1. The internet is stupid

August 1st, 2007 at 10:47 pm

Don’t say stupid things and people won’t attack you for it. Simple as that.

2. Disapointed

August 1st, 2007 at 10:50 pm

No one can ever speak for everyone,
just like the people that left the comments you mention dont speak for the whole gaming community.

why didnt you include the well written comments before hand who didnt bash the writer, but instead explained the context of the video.

i wish i could take back all those stupid comments left by immature people trying to intimidate the writer. but i cant, instead i can leave a (hopefully) well written comment stating that the nasty minority is always the most vocal (read the ones that resort to name calling because the dont know anybetter.

please instead focus on the comments that try to explain why it was not a big a deal as you thought it was

3. shane

August 1st, 2007 at 10:50 pm

Christ.. ur a moron just like that other lady, Kym. Go back to playing solitaire and stop stirring up shit just to get some hits on your ridiculous blog you have going on here.. what the hell is this site anyways??? Radical Women of Color?!?!?!? Instead of bitching and moaning about how unfair “the blacks” are treated.. get yourself a real fucking job (not tunning some bullshit fake-you-out blog) and actually DO SOMETHING CONSTRUCTIVE and maybe then you’ll get some respect. I hope your just a really immature young kid thats doing this for some school project or something.. i hate to think there are adults out there that actually believe the crap you write….

4. Aaron

August 1st, 2007 at 10:52 pm

lol…you guys(or whoever writes this trash) are funny. really though, do some research about the game, then make a rational unbiased opinion. then proceed to write a blog. then you just may realize that you won’t have a bunch of people getting mad at you. gamers thrive on the internet, don’t expect to be able to get away with something like this without the internet community backlash.

p.s. QQ!

5. Disapointed

August 1st, 2007 at 10:53 pm

haha theres another comment i could just get rid of, people make uneducated comments. take with a grain of salt.

my only hope is that you go back to read some of those comments left on the original article. ignore the intentionaly hateful ones (they just want to get a rise out of you)
and try focus on what the initial (say first few comments) were saying
(i would appreciate feedback)

6. Ccivilian

August 1st, 2007 at 10:57 pm

hahaha this is hilarious, and I completely agree with #2 Disappointed

Do you guys work for FOX or something?

7. ASTURmatr

August 1st, 2007 at 10:58 pm

I´m spanish.

Resident Evil 4 was sited in Spain.

Everybody around the world killed the spanish people in the game.

We still alive. What a surprise!!

8. Chrissy

August 1st, 2007 at 11:02 pm

While I do think that it is revolting that there are individuals who felt it necessary to fling insults, I believe that the author of the original blog wrote an ignorant piece.

The game is based on a viral outbreak. Judging from what we have seen in the trailers for the game, the outbreak now appears to be a global issue, not just concentrated to one town or village. Viruses do NOT discriminate based on sex/race/creed/height/etc.

Also, the Resident Evil series isn’t geared towards children. The opening of the game blatantly shows that the game ‘contains explicit scenes of violence and gore’ - another surefire way to realize that it isn’t marketed for children. Finally, the game is rated ‘M’ for ‘MATURE’ - meaning you have to be 17+ to purchase it.

Do a bit of research before you criticize.

9. Swarta

August 1st, 2007 at 11:03 pm

It’s great that you’ve managed to wring TWO posts out of this non-story, COMPOUNDING your original race-baiting rather than acknowledging it. The fact that other venues are making similar statements doesn’t make the concept any less ridiculous. Overall, it’s ill-formed alarmism like this that damages your cause and credibility. Do yourself a favor: Stick to issues you have some authority on and acknowledge your mistakes when you’re caught out.

10. She is wrong and the douche bags hiding behind their PC's are wrong too

August 1st, 2007 at 11:03 pm

I must say that she makes some valid points in her argument, but she has to do her research. Resident Evil is about ZOMBIES. The zombie phenomenon / fiction is derived from Afro-Hoodoo folklore. In addition she didn’t look into the history of the Resident Evil franchise. I am African American / Dominican and found NOTHING in the trailer that speaks of racism.

11. FUCKYOU

August 1st, 2007 at 11:04 pm

A WHITE PERSON KILL A ANOTHER WHITE PERSON ITS NORMAL, A BLACK PERSO KILL A ANOTHER BLACK PERSON ITS NORMAL FOR YOU TO…BUT A WHITE PERSON KILL A BLACK PERSO ITS A PROBLEM….THE PROBLEM IS IN YOU HEAD SO SHUT UP MOTHERFUCKER!!!
AND IF YOU DONT ACCEPT THAT RETURN IN YOU FUCKING COUNTRY AND SHUT UP!!!!!!!!

12. Daniel

August 1st, 2007 at 11:07 pm

there is a difference between kym’s post and the other two pages. the writers of those blogs have previously played resident evil games, and they also were open minded. they werent ignorant. kym is just playing the race card for the attention. why are these posts racist? because her attitude earned her those remarks. I am not racist, but honestly, when I see Al Sharpton on tv, I think of the word nigger. Why? Because he is one. He is ignorant. Isn’t that the definition of the word nigger? Ignorant or ignoramus? Well, that is what Kym is. So, she is black and ignorant. A nigger if I ever saw one

13. Mattias

August 1st, 2007 at 11:10 pm

I’m sad to see you got such comments over the RE5 post. I think what Kym wrote was incredibly stupid, but I feel sorry for some of the response you got.

Nevertheless, there has been a lot of good response to the post, so don’t try to group all gamers together. You’re always going to have some idiots reply, because this is “teh internets” after all.

I stand by the bloggers who’ve posted good responses though, that the position that RE5 is racist, is actually racist in itself.

Some good responses:
http://www.destructoid.com/resident-evil-5-is-so-racist-the-idiocy-begins-37196.phtml
http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/01/african-womens-blog-upset-over-resident-evil-5/
http://kotaku.com/gaming/zombie-racism/black-looks-on-re-5-racism-284725.php
http://ps3.qj.net/Resident-Evil-5-trailer-stirs-criticism-over-race-portrayal/pg/49/aid/98946

(and when will non gamers learn to stop applying the “kids” label to everything gaming related? A lot of the games produced are not meant for children, but for adults!)

14. Ice

August 1st, 2007 at 11:10 pm

1) Guys who did the “Columbine” NEVER played games. Its a fact and proven. Just media sh** againts gamers.
2) The RE5 has probably story like: “Evil “white man” infected villagers with virus and now they are attacking white guy etc”. Now he tries to save them aaand world from same faith.
3) The comments you quoted are indeed racist, we gamers should not accept those. They are just stupid..
4) Setting in africa works fine. Setting in local small town in spain worked..what should be then? Castle with draculas? come on..
5) The issue is as huge you make it your own.

15. Vinnie Shahzad

August 1st, 2007 at 11:11 pm

2 posts of alarmist trash in a row. Good work. How about you posting some of the other filthy racist comments too? Or I can do it for you:

“R_N,

Yes… I am more comfortable with the zombies being white. In fact, ALL zombies should be white from this day forth.”

That’s taken from the village voice article’s comments BY THE AUTHOR. Now if that’s not racist trash that’s holding the image of black people back, then nothing is.

16. Shirakawasuna

August 1st, 2007 at 11:11 pm

Wow, did someone say picking and choosing? I didn’t read a single one of those ridiciulous comments in the first 10-20, which all seemed reasonable. Most of the points made in the full comments section made perfect sense and the reaction to this game is simply ignorance and faulty logic when it comes to racism. The most simple point is that the other games have featured white / Spanish people. Was RE4 xenophobic?

I get a little sick of the idea that if black people get killed in a videogame it’s racist but it’s perfectly PC if only white people get killed. There’s no outcry because most white people aren’t so sensitive to their race that they actually assume the game writers are racist.

That said, the Japanese certainly do have racism in parts of their culture, against blacks as well as caucasians, so the earlier ‘arguments’ about there not being racism in Japan are simply false.

17. Hateful?

August 1st, 2007 at 11:12 pm

Yes, there were a number of hateful, idiotic and plain racist comments submitted -the internet has its fair share of idiots on both sides of the fence.

However, as a 32 year old “gamer of colour” (although I prefer just “gamer”), I think that Kym’s blog posting was poorly-researched, ill-informed twaddle, akin to the ongoing UK tabloid crusade against “the evil of video games”.

Kym/Sokari: If you have no interest in games and no understanding of the gaming demographic -let alone the companies producing these games- then perhap you should ask someone a little more qualified to read your gaming-related posts before they’re published?

18. Farther Grigori

August 1st, 2007 at 11:13 pm

I don’t understand how some people can have such strong views on a subject that they know so little about.

19. Mattias

August 1st, 2007 at 11:14 pm

btw, I think you’re doing the same mistake as some did with Bully. You don’t know the story of RE5 yet.

You’re actually being prejudiced about this!

20. Wow

August 1st, 2007 at 11:17 pm

The fact that you would let something this… this… this stupid, blatant as it may be, the only way to describe it, on this blog. I’m a gamer, I play all sorts of games. O my, There’s a game now that you kill black people! Woah, let’s turn our kids into racists by having them play it! I’d hate to burst your little bubble of ignorance, but most parents that would let their kid, young enough to be influenced by this, play a game like this, chances are, the kid’s already messed up in the head, and probably racist already.

Seriously, think about what you’re going to post before you post it, that Kym person, whoever she is, yes, she shouldn’t have been called all those names, BUT! She also shouldn’t have been so ignorant herself, and racist herself, she should have done SOME research at least on the topic. But not, she’s going to be tunnel-visioned with RACISM slapped on her forehead, and take a video COMPLETELY out of context. Sure, it’s bad we, the ‘white folk’, did the slave crap, well, cry me a river, it’s over, that’s history, the only reason any racism is kept alive is from crap like this. Try more to PREVENT racism instead of SPREADING racism and being an ignorant prick.

21. Mark Lucherini

August 1st, 2007 at 11:19 pm

Kym also claimed she wanted discourse, but rather than point out the comments which logically refuted her post, she commented only on the… well, to be blunt, the stupid and bigoted ones. The moment I saw that, I knew one thing - here was someone who didn’t want discourse, didn’t want to sit down and talk the issues out, but rather wanted to be able to point out “look, you see how these people treat us?”

I am going to say this, and I’m only going to say this once. If the PC world you claim to want so badly, getting rid of every little thing which offends you, two things will happen.

1) The world will take a step back. Freedom of speech will mean nothing, and special interest groups will rule the world.

2) Someday, you’ll say something, and hey, they’ll be all over you.

Also, I’d like to thank you and Kym. You’ve given me the final push I needed to give the fuck up on this stupid world.

22. Charco

August 1st, 2007 at 11:19 pm

Its just sad that you make such an issue out of nothing to then just pick the EXTREAMLY FEW racist posts previously, glossing over the majority view thinking this somehow ‘proves’ something. You even ignore the posts of black gamers!

How easly you blind yourself from the real truth… the game made in japan, that its set in africa (for the first time, 4 other times in white countrys) so yea there will be black people in the game.

You keep the world devided with antics like this!

23. David Left

August 1st, 2007 at 11:20 pm

I find this highly insulting. You speak out agianst us gamers even though you state that you have very little background in gaming.

We (as a whole) don’t say that black people are evil, so why are you stating that gamers are? If you were to ask me, it’s ignorance on your part and further perpetuating racial hate.

Hate leads to hate. It’s simple cause and effect. I do truly miss the days when anti-racist promoters were more cool headed. Unfortunatly for me though, those days have died with Martin Luther King Jr.

Poor decision and research are the cause of your negative reaction. If the article had been more balanced there wouldn’t be as much of a problem. I’m aware that some black people are afraid of what kind of affect this will have on America and the collective world, but those worries are baseless. No clear connection between gaming and violence, against minorities or otherwise, exists.

When I say balanced I mean that I expected it to be less propaganda-esqe and more a question of how the game will turn out and the message that it carries. This whole thing was blown out of scale when Ms. Platt stated “The Black people are supposed to be zombies and the white man’s job is to destroy them and save humanity.” which is the second sentince in the article.

That alone shows that Ms. Platt has a heavy bias against the non-black community. The comment posted below by her also was of poor taste.

“Yes… I am more comfortable with the zombies being white. In fact, ALL zombies should be white from this day forth.”

Reguardless of weather or not this was said in a kidding manner isn’t the point. Ms. Platt couldn’t take constructive criticizim and the lack of afterthought lead to the slippery slope of flaming, which was only done by a handfull of people.

To think that a handfull of hateful gamers represents the whole is the same as me stating that all black people steal, do drugs, and murder people or that all Germans were Nazis, just because a few of them have. That itself is preposterous.

I do hope that you will make a formal apology to the gamers who have read you and Ms. Platt’s hateful words.

24. Alex

August 1st, 2007 at 11:20 pm

I am ashamed of that blog entry you wrote. For one thing, you only seem to damn yourself further with every comment you make. You’ve got a 10-year old nephew, and he can play M-rated games? That’s the fault of his parents, not him, not society, not anyone else. It starts and ends with responsibility.

I should add that if you have heard of Resident Evil 4, then I would hope you were aware that the antagonists in that game were mind-controlled Spaniards. You can’t skewer facts when it suits you. That is poor etiquette and shows a lack of understanding for the blogging process. When you write silly crap like this, on a blog no less, it shows a lack of respect for the reader and a failure to enhance the subject (which was on racism).

I would have been very interested if you mentioned the role of African-Americans who are the protagonists in the game, and who are able to kill other people, and no one batting an eye about it. That would have been thought-provoking material. Instead, you chose to look at an incredibly small portion of the game and base your opinion off of that, which never works.

Yes, the African-American people are zombies. And they were there in previous games as well, in addition to the white people and the Spanish people. This is not racism.

You only made it worse on yourself because you drew the ire of pissed-off video game bloggers. Come back when you have a logical and reasoned argument, instead of setting your race back 20 years with this nonsensical drivel.

25. Drew

August 1st, 2007 at 11:22 pm

The reverse racism of the two original bloggers is astounding.

1. Ironic how you didn’t paste any of the well thought out comments that negated the orignal blogger’s first blog concerning this issue. I can do that too. watch:

“I hate it when white people are mean to black people”

let me go ahead and take what I want out of that sentence so nobody sees it, just like you did with some of the comments on the other post. lets take out the words “it, when, white, people, are, mean, and to”
it now becomes
“I hate black people”

See how i took a good comment, and by modifying it to my liking, i change the context?

I learned it from you!!

I have to agree on another poster, that reverse racism has arrived at a point where people of races other than white think they deserve special treatment.

I leave you with this one question. How much of a racial uproar would there be if a tv network came out with “White Entertainment Television” (WET)?

26. temp

August 1st, 2007 at 11:23 pm

?
Yes, Kym pulled out the worst of the worst posts, that’s it.

Now gamers are being judged by the comments of a few.. this reminds me of something…

What’s it called when someone judges an entire group of people based on the actions of one or a few? huh?

I think if Kym Platt is running for the ‘Black Women version of Bill O’Rielly’ she will probably win.

27. Are you really that deluded?

August 1st, 2007 at 11:24 pm

Why don’t you try and debate the 95% of posts that were perfectly reasonable? Of course some of the posts you quoted were completely stupid - but many of those were clearly ironic as the original post was so ill-informed and ridiculous. You chose to quote them selectively, further damaging the integrity of this site.

It’s sad that when an internet community rightly rounds on a website that make ill-informed and plain wrong comments on a blog, the best the website in question can do is hide behind a few idiot comments rather than debate the issue in question.

Weak, very weak.

Again, as many sensible people said in the comments to the other blog post, your pathetic attempts at blogging a non-issue and wrongly villifying a game is a disgrace to other people fighting real racism.

28. T1

August 1st, 2007 at 11:30 pm

God forbid a black person ever die in a movie or videogame after this day.

This is a prime example of how the “Racism” card can be played for any stupid reason.

It is a Fictional Video Game…

29. Joan Kelly

August 1st, 2007 at 11:37 pm

And happy motherfucking anniversary, too, Kym!

Seriously. In the time it took me to read the first twenty of these tantrums, seven more had been fired off. And you might as well have all just saved yourselves the energy from the circle jerk and left it at the one commenter’s statement that “I am not racist, but honestly…I think of the word nigger.”

You are all such fantastic examples of how great gamers are, thanks for the enlightenment. Because nothing says “I respectfully disagree with you, fellow human,” like condescension, misogyny, racism, and self pity. Onward and upward, o useful fighters of REAL problems in the world!

P.S. Sokari, thanks for this post and for this site.

30. Disapointed

August 1st, 2007 at 11:38 pm

i was thinking. and heres what i came up with

prior to this blogging event (internet news spreads quickly, this hasbecome an event for better or for worse)
all gamers saw int he trailer was.. sweet new eerie gameplay. good graphics. protagonist shoots zombies..
thats it.
NO COLOR. NO THOUGHTS ON HOW THIS WOULD ILL REPRESENT ANYONE. just excitement

kim pointed out the color that we didnt see, bringing racisms ugly head into the fray

31. Chrissy

August 1st, 2007 at 11:39 pm

Also, that rated ‘M’ game hew nephew owns; does it happen to be Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas?

Just askin’.

32. Stuart

August 1st, 2007 at 11:40 pm

Indeed, happy anniversary. Mind you, if the previous 5 years have been anything based on the sort of stuff you’ve posted today, it’s a wonder you last more than 5 minutes.

33. Quetzalcoatl

August 1st, 2007 at 11:41 pm

People really needs to stop looking for outside sources to blame for all the bad things that happen in the world.
This whole issue about the setting of Resident Evil 5 is blown way out of proportion.

Games are a source of entertainment, more to the point, this game is intended for mature audiences. The issue of children misinterpreting the game’s story should not even be brought forward.

If the children is what really worry you, then know that it is the responsibility of the parents to educate their children, regardless of whatever outside “influence” they might get. Stop trying to put the blame on someone or something else.

Finally, I did not feel threatened at all with Resident Evil 4 just because the enemies were spanish-speakers. There wasn’t a single moment where I felt outraged or diminished, and you know why? Because I know the difference between a fantasy game and real life.

34. Disapointed

August 1st, 2007 at 11:43 pm

tantrum’s?

how about a desire for you to understand where we are coming from (hey sounds remarkably like what was going on in this blog before ‘the gamers’ arrived.)

when the only response (if any) is an attempt to paste us altogether again.. well im done you can live in your own little black and white world.. im going to return to my happy multicolored one

you know the one that the majority of people live in (all colors accepted. life has enough problems as it is, why stir more shit into the pot)

35. Ralse

August 1st, 2007 at 11:43 pm

Please, learn a little about videogames, go to:

www.endefensadelosvideojuegos.blogspot.com

there you can find all about Videgames defense.

We must stop people that just hate videogames do things like blame RE5.

I´m Spanish, RE4 was in Spain and it was very funny, nobody complain.

36. Alex

August 1st, 2007 at 11:45 pm

It’s quite irresponsible of you as an author to take two hateful comments from a list of hundreds and try to stereotype an entire community.

You failed to address the numerous valid points that other, more mature, posters wrote of.

Mainly:
The game is NOT in ANY way marketed to children. It will no doubt be rated Mature (18+) by the ESRB and it is a federal crime to sell Mature rated games to minors.

This is the fifth game of the series. “The White Man” is a recurring character who has had to fend off Caucasian and Hispanic zombies in several other games.

The author most likely is hopping on the bandwagon of trying to ban violent videogames, and believed this article would be an easy win. Thankfully I live in (and as a US soldier, defend with my life) a country that that treasures our freedoms (to play a great videogame whose context is surviving a zombie invasion, for example) and protects said freedoms from being suppressed.

Unfortunately, we live in a world full of close-minded hate mongers, people whose racism is deeply embedded in their psyche. There are so many real problems related to racism in todays world, writing an ignorant entry about a videogame truly takes away from more pressing matters.

37. David Left

August 1st, 2007 at 11:49 pm

I do believe that the lack of response is in its self a response. They don’t have any words for us gamers. Oh, what a world we live in, where racism is spread by those who should be free from it.

38. One

August 1st, 2007 at 11:49 pm

In the HD trailer you can clearly see that other races besides African exist in this setting.As confirmed in a Japanese interview with Capcom Japan,the game is NOT set in Africa.

Your ideas are debunked. Get off your soap box and go back to talking about something thats REAL and not based off half-assed ideas.

For example, Oprah has her book of the month thing go talk about that.

39. Warmwaterpenguin

August 1st, 2007 at 11:49 pm

Well, I can only hope this gets read since it’s relatively high on the comments list for this article. I won’t bother explaining the context of the game for the millionth time to you. I’ll assume that you are reasonable people who desire will do research and find the facts as stated to be accurate and will get on with the dialogue, if I can still be heard over the din. I’d like to forge a bit of mutual understanding before we go forward, if indeed we can go forward.

First, I’d like to express that I understand why this is a racially sensitive topic. Context aside, the visuals themselves are racially charged. A visceral reaction and the accompanying response is the aim of horror fiction in all mediums, and when the images, if not the actual plot, are racially charged, it is only natural that the black community be affected.

That said, the initial article is, whether intentionally or not, a bit alarmist and sensationalist. I attribute this to good intentions coupled with the strong response you naturally have to images that are meant to be powerful that have racial overtones. Nonetheless, between a few misrepresented facts and a few downright inacurate statements, the blog in question appears to be not intended for reasoned argument but rather to stir response and gain attention. Now I don’t believe this was Kym’s goal, but with a closing that implies that a Japanese company is attempting to further racialize America.

If there is something about Kym’s perspective and that of the people she represents I have missed or misunderstood, please feel free to email me or pursue the discussion here.

In the meantime, I’d like you to understand the gaming community better before you make generalized statements about how we should be feared based on a few bigoted comments. Once again, statements like “Can you say Columbine” rob you of credibility by appealing to sensationalism.

Know that gamers represent a disproportionate chunk of the blogging/forum-viewing internet, likely because people who like games generally like technology in general. For that reason, when you dip into the realm of gaming you are likely to see a flood of responses. If you’d like an example, check out informationarbitrage.com. It’s a financial blog that has received strong gamer response for commenting on the viability of Sony’s stocks in light of their successes and failures in the game market.

Know also that games are currently the most under-attack medium in America (possibly the world). I don’t want to go off topic with a debate about why and whether that is merited, though I’m available for that discussion too. Instead, I’d like to point out that that has made the very large gaming community extremely defensive. Often videogames’ accusers are showboating, and so it is very easy to project that onto anyone who has a concern about the medium.

Next, I’d like you to know that the reason you’ve received more comments about this than other writers is not necessarily because of your race. Several popular gaming news sites including gamepolitics.com, kotaku.com, and joystiq.com linked to Kym’s first post here. Consequently, you received the diverted traffic from those sites while other writers expressing similar concerns did not.

I’d like to account briefly for the racist comments you received as well, though by no means to excuse them or mitigate their offensiveness. The anonymity of the internet has bred a subculture that thrives on imageboards and some forums. The perceived freedom to say or do anything has created a culture where nothing is taken seriously and therefore nothing is taboo. Racist, sexist, and inhumane callous humor towards tragedies are often expressed in these places by people who otherwise never behave thus. Its done as a release from the strict social codes we all conform to, and in fact the phenomenon started, before the racist memes came in, in Japan where extreme measure to release the stress of constant social-pressure are semi-common.

This explanation does not excuse the behavior in any way, not just on your blog but even on the private sites where it originates. Nonetheless, this subculture is another huge chunk of the active internet community, and consequently there is some overlap between it and the large cross-section made up of videogame players. This subculture participates in what they call ‘raids’ on other forums, where they flood them with offensive material in an attempt to gain a large reaction. Sometimes these raids are ’semi-provoked’ and sometimes they are completely random.

Black Looks is a victim of a raid, and while the offensive material presented is racist text, the decision to raid you was not racially motivated. Raiders present whatever content is likely to get the largest rise out of the community they raid. Again, this doesn’t excuse the act or somehow negate the blatant and disgusting racism. It simply explains what occurred here.

News traveled from here to the game community, at which point you began receiving the largely well-reasoned and fair responses you got early on in the comments section explaining the context and, at worst, calling out perceived sensationalism. Then the news carried to the imageboards and you encountered another subculture, different from that of the gaming community and far more offensive, which is the second wave of comments are so much more nasty.

The gaming community at large is not attacking you. The gaming community at large is not racist, at least certainly no more than one can argue every adult regardless of color in America is. Don’t judge the game based on the racist comments of a few individuals seeking to upset you, and don’t judge the gaming community based on them either. If you really care about these issues, look into them thoroughly. I’m sure Capcom, gamepolitics.com, and some of the more reasonable commentators (myself I’d like to believe included) would be very happy to help you examine it from our perspective.

I’d like to talk to you or Kym or both sometime about the game in question and the power of racial images apart from their intended context. You seem like intelligent and interesting people. For the moment though, I’ll leave it at that.

40. One

August 1st, 2007 at 11:53 pm

Also let me add one thing, the game is about villagers who are equally the victims of an evil corporation and its executives.

The Hero’s goal is to save the people who are still alive and prevent it from spreading. This means finding clues and the masterminds behind it.Meaning that you’re going to be taking down an evil White man and his underlings. Who are all different races.

As stated before, You are not only fighting Black people and your claims are wrong. Please do some research.

41. Shihku7

August 1st, 2007 at 11:57 pm

Many of the people who think that Kym is being “too sensitive” about her race are the same people who are “too sensitive” about their nation, their political party, their religion, and on and on.

They’re the same people who buy “Yo Joe!” pro-American games like Call of Duty and Medal of Honor games. Games where you cannot, EVER, EVER, EVER play a campaign where you slaughter Americans as a heroic German or Japanese soldier.

They’re the same people who refuse to buy games where your goal is to fly planes into the World Trade Center.
They’re the same people who refuse to play Columbine School Massacre RPG.
They’re the same people who refuse to watch movies with blatant anti-Republican propaganda.

They’re hypocrites.

42. Jsck

August 2nd, 2007 at 12:00 am

5. Kym Platt

August 1st, 2007 at 5:49 am

R_N,

Yes… I am more comfortable with the zombies being white. In fact, ALL zombies should be white from this day forth.

43. Jsck

August 2nd, 2007 at 12:01 am

5. Kym Platt

August 1st, 2007 at 5:49 am

R_N,

Yes… I am more comfortable with the zombies being white. In fact, ALL zombies should be white from this day forth.
!

44. Shihku7

August 2nd, 2007 at 12:01 am

Setting this game in the tragedy that is Africa is like setting a game in the ruins of the World Trade Center, or the Auschwitz death camp, or the Columbine school massacre rooms, or the Virginia Tech rooms.

I don’t want to have fun in places where so much tragedy has taken place. It’s morbid. It’s tasteless. It’s disgusting.
Do we let little kids play with water guns when they go on tour of Auschwitz???

I think that’s the core problem with this game. The racist aspect comes from the simple fact that most whites don’t give a shit about Africa. They don’t see Africa as a place as extreme suffering. They see it as some setting for The Lion King. I think that’s the big picture EVERYONE is missing, here.

45. Jose Lopez

August 2nd, 2007 at 12:01 am

The sheer fact that Ms. Pratt is pointing out the handful of people who are racist and not the dozens who provided a good counter-argument proves my initial idea: She is a racist, and is merely trying to skew the truth to make it seem like her racist pleas of racism are truthful.

46. Jsck

August 2nd, 2007 at 12:01 am

5. Kym Platt

August 1st, 2007 at 5:49 am

R_N,

Yes… I am more comfortable with the zombies being white. In fact, ALL zombies should be white from this day forth.
!!

47. A man who stands for equality

August 2nd, 2007 at 12:02 am

I garuntee that most the people who left bad comments and racial slurs were in fact white males, but the reason why is something that you try to stand for with this blog.

Equality…

You have stated facts that were wrong and falsely made twoards a race of people, specificly the whites. I demand an apology from this website for your bad facts and racism twoards my people. I don’t under any circumstance hate you for the color of your skin, I instead hate you for the hate you spew everyday. its a shame that people like you are around because its the number one reason that racism exsists today. I hope we never meet because I I would un-doubtably be forced to condemn you because of your hate for other races and humanity in general. Next time please study, and be more equal for a better world everywhere.

48. ac

August 2nd, 2007 at 12:02 am

If you can’t stand the heat. stay out of the internets.

49. GalleyThePirate

August 2nd, 2007 at 12:02 am

I seem to think that the people who write these blogs are helping to rejuvinate the old term “Muckrakers”. Yes she was attacked by a small amount of people, the MASS majority of the posts commented on How misinformed ignorant and racist she was by spouting under reasearched info on the blog. Her views are one sided, and I don’t know if she was being scarcastic, but she goes on to say that “all zombies should be white” Does she not know that zombie history originates back to Haiti. I’m African American, and this kind of thing disgusts me. The game has taken place in many different places, many different races have been zombies. Because the series reflects the real world in a sense that there are all types of people everywhere. I hope the readers can come away from reading this comment seeing that MS. Platt was clearly in the wrong, and shouting racism for the wrong things. It’s people like her that

“Keep the brutha man down”

Oh, and on the kids issue, tell me where a child can buy an M rated game without an ID?

50. temp

August 2nd, 2007 at 12:04 am

Shihku7,

Please do not stereotype me, I find it offensive.

51. Embarassed

August 2nd, 2007 at 12:05 am

Upon watching the RE5 trailers myself, i also had a feeling that the racism card was going to be played. Also being a fellow African American, i did picture (just as you did Kym but not in a serious manner, since i laughed it off) the scenario where Africans were seen as inhumane monsters that just had to be killed by some random white guy toting a weapon of some sort. I understand that your all for the idea of racism being obliterated from our society but, sadly as a country we just arent ready for that. Many of those hateful posters probably weren’t even really racist, just angry at you by not actually putting any effort into learning about the series. Instead you cried out that the game was racist, so they called out angrily at you unfairly, just as you called out the creators of the game and the gamers that lashed back. The resident evil series has always been about viral outbreaks of some area and a character attempting to stop it. What you did was stupid, i admit it for you. You didn’t research, you just ranted at a project without no real info on it. Just as the GTA: SA had a black character killing whites, it wasn’t marketed for that reason it was just another story. White gamers didn’t complain about how unfair it is. And they sure didn’t moan about how most of the series enemies were always evil white zombies and some white guy trying to achieve global domination of some sort.
Would it have made more sense to you (if they just redid the plot) and said,
A virus created by some guys broke out in Africa but, the investigation team said “fuck going to Africa to save the population” because if they ran into infected blacks in the area they wouldn’t have the right to fight back since it would be deemed racist. Or would you consider it racist because the investigators didn’t bother to save that part of the world? Its people like you that make us African Americans look bad because your to quick to play the race card on something that wasn’t racist at all. Why not actually find a real racist group and exploit them (I’d agree on that) instead of some Japanese people that wanted a decent plot for their game so it will sell. If anything, you seriously owe some sort of apology to the gaming community for wasting our time on something so immature. I don’t side with the actual racists that did lash back, but i do side with the part of the gaming community that pointed out legit reasons why you were wrong.

52. DX_RULZ

August 2nd, 2007 at 12:05 am

this is just stupid…fucking hell…why do ppl always start crying about racism..the last fucking game was in spain and you didn’t see any Spaniards crying about the “white man” killing spanish zombies WTF… or crying about how this is how there getting the future of the world to hate Spaniards….this is just ignorance at its best…

53. David Left

August 2nd, 2007 at 12:06 am

@ 43, I honestly have no idea what the heck you’re saying. Is it that gamers, who you never clearly state are mindless pawns? That we ourselves are intolerant, or is it that people who run this site are intolerant?

54. Warsteel

August 2nd, 2007 at 12:06 am

Ah, where to begin? That you should post something that you know nothing about, and then, when the heat turns up a few thousand degrees, you say ‘Hey, it’s not evn something I wrote- and the real author is white!’ You coward. Why not make that point at the start of your comment, not almost eighty replies in. You don’t deserve the racist comments (even though you yourself reenforce sterotypse by just choosing the worst comments ‘gamers’ made and then comparing them to the Columbine killers) but every bit of all the other scorn heaped your way you totally deserve. It’s fortunate that blogs aren’t considered legit journalism, as you obviously don’t have to research an article before providing an opinion on it. If this is the first anniversary of this blog, it should also be its last. Thank God I have the uncommon sense not to return to this common waste of bandwidth. Considering how easy it is to find out a little about this series, I hope that it isn’t delayed by folks like you or the person who you claim actually wrote the original article. May you both never have the oppertunity to poison the minds of any children with your idiotic views.

55. Hello

August 2nd, 2007 at 12:07 am

Dear Kim and Sokari,

I think it’s quite admirable what you’re doing and what you’re trying to accomplish, but you don’t realise that you’re doing yourselves an incredible disservice by ignoring the many well thought-out and reasonable points that were left in favour of focusing on the vocal minority.

You’re coming accross as just as biased and biggoted as the people who you’re voicing out against. I’m a gamer myself, and if any ignorant people were to read your statements (without reading the responses in any detail themselves) then they would walk away thinking that we’re all a bunch of racist twats.

…Just like those people who think that all black people are evil, because they were mugged by black kids on their way home from school back in the days.

Please stop making yourselves look riddiculous. Just respond to the well thought out posts and ignore the stupid ones. A great discussion could take place from it.

56. destructoid refferral

August 2nd, 2007 at 12:09 am

QUOTE TAKEN FROM A POST ON http://www.destructoid.com/resident-evil-5-is-so-racist-the-idiocy-begins-37196.phtml
THIS BY JIM STERLING, WHO INTELLIGENTLY (AND AT MOST RESPECTFULLY, W/O CONSTANT USE OF HATEFUL WORDS - WHICH WAS SEEMINGLY ONE OF YOUR ISSUES) ARGUES THE COUNTER-POINT

” See, because Resident Evil 5 DARES to have black people in it, it is obviously racist….
…..
” This is just … ridiculous. Ridiculous proof that racism will never go away because certain people, both black and white, refuse to be objective and are unable to see a game set in Africa/India/Brazil without instantly, guiltily or selfishly assuming its all about race and “shooting them thar darkies.” Racism isn’t a one-way street, and it’s attitudes such as the one above that are more “problematic on so many levels,” than a game that has the guts to set itself in a location outside of white America.

Do I even need to tear this person’s pathetic post apart? Not really. It doesn’t take a genius to see that the game isn’t about “destroying black people,” it’s about destroying zombies/ganado who for once happen to be black. It does, however, take a really self-centered, perhaps even racist individual, to see it as “the white man killing MY people,” and this clearly what the writer sees in Capcom’s game. I can pretty much be secure in my assumption that she has never had a problem with the fact that all the enemies save one in Resident Evil 4 were white. Scarcely a black face among them.

The blog about Resident Evil 5 looks like it was written by a straight up racist. She seperates white and black people, distinguishing between them. She ignores the previous games where enemies were mostly white because it doesn’t fit in with her blinkered world view. She accuses what she believes to be non-black games developers of ulterior motives and she writes for a Site that’s all about black interests. Were the roles reversed, she’d be called a bigot and I wish to call her one now. Oh, and I noticed something else that might be worth pointing out — please read her little blog post again. Notice anything in particular? It’s subtle, but it’s there.

That’s right. She capitalizes the word “Black.”

Not “white.”

Bloody racist. “

57. You Fail.

August 2nd, 2007 at 12:11 am

So easy to ignore the more intelligent responses, and whine about how the gamingcommunity is calling you a “nigger” etc, right? Anyway, a racist has no right to accuse others of racism. Taken from Kym Platt’s blog:

“I knew hip-hop was dead when whites folks started liking it.”

This seems more racist then a game set in a primitive African village to me. In fact, thanks to this Kym person, people are seeing the racial differences in the game. I, and many other gamers, saw in this trailer a man killing insane zombies. The skin colour was merely an indication of the location…

Now everyone is seeing a white man killing black people. Good job Kym, I hope you’re satisfied with this. Ignorant racist.

58. David Left

August 2nd, 2007 at 12:11 am

@ Shihku7
Isn’t setting this in Africa a good thing?

It shows that the Americans are sending someone into Africa to SAVE them from a virus that causes them to become zombie-esqe creatures. I’d call this aid rather than destruction for the hell of it.

59. Mack

August 2nd, 2007 at 12:13 am

In the 1st and 2nd Resident Evil game, you killed mostly white people. Actually, 99% of the zombies were white. Also, early in the 2nd game a black police officer helps you while all the white people are trying to kill you without remorse. In the 4th game, most of the zombies are hispanic because it takes place in a hispanic area. And just like this game, the once peaceful hispanic people try to kill your character because they are affected by a virus, not because they’ve always been bad evil people.

Kym, your logic is saying that this game will cause people to hate black people. If this was true, then it means that the 4th game has caused more people to hate hispanic people. But nothing of the sort has happened. If someone hated hispanic people, trust me, it was well before they played the game. It didn’t just happen after playing this game.

If their intent was to generate more hate towards blacks, why start now? They would have done this a long time ago. This franchise is 10 years old with many games under its belt and this is the first time the majority of zombies have been black. In so many of the games the zombies have been white.

The game has taken place in USA and Europe already and they wanted a new location so they selected Africa. And guess what, most of the population there is black!

The main character is white because he’s been in previous games and he is familar to the series. He was not selected, or created because he happens to be killing black people. If they suddenly changed the main character to a black man, you would stop complaining? You need to get over yourself, because your logic makes absolutely no sense at all.

60. temp

August 2nd, 2007 at 12:14 am

ps. Kym

I think you’ve just been nominated for The Washiton Post’s ‘Idiot of The Year Award’

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/offbeat/2006/12/idiot_of_the_year_awards_1.html

Good luck next year!
and happy anniversary!!

61. Javier

August 2nd, 2007 at 12:16 am

Are you people retarded? they are not innocent good africanamerican people, THEY ARE ZOMBIES! THEY WANT TO RIP YOUR FLESH WITH THEIR HANDS, and you don’t want Chris (the white bad guy) to shoot them? what would you do in his place? say “Hi Mister, would you please stop chewing my arm ^^?” I don’t think so. you people are incredibly racist…

62. Warsteel

August 2nd, 2007 at 12:20 am

@ 47
WTH? “Setting this game in the tragedy that is Africa.”? This game isn’t about Africa, it’s about the latest outbreak of a manufactured virus that affects living beings, turning them into ‘zombies’ shortly after they die. That’s it. IT AINT ABOUT AFRICA! God Almighty, get that through your head. If the game had been about the character shooting down Africans just because they were Africans, you might have had a point. Again. that’s not what it is about. Why don’t you and Kym educate yourselves about games in general and the RE franchise in particular? And for everyone rushing to judgement, it’s my understanding that the game actually takes place in Hati. Considering it has been pushed back to 2009, there is still plenty of time to educate yourself.

63. David Left

August 2nd, 2007 at 12:20 am

It’s somewhat humerous that they remove the ones from the idiots and leave the more inteligent arguments up.

64. Resident Evil 5 Is Racist! The Backlash.

August 2nd, 2007 at 12:23 am

[…] a great deal of controversy, with several people posting nasty racist and hateful comments on the site. For what it’s worth the Blog author’s automatic assumption that these people are in […]

65. Confused

August 2nd, 2007 at 12:23 am

Typical for you not to include Kym’s racist comments. Like her saying that ALL the zombies should be white.

You only persecute hate that is on the black community, not vice-versa. Way to go.

MOST comments were not racist, however you only single those out. Congratulations.

The comments Kym made were mainly insulted for her pure ignorance and condecending tone.

How about this gem “I haven’t played Resident Evil 4, let me go borrow it from my 10 year-old nephew.”

That’s both insulting and down right ignorant.

Of course, will my comment EVER make your front page? No. You just want to continue to run your propaganda machine.

Instead of her simply apologizing for not knowing all the facts. You push the blame on someone else — the gamers.

You are just a guilty as those horrible people who posted such racist comments.

Way to spread the hate.

66. jkwest

August 2nd, 2007 at 12:25 am

Kym,

Since you are bi-racial according to your blog…why don’t you title it, “Ask this Bi-racial Woman”….you are so full of hate to Caucasian people, but, you are part of it..

You need to do some serious soul searching…

67. JohnMcHonkey

August 2nd, 2007 at 12:26 am

GTA: SAN ANDREAS WAS ABOUT A BLACK MAN BREAKING THE LAW, KILLING POLICE/FBI AND SHOOTING OTHER BLACKS AND WHITES.

WHERE THE FUCK WERE YOU WHEN THAT HAPPENED? YOU NEVER HEARD US WHITEYS PITCH A BITCH.

YOU DUMB AL SHARPTON WANNABES NEED TO SHUT THE FUCK UP AND REALIZE THAT YOU CANT PLAY THE RACE CARD HERE. IT DOESN’T HAPPEN IN AFRICA, THERE MORE THEN JUST BLACK PEOPLE, AND THE ZOMBIES ARE THE REAL VICTIMS OF EVER RE GAME.

68. IP

August 2nd, 2007 at 12:28 am

The blog is pretty stupid, maybe you should re-read the comments the people got at Village Voice piece and microscopiq because I read a few hateful comments, now the bloggers are actually racist for saying this, I suppose if Chris was black and the zombies where white, and it was set in Africa, it’d be 100% fine with everyone on this blog?

I know it would, now I’m not racist, but you guys should stop trying to seem superior to white people and stop trying to make it seem like all White people are racist, because it’s not true.

Maybe you guys should think before posting a blog, and stop judging things by colors. Because if you’re that unsecure about your color, you shouldn’t have a blog.

It’s always the white people, delete this comment if you like, but you’ll only prove my point further.

69. Angry Spanish Guy

August 2nd, 2007 at 12:31 am

Wow. It’s ok to kill White and Spanish zombies, but if the zombie is Black then it’s a problem. If you would stop LOOKING for racial problems than you would see that the setting of the game is, how the person above me(David Left) said, in Africa and about Americans sent there to aid with a virus outbreak.

I don’t feel the need to continue with my reasoning since the vast amount of replies to this subject seem to share m same opinions, with the exclusion of the racist, whiny gamers that are taking out their anger in the wrong way, but for the right cause because your statements were wrong and ill-informed. You should really do research before you start making ignorant, racist statements. I see that you’ve responded to the people that called you harmful names but you neglected to respond to the well thought out responses that proved you wrong.

Not to mention that I just read this:

“I knew hip-hop was dead when whites folks started liking it.”

That is EXTREMELY racist. You feel that it is ok for only one race/culture to enjoy something? It’s people like you that halt progress in making the world united and in peace.

It seems like you feel it is ok for Blacks to be racist, but Whites and probably all other races shouldn’t be. I’m not even White but I feel the need to defend them against racist comments such as yours, the same way I do with all other races. If you really hated racism than you would hate all forms of it, not only racism towards blacks.

Too further iterate your ignorance and ill-informed statements, the game is NOT aimed towards children and young adults as you claimed it was. The game is aimed toward a MATURE audience(17+), so clearly you, Kym, would be incapable of playing the game since all you can see in a story is supposed racism.

I’m done with this blog, and never want to see it again. I hope your happy with your self Kym, you ignorant racist. But before you call ME a racist for calling you ignorant, just know that I wasn’t calling you ignorant because of your color, it was because of your actions and words.

70. Angry Spanish Guy

August 2nd, 2007 at 12:32 am

Wow. It’s ok to kill White and Spanish zombies, but if the zombie is Black then it’s a problem. If you would stop LOOKING for racial problems than you would see that the setting of the game is, how the person above me(David Left) said, in Africa and about Americans sent there to aid with a virus outbreak.

I don’t feel the need to continue with my reasoning since the vast amount of replies to this subject seem to share m same opinions, with the exclusion of the racist, whiny gamers that are taking out their anger in the wrong way, but for the right cause because your statements were wrong and ill-informed. You should really do research before you start making ignorant, racist statements. I see that you’ve responded to the people that called you harmful names but you neglected to respond to the well thought out responses that proved you wrong.

Not to mention that I just read this:

“I knew hip-hop was dead when whites folks started liking it.”

That is EXTREMELY racist. You feel that it is ok for only one race/culture to enjoy something? It’s people like you that halt progress in making the world united and in peace.

It seems like you feel it is ok for Blacks to be racist, but Whites and probably all other races shouldn’t be. I’m not even White but I feel the need to defend them against racist comments such as yours, the same way I do with all other races. If you really hated racism than you would hate all forms of it, not only racism towards blacks.

Too further iterate your ignorance and ill-informed statements, the game is NOT aimed towards children and young adults as you claimed it was. The game is aimed toward a MATURE audience(17+), so clearly you, Kym, would be incapable of playing the game since all you can see in a story is supposed racism.

I’m done with this blog, and never want to see it again. I hope your happy with your self Kym, you ignorant, race-card toting racist. But before you call ME a racist for calling you ignorant, just know that I wasn’t calling you ignorant because of your color, it was because of your actions and words.

71. The White Man

August 2nd, 2007 at 12:33 am

Damn, she found us out. How could they guess that we were collaborating with the Japanese to make the greatest game ever!!! One where all you do is kill black people, I would have got away with it too, if it wasn’t for your stupid blog, and your racism too!!!

72. Stephen Turner

August 2nd, 2007 at 12:34 am

While I would have preferred to see a civil debate on this topic, don’t you think that it could have been something that Kym Platt has said that would cause certain people to make such responses? Obviously she has hit a nerve amongst some people, but do you think that these people are angry because they think she is correctly pointing out that this upcoming game is racist? I don’t think so; most comments of the previous blog have said that it’s because they think she is seeing racism where there is none.

Now, I’m 17 years old, and I’m Black, and I don’t see any intended or implied racism from watching the trailer to this game.

Yes, the people the protagonist (Chris Redfield) is fighting against in the trailer are black, but one of the first things the trailer:
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILuP43jcaXw)
implys isn’t that they are “inhuman savages” because of their race, in fact quite the opposite; they are first shown just walking about peacefully, attending to their day-to-day business.
The first time the village people appear truely savage is after a man is shown ‘changing’ after being pinned down, which hints much more at a transmitted condition than race.

What’s more is that all previous Resident Evil games in the series (6 main games, to be precise) have antagonistic zombie-like creatures that are only agressive after being infected by something. These previous game’s antagonists were normally Caucasian, (and in Resident Evil 4’s case, Spaniards) which does more to dispel implication that this savagery is a racial trait.

About the apparent disease being similar to AIDS, I think that the connection is there only because you’re making it.

The only things that are similar between the two are that it is transmitted (like almost any other illness in existance, and as Educated Fool in the the previous entry’s comments, the cornerstone of zombie fiction is infection) and that the victims are seemingly African, which in the game’s case, is set in a place predominantly populated by Black people, is likely.
In real life AIDS is common around Africa as many people aren’t educated on how to prevent it from spreading, and the rumour that having sexual intercourse with a virgin girl will cure someone of AIDS actually causes it to spread more.
Nothing else is similar from what I can see.

About the White man in the military outfit, Chris has been a Resident Evil character since the first game and has always been in a sort of Armed Force; it’s nothing new to anyone who is familiar with the game series, back when they were shooting non-Black enemies.

A couple of things I’m asking; where did Kym Platt get the idea is was Chris’s job to save humanity?
“The Black people are supposed to be zombies and the white man’s job is to destroy them and save humanity.”
Is she perhaps adding in her own thoughts to make her points seem more influential? She has also replied in one of her comments that she would be happy if all zombies were White; isn’t that racist in itself? That a negative, degrading disease is only allowed to affect one race, or every race except your own? That White people should be portrayed as inferior in a game that she claims to be “marketed towards children and young adults”? Don’t you agree that it’s hypocritical that she thinks that whilst complaining and claiming that Black people are viewed in a negative light?

About the games being marketed to children, video games aren’t just for children; the video game economy is rivalling that of Hollywood’s. Another similar thing between video games and movies are that individual games/movies have suitability ratings, and Resident Evil games have normally had at least 15+ ratings. So any case of a child getting their hands on such a game and being able to play it is clearly at the fault of parent or guardian, the game developers can’t control who gets the game so it isn’t their fault.

One last thing, I’ve played previous Resident Evil games where the antagonists were mainly White and exibiting the similar charateristics as those in the trailer. I’m Black and when I played those games, I was way under the age reccomendations. But you don’t hear of any Stephen Turners destroying White people do you? Nor do I fear or hate them. I don’t see people by their race; as labelling people by their colour is racist, I see people by their individual characteristics.

73. Ignatius

August 2nd, 2007 at 12:36 am

Hey, if you’re not a douchebag on the Internet, the Internet won’t treat you like one. Color aside, the person who decided to suddenly say that the world was ending because suddenly we’re killing black zombies instead of white zombies, is a complete douchebag.

74. Stephen Turner

August 2nd, 2007 at 12:37 am

Yeah, I’d like to see a well written response to the above points before I take this group of bloggers seriously. I’m sure I speak for some other people too.

75. Rodrigo

August 2nd, 2007 at 12:40 am

well, I think this is pure bullshit, I am a Latinamerican man and a gamer, that thinks “who gives a fuck”, This is a fuckin’ a game, this doesn’t make any rascism in the society, thoughts like of that bitch, that is what really is making rascim, RE it’s just a fuckin’ game bout zombies, and that’s all

76. AlThE

August 2nd, 2007 at 12:40 am

Hey, I´m spanish and RE4 was all about killing Spanish people…

But it was a GAME, and it happened in a fictional world.

You can see no racism in RE5 because there isn´t anyone, it´s just a terror story about zombies in Africa.

77. Very Dissappointed

August 2nd, 2007 at 12:41 am

How you only pick out and focus on the minority of the comments that are offensive (Which i do not condone), whilst the majority of those comments are in fact logical criticsms of your opinions.

I guess you don’t like people disagreeing with you.

78. Ignatius

August 2nd, 2007 at 12:43 am

Also, what the hell is with this ‘re-enact scenes from video games’ bullshit card you maniacs always pull?

Maybe IF YOU could discern reality with fantasy, maybe you could actually realize that the game isn’t racist? What about all those poor white American zombies and poor white Spanish zombies that were blown away 4 games ago?

But oh god, not black African zombies! Oh noes, color and location are the devil of us all!

Columbine, Columbine, Columbine, my aching fucking ass. How many times do one of these anti-video game douchebags need to bring up a past of TWO people who decided to fuck up a dozen-plus people?

What does it take for you morons to realize that people make decisions from their own mind as well as outside influences? Apparently, responsibility is bankrupt in the eyes of the douches. We must blame something else, it can’t be the children, they couldn’t be just fucked up in the head!!

Get a clue and stop being so racist, how about you make a post about those poor white zombies too while you’re at it, you’re being racist against white people. DEAR GASP.

79. Concerned

August 2nd, 2007 at 12:47 am

If you go out looking for racism you will, no doubt, find it.

White people are not the only people that can be racist, or have racist views.

Calling a person, or a company “racist” is a serious accusation. Next time do some reasearch to you don’t make yourself look like a fool.

I pray that you stay strong and don’t let the “white man” get you down.

Good luck in your career asshole….

80. Donnie

August 2nd, 2007 at 1:54 am

I can’t stand this kind of

“FAT BLACK BITCH WITH A SASSY TONGUE WHO”S STRONG” Kinda shit, and I’m Black.

Contribute to society with information that actually matters and makes a difference. I hate other black people like you cause it makes me sad to be black when you are the prime example of blacks who see racism in America today. FUCK OFF AND DIE and pave the way for a better more educated black America STANK BITCH.

81. Killer

August 2nd, 2007 at 2:05 am

Not only will I kill African zombies, I have also killed German soldiers, Japanese soldiers, several species of aliens, a few giant robots, and some nasty vampires in Los Angeles.

I am a racist fuck, eh? These video games are tearing this world in twain!

82. temp

August 2nd, 2007 at 2:07 am

Ignatius
“How many times do one of these anti-video game douchebags need to bring up a past of TWO people who decided to fuck up a dozen-plus people?”

She judges a large group of people based on the actions of TWO, because she is a bigot.

That’s what bigot do.

83. IT'S RACIST?

August 2nd, 2007 at 2:09 am

It wasn’t racist when we were killing white zombies? It wasn’t racist killing spanish zombies? But when they’re African, it’s racist? Hmm… Something seems wrong there.

84. gary

August 2nd, 2007 at 2:11 am

how can you say this game is racist, it is people like you that are racist, I am white, you said so yourself you would rather see white people as zombies. your worried from the responses of gamers, look at what you said, just look, I’m racist I won’t lie you act proud and all that but your not.
you scream columbine and others, stupid bitch, if gamers were going to go and kill people all the time, you would think that these attacks would be more common place, would they not? we seem like the type to reenact scenes of violence from these past school shootings, yeah ok, right. WTF lady You and your nasty black ass like most other porch monkeys in this country are going to commit homicide, sorry but it is true. gang bangers and all that stupid shit…..too bad we can’t just vote and send all ya’ll jigaboos back to the firelds to pick our cotton, its a damn shame that there were whits people who stood up for blacks to have rights

85. Blackamazon

August 2nd, 2007 at 2:14 am

Considering wow for all the requisite bitching about picking and choosing even though those comments ARE left up there to be examined and easily accessible, I find the wahhh wahh wahh mean comments

at best aggravatingly stupid at worst a really good example of entitlement run amok.

Even better the simple fact is , the author isn’t the only one who noticed
it but hey don’t let facts get in the way.

And for all this bullshit YOU”RE RACIST and uninformed.

MOst of you OBVIOUSLY have never read this blog or cared a whit about anything this blog wrote about until two solitary writers had the nerve to challenge a multimillionar dollar games.

SO please stow your pseudo indignation and purported desire for actual debate
and call it what it is

A bad case of fanboy wanking over even the mere POSSIBILITY that your vaunted video game may not be unassailable or that other people besides you get an opinion.

To the point you’d try and crash a site about helping babies and supporting victims of violence genocide and murder over a cd for a n over priced console piece of plastic.

Capcom thanks you for mindless bullying you made your point now go away.

86. GalleyThePirate

August 2nd, 2007 at 2:21 am

Well Blackamazon, you guys shouldn’t have went about it in this way. You should have gotten the info straight and well written before posting. What I saw was hate text not an article exploring possible visual racism in the game.

87. MeTaL_oRgY

August 2nd, 2007 at 2:27 am

Wow… I mean, I’m amazed. First of all, the original post about the game was way out of place. Kim didn’t even research before posting; she just looks a black person dies and goes on berserk moode to post at her blog. I mean, have some common sense, girl. Research about what you post is essential.

Second, that same blog post reminded me of South Park. “If someone kills a white person, it’s a crime; but if someone kills a black person, it’s a hate crime”. Also reminded me of something I listened once: “All black people are racists”. And that’s pretty close to reality. It’s awesome that you fight for the rights of your people; in fact, I ENCOURAGE you to do so; but have some common sense. White people’s been killed for lke, forever and no one complains about that.

Oh, and that “Columbine” quote; that was just plain low. If they mistreat you like that, why do you do the same? We have a long way to go before forgetting about racism, and you guys, are the one’s that need to learn the most.

88. anonymous

August 2nd, 2007 at 2:28 am

you seem to be focusing on the negative responses only the ones that were blatantly mean and racist. and ignoring what the original poster said.

they came off racist by how they said. they said that people are only disagreeing with them because they are black. which is for the most part false. people are disagreeing with them because of how incorrect there facts are. its like stating all pornos are bad because they teach 5 year old boys to disrespect women. last i saw pornos are not given to 5 year boys.

if your against racism you cant state you want your race to be treated above all other races. when you say you want your race to be treated above all others. you are infact being racist.

89. Shijirou

August 2nd, 2007 at 2:44 am

Tsk tsk…

Why did you have to fan the flames again? You closed off the comments to the other RE5 topic and started a new one just to bash one retard who commented?

And another thing, I know it has been said many many times. DO YOUR RESEARCH BEFORE YOU POST SOMETHING.

You got a sign on your head that says “Flame Me” you know that?

90. Jason

August 2nd, 2007 at 2:45 am

I’m not sure what good leaving this comment will do, but I simply felt compelled to give my $.02 on the entire matter.

Not all gamers are hate mongering morons as you’ve seemingly singled out to base your opinion of the group of individuals.

Similarly as these related blog posts have proven that not everyone that strives for equality is terribly knowledgeable on every issue they choose to comment on.

Acknowledging the points the more mature gamers have tried to make in these comment sections would go a long way in helping you regain your credibility in my opinion.

91. Jonathan Y

August 2nd, 2007 at 3:04 am

Why are you so ignorant? I honestly can’t tell if this was just a ploy to get people to visit this site or what, but this is just pathetic. Please drop dead, this world will be a much better place without you.

92. Stop Playing the Victim

August 2nd, 2007 at 3:11 am

Let’s face it, there are stupid people on the internet.

It’s ridiculous that you pay no attention to the decent comments you get and then play possum to all the irrational comments.

Reverse racism is still racism.

The last comment you posted is also a little thing we call “stereotyping”. You’re stereotyping gamers now.

93. Spike Jones

August 2nd, 2007 at 3:12 am

Bitch, u is crazy!

But to be smart. You are totally copying me, and thus I have to either sue you or just come over for some sex.

Look at it this way. The disease that causes the black people to become zombies int he game is HIV. So, in a way, he’s curing it….

94. Joan Kelly

August 2nd, 2007 at 3:14 am

It’s actually possible to be a member of a group that someone makes an outright sweeping generalization about and not go apeshit. Setting aside our disagreement over whether that’s even what Kym did with her post, and setting aside my current mood about the human potential in most - not a few, most - of the people who left these comments - I would ask anyone who was sincere in their desire to engage here why this reaction wasn’t on the menu:

“Gross, I see a lot of horrible things being said to a woman, about her woman-ness and her blackness, simply because she said something people - maybe even I - didn’t agree with. I am ashamed of how these people are behaving in my name, as a gamer or white person or blog commenter or all of the above, and I would like to pipe up in support of this woman’s right not to be treated this way, no matter what she thinks of a video game.”

God knows I would love it if someone like Kym had the kind of power to be able to control other people’s responses, which is what it would mean if the whole “well they were assholes to say that but she brought it on herself by…” theory were fact.

I would be dancing in the fucking streets if she were actually able to provoke people into doing things that were outside of their current character.

95. Blackamazon

August 2nd, 2007 at 3:15 am

Thank you because we need to be reminded of how we should ensure our credibility as people tell us we shouldn’t be in the world

cause after being called a jigaboo or a stupid whore the main thing you need to correct in this convo is my civility

And Galley at the plate I didn’t write the article so maybe you want to look into getting facts right

At this point this isn’t about anything but the pile on of saving your damn game stop pretendig differently because if it was you mIGHT

MIGHT try and engage the peopel purposely intimidating women or threatening to crash a site over a total of two paragraphs in addition

to tryig aoperate as my conscious

But DEFEND CAPCOM IN ALL ITS HONOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

96. GalleyThePirate

August 2nd, 2007 at 3:23 am

I seem to think that the people who write these blogs are helping to rejuvinate the old term “Muckrakers”. Yes she was attacked by a small amount of people, the MASS majority of the posts commented on How misinformed ignorant and racist she was by spouting under reasearched info on the blog. Her views are one sided, and I don’t know if she was being scarcastic, but she goes on to say that “all zombies should be white” Does she not know that zombie history originates back to Haiti. I’m African American, and this kind of thing disgusts me. The game has taken place in many different places, many different races have been zombies. Because the series reflects the real world in a sense that there are all types of people everywhere. I hope the readers can come away from reading this comment seeing that MS. Platt was clearly in the wrong, and shouting racism for the wrong things. It’s people like her that

“Keep the brutha man down”

Oh, and on the kids issue, tell me where a child can buy an M rated game without an ID?

Of course I wanna “SAVE MY PRECIOUS GAME” from being dented by hateful speech against it, just as I’d want to save mt precious black brothers and sisters from oppression.

97. boots

August 2nd, 2007 at 3:25 am

Well, racism attracts racism. It’s as simple as that. When a black person calls a white person a “filthy cracker”, do you think the White person will just leave thinking “Oh man, at least I didn’t think of anything racist”? Of course not.

When you say stupid things, especially when you pull the racism card incorrectly, don’t expect people to be friendly.

Seriously, the complain was wrong. And of course, people are stupid and some are very racist; some are not (Very) racist but overreacted to the ignorance in Kym. Seriously though, most of the comments on that blogpost were decent and very civilized.

Not only that, but Kym was also racist. Kym said all zombies should be white, and that she would be more comfortable with that. Is she more comfortable with WHITES being killed? And that isn’t racist? Kym is laughable, since she was presented with all the facts about the game and still chose to ignore them and keep her racism against whites and in favor of blacks.

I don’t see jews jumping on every other World War 2 game for not mentioning ANYTHING about the holocaust. And they would at least have something to complain about (Wolfenstein, Resistance, Call of Duty, Medal of Honor, and so on), but then again, it’s JUST A GAME.

I found this on the last thread, it was interesting. Enjoy:

Princeton:
You see?!

You’re a little bit racist.

Kate Monster:
Well, you’re a little bit too.

Princeton:
I guess we’re both a little bit racist.

Kate Monster:
Admitting it is not an easy thing to do…

Princeton:
But I guess it’s true.

Kate Monster:
Between me and you,
I think

Both:
Everyone’s a little bit racist
Sometimes.
Doesn’t mean we go
Around committing hate crimes.
Look around and you will find
No one’s really color blind.
Maybe it’s a fact
We all should face
Everyone makes judgments
Based on race.

Princeton:
Now not big judgments, like who to hire
or who to buy a newspaper from -

Kate Monster:
No!

Princeton:
No, just little judgments like thinking that Mexican
busboys should learn to speak goddamn English!

Kate Monster:
Right!

Both:
Everyone’s a little bit racist
Today.
So, everyone’s a little bit racist
Okay!
Ethinic jokes might be uncouth,
But you laugh because
They’re based on truth.
Don’t take them as
Personal attacks.
Everyone enjoys them -
So relax!

Princeton:
All right, stop me if you’ve heard this one.

Kate Monster:
Okay!

Princeton:
There’s a plan going down and there’s only
one paracute. And there’s a rabbi, a priest…

Kate Monster:
And a black guy!

Gary Coleman:
Whatchoo talkin’ ’bout Kate?

Kate Monster:
Uh…

Gary Coleman:
You were telling a black joke!

Princeton:
Well, sure, Gary, but lots of people tell black jokes.

Gary Coleman:
I don’t.

Princeton:
Well, of course you don’t - you’re black!
But I bet you tell Polack jokes, right?

Gary Coleman:
Well, sure I do. Those stupid Polacks!

Princeton:
Now, don’t you think that’s a little racist?

Gary Coleman:
Well, damn, I guess you’re right.

Kate Monster:
You’re a little bit racist.

Gary Coleman:
Well, you’re a little bit too.

Princeton:
We’re all a little bit racist.

Gary Coleman:
I think that I would
Have to agree with you.

Princeton/Kate Monster:
We’re glad you do.

Gary Coleman:
It’s sad but true!
Everyone’s a little bit racist -

All right!

Kate Monster:
All right!

Princeton:
All right!

Gary Coleman:
All right!
Bigotry has never been
Exclusively white

All:
If we all could just admit
That we are racist a little bit,
Even though we all know
That it’s wrong,
Maybe it would help us
Get along.

Princeton:
Oh, Christ do I feel good.

Gary Coleman:
Now there was a fine upstanding black man!

Princeton:
Who?

Gary Coleman:
Jesus Christ.

Kate Monster:
But, Gary, Jesus was white.

Gary Coleman:
No, Jesus was black.

Kate Monster:
No, Jesus was white.

Gary Coleman:
No, I’m pretty sure that Jesus was black-

Princeton:
Guys, guys…Jesus was Jewish!

Brian:
Hey guys, what are you laughing about?

Gary Coleman:
Racism!

Brian:
Cool.

Christmas Eve:
BRIAN! Come back here!
You take out lecycuraburs!

Princeton:
What’s that mean?

Brian:
Um, recyclables.
Hey, don’t laugh at her!
How many languages do you speak?

Kate Monster:
Oh, come off it, Brian!
Everyone’s a little bit racist.

Brian:
I’m not!

Princeton:
Oh no?

Brian:
Nope!

How many Oriental wives
Have you got?

Christmas Eve:
What? Brian!

Princeton:
Brian, buddy, where you been?
The term is Asian-American!

Christmas Eve:
I know you are no
Intending to be
But calling me Oriental -
Offensive to me!

Brian:
I’m sorry, honey, I love you.

Christmas Eve:
And I love you.

Brian:
But you’re racist, too.

Christmas Eve:
Yes, I know.
The Jews have all
The money
And the whites have all
The power.
And I’m always in taxi-cab
With driver who no shower!

Princeton:
Me too!

Kate Monster:
Me too!

Gary Coleman:
I can’t even get a taxi!

All:
Everyone’s a little bit racist
It’s true.
But everyone is just about
As racist as you!
If we all could just admit
That we are racist a little bit,
And everyone stopped being
So PC
Maybe we could live in -
Harmony!

Christmas Eve:
Evlyone’s a ritter bit lacist!

98. Stop Playing the Victim

August 2nd, 2007 at 3:26 am

“Yes… I am more comfortable with the zombies being white. In fact, ALL zombies should be white from this day forth.”

Thanks, Kym. There’s no recovering from this comment.

99. Kevin

August 2nd, 2007 at 3:29 am

Please read this…. please.

You focused on the few racist comments to the earlier post. 80% of the comments were about Capcom being equal and diverse in their games. Capcom is probably the least racist video game company out there. They base their lead character on American cinema, so he/she is usually white… but they have very diverse settings and nationalities for supporting characters, and they don’t even ever bring up any hint of race relations at all because everyone is just acting as they would in the situations. The fact that this is set in Africa does not mean they wanted to simulate killing black people… they just changed the setting of the franchise (yet again). And chances are, they will have some sort of liberal political statement about the poverty and unrest in places like Darfur (like they did in Dead Rising).

I really feel bad about all this controversy. I’m not a racist, but I do believe you’re taking this the wrong way. Racism does exist in this world… but please don’t put the blame on a company like Capcom who does everything they can to portray different races and cultures in a positive light, which is more than you can say about 90% of the other video game companies out there.

And for the record… would you say a movie like City of God (Cidade de Deus) is racist because it shows black people shooting each other by the masses, yet it was directed by a white man? Cidade de Deus was heavily political and historical, but never did it bring up issues of race. I believe it will be the same with Resident Evil 5 in that it will not be a racial game, and it will focus on the themes of the franchise more than anything. If anything, I bet you will find a sympathetic political agenda hidden behind the horror/zombie plot.

I beg of you… dig deeper into this. I’m sure you will find this is not a racist game.

And don’t let the bigots posting on here drown out those of us who are just trying to make a point.

100. Blackamazon

August 2nd, 2007 at 3:37 am

so why don’t some of you ADRESS THOSE BIGOTS?

101. Scott

August 2nd, 2007 at 3:39 am

ok, first off if you knew anything about this game and the series you wouldnt sceem so ignorant in playing the ratial card ( whats with all the people in africa getting killed by a white guy) their fucking zombies…ever since resident evil 1 game came out in 1996 and since even now i have never complained or heard about any of my white friends (i am white)saying ”hey why you killing white people WTF”. and considering you have a blog for and about black people tells me how racist you realy are. So go do something productive like rob a bank or steel a car or shoot some white crackers and give the police a good scare. dont talk about stuff you dont know about you racist piece of shit. i was thinking about putting the N word in but i would have sunk down to your level you retard.

102. royfokker7

August 2nd, 2007 at 3:41 am

Oh. C´mon! you are making a big deal for six guys who doesn’t konw how to express! Pretty funny. Can you tell me if shooting white zombies is better than do the same thing with black zombies?
Ridicolous

103. GalleyThePirate

August 2nd, 2007 at 3:43 am

We were busy Addressing the biggest Bigot that started this all remember.

Bigots are bad, like the original poster of. and some of the people in this post as well as that one. But that’s not the issue here. The issue was that there was a blatant disregard for any real grounds to stand on before accusations of racism were flung out there.

104. Scott

August 2nd, 2007 at 3:49 am

I would kill all couloured zombies the same way i have in the othe resident evil games with my gun. but ill have more joy now killing the black zombies because of this argument she is making. And if their any white sombies in the game i will kill them faster than i would the black ones, you know so the black zombies know what getting shot feels like instead of shooting people other than them selves.

105. Arie

August 2nd, 2007 at 3:49 am

I wonder why people aren’t questioning their own reaction to the idea that the scenario in of itself may be perpetuating racist ideas.Why all the anger? The insistence that anyone who feels this way must be stupid? I have to wonder, are they shareholders in Capcom? Does this affect them in their day to day? Or are they afraid that the game they’re fanboying is racist? Seems to me if it were completely absent of any racist undertone, such claims wouldn’t be met with vitriol. Perhaps they’re fearful of being racist themselves–but what better way to show how tolerant you are than to hide behind a computer screen and spew stereotypical hate.

106. BigNamek

August 2nd, 2007 at 3:51 am

It’s very interesting to note that Sokari was so quick to point out the more ignorant commentors on the previous blog entry, but is very unwilling to mention its incredibly baseless and unresearched assertion. The entry in question clearly knew nothing of the Resident Evil series nor the backstory of Resident Evil 5 (which nobody really knows at this time. All the while, Sokari clearly had no issues showcasing and highlighting (seeming in a positive way) a post that spews racist-like prejudice towards gamers themselves.Furhtermore, you admitted your own ignorance, Sokari, along with Kym’s. So, next time before either one of decide to look at a trailer for a videogame and paint it as a black-hating murder-fest directed towards children — of which those claims are false and otherwise baseless — I would highly recommend atleast some level of research to support such a blatant claim. Kym owes many an apology for her obscenely unfounded assertion, and should ammend her original post.

107. Chad

August 2nd, 2007 at 3:54 am

Stupid Racist Ho

108. Roy

August 2nd, 2007 at 3:57 am

As a person of Chinese descent (yay Taiwan) I would not be in the least bit offended if Resident Evil did a chapter in China/Taiwan and the main character, who would most likely be a white guy/girl (or maybe the stereotypically sexy asian dragon lady Ada Wong from Resident Evil 2 and 4) who had to gun down hordes of Chinese.

Once again, Kym is the racist one for looking at ONLY RACE in this ONE INSTANCE and immediately drawing a conclusion of racism and conspiracy to brainwash the young. Look at the DECADE long history of “Resident Evil” games… How much racism do you find? Way to do your research, did you go to Howard University (which I live next to)?

Given that this game is set in AFRICA and has always been about outbreaks of ZOMBIE VIRUSES, it wouldn’t make sense if Chris Redfield (the main character) was gunning hordes of WASPy crackas now… would it?

In fact, we’ve already moved down hordes of WASPy Cracka ass zombies in Resident Evil 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 (technically Spaniards in 4) as well the countless spin offs.

While you are crying about a video game which obviously is not racist, what about the problems of REAL racism like the crisis in Jena, Louisiana? You are all a bunch of bigots who pull the race card on STUPID stuff… You’re supposed to use the race card when it matters!!!

So in conclusion.

1. You guys don’t know anything about the game, the game’s decade long history, or the game background

2. You guys/gals come to the wrong conclusion, and stick with it despite being cock slapped in the face repeatedly with the OBVIOUS TRUTH.

3. You dumb fucks pull the race card on a video game, instead of talking about examples of real life, 1960s style racism taking place RIGHT NOW in Jena Louisiana.

4. Finally, Kym, that sanctimonious bitch responded in the original article that “from now on only white people should be zombies”…. WELL, that doesn’t sound like “racial EQUALITY” now, does it?

Fuck you very much, rot in hell RACISTS.

109. Jared from Subway

August 2nd, 2007 at 3:59 am

Kim,

Congrats on your graduation from the Jesse Jackson School of American History. You should be proud of such an accomplishment.

Where did the idea that slavery was wrong first come from? What ethnic group stepped up and started to denounce the idea of slavery?

Didn’t African Muslim pirates enslave Europeans recently? I wouldn’t expect for you to know that since your focus seems to be to denounce crackers like myself.

Since you are doing such a damn good job of fighting racism and slavery behind that keyboard of yours, why does slavery still continue in Africa to this day? And please, save me the BS line about Europeans teaching Africans slavery, it happened long before that.

BTW…I slept in a Holiday Inn last night.