Newsweek's Croal on RE5: 'Wow, clearly no one black worked on this game'

There is one HUGE glaring fact that everyone seems to be ignoring.
N'Gai Croal is not from this planet, now bear me out.

1. N'Gai Croal-that name, it is obviously not from this world. Now I'm not a trekkie but I have seen the Star Trek movies and that name is definitely Klingon sounding.

2. I saw N'Gai Croal on Attack of the Show recently and he is obviously not from this planet, in fact he looks a little Klingonly.

I put it to you my fellow earthlings, that this human? is in fact a Klingon sent in advance to scout our pitiful and weak race so that they might one day usurp us and take over out planet. Remember you heard it here first. I am a proud earthling and I will not go down without a fight. No Klingon menace will enslave me!!

I still do not understand how this game is being racist? In the video they said they chose to disclose the origon of the virus, which also is the cradle of civilization. Which means the game will take place in Africa. Is the game racist because the zombies are Black? Why would that matter? Are black people not allowed to be zombies? Just because that one guy in night of the living dead didn't get infected doesn't mean he couldn't. lol

There was a lot of imagery in that trailer that dovetailed with classic racist imagery. What was not funny, but sort of interesting, was that there were so many gamers who could not at all see it.

And how is it a bad thing that people can look at the trailer and not view it as racism? Is it bad that people can look at the RE5 trailer and not view it as white vs. black, but rather hero vs. zombie, much like every RE game before it?
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So how could you have a conversation with people who don't understand what you're talking about and think that you're sort of seeing race where nothing exists?

That's an excellent question, and deserves further investigation. You see something that no one else does? Hmm... A mystery.
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It's like they're all dangerous; they all need to be killed. It's not even like one cute African - or Haitian or Caribbean - child could be saved.

Anyone recall the first kill you made in RE4 (not counting the birds)? The dude in the house with the axe. He told you to piss off in Spanish, and then came at you with the axe. You put two in his head and then Leon points out that he wasn't a zombie. My point is twofold. A) It's not like killing everyone is without precedent in a RE game, and B) It's not about hostile creatures, but a hostile situation and a hostile environment.
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And given the history, given the not so distant post-colonial history, you would say to yourself, why would you uncritically put up those images? It's not as simple as saying, "Oh, they shot Spanish zombies in 'Resident Evil 4,' and now 'black zombies and that's why people are getting upset." The imagery is not the same. It doesn't carry the same history; it doesn't carry the same weight.

Is there a long and detailed history of black people being slaughtered under the assumption that they were zombies that I wasn't taught about in school? I'm fairly sure that there wasn't. So, what else could N'Gai be upset about here... Slavery, perhaps? My guess is that is what he meant by, "Post-Colonial History." Well, I'll tell ya one thing, if RE5 is a slavery simulator, I won't be buying it. I wanna pop some zombie heads myself. But, let's assume that it's the slavery thing that N'Gai is concerned with. Well, I guess I should be one of the many to point out that Capcom is a Japanese company, and their slaves were mostly indigenous, so N'Gai's concerns here are moot. Something else that someone should inform N'Gai, is that the newly colonized Americas didn't invent slavery. In fact, slavery has been around since ancient times, and it might surprise N'Gai to learn that slavery still continues in Africa today. So, given the facts that the United States of America didn't start it, long since abolished it, and that it continues in the world today, I personally can't give N'Gai's concerns any credibility. It's his opinion...I'm just explaining why I don't share it. Continuing!
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You know, if it's just a game, then why do we care about how culturally relevant they are? I care about how culturally relevant they are. I take games as seriously as other art forms.

Something funny about art in this society...it's protected by our Constitution. Art is considered a form of free speech, and to quote the under-appreciated Studio 60, "Living in a society where you have free speech means that sometimes, you get offended."
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I think it's very easy to misunderstand what that game is about based on that trailer. And while I would certainly withhold final judgment, if that's all the game is, I'd be concerned about that.

What I saw in the trailer was a guy killing zombies. I'm hoping that is what the game is about. And it's nice that you're withholding final judgment while drowning us in your initial judgments, and one might say, gut-reactions.
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It's very difficult in this country, in many countries, to have a conversation about race. Everyone brings to it their own history, their own perspective.

You don't say...
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I think some people are concerned because some people think there is a double standard. Some people say that when it's images of only black people then people get concerned.

Yes, that is a double standard. Here's Merriam-Webster's definition, "A set of principles that applies differently and usually more rigorously to one group of people or circumstances that to another." If you're concerned about black zombies being killed in a video game and not concerned about Spanish or Caucasian zombies being killed, that's a double standard. I saved you the trouble of looking it up. You're welcome.
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Again the portrayal of Africa, or the Caribbean, since we don't know where it's being set, as sort of this dark, dangerous continent filled with people who only want to do you harm goes back a long, long way.

For YOU! That's your own history and perspective. Mine is different. When I hear Africa, I'm more likely to think of a safari, because I like the outdoors. When I hear Caribbean, I think of the beach, reggae music, and fruity drinks. And, when I see either of those in a zombie video game trailer, I think it's a FICTIONAL SITUATION!
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I would have said, "You know what, this has tremendous capacity for being misunderstood, and we want to signal that this is not what you might think it is" - and they didn't do that.

Everything has a capacity for being misunderstood. Anyone can take any comment in a way the sender did not intend. And how exactly would they signal that this "is not what you might think it is?" Should they put a notice at the beginning and end of the trailer saying that this isn't a Negro execution simulator? What if a person is pro-zombie? Should the first notice be followed by a second notice saying that Capcom respects the rights and opinions of zombies and their supporters? Where do you draw the line on the political correctiveness? And, what do you say to the millions of us decent, hardworking people who are sick to death of being forced to choke on all this political correct speech in the first place?
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It would be like saying you were going to do some sort of zombie movie that appeared to be set in Europe in the 1940's with skinny, emaciated, Hasidic-looking people.

If the game play and controls are solid, I'd absolutely pick it up and play through it. You know what? Because unlike some others, I'm not a person who is aiming to be offended. I'm trying to be entertained. Yeah, I could find offense in every little thing, and try to change the world to suit me personally, but that would require a lot of effort, and I would only succeed in pissing people off.
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This imagery has a history. It has a history and you can't pretend otherwise.

Yes. This imagery has a history, as well as a present and a future. It has been, it is, and it's not going away, regardless if RE5 is thrust upon the world or not.
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If you're going to tread, if you're going to engage imagery that has that potential, the onus is on the creator to be aware of that because there will be repercussions in the marketplace. I don't know how Capcom feels about it. I think releasing that game is going to be very difficult. I think there are people and organizations who aren't very understanding of games that if that imagery is brought to them they're going to be like, "Wait, hold up. I don't know how you could put that out."

It certainly will, but my guess is that it will be in the opposite direction you envision. All those groups will be on TV railing against the game, and since TV producers love a conflict, they'll have someone on the other side of the screen railing about free speech. The game will be released anyways, and more and more people will be picking it up. And, if the game is anywhere near as good as RE4, the sales will explode.
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I'm not saying that censorship is the answer.

Really? Well, I haven't really heard you provide an answer yet that doesn't involve sensitivity training. Do you have a solution, or are you just interested in commenting on your own problems with the game based on a three minute trailer?
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I'm saying that the same rights that allow Capcom to put the game out are the same rights that allow people to bring pressure on people who might release that game.

Hey, there ya go! Now you're getting it! That's what freedom is about. Capcom is free to produce and release the game, and you are free to not purchase it. And you know what else is cool about this system? I'm still free to buy it and enjoy the hell outta it! God bless America!

I'm sure this has been though of already, but I's like to offer a remedy to the problem of black zombies getting killed by a white man...

Have the zombies turn white once infected (i.e. Micheal Jackson). Then it would be a white man killing formerly black pedophiles, and who could have a problem with that?

In all seriousness, I could see Capcom making the mistake of making the protagonist a black man... I can see the firestorm from that. Then we could all whine about how it furthers the stereotype of the urban black male.

I really can't see the correlation between this game and slavery or racism. No one had a problem with games like Crackdown and GTA:SA where white women (old ladies even in GTA) were killed wholesale by black protagonists. Really, it's mind boggling that someone is taking issue.

Oh boy, the reason why this game is getting all the red flags is that something similiar has happen to Blacks like this. Infected with a deadly disease, and then being murdered because of it ...isn't that far'fetch of a story. THe place might have changed, but the idea is too close to real life events. Hell, Africans already suffer from a bad Aids problem ..now they have to be turned into Zombies and killed by a white man with muscles and a rife.

Thank God, I never could stomach this game long enough to play it. Zombies ..should have played out in the early 50s.

Also, Every heard of the Tuskegee experiment ...no ...then maybe you should read up on it first.Then see why this game is getting the red flag so quickly.

I typed "joystiq.com" into the URL bar, but I somehow ended up at 4chan.

"enact" you dumbass, and I bet ol' Sam here hit it right on the head.

Patrick, you've been added to the confirmed dumbass list. "And sorry, but GTA:SA isn't a stereotype. MANY black people talk, if not live, like that."

Alright well I'm not actually keeping a list, but just saying.

Liiiiiiiikeeeeeee Cleeeeeeetus the Slllllaaaaaaaaaaaack Jaaaaawwwwweeeeedddddd Yokeeeeeeeelllll"

Seriously, I'm just like Cletus, but for some for reason I'm eloquent when blogging...

N Gai, " zombie goasts leeve this place!"
Zombie goasts, "no, because u r headcrabzombie!!!"

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Oh my gosh! The zombis in "The Serpent & The Rainbow" were all Black, too! So was the main villain!

That movie must be racist, too!!!!

(Or perhaps it was just being loyal to the setting and subject matter)

"Birth of a Nation" this is not. People need to calm down.

this is so fucking retarded. why is it not racist to have spaniards zombies but it ia to have black people. that's just stupid!!! this guy obviously doesn't know what racism is, I DO and this is not racist it's just a damn game!!!!!!!!!!!!

It was only white people getting killed in resi 4 and none of us complained! Whats the fuss?