A recent post on gotmaddgamez.blogspot.com has called attention to the apparent lack of
black and Hispanic heroes and heroines in video games. And if anyone out there really thinks that "CJ" (GTA: San
Andreas) can be characterized as a hero, well, then maybe Jack Thompson is right after all. The
truth is, as far from reality as San Andreas might be, it still perpetuates negative stereotypes—especially when there
aren't may alternative games with "minority" leads.
The posting also brings to light some interesting statistics. While on average, black and Hispanic youths (ages 8 to 18) spend more time than white youths playing video games, nearly 80% of video game programmers are white—less than 7% are either black or Hispanic. Mario Armstrong, host of an NPR technology program, is eager to offer minorities a chance to become programmers and has co-founded the Urban Video Game Academy. Summer workshops are being held in various locations with the hopes of inspiring minority youths to create characters that transcend typical racial stereotypes. It's a promising start.
[Thanks, Da Greasy Guide]
