Never have I been so harassed and insulted, and all because I questioned the imagery in this game… The response has been horrifying… I am shocked that in the same breath some of these folks denied that Resident Evil 5 displayed racist/anti-Black imagery; they called me things like “nigger”, “bitch”, and “whore”.

…The gamers would like to intimidate me and silence me, but that’s not going to happen. This vitriol has done nothing but embolden me and my political convictions.


What I don't understand, is that she is basically an attention ***** similar to paris hilton and doesn't expect to grab the attention of the idiots; except she may have wanted that to add fuel to the fire just so she can justify her racial stereotyping.



From Birth of a Nation to Black Hawk Down, black folk are apparently responsible for some of the most mindless and evil activities you got. Rape, murder, satanic voodoo… So, when we see images like these, it triggers memories of so many awful stereotypes…

… If LocoRoco’s Mojas were a kind of high tech blackface, Resident Evil 5 takes blackface into the HD era. It’s horror alright, just not the kind Capcom intended…

So, this author feels that black people are responsible? I don't understand it, they don't want to be lumped up as something, but this person purposely lumps himself into a group when they see an image of a mob group.
This person is refusing to let go of these "memories" of awful stereotypes. I mean god, if a black person likes to eat chicken, I guess they'll say "OMG THAT IS AN AWFUL STEREOTYPE!" It is like a person can't simply enjoy a chicken wing.
It makes me sick how people have to remind these people that sterotypes exist.
This person even admits this isn't the kind of terror that capcom intended and the author acknowledges it. I say it again, "racial eye for the normal guy/girl"
They want to point out racism to make headlines for some reason. I hope they think of something better to do.


Trying to talk about the sensitivities of race to a gaming demographic is extremely difficult. the majority of readers are young white males who are either too immature to have a clean conversation about it or too logical to draw accurate comparisons. what is worse is that some of the hateful comments… echo the reality of ignorance and hate they claim black people should get over.

You know why it is extremely difficult? The gamer demographic wasn't out there trying to lynch people or were too busy playing with their varying "skin" colored friends! Basically these people have to point out that some of their friends are "different" and shouldn't be the same as them. This goes against the idea of Equality and they have their noses full of this "sensationalist" reporting to realize it.

You know what is ironic about the immaturity? These people aren't mature enough to realize that they are trying to find a problem that doesn't exist.
They automatically claim that they are white males to gain support that its a conspiracy against them. THey also claim ignorance, the ignorance is that they made a claim against a story that is supposedly going to raise white gamers to 'shoot' black zombies en masse to train them. They never researched the actual game, nor anything else. The fact that we inform them that many of these people never learned about racism, and are sadly learning about it now... is the most despicable thing.
Racism goes both ways, and sadly, one example is that you're discriminating against a group and stating you're against stereotypes, but then are stereotyping that every gamer is a 14 year old white boy? What the **** is wrong with you people? You make me sick.


on the other hand, the images used in the game, already disturbing because it is resident evil, also reflect hateful images that were real and meant to invoke hate towards black people in the not too distant history of america…

This is where it is purely stupid. The images were designed from the ground up, at most they took a picture of the locale to digitally implant it. The character models are scratch, they can't just map a picture with a person on it to somehow portray everything to this sick memory you so claim to have.
WHat is ironic is that you try to remind these "14 year old white boys" that racists exist, because you have to tell them that they are different from you, and that their opinion doesn't matter.
THey were likely too young to even know it exists, let alone know they were being raised such a way, if ever.
You people are sick.

Btw, apparently you have to state your race for some reason (which is also despicable to ask if you really care about equality), so I will state that I'm a 24 year old man who is very mixed when it comes to race. I'm about 1/4th mayan, with some european blood that's a mix of some mongol + spainard blood.
I'm very mixed, but I come out looking mexican or hispanic.
I don't see why it matters much, the fact that some of these people may claim "your people never were repressed", is a bullshit statement since looking hispanic means you were lumped into the "colored" group during the early 1900s of America.

I grew up without being discriminated against by many people except the elderly whites, are you people 70 year old farts as well?

These people make me sick.

So Japs are as racist as whites now? Or has everyone forgotten that RE is developed solely in japan?

I do not have a problem with targeting actual racists, but in the previous game the setting was spain and countless zombies of spanish decent were mindlessley slaughtered. So too has happened in almost every other resident evil game with white people. Also, original zombie stories were of black decent, and if anything this is a return to their original culture. My guess is almost every country and race will be used at one point in resident evil, but racism will only be an issue here. I don't know why that is, but I assure you that if I ever played the game race would not be in my mind as I play so much as the flesh eating zombies are.

If it was a Black guy killing White Zombie It not be racist, but It is a White guy killing Black Zombie it would be racist? Going by that you saying only white should get killed and not the black well is that racist? I think So

So what is the different between black and white Zombies Nothing eact for color, which for some stupid reason make a different. I do not see a different.

I think the issue here is the fact that we're debating the racist nature of a videogame depicting a zombie outbreak. The reality is, assuming a possible future zombie epidemic, the disease will not discriminate between races and so if we select a random survivor about whom to make a videogame depicting their struggle, odds on that eventually they'll kill someone who, while living, didn't have the same color skin as they did. Even more shocking is that, if a white person in a country, the population of which is traditionally of a different skin color, he or she may have to kill some of the natives of that country. According to the logic displayed by those who assault this game for its allegedly racist undertones, during a zombie apocalypse the NAACP would be within its rights to protest the eradication of "colored" zombies. All an argument like this does is demonize games further to mainstream society. I've far more to say on this subject, but that'll have to wait 'til later.

Oh, and just to say that for the first time of my life I've been labeled as a "racist". Twice. Apparently, it's because I tried to participate to Kym blog in a civil manner.

Oh, don't worry, I'm not crying mommy, I know the accusators are nothing but trolls, and I won't feed them. It's just so weird to be called a "racist"...

The fact is, if someone doesn't like what another person writes, creates, etc, then instead of saying nothing is ever written or created exactly how THEY want it done, those individuals whould write their own material and do it in a manner that THEY think is "correct". After all, if the only right way is the way those individuals would do it and no other way, then it's a waste of time for those individuals to even criticize other people's work.

Their preceptions are going to be their preceptions, no matter what anyone says. Comes down to either you're with those individuals or you're against those individuals, at least that's MY preception.

Nightwng2000
NW2K Software

My favorite phrase from this whole mess:

"...too logical to draw accurate comparisons."

Uh, if you're being logical, then there must be accuracy. Apparently, being intelligent is a bad thing if you don't agree with some of these individuals who want to say things along the lines of "You're white, therefore, you are a racist".

Inaccurate comparisons aren't logical.

Perhaps the individuals thinking along those lines believe that THEIR PRECEPTIONS from their own view is the only logical accuracy and that no one else's views count.

The idea that you don't know what racism from a victim's standpoint is unless you are of a particular race or that only select races can be racist, or that Hate Crimes can only be commited against one group of Humans but not another, or that Equality is only a Right for selected groups, but not everyone (such as saying "Equal Rights for Women" as opposed to "Equal Rights for EVERYONE").

Perhaps the logic these individuals are disagreeing with doesn't fit in with the biased attitudes those individuals apparently have in regards to this issue.

Nightwng2000
NW2K Software

OMG!!! No black is the Lord of the Rings movie!!!!!!!!
OMG!!! Blacks in the Resident Evil 5 game...

She may have been "nice," or whatever, but it doesn't matter. Race mongering strikes a sour note with me, as it should with any reasonably decent person.

I know, that's what I've been saying.

When I saw this video, like many of you, I didn't see anything racist with it. I then came here and saw the article about how it was racist. I then checked all the stories, Kym Platt's story, the reporter, I then spent an hour reading all the comments. I read her comment about zombies all being white, and I thought she was being ridiculous. This lady as we know, wrote a poorly researched blog, and now she's taking the heat. She says that she is not going to let the people who have been calling her things like whore and bitch, and that it is strengthening her political convictions. What are her polictical convictions, besides that RE5 is racist? The truth of the matter is that she doesnt have any.

All the reasons that have been cited are correct. First, Capcom is mainly a Japanese company and the fact that the main charecter is white and the infected villagers are black shouldn't even matter. The second reason is that the main charecter is just protecting himself from the infected villagers. #3 is that the past games almost all of the zombies have been white and now that they are black, why does it matter? Number 4 is that some people are actually looking for this game to be racist. Personally, I found this persons arguement laughable at best.

Of course, one of the most ridiculous accusations was that this game is being marketed to children. That is terribly false. I walked into a Gamestop the other day and saw a kid try to buy God of War 1 and 2, and the guy took one look at the kid, took the games from him, and told the kid that he couldn't buy that game for a couple of years. Yes, I cringe when I see a kid walk up to a parent and tells them that they want a game, and It's rated M, and the parents in their ignorance buy it for them. That is plain wrong. I don't see many parents buying their kids rated R movies. Politicians are right in one aspect. We have to start informing parents about what rated M means and stop this ignorance. But I digress.

You see, there are many reasons why this whole accusation is wrong. But if you're going to denounce someones opinion, at least have a little more tact. When you read this, I hope that you agree with me, but if you don't, that's ok. My polictical convictions are the same as yours.

She's half white, half black.

The issue here is that black people haven't been properly represented in video games in the first place. How many black people have been in a lead role or a positive player in ANY capcom games. Close to none! Also, when black people are in games they are usually hustlers, drug dealers, rappers, comic relief, or expendable.

The reason that black people haven't been used as leads in video games is because having a lead black hero would not sell.

So Capcom who once again, doesn't really have any black characters in their stable to begin with, and has made like a myriad of RE games with barely any people of color decides to have Chris Redfield shoot up a bunch of Africans.

People were used to the status quo of playing European lead characters and shooting other Europeans. So now all of sudden we use black characters but now they are getting slaughtered... hmmm?

Where's the problem you say?

You do know that this game is being made by CAPCOM....a japanese company right? This has nothing to do about being racist. Why don't you go after the movie Blood Diamond? That takes place in Africa. Why not go after the show LOST and Mr. Eko's character, he's also from Africa and has flashbacks showing what the country is like. So let's say they change the game so that it's a white man in Japan and then a zombie outburst happens there and starts killing Japanese, would that make them racist? Would you even care? No, because it has nothing to do with blacks. Go get educated, stop complaining just because you can, and live in the REAL world. If you've forgotten RE4 took place in central america and I didn't hear any hispanic people even caring. I am hispanic, born and raised in Mexico and moved to the USA, and I thought it was awesome that the zombie like characters were of my same origin. I was not offended. I didn't care that a white guy (made by a Japanese comp.) was shooting us down. In Dead Rising their's a Mexican guy shooting a black and white guy. Did you care then? These people need to get lives and stop complaining about everything

[...] to source Digg This [?] Share This Tags: Racist, Resident Evil 5, where is AlSharpton [...]

Erratum : I meant "three things", not two. I'm so disturbed that I can't count any more, shame on me...

@Ace of Sevens,
Sorry but even though I agree her statement was sarcastic it proved a point. She has no idea how to use sarcasm. She rails when people insult her for a view that has 0 legs to stand on, then goes and makes a racist comment when the entire webpage she is posting on is about combating racism. Its hypocritical, and racist anyway you look at it. Looking at the context of her blog and the page shes on theres not many other ways to interpret it. Sarcasm? Probably but it poor taste and at the wrong time. People need to learn how to use Sarcasm, its an art form and people like Kym butcher it. I suggest she read "A modest proposal" and maybe pick up a thing or two on how to use sarcasm in an argument.

As far is people being too logical to understand the emotions people have, I'm sorry but theres a limit to when you can excuse people for being retarded when they are emotionally driven. Making a statement without any evidence to back it up and everything else pointing in another direction shows a lack of research. Just because you see racism by viewing a trailer of a game you have no knowledge on and no idea where it takes place does not make it racist. YOU NEED CONTEXT in order to determine if something is racist.

For example, I use to be able to say "I've never met a black person I liked." Which is an can be received as a extremely racist comment without any context to it. However, when you put it together with the fact that I was limited to 2 black kids in my school and both were just little shits and it had nothing to do with their skin color then it changes my statement completely. Then I went to off to a new area and met a few of cool black people and I could no longer say that comment. (Which I was sad about because it was a great comment to get peoples eyes to bulge for about 5 seconds.)

Like I said either way you look at it Kym is in the wrong for both her blog and her following comments afterwards. The game clearly does not have racist undertones unless you are ignorant of the series and refuse to do any research on the topic. Which makes anything you have to say on said topic worthless and not worth even being mentioned. I'm sorry but 1+1 != 3. Protagonist + zombies != racism.

Okay, I really was going to try to stay out of this one, but I have to get a few things out. I've tried posting on some of the other blogs, but I always get an error message. Every time. I kid you not. Mostly 404s, but a few about the link just not working or being disabled. Maybe I just lose at t3h internets. But I'll move on. I may be a little sharper in my comment here than I would be otherwise, but I just feel I can be a little more direct here.

First, this discussion, across all the sites in general, has devolved a little too much. It's done from "This could be offensive" to "You don't understand anything" (on both sides).

Second, there's one huge point I don't see anywhere I look, on main posts or comments. In general, the commentors are not representative of the gaming community. I'm not saying it's true here, but overall, most of the commentors are not the adults of the gaming community. The majority of people cruising the internet reading anything about games are not people over the 18 to 24 demographic.

My third point is linked to the second. Frankly, the minors responding overall don't have much to bitch about. I wouldn't normally say that. In this case though, they aren't saying much about freedom of speech in general terms. It's all about a game they shouldn't have their hands on for a couple years. Yes, some may reach a suitable age by the time it's realeased. In total though, many of the comments appear to be from entirely too young people. Maybe that's just the maturity level though.

Up fourth, I read a comment somewhere that seemed to liken this to V-Tech Rampage. As we all know, that has nothing to do with most games. That was a home-brew idiot. I can't believe people can be ignorant enough to not research these things. It's almost as bad as how RE5 is supposedly being marketed to kids. That almost made me laugh.

Fifth, forgive the pun, but the entired topic has become black and white. On one side, the argument is that at best it's insensitive, and at worst it's society training racist killers. On the other side, it's a harmless game that might as well be wire frame because it's that harmless. Where are the shades of grey? Hell, there should be a whole pallet here. It's a little from both and everyone wants to assign complete blame. Was it maybe a little insensitive? Yeah, probably. Is it meant as a harmless setting? Of course it is. A compromise should be easy, but of course it won't be.

Finally, I dread this getting to the main stream media. They hardly ever have anyone who knows video games on. Add the extra political issues and it's a huge news story. In reality, most Americans are too ignorant ro understand this kind of thing. They know what the media tells them. They hear "racist video games" and it's another huge set-back.

So that's my impressions so far. I think I'm adding racism to my list of things to avoid talking about. It'd go right next to religion and politics. It's never going away. I hope no one gets hurt from all of this.

"This is problematic on so many levels, including the depiction of Black people as inhuman savages, the killing of Black people by a white man in military clothing, and the fact that this video game is marketed to children and young adults. Start them young… fearing, hating, and destroying Black people."

1. The reason why they're acting like "inhuman savages" is because they're ZOMBIES! Zombies are supposed to be inhuman and savage.

2. They're being killed because they are zombies. If a zombie came up to you and was trying to kill you, no matter what color it is, you'd kill it, right? I wouldn't let it kill me, just because it happens to be black.

3. There is a "white man in military clothing", because he is some random military soldier who happens to be stuck in a zombie-infected African town.
The makers were obviously trying to once again simulate village-like environment, as they did in Resident Evil 5.

4. The only race of zombie in the first three games was WHITE. Yet not one white person said that its offensive. In Resident Evil 4 the makers decided to make the zombies Spanish, but nobody found that racist. But suddenly, when the made black zombies, then they have "gone too far".
Quit whining about it, no other race has. I don't find white zombies racist.

It seems that certain people are too sensitive and always looking for something thats they consider "racist". They're too closed-minded to see anything but racism, because everything can be considered racist if you think about it. The only reason those close-minded people make a big deal about stuff they claim is "racist" is because they are miserable inside and have nothing better to do but try to force other people see things in their perspective only. People like that aren't even worth paying attention to. And I'm not talking only about black people.

So why make a such a big deal over a single, insignificant game? After all it is just a game. So get over it already.

Hmmm.......the gaming community has never demonstrated a high level of maturity when it comes to responding to senstive subjects.

I would imagine the same people who made death threats against Thompson are the same folks who have attacked Ms Platt with slurs and racial epitaphs. None of us should have a problem admitting it, stupidty abounds in the gaming community.

And what did any of us expect from a community where people post "I just creamed in my pants" after seeing the latest game clip? Reason? Wisdom? Of course not.

As soon as I heard about this I rushed over to Ms Platts blog. I so desperately wanted to be one of the first who would respond to her charges of racism intelligently.

But once I arrived I saw Kim Platts response-

"Yes… I am more comfortable with the zombies being white. In fact, ALL zombies should be white from this day forth."


And that's when I realized it wasn't going to be possible to have an intelligent discussion with Ms Platt. In fact Ms Platt may demonstrated a little bigotry of her own.

Ms Platt may think that she is championing an noble cause. This isn't. Ms Platt may even think that she's a hero to the black community. Not this time at least.

But Ms Platt unfortunately may be nothing more than an opportunistic fire starter. One of those in our community who looks for the next racial explosion. I could be wrong, but I don't think that I am.

I really don't want to see the black community investing any energy or passion into Resident Evil. Why waste an ounce of concern over this particular video game?

Why not direct some of this passion towards the educational system that has failed our children so miserably? Why not use this energy to get summer jobs programs reinstated? It's been heartbreaking turning away so many young people this summer, but the even mid-sized company I work for can't hire them all.

What will banning Resident Evil solve? Nothing, absolutely nothing. RE5 is is not a watershed moment in the struggle for equal rights. This isn't the defining moment when a tired working class woman refuses to give up her seat. Not even close. This is Resident Evil, a video game. And in this case, a misunderstanding about story plot intentions......nothing more.

To Ms Platt I would say, as a gamer I have KILLED EVERYTHING. As a gamer I have done things that would put a modern day tyrant to shame.

I have slain dinosaurs and mythical monsters. I have taken on Sith Lords, Drug Lords, War Lords and Land Lords. I have single handedly killed over a BILLION Nazis, more than the number that actually fought in WW2. I have nuked cities without a care for the consequences. I've have brought entire Empires to their knees and have personally overseen the destruction and brutal subjugation of HUNDREDS OF WORLDS.

And yes , when Resident Evil 5 is released, I will be killing Zombies from Port-au-Prince..............as a game experience. That's all it is Ms Platt, not the beast rising from the eternal sea, not the bright shining lie that the war in Iraq has become. Just a game. Nothing worthy of our community's time as racial problem.

The game is made by JAPANESE PEOPLE. CAPCOM IS JAPANESE. They are not making this game as members of this American racial tension. THEY. ARE. JAPANESE.

How so? The hypothetical game is quite analogous to the RE 5 situation.

sorry.... did they say.... woman???

@Quietus

Either way, it'd still be nothing more than a strawman argument.

while i seriously disagree with saying RE5 has racism, gamers need to just learn to ignore this kind of stuff, its her opinion, and while debating it is fine, the people who attacked her need to just let it go, if i went like those people who actually were racist torwards her after the article after anyone attack my hobbies, my own freaking parents would have droven me to suicide (my mom actually admits to being a little harsh sometimes), if i can ignore it, so can others. Plus getting upset only lets the anti-gamers have more power

ya I know Darrel, but the owner of the blog said that Gamers can be Columbine Killers Wannabes... There are black gamers too. I bet that the majority of them will play RE5, sooooo ??? Whats the point ???

As one may see, above I posted the RE History, personally I dont like the type of game. Although I really like the innovative ideas of gameplay.
White Undead were killed for ages and decades. No one said anything, neither JT.

Resident Evil 4 was sited in Spain.

Everybody around the world killed the spanish Zombies in the game.

No Spanish guy was killed. What a surprise!!

RESIDENT EVIL - THE 1 MINUTE HISTORY

Resident Evil 1 - white people are zombies
Resident Evil 2 - white people are zombies
Resident Evil 3: Nemesis - white people are zombies
Resident Evil Code: Veronica - white people are zombies
Resident Evil Survivor - white people are zombies
Resident Evil Gaiden - white people are zombies
Resident Evil: Survivor 2 Code: Veronica - white people are zombies
Resident Evil Zero - white people are zombies
Resident Evil: Dead Aim - white people are zombies
Resident Evil Outbreak - white people are zombies
Resident Evil Outbreak File #2 - white people are zombies
Resident Evil 4 - white people are zombies
Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles - white people are zombies

Resident Evil 5 - BLACK AFRICANS?! RACISM - White Opression O.o ??

Please, I’m sure the majority of ALL people won’t give a flying crap.

This all just too weird to wrap my head around. Zombie has its origins in voodoo, especially around Haiti, where there are tons of *black* people (among other races). The modern zombie emerges in 1968 with George A. Romero's (a white man) "Night of the Living Dead," where the main protaganist is a cool-headed black man who fights against hordes of predominantly white zombies while bickering with an inept black collegue. Granted, Romero wasn't trying to make a racial statement with "Night" because Duane Jones (the guy portraying Ben, the black protaganist) simply gave the best audition. "Dawn of the Dead" comes out a decade later and, again, features a resourceful, tough, and clever black protaganist.

Resident Evil comes out in 1996 and is heavily influenced by Romero's "Dead" movies. Predominantly white zombies are killed throughout the series. Now, an 11-year-old franchise with 5 main games under its belt (0-Code Veronica) where the MAIN protaganist in all but 1 (4) has been a woman, plus spin-offs and THREE movies, is getting flak for its 5th main numbered game because of black zombies. Even if one isn't familiar with games, I would think that someone must've heard of RE in some way shape or form before this.

Tracing the origins of zombie to the modern day hubab over RE5 is just too damn weird.

shut up thompson.

Taken from 'Black Looks' Blog:

"given the response from gamers… I think we should all be very afraid. Many of these folks seem like the type who would try to reenact scenes from Resident Evil 5. Can you say Columbine?"

Is Jack Thompson really behind this ??? I am having some doubts.

http://www.blacklooks.org/2007/08/where_lies_the_resident_evil.html

How Flattering. I never thought I'd come face to face with THE Jack Thompson. It's quite an (dis) honour.

Come now, you don't seriously think I was being serious, do you? There's a little thing called "sarcasm". I wasn't being serious.

Speaking of counseling, sounds like you need it more than I do.

I know who's the REAL culprit behind this: Jack Thompson.

See, he harassed many gamers to the extent that they have poisoned many gamers' way of thinking towards game critics. Thanks to Jack Thompson, any person who criticize games (even the ones who DO raise valid points) are painted the same bad brush as Jack Thompson.

And you know what? I wouldn't put it past the fact that he WOULD do this. Maybe it was his plan all along. Piss many gamers off so the next time anyone who criticizes games will be flamed, trolled and so on, making gamers look bad in the process, and then he'll rise up to to get what he wants among the flamewars.

It's really a shame to see lack of knowledge happening around here, especially in popular horror franchises, first is Manhunt 2 and then this? When is it going to stop? I know racism is wrong and a spiteful thing to do, but this has just gone too far, it's just goes to show that some people's minds or knowledge are limited and short-lived.

For those who think that just because I am a fan of this horror franchise so that I must be racist, you are wrong. I myself is an anti-racist and I happen to be also a horror and action fan. So to those fuckers who think that I am a racist, then to hell with you.