5punk

A Criticism of Race Portrayal in Games
Joystiq points out (and comments incitefully on) a two-part examination of African-American roles in videogames on the site Black Voice News. Series author Richard Jones takes the videogame industry to task for the numerous poor images that young black people have to compare themselves to. He singles out Carl Johnson, the protagonist of GTA: San Andreas as an example. Jones also acknowledges that 'the video game industry is all about money', pointing out the unfortunate lack of black designers and illustrators in the industry to sway the creative choices of publisheres and developers. He gives a call to arms to black players, saying they should focus some of their passion on the skills required to make games. They'd get rich, he says, and work to reverse some of the negative stereotypes that non-whites are subject to in games. The Opposable Thumbs blog takes a critical look at his argument, offering up another side to the story. While it's obvious that Mr. Jones doesn't have a great grasp on the games industry itself, he would seem to make a few valid points as well.




Author: Zonk
Category: games
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Source: Slashdot: Games
Description: News for nerds, stuff that matters

Oh noes a topic on racism. I think I should felcher out racism, religion and PC vs MAC posts on the news feeds

The guy does make some vaild points as they say, but they are somewhat obvious, and can be carried across into any form of media narf, so I don't just think it's a case of singling out Gaming as being bad at Race Portrayal

Also, after reading more into Joystiq's comments, I forgot about games like "25 to Life" and that new "50 Cent" one I seen advertised.

The real problem here isn't so much the content or the way it's portrayed, but the lack of any tight control over ages that buy games.

If you are 18, you should be wise enough to not be influenced by games, and simply see them as a means of enjoyment, not role models.

Letting kids play GTA games at the age of 10 is just stupid, and "someone" needs to challenge the game industry on this, and set higher age restrictions on violent content, and ensure they enforced at the retailers.

This is obviously not an easy thing to do, but heavy fines, and checks on stores across the UK/States would certainly help.

Checks at the stores aren't the problem, or the ratings themselves.

It's fucking stupid chav breeders who give their fucking stupid chav children games that their fucking stupid chav brains are incapable of understanding aren't real life.

Eugenics is the way forwards.

News Reader wrote:He singles out Carl Johnson, the protagonist of GTA: San Andreas as an example.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't the protagonist of every single other GTA game exactly the same but white?

This sort of thing really grips my shit. Equality is about there being no destinction between people on account of their race, gender, sexuality or whatever. When playing GTA:SA I honestly didn't care that the character was black - it only served as plot point to immerse me in the LA ghetto style starting stories, which is based on reality. I think that constantly bringing issues about equality up over trivia like this does more to create inequality than it does to address it.

*stopped reading at "African American"*

Stupidest. Phrase. Ever.

Dog Pants wrote:
Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't the protagonist of every single other GTA game exactly the same but white?

This sort of thing really grips my shit. Equality is about there being no destinction between people on account of their race, gender, sexuality or whatever. When playing GTA:SA I honestly didn't care that the character was black - it only served as plot point to immerse me in the LA ghetto style starting stories, which is based on reality. I think that constantly bringing issues about equality up over trivia like this does more to create inequality than it does to address it.

First thing I thought.

Besides, anyone with half a brain knows that all Italian-Americans (mr Vercetti from Vice City) do is make Pizza, same as all white Americans/Anglo Saxons are serial killers or paedophiles or both.

This constant race/religion debate bores the fuck out of me, simple fact is that people will never be equal when they're obsessed with pointing out their own differences for some debate or other. Whether they be sexuality, skin colour or any of the shite that people focus on.

Carl Johnson was black? I bought a shirt just like one of the ones he can buy in game as well, so I could look just like him.
Perhaps they should have let you change his skin tone in the game too.

I was able to mug old women playing as a black man in GTA:SA, this is a hate crime and i want the industry to be punnished for all 41 acounts of this.

I killed a hooker in GTA: SA, but she was black too... does this make it less bad than the time I did that to a white hooker?

*wishes people who write these things would engage brain for just a minute* Although having said that i've not read this particular article, but it sounds very very familiar

I can think of plenty black heroic figures in video games.
First one that comes to mind is the main character in the Unreal II: The Awakening game.

Gunslinger42 wrote:*stopped reading at "African American"*

Stupidest. Phrase. Ever.

I remember reading a story on b3ta where a Merkin had called a black English guy a "British African-American."

*Insert smilie of headbutting a wall in frustration and disbelief*

There's a race?! Who's winning?

spoodie wrote:There's a race?! Who's winning?

The Eskimos, they love everyone

Except people who call them Eskimo...

fabyak wrote:Except people who call them Eskimo...

pffft

I just read a bit of the original article

I watched a DVD with a two 12-year-old boys. The movie was called "Inside Man" starring Denzel Washington. There is a small segment of the movie where a young Black boy is playing a hand-held video game. In the game there are Blacks shooting Blacks. The wall and street is spattered with blood. Both of the boys I watched the movie with found that segment exciting. I'm glad I witnessed their reaction.

Typo aside, why is he allowing two 12 year olds to watch a R rated film? I didn't read the rest of it so I may be missing something.

spoodie wrote:Typo aside, why is he allowing two 12 year olds to watch an R rated film? I didn't read the rest of it so I may be missing something.

It was called "Inside Man"

Is the author infact, a priest?