Mortavius User Info

April 17, 2009 1:24:44 PM

@GusMastrapa:

Very good points. I can see how the statement could be read as a challenge; all I can say is that I assure you that wasn't my intent at all.

April 16, 2009 5:58:08 PM

@RyanKuo:

I would imagine I have. I honestly don't recall, but just because I can't remember it doesn't mean it didn't happen. Obviously I didn't consider it important enough to remember. I fail to see where you're going with that question though, in regards to RE5 being racist.

April 16, 2009 3:42:30 PM

@lasttoblame:

Finally your last point about Sheva's unlockable costume. I completely agree with you; it's a sex symbol grab. But I'm confused at why you're upset about it. By your definition, racism is "insensitivity towards another race or culture that inflicts pain or suffering." How does portraying a the african character in a pleasing and positive manner apply to your definition of racism? It doesn't inflict pain or suffering. It's meant to be pleasing t6o the viewer. Just like in previous games, the female characters have alternate costumes in styles and dress that is pleasing to the audience. The only difference is that the sexy outfits were americanized because the characters were american, whereas Sheva is African so her costume reflects that.

April 16, 2009 3:10:50 PM

@lasttoblame:

You mention that the horde of Africans in a mob is racist. I see where you're coming from, but I would point out that you are completely ignoring the intent and previous games in the series. Zombies have been depicted in hordes in almost every one of the games; that is part of the horror of zombies. Zombies are often (not always) slow moving creatures and an individual zombie or two is not always a very good threat. It would have been silly for the creators of the game to use something that worked well as a scare tactic in the previous games but then ignore it for the completely arbitrary reason that "it might offend someone if they're too sensitive" in this game (something that I would point out you decried earlier in your blog).

And that argument pretty much applies to the whole AIDS vs. zombie virus argument. It is tragic what AIDS is doing to the African people now. But does that mean we should curtail anything that might offend someone? We'd almost never create anything new, and again, that is what you explicitly are against in the earlier part of the blog. Sounds kind of hypocritical to me, not to mention that that sort of self-censorship could be construed as another form of racism.

I agree completely with your impression of Sheva; I'm sure she was created to market to Americans. Is that such a bad thing? If you create a product, you want to market that product to a specific audience right? Sheva was created to be the sex symbol in the game, not as a poster-child for the African people. every culture has their own ideas of what they conider sexy.

April 16, 2009 2:46:40 PM

@lasttoblame:

Well, I've read your Last to Blame blog, and my first impression is that it is wordy and takes forever to get to the point, constantly getting off-track to define or give an example to something that does not directly apply to the main point (RE5 being racist) but can serve to distract the reader.

By the 18th paragraph, where you start to actually address the topic of the game, I can find something I respond to.

You claim that the game does not address the poor conditions that the natives live in and propgates a sterotype as Africans being poor. I don't disagree with the first part of that statement; you are correct, the game does not address the conditions they live in. But I would say that is not the FOCUS of the game. The goal of the game is not to address how and why everything is why it is. It doesn't tell you why there is a particular table in a room, how it was built, why it's there. Plainly put, like in any story that's ever been written, it's not pertinent to the story that's being TOLD. I don't read a book and wonder why it takes place in a castle; that's the setting of the book, and if it's important to the story, I trust the author will explain it. Otherwise, I move on.

Secondly, your point that this propgates a sterotype is unfounded. You may very well think this, but I have the game, and this thought never crossed my mind till I read your blog, and when I did read it, I dismissed it at once, because I do not, and am not going to, think that Africans cannot help themselves. Indeed, knowing their long history and the environment that they live in, I would say they are exceptionally capable of looking after themselves; God knows I couldn't do as well if you plunked me down in the middle of Africa.