments were expexted. second the past games in the series were all white zombies, it is not known for a virus to only infect persons of a paticulare skin color. furthermore, she posts a statement that she wishes for all zombies to be white. the then creates another blog comparing gamers to that of colimbine. i am highly offended and wished she hadnt ignored the serious comments and only read the racist ones. i am buying this game, and i asure you i am not violent or racist…please let that atleast be heard and not ignored.

]]> By: Jogos http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2007/08/08/games-racism-cross-cultural-miscommunication/comment-page-1/#comment-890343 Jogos Fri, 07 Mar 2008 20:56:20 +0000 http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2007/08/08/games-racism-cross-cultural-miscommunication/#comment-890343 I am not a hardcore gamer. However I think the negetive side of this post. I am not a hardcore gamer. However I think the negetive side of this post.

]]> By: Broomy http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2007/08/08/games-racism-cross-cultural-miscommunication/comment-page-1/#comment-509638 Broomy Thu, 30 Aug 2007 20:03:51 +0000 http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2007/08/08/games-racism-cross-cultural-miscommunication/#comment-509638 I think the negative (and some racist) responses to Platt's Blog was to be expected. But I feel two sided about the entire situation. First, I am a Black female gamer. I have been playing games, both online and off, for about 10 years. I have yet to find or play with another Black woman however, due to my participation with several groups on Black online sites, I have found others there. The Resident Evil series is not one that I have played but I know enough about them to know in previous chapters, whites have been portrayed as the evil zombie like, crazy, infected mobs (gamer term for monsters). Therefore I do not beleive Capcom was singling out Black persons for this ingame "role". Though it may have been upseting for Platt to see this, trailers for most games show all kinds of persons and beings being killed as part of the gameplay. Also the fact that this new RE game takes place in some parts of Africa puts the chosen ethnicity of the mobs in context. On the other side, I know enough about gamers and gaming culture that I will concede to seeing alot of racisim in this genre of entertainment. I have been both verbally attacked and threatened in online games that I have played upon fellow gamers discovering I am black. The genre is simply not diverse enough...yet. Hence some of the racist and hateful replies Platt received is simply something that any non-white in the gaming culture, could have seen coming by a mile. A point made here was also the fact that many gamers feel besieged with accusations of cultivating violence or more apt to act violently due to their participation in thier hobby. I am sure this second reason resulted in some of the less caustic remarks to Platt's blog. Many are just fed up with being catorigized as part of a group blamed for the violent, unthinkable actions of others. "The history of intercultural interaction online has some low points to it" and alot of those low points will undoubtedly be found coming from the gaming community. I think the negative (and some racist) responses to Platt’s Blog was to be expected. But I feel two sided about the entire situation.

First, I am a Black female gamer. I have been playing games, both online and off, for about 10 years. I have yet to find or play with another Black woman however, due to my participation with several groups on Black online sites, I have found others there. The Resident Evil series is not one that I have played but I know enough about them to know in previous chapters, whites have been portrayed as the evil zombie like, crazy, infected mobs (gamer term for monsters). Therefore I do not beleive Capcom was singling out Black persons for this ingame “role”. Though it may have been upseting for Platt to see this, trailers for most games show all kinds of persons and beings being killed as part of the gameplay. Also the fact that this new RE game takes place in some parts of Africa puts the chosen ethnicity of the mobs in context.

On the other side, I know enough about gamers and gaming culture that I will concede to seeing alot of racisim in this genre of entertainment. I have been both verbally attacked and threatened in online games that I have played upon fellow gamers discovering I am black. The genre is simply not diverse enough…yet. Hence some of the racist and hateful replies Platt received is simply something that any non-white in the gaming culture, could have seen coming by a mile. A point made here was also the fact that many gamers feel besieged with accusations of cultivating violence or more apt to act violently due to their participation in thier hobby. I am sure this second reason resulted in some of the less caustic remarks to Platt’s blog. Many are just fed up with being catorigized as part of a group blamed for the violent, unthinkable actions of others.

“The history of intercultural interaction online has some low points to it” and alot of those low points will undoubtedly be found coming from the gaming community.

]]> By: Ethan http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2007/08/08/games-racism-cross-cultural-miscommunication/comment-page-1/#comment-489825 Ethan Mon, 13 Aug 2007 16:13:04 +0000 http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2007/08/08/games-racism-cross-cultural-miscommunication/#comment-489825 Quixote, I'm not ready to condemn gamers as sublimating their urges to hurt real human beings - I played some Grand Theft Auto this weekend (where I was a black character shooting mostly black characters) and am not persuaded that I am any more likely to head out hijacking cars and gunning down people in the streets. At the same time, I certainly have a tough time defending first-person shooters as a socially redeeming passtime, and I find myself a bit uncomfortable playing these games. Evan, I think the discomfort that some authors have felt about the new game is that it seems to evoke other uncomfortable, racist images from film and popular media. I suspect that those complaining wouldn't be standing up in defense of killing white zombies either. Quixote, I’m not ready to condemn gamers as sublimating their urges to hurt real human beings – I played some Grand Theft Auto this weekend (where I was a black character shooting mostly black characters) and am not persuaded that I am any more likely to head out hijacking cars and gunning down people in the streets. At the same time, I certainly have a tough time defending first-person shooters as a socially redeeming passtime, and I find myself a bit uncomfortable playing these games.

Evan, I think the discomfort that some authors have felt about the new game is that it seems to evoke other uncomfortable, racist images from film and popular media. I suspect that those complaining wouldn’t be standing up in defense of killing white zombies either.

]]> By: frizzyLogic » links for 2007-08-12 http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2007/08/08/games-racism-cross-cultural-miscommunication/comment-page-1/#comment-488840 frizzyLogic » links for 2007-08-12 Sun, 12 Aug 2007 22:24:25 +0000 http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2007/08/08/games-racism-cross-cultural-miscommunication/#comment-488840 [...] Games, racism, cross-cultural (mis)communication A useful corrective for cyberutopians. The ensuring the tools for conversation exist doesn’t guarantee good dialogue. (tags: internet interactivity conversation communication diversity gaming resident_evil racism feminism Africa) [...] [...] Games, racism, cross-cultural (mis)communication A useful corrective for cyberutopians. The ensuring the tools for conversation exist doesn’t guarantee good dialogue. (tags: internet interactivity conversation communication diversity gaming resident_evil racism feminism Africa) [...]

]]> By: HUGE GUTS http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2007/08/08/games-racism-cross-cultural-miscommunication/comment-page-1/#comment-483186 HUGE GUTS Fri, 10 Aug 2007 07:40:13 +0000 http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2007/08/08/games-racism-cross-cultural-miscommunication/#comment-483186 [...] wedging my fat mouth in the middle of an already-complicated conversation; the other is picking up Ethan Zuckerman’s point about how the dialog is all wonky on this one, and what that [...] [...] wedging my fat mouth in the middle of an already-complicated conversation; the other is picking up Ethan Zuckerman’s point about how the dialog is all wonky on this one, and what that [...]

]]> By: Evan http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2007/08/08/games-racism-cross-cultural-miscommunication/comment-page-1/#comment-482839 Evan Fri, 10 Aug 2007 00:25:34 +0000 http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2007/08/08/games-racism-cross-cultural-miscommunication/#comment-482839 I don't really see the game as racist, since the previous games were targeted at white zombies, were they not? (correct me if I'm wrong, I haven't played any of them in ages). By reacting to the fictional killing of black zombies and not white zombies, is that in itself not racist behavior? I don’t really see the game as racist, since the previous games were targeted at white zombies, were they not? (correct me if I’m wrong, I haven’t played any of them in ages). By reacting to the fictional killing of black zombies and not white zombies, is that in itself not racist behavior?

]]> By: quixote http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2007/08/08/games-racism-cross-cultural-miscommunication/comment-page-1/#comment-482819 quixote Thu, 09 Aug 2007 23:58:17 +0000 http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2007/08/08/games-racism-cross-cultural-miscommunication/#comment-482819 I'm not a gamer, and I've lived on several continents, so my biases are not on the gamers' side. My philosophy sort of is -- consenting people should be able to do what they like -- but on the other hand, it sort of isn't. There's a huge and important hate crimes, prejudice, and/or discrimination issue. Anyone who closes their eyes to that is making themselves part of the problem. The thing I really don't understand about the gamers' attitude is this: their joy in the game is presumably the hunt and the skill. So why do the targets have to play into harmful and hurtful stereotypes? Why not hunt Denebian slimeworms? If hunting humans is an essential element, then gamers really do have a problem. If hunting a specific kind of human adds to the thrill, then they really are racists / sexists / gaybaiters / or whatever. No amount of resentful denial or namecalling can change that. I’m not a gamer, and I’ve lived on several continents, so my biases are not on the gamers’ side. My philosophy sort of is — consenting people should be able to do what they like — but on the other hand, it sort of isn’t. There’s a huge and important hate crimes, prejudice, and/or discrimination issue. Anyone who closes their eyes to that is making themselves part of the problem.

The thing I really don’t understand about the gamers’ attitude is this: their joy in the game is presumably the hunt and the skill. So why do the targets have to play into harmful and hurtful stereotypes? Why not hunt Denebian slimeworms?

If hunting humans is an essential element, then gamers really do have a problem. If hunting a specific kind of human adds to the thrill, then they really are racists / sexists / gaybaiters / or whatever. No amount of resentful denial or namecalling can change that.

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