March 17, 2009 3:15:01 PM
Yeah, I think the problem isn't that we don't know they are zombies. We know. We also know this is a game, and someone put these images in there on purpose. So if you're referencing Africa, and you're using images that call to mind colonial occupation and the subsequent violence, then you better get out ahead of the curve and make us know that you understand that. It's a little suprising that Capcom didn't forsee this, but I think it's in part due to them being an Asian company as I referenced earlier.
March 17, 2009 2:20:18 PM
"Why are we stepping back, when it's a zombie game involving zombies?"Well, because it's also a zombie game set partially in Africa involving Africans and using images that touch on culturally sensitive topics. Ignoring that is either morally suspect willful ignorance, or just good-old fashioned ignorance. Seriously, if you have even a cursory knowledge of the history of Africa, particularly post-colonial Africa, those images should make you shudder. I'm not saying they should be out of bounds, but they are going to cause comment.
March 17, 2009 1:26:11 PM
Nice piece. I think part of what's going on is that Asian developers probably aren't as sensitive to the issues involved. I sort of equate this with a scenario in which an American developer makes a game in which Japanese soldiers have to kill Chinese zombies in Northern China. It could certainly be justified within a story setting, but it would cause a huge uproar probably throughout the pacific rim, and it would probably be with good reason. I haven't played the full game, but even the images in the beginning of the demo made me uncomfortable, just because they seemed to fall right into the worst stereotypes of Africa.
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