Guest Author 
Oscar. H Blayton
Bunmi Adekunle
CareTaker 
Codrin Arsene
Aba Boy
Dave O'Cube
Don Thieme
Emmanuel.K. Bensah
Ella Romanos
Charles E.
Holli Holdsworth
Misi Coker
Nzingha Smith
K A-T
Pamela Stitch
Sokari Ekine
Samantha Ofole-Price
Tomas Ernst
Thomas Gowans
Veronica Henry
Vic 
Oluwole Akindutire
Xcroc 
William J. Zick
Resident Evil 5: Black Zombies…Does it Really Matter?
If the thriller is anything to go by, Resident Evil 5 is a video game that depicts some black/African zombies being killed by some white dudes as the photo still shows. While it is not typical for a video game to feature a lot of black characters, RE5 is created in an African village setting. These arrangements are pissing some off – “this is problematic on so many levels, including the depiction of Black people as inhuman savages, the killing of Black people by a white man in military clothing,” Black Looks states.
White folks have always played zombies in movies and games, no one seemed to have noticed or care. What is wrong in blacks being played as zombies? Is there any racist underpinnings? For me, I do not think so…do you?
image:Joystiq
By MacMC
Muti This
Papa Shongo | Aug 1, 2007 | Reply
Oh come on…Black people should get over themselves. It’s just a game, plus in the previous 4 games in the series the zombies were White for the most part and no one said a thing. Besides, somebody had to be the zombies right
ijebuman | Aug 2, 2007 | Reply
I think its understandable for black people to be slightly concerned about the trailer however we should not really pass judgement until we’ve seen the full game.
To the previous poster’s comments that “Black people should get over themselves”, you need to understand that a lot of black people still suffer from racism and the wounds of slavery have not fully healed. Quoting from a poster off another blog about this issue –
“If I created a video game where Germans pummelled, burned and killed other Germans, then another in which they pummelled, burned, poisoned the English, then created another where Germans pummelled, killed, burned and poisoned Jews in Israel. I am pretty sure that it would raise an eyebrow or two with the Israelis. Reminding them of old wounds.
It does the same for us blacks.”
Pammy | Aug 2, 2007 | Reply
I agree to a certain extent with ijebuman but i believe that it is time that we heal our wounds. When you create a class of “untouchables” – you create a people who are so weak that they cannot stand and grow within “real society”. The issue really should be why such a violent game should exist in the first place. Are we becoming more violent that there is a need for several parts of such a violent game? Why are we becoming so violent?
For africans, if the zombies were from Haiti – will it be more acceptable, considering that the “haitians” already have that myth attached to them of having the ability to transform normal humans to zombies.
Pammy | Aug 2, 2007 | Reply
i did not complete my sentence there:
So if the zombie were in a haitian village, will africans be more complacent about it..?
sokari | Aug 4, 2007 | Reply
Yes imagine the response in the white and Jewish world if this was about Germans shooting at Jews – wow now that is really something to contemplate wouldnt it! Ijebuman, it is unfortunate that you feel you have to explain racism to anyone let alone another Black person and explain it in the context of anti-Semitism. My God.
Akin | Aug 5, 2007 | Reply
The basic premise of the game is wrong, people shooting other humans, deprecated humans or representations of humans as zombies is just plain wrong.
We need to reach a level of civilisation where the value of life is kept sacred, the respect of the dead is not rubbished by cowboy exhilaration and dealing with the “undead” is left to religious or spiritual organisations.
The race aspect simply takes away from the more principled argument, which is, can we not get our thrills from anything but guns, killing and lots of blood and gore?
What really is happening to the emancipation of the human race from savagery?
Omotaylor | Aug 6, 2007 | Reply
Akin & Ijebuman very well said. Whichever way I look at the picture, even if it was a black man pointing the gun at whites, still leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. Also if getting over ourselves means allowing the black man to keep on getting awful reminders of what the white man would really like to do to a black, then I WILL NOT WANT TO GET OVER MYSELF. For the sake of posterity, we should not accept any damaging representation of we “blacks”. We are suffering enough as it is. Yes a lot of our “suffer suffer” is self imposing (for if we took good care of our countries” we will not flock to other Western countries as refuges. In those days when most of the time we travel out was for studies and hlidays, respect was shown. So why settle for less now because of our socio-economic cum political situation?
Omotaylor | Aug 6, 2007 | Reply
Please picture this and see if it makes a pretty intersting lovely game… what if the gun refused to shoot, get jammed and the woman with the matchet gets to the white man and beheads him and holds up his head for all to see while the other black folks who have just been saved from death jubilate for the whole world to see… what would the white folks think, in America and Britain??? And would it make the game just another interesting game? The black man mostly values life and would find it revolting am sure. This is why anything that turns death and plunder into a game should not be celebrated.
Omotaylor | Aug 6, 2007 | Reply
Just one thing I like about the picture – shows the true nature of a black woman, fearless and ready to protect. We shall overcome all evil in our midst even if it takes the womenfolk to do so. Adios for now
Pammy | Aug 6, 2007 | Reply
interesting – “what the white man will really like to do?” How do you know that is what the white man will really like to do. Violence has been perpetuated amongst different races sometimes one race against their own race.
It is good to remember your past but when one chooses to DWELL in the past – they do NOT move FORWARD!!
pammy
Omotaylor | Aug 7, 2007 | Reply
Pammy – how do I know what the white man will really like to do?… interesting question, I live in the very environment and see it daily, oh physical guns have not been pointed at me and those that live in similar situations but oh yes “guns” of covert racism are pointed all the time where i live and work. You may be one of the lucky few that do not experience this but I can assure you I am not dwelling on the past but LIVING in the realities of the present and chosing how best to move forward, not only for me but for all those suffering the same problems. The fact that violence is perpetuated amongst different races and amongst one’s very own does not really make it better, does it? Even if I am a lone voice, I will say no to violence, racism, discrimintion and injustice anyday anytime, doesnt matter who the perpetrators are.
Shege | Aug 8, 2007 | Reply
An unseen product can only be judged on how it is sold. The trailer that I saw was set in Africa, but did nothing to combat any existing stereotypes of Africans. In fact, it exaggerated stereotypes of Africans. In addition, it featured a White man massacring scores of Black people. Am I missing something here? Where is the doubt about the racism? If the trailer had in any way subverted the stereotypes, there would be room for debate. About this trailer, I have no doubts – racist, pure & simple. Whether the actual game is racist? Well since, due to the racist trailer, I wont be buying it, I will never know. Interesting that the blog page criticising the game has so many virulent and abusive posts defending the game concept. Shame we can’t see what race the posters are…
scott | Oct 27, 2007 | Reply
I don’t think I will be picking this game up. I mean in 4 it was a nice change of pace to have the infected plagas people or whatever they were called, but they need to get back to their bread and butter with zombies. I don’t want the running weapon chucking infected people. I want my creepy slow moving zombies back.
Xist | Jan 1, 2008 | Reply
It’s ridiculous how people complain about stupid stuff. Who else lives in Africa? Noone ever talked about WWII games shooting japanese people like soda cans. It just matters if Chris ever finds Wesker and kicks his butt.
ettienne | Jan 5, 2008 | Reply
ITS A GAME SHUT UP AND PLAY IT!
RSG | Jan 10, 2008 | Reply
I stumbled upon this commentary while looking for some opinions on the potential racial nature of this game. I am white. I am not a racist – I don’t hate anyone for their color, I don’t discriminate due to ethnicity, and I don’t read into what color avatar is doing the shooting and what color avatar is catching the ammo when it comes to video games. Furthermore, while I find it incomprehensible to hold prejudice against a race, I can most certainly become very irritated with an individual for playing the race card when it comes to a matter as trivial as this. White folks have been killing asians, caucasians, and mediterraneans for nearly a dozen incarnations of the Resident Evil series (which was developed by a japanese firm, with japanese story writers, artists, and developers – no white people significantly involved) has been documenting the mass slaughter of multiracial zombies.
The fact that it’s all OK until the wrath is visited upon black zombies brings to light the underlying defensive mentality that many people harbor regarding what they perceive to be their own weak points. I see many confident black folks in this forum clearly stating that the whole thing is ridiculous – I commend you for moving past the idea that all white people want to shoot you. We don’t. I promise.
I see others stating that they can see the racism in the game which, for reasons above, seems to me a very thin argument. I hang my head in disgust every time something like this comes up – an excuse to keep racism alive. Japan has a very homogeneous culture and the developers, very probably, had absolutely no intentions of creating a racist scenario. They probably laughed when someone suggested that they could be stirring up trouble. And rightly so.
Shege | Jan 15, 2008 | Reply
What a surprise! RSG, someone white who claims “I’m not racist”. Wake up, little one! We all have the potential to think racist thoughts, whether Black, White or Japanese. Do you really think Japanese are incapable of racism? Tell that to the Chinese, who Japanese soldiers massacred in millions before WWII! Being a homogenous culture actually increases the tendency to racially stereotype other cultures, through sheer ignorance.
The fact that you state categorically that you are not racist suggests that you are denying the possibility that you could have racist thoughts. You reduce the scope of racism to White people wanting to shoot Black people. On that score, props to you, my friend, you get a merit badge for non-racism, cos you don’t wanna shoot us.
I’m confident, I’m Black and I know that I have racist thoughts. Admitting it is the only way that I can recognise the thoughts and correct them. Sadly, you RSG, like most people, want to see yourself as a totally innocent bystander in this very political world. But as Malcom X once said, the chickens come home to roost…
Bobby | Jan 15, 2008 | Reply
There are racists in the world… so??? Is that stopping you from prospering?? I find it incredibly disturbing that in the 21st century people still have the mentality that “What he thinks of me is more important than what I prove to myself”. You don’t like the game then DON’T BUY IT! And send a complaint to the makers if it really is that serious to you.
I am Brown-skinned. I have never met a person that was truly black. If someone really despises you for being “black” why do you feel the need to get so emotional?? If you do get emotional then it is because YOU DO NOT LIKE YOURSELF FOR BEING “BLACK”.
@Shege “The fact that you state categorically that you are not racist suggests that you are denying the possibility that you could have racist thoughts”.. I’m curious.. so you, and basically every other person in the world, therefore, cannot claim not to be racist??..er.. what??
I am CATEROGICALLY STATING THAT I AM NOT A RACIST. If you believe that it is because I am brown-skinned then, you in fact are racist for thinking that a person with little or no melanin (”white”) has to have racist thoughts.
Race is an ignorant and *racist* man-made terminology used to try to distinguish from “the curse of cain” people or “savage slaves” from “pure” people.
Black white pink orange brown. DON’T VALIDATE *RACISM* by trying to use the fighting fire with fire technique. It is counterproductive. I do not hate random “white” people for another “white” persons ignorance. I don’t even hate ignorant people just as long as they do not hinder my chance of success.
Long Live MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. He led AMERICAN CIVIL RIGHTS, not the “black agenda”. Don’t fall into the trap of exxaggerating the man-made “race” feature.
I have been killing white boys and Mexicans in video games for years fellas.. RELAX IT IS JUST A GAME!!
Recommended reading: Bill Cosby – Come On People
Shege | Jan 17, 2008 | Reply
Pardon me for pointing this out, but it seems to me you are actually the one getting emotional.
Note that I didn’t state you were racist or a racist. I actually stated that everyone has racist thoughts. I don’t believe anyone has the right to label another person
Anybody can claim not to be racist, just as anyone can claim not to be sexist or homophobic or prejudiced in any way. However, we live in a world saturated with messages and images of prejudice, as well of course as images of tolerance and love. To claim that none of these messages you receive daily affect your thoughts reveals a naivety about your own thought processes.
Please also note that I did not state that I hated White people or any race. Nor do I validate the concept of “race” as formulated by European and American scientists in the 18th & 19th centuries. Black is not a race, but a socio-political construct.
It is very easy to think of ourselves as innocents gaily playing games, watching movies and consuming culture in a political void with no consequences. If that’s your choice, go ahead! I choose to recognize the political context of culture. Doesn’t stop me having enjoying it. Just keeps me aware of what subliminal messages I am receiving.
But hey, if you want to stay in Oz, no problem.
RSG | Jan 25, 2008 | Reply
I came back to see what folks may have thought. I can’t state it any better than Bobby did above, and Shege…you are beyond my comprehension. Let me offer a comparison, for your entertainment only:
I am slammed with suggestions from societies and corporations all day, every day. Firefox reminds me that open source rules every time I open the application. Microsoft plasters their logo all over the servers I run. A band of advertisements at the top of this page suggests that I may be interested in skin care products. People in magazines try to set a standard for beauty, ads on television try to set a standard for EVERYTHING, and the people I work with and live with and speak with all want me to see their point of view.
What you seem to be thinking (and trying to get us to think) is that since there is a group of people who propogate the ideals of racism, or even since most of us occasionally make a snap judgement based only on another person’s appearance, that we must all accept the doctrines of the hardcorp racist. Does that really make sense to you? Do you really think that every single person is so tied up those occasional snap judgements that they are rendered incapable of treating others as human beings based on the color of their skin? More relevantly, do you really believe that the race of a video game avatar MUST be chosen out of hate if that race happens to be your own?
I would be more inclined to read someone railing on shooting games in general, rather than the facets of race in one of them at the exclusion of all others. Your approach to this discussion comes off as small minded and quite prejudiced, in assuming that anyone arguing against you must be doing so for the reasons upon which you have already decided.
So, here is your chance to show us what you’re thinking. What defines the racist mind? What is the cutoff? I will admit, there are cultures I don’t understand. Folks running around with gold and shiny guns and ill-fitting clothing in music videos do not make sense to me, regardless of their color. The culture of Islam can breed some groups that are, to me, incomprehensible – and when they blow up my buildings, I become interested in stopping their success. But the word culture entered your discussion only as a reference to political context, and not as a reference to race. There is nothing wrong with the inability to understand a culture – that is why we have our own cultures, our own groups, and our own ways of life. Welcome to America. The line is drawn at discrimination and hatred, neither of which are a part of my life. This is why I state (”catagorically”, if you will) that I am not a racist.
Shege | Feb 4, 2008 | Reply
RSG, isn’t that interesting, that I am “beyond your comprehension”? Why? Because I challenge your assumptions?
The phrase “the racist mind” is meaningless to me. Reducing individuals to single defining characteristics is popular, but too simplistic for me. Read my responses more carefully and you might understand my views better.
I am not surprised that you can’t understand Islamic fundamentalist militants. However, if you study the history of US foreign policy, you might. Try reading some Noam Chomsky!
Thank you for your welcome wishes, but actually I do not live in America. Yes, there is a world outside of the USA!
However, with regard to your racial colour blindness, here is an article by a US commentator on the Obama campaign.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ucas/20080120/cm_ucas/racialstereotypesaredeeplyembeddedinourculture
You, like all of us, are free to choose the blue pill.
I have no more to say on this subject.
Goodbye.
RSG | Feb 5, 2008 | Reply
No one stated that they couldn’t see color here, the argument seems to be that we do or do not care what color zombies we shoot, as well as the intentions of the game developers. Take your high-minded, self important blather elsewhere if you can’t cleave to the subject at hand.
This is a discussion on the merits or detriments of a violent multicultural video game and the implications therein, not an essay on United States foreign policy. Am I allowed to dislike you for your methods and your opinions, or would that be racist by default because we have different heritage?
Omotaylor | Feb 5, 2008 | Reply
African Loft dey beg una o guys, E don do, Meaning, can we call a truce please?
Shege | Feb 6, 2008 | Reply
Lol
we jus knack tory my fren
adios
h_sh_m | Feb 17, 2008 | Reply
Japanese media and video games have a strong history of racism against black people, moreso than alot of white produced media. This is because their racist stereotyping is not tempered by PR concerns like modern white media is. So saying that RE is a japanese product makes it more likely to be racist than less.
Anyway, having just watched the trailer for RE5 noone can automatically declare it to be racist. We have to wait for the actual product to come out.
In my opinion, the Africa setting is a brilliant and novel concept. I love it. Setting a white guy against a horde of black zombies is obviously risque material. If they manage to pull it off while avoiding racism, it’ll be a great leap forward and I’ll be the first to applaud.
That being said, it’s unlikely they will. I fully expect the game to perpetuate and exploit negative stereotypes, using the ‘blackness’ of the villagers to enhance the horror and reinforce the heroism of the white protagonist. Not because it can’t be avoided, but because they don’t really care enough to try harder.
How will we be able to tell the difference? Here are a few clues:
1) Are there any positive black characters to counterbalance the black zombies? There have always been a few survivors/other armed rescuers/scientists that are uninfected in previous incarnations of the game. Some black army men, indigenous doctors, surviving villagers, or whatever should make an appearance.
2) Do you ever get to play as any black character? Switching protagonists is common in previous RE games. It would be incredibly stupid and even overtly racist if they didn’t take advantage of the opportunity to add a black protagonist, seeing as how this would be more realistic, enhance the gaming experience, and be an incredibly easy way to counter any negative racial imagery.
3) Are there any white zombies? Sure the majority of them are gonna be black, but realistically there should be the occassional white zombie (there have been occassional black zombies in perdominantly white locales in previous RE games).
These are the very basic requirements in order to skirt the race issue. I could make a whole list of additional desirable elements that would do more than skirt the issue and actually make the game progressive, but I seriously doubt Capcom will meet even these basic considerations.
Bradley | Feb 28, 2008 | Reply
It’s just a game. Chill out… But while I’m here I might as well say that Resident Evil 4 was an amazing game and this one will be, also. To be honest with you, there are far more violent games than this one so stop your fussing…. Besides, it’s not REAL violence; it’s just a game that’s meant to scare the poop out of you and entertain you! Why must every one be so rude?
Baiden | Feb 29, 2008 | Reply
I don’t think it is racist about killing black ppl in re4 u kill ppl from spain is that racist
ConcernedCaucasian | Mar 24, 2008 | Reply
Germans pummelled, killed, burned and poisoned Jews in Israel
He would have a good point if there wasn’t video games that depict Germans being ruthlessly killed at the players’ will(see the Medal of Honor series games)and I don’t think Jews could relate or have any sore feelings come up about their kind being killed in Israel since it didn’t exist at that time in which he probably meant(WW2 era). In summary, no other race of people seem to care if a polygonal image similar in appearance to them in a fictional world is killed, but black people do apparently. I am not amused or surprised one bit about this though.
alex | Mar 28, 2008 | Reply
ITS A FREAKIN GAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If it was nothing but whites like in the earlier games, would that really make sense!?!
It’s NOT racism, its a zombie game set in africa, therefor there must be black people!
It’s not depicting the white man brutaly murdering black savages, its showing the main protaganist, who happens to be white, killing zombie, who happen to be black…
ok…
i hope that cleared things out…
Misi | Mar 28, 2008 | Reply
@ Alex, would it be a freaking game if it was a black man shooting white zombies? There are many ways this could have been done without having such a racial tint. The zombies could have been green or something in that way it wouldn’t depict or offend any race.
Me. | Jan 24, 2009 | Reply
And the co-protagonist is also black…
Me. | Jan 24, 2009 | Reply
Ah, and only black zombies can use motorbikes, vehicles, guns, etc
Bigpoppafish | Feb 8, 2009 | Reply
I recently played the demo for RE5
and after being fairly perturbed by the fact there was so much uproar over so little a problem, my mind was clearly focussed on the inclusion of white and asian zombies.
So, during the opening cut seen, the Non black members of the crowd really stuck out! It made me think, “why did they change it!?? What was the point, all I can focus on now is the race issue”
Once the game started, I cannot tell you what colour of zombie I shot. I just know I was running for my life and desperately killing anything that swung for me!!
In short, if the game has been left unmodified, I would have never noticed a different in race. Now, however, every cut scene will seem tainted with Political correctness.
Anyone who takes more pleasure in killing a black zombie over any other colour of zombie, is a racist and it wouldn’t matter if you had 1 or 1 million black zombies. That racist would still take the same amount of pleasure.
James | Feb 27, 2009 | Reply
Omotaylor, you are demonstrating irrefutably that racism is as black as it is white, maybe it’s time you looked beyond “black & white” of racism and human morality to see that the world is really more in shades of gray.
Omotaylor | Feb 28, 2009 | Reply
@James, thanks. I will tke your advice. Regards.
noah | Mar 8, 2009 | Reply
I agree with Scott i liked the 4th RE for its change but i was hoping it would go back to the Zombies. all the reviews for RE5 tell the old RE fans its not RE anymore its an action game now. the RE series was the only series that i know of that had a real survival horror feel. I like the camera veiws it made it creepier and harder. Also with this new gen of consoles just think what the RE series could do if they brought back the old RE series from PS1. RE was known for its zombies and weird camera angles. I know it has lost many of its original fans for the change they made in RE4… and I dont think it was smart of them to do that. looking at this new RE game I dont even want to call it an RE game. I want the old RE games back, the ones where they were actually scary. On this new gen of consoles there has only been one game that has really scared me and that was Dead Space but I still like the old RE’s better. Also just so people know in RE4 and RE5 they are NOT ZOMBIES… period. They are still living people just infected with some parasite, they even talk and carry weapons. I wounder if RE is going to stay with this new version. I hope not because if they did then I will no longer be buying any of their newer games. They could at least remake the old RE games for the new consoles, that way the people that dont like the new RE’s can be entertained untill the people that make RE series realize that they are screwing up big time and are thinking what kind of game is going to sell better and not what do the fans of the RE series want, and anyways there are so many RE fans out there if they switched back to the old ways they would probally sell better because then people like me would actually want to play the new RE. And anyways RE4 and RE5 arnt really RE games to me because whats the point an RE game without Zombies?
noah | Mar 8, 2009 | Reply
Also I dont get why everyone is complaining about the infected people being black… its a game and anyways most games have people black or white killing only whites and im not complaining… its not like the makers of RE did it because they hate blacks, I doubt they hate blacks its just for the new environment and because their in africa.
Shege | Mar 23, 2009 | Reply
It is sad that so many of the comments here reveal a basic inability to read between the lines, and a lazy lack of desire to even try to interpret the underlying messages in games.
What people mean when they say “It’s just a game”? Do they mean that video games have no relevance to anything in the real world? If so, why are so many games based on real world events? Do they mean that because games are fictional, they play no part in shaping people’s perceptions of reality? If so, there are countless examples of fiction influencing real life events (9/11 the most obvious example).
Lazy lazy thinking
are so indoctrinated into thinking that everything is relative and that history is just another element nothing has context, that
Shege | Mar 23, 2009 | Reply
lol – end of that last comment accidentally turned poetic!
lazy lazy typing
Cameron | Apr 7, 2009 | Reply
I think that the majority of black people suffer from an extreme inferiority complex. This is just a game and black zealots should just accept that some things aren’t racist. I don’t take offence if there was a black soldier shooting a white zombie, hell I’ve even played as Louis (black man) in Left4Dead shooting hordes of white zombies. White people didn’t complain about that and black people should accept that white people don’t hate them as much as they like to think we do. There are black racists too but nobody seems to care.
I’ve never enslaved anyone or been an accomplice in a racial hate crime so why should I feel pressured into keeping my mouth shut and accepting that black people have the right to discriminate against me and my race? White people aren’t all racists, infact hardly any are racists at all.
Silly argument by Black Looks, they really need to understand that not everyone is out to get Black people.
Angel | Jun 21, 2009 | Reply
dude i think it is racist they are no white ppl only blacks if i was black i would not care i love re345 im not black
Nemo | Aug 29, 2010 | Reply
What a load of shit. Funny, you do something to an asian, it’s funny, to a mexican, funny again, do the same thing to a black guy and it’s racism. This attitude is starting to piss me off. Fucking idiots.
Nemo | Aug 29, 2010 | Reply
Bullshit. No one complained about the zombies in resident evil 4. Why? They were all white. Shouldn’t Caucasians also complain based on what you say? No one gave a fuck, because it’s a game. But put a black guy there and it’s racism. The world does not have it in for black people, you know. Some of them seem to think so, however, how stupid are they…
Wesker | Sep 1, 2010 | Reply
Honestly, the previous zombies in RE4 weren’t even ‘white’. They were in Spain. How is it that they didn’t notice that either. Hispanic people didn’t make a fuss, and neither should the people of Africa.
I say they make a bunch of Chinese zombies next and laugh over how over populated the area is over there. You want lots of infected? Drop a bloody T-Virus in Hong Kong or Bangkok. THEN you’ll have issues.
Oh… and China narrowing the child choices to male always helps too, if you know lots already about the files in RE5. Good job Earth. 100% devouring no matter where you go.