Can a game as frankly racist as Resident Evil 5 survive today's political climate?

[YUPPIE]

It might not be known to the current generation, but Resident Evil 5 was actually monstrously controversial (rivaling Grand Theft Auto) back during its reveal and release back in the day.

A recap:

People back then were outraged at its depiction of a white protagonist gunning down natives in what was considered an extremely unflattering view of rural Africa, where said natives were depicted as animalistic killers (and swearing constantly in their native tongue). It actually got so out of hand that in the release, Capcom added some ethnic minorities, namely other whites and Hispanics, into the enemy roster that weren't seen in the early trailers. This ironically did not help matters, as people got more upset with the disturbing scenes of the African natives enacting torture and genocide upon said minorities; there is actually a rare enemy in the game, who is depicted in the early cutscenes as a minor antagonist, rallying the Africans to his cause to commit said genocide all the while shouting grossly xenophobic spiel in Swahili.

A while into the game, the protagonists run into enemies that caused even more controversy for racist insensitivity, namely African natives that have degraded to literal tribalism with spears, loincloths and shields.

While it's unknown how much this affected Resident Evil 5's sales or success, it was definitely not something that was just brushed off and haunts the game's legacy to this day.
------------------------

Why this matters now? With the absolutely smashing success of the Resident Evil 4 remake, fans were intensely speculating if Resident Evil 5 would be remade, as it is a game (comparitively to OG RE4 remake) that has not aged particularly well. Resident Evil 4's Separate Ways recent DLC more or less confirmed an RE5 remake with a tease at the end.

The problem with the African setting and how it can't be changed easily is just how ingrained it is into the Resident Evil mythos. Africa is a central place in the lore and even things like those tribal men and the ethnic genocide have explanations for their being laid out in files and notes. So it's not like Capcom can just remove these so easily. But regardless, do you think it's just too offensive? People as of 2023 are WAY more sensitive and prone to cancellation than they were in 2009.

[NineSpine]

It might not be known to the current generation, but Resident Evil 5 was actually monstrously controversial (rivaling Grand Theft Auto) back during its reveal and release back in the day.

A recap:

People back then were outraged at its depiction of a white protagonist gunning down natives in what was considered an extremely unflattering view of rural Africa, where said natives were depicted as animalistic killers (and swearing constantly in their native tongue). It actually got so out of hand that in the release, Capcom added some ethnic minorities, namely other whites and Hispanics, into the enemy roster that weren't seen in the early trailers. This ironically did not help matters, as people got more upset with the disturbing scenes of the African natives enacting torture and genocide upon said minorities; there is actually a rare enemy in the game, who is depicted in the early cutscenes as a minor antagonist, rallying the Africans to his cause to commit said genocide all the while shouting grossly xenophobic spiel in Swahili.

A while into the game, the protagonists run into enemies that caused even more controversy for racist insensitivity, namely African natives that have degraded to literal tribalism with spears, loincloths and shields.

While it's unknown how much this affected Resident Evil 5's sales or success, it was definitely not something that was just brushed off and haunts the game's legacy to this day.
------------------------

Why this matters now? With the absolutely smashing success of the Resident Evil 4 remake, fans were intensely speculating if Resident Evil 5 would be remade, as it is a game (comparitively to OG RE4 remake) that has not aged particularly well. Resident Evil 4's Separate Ways recent DLC more or less confirmed an RE5 remake with a tease at the end.

The problem with the African setting and how it can't be changed easily is just how ingrained it is into the Resident Evil mythos. Africa is a central place in the lore and even things like those tribal men and the ethnic genocide have explanations for their being laid out in files and notes. So it's not like Capcom can just remove these so easily. But regardless, do you think it's just too offensive? People as of 2023 are WAY more sensitive and prone to cancellation than they were in 2009.

1. Cancellation is a myth.
2. All of the things you are referencing are easily changed.
3. The game sucks anyway and doesn't need a remake.

[Dakhath]

Japanese companies are far less likely to capitulate to any public outcry than a company would in the west. I imagine they'd just say that it wasn't their intent to be racist and call it a day.

[Kathandira]

Perhaps a good time to stop with the remakes then.

[NineSpine]

Japanese companies are far less likely to capitulate to any public outcry than a company would in the west. I imagine they'd just say that it wasn't their intent to be racist and call it a day.

We are talking about games that sell millions of copies in the West. The idea that they don't care what people in the West think is extremely naive.

[YUPPIE]

3. The game sucks anyway and doesn't need a remake.

...that's exactly why it's being remade.

[Tyris Flare]

Can a poster as bad as Yuppie be allowed to keep making silly bait threads?

the answer may surprise you

[Dakhath]

We are talking about games that sell millions of copies in the West. The idea that they don't care what people in the West think is extremely naive.

It's really not. Japan as a whole doesn't care too much what happens outside of Japan. It's an afterthought, a beneficial one, but still an afterthought. They will forever make games for the Japanese first and foremost.

[Calfredd]

...that's exactly why it's being remade.

Why do you keep making these fake outrage threads? You don't actually care, you just want to get a rise out of people.

[Jtbrig7390]

Saw the title and knew it would be a Yuppie thread.

RE5 wasn't racist, some people was just idiots.

[Julmara]

yet theres more shooters coming out depicting szenarios some even from real ones and honstetly who cares its a game as long as its fun who gives a fuck except generic white knights who are trying to make a fus about it to get attention and feel better about themselfes

[Lorgar Aurelian]

Given how much the remakes change I wouldn’t be surprised if they tone downed the racist bits with the spears and loincloths given that they were the only real problematic parts of the game.

But given that they didn’t care all that much when the game was originally released they could just not care again with a remake.

[Aedruid]

It might not be known to the current generation, but Resident Evil 5 was actually monstrously controversial (rivaling Grand Theft Auto) back during its reveal and release back in the day.

A recap:

People back then were outraged at its depiction of a white protagonist gunning down natives in what was considered an extremely unflattering view of rural Africa, where said natives were depicted as animalistic killers (and swearing constantly in their native tongue). It actually got so out of hand that in the release, Capcom added some ethnic minorities, namely other whites and Hispanics, into the enemy roster that weren't seen in the early trailers. This ironically did not help matters, as people got more upset with the disturbing scenes of the African natives enacting torture and genocide upon said minorities; there is actually a rare enemy in the game, who is depicted in the early cutscenes as a minor antagonist, rallying the Africans to his cause to commit said genocide all the while shouting grossly xenophobic spiel in Swahili.

A while into the game, the protagonists run into enemies that caused even more controversy for racist insensitivity, namely African natives that have degraded to literal tribalism with spears, loincloths and shields.

While it's unknown how much this affected Resident Evil 5's sales or success, it was definitely not something that was just brushed off and haunts the game's legacy to this day.
------------------------

Why this matters now? With the absolutely smashing success of the Resident Evil 4 remake, fans were intensely speculating if Resident Evil 5 would be remade, as it is a game (comparitively to OG RE4 remake) that has not aged particularly well. Resident Evil 4's Separate Ways recent DLC more or less confirmed an RE5 remake with a tease at the end.

The problem with the African setting and how it can't be changed easily is just how ingrained it is into the Resident Evil mythos. Africa is a central place in the lore and even things like those tribal men and the ethnic genocide have explanations for their being laid out in files and notes. So it's not like Capcom can just remove these so easily. But regardless, do you think it's just too offensive? People as of 2023 are WAY more sensitive and prone to cancellation than they were in 2009.

You are aware that tribes still exist in many parts of the world? What's the issue with adding the protagonist into an area that could exist in real life? Are we for real here? Why are people always so concerned about what someone looks like? Isn't that in itself racist?

[loras]

It might not be known to the current generation, but Resident Evil 5 was actually monstrously controversial (rivaling Grand Theft Auto) back during its reveal and release back in the day.

A recap:

People back then were outraged at its depiction of a white protagonist gunning down natives in what was considered an extremely unflattering view of rural Africa, where said natives were depicted as animalistic killers (and swearing constantly in their native tongue). It actually got so out of hand that in the release, Capcom added some ethnic minorities, namely other whites and Hispanics, into the enemy roster that weren't seen in the early trailers. This ironically did not help matters, as people got more upset with the disturbing scenes of the African natives enacting torture and genocide upon said minorities; there is actually a rare enemy in the game, who is depicted in the early cutscenes as a minor antagonist, rallying the Africans to his cause to commit said genocide all the while shouting grossly xenophobic spiel in Swahili.

A while into the game, the protagonists run into enemies that caused even more controversy for racist insensitivity, namely African natives that have degraded to literal tribalism with spears, loincloths and shields.

While it's unknown how much this affected Resident Evil 5's sales or success, it was definitely not something that was just brushed off and haunts the game's legacy to this day.
------------------------

Why this matters now? With the absolutely smashing success of the Resident Evil 4 remake, fans were intensely speculating if Resident Evil 5 would be remade, as it is a game (comparitively to OG RE4 remake) that has not aged particularly well. Resident Evil 4's Separate Ways recent DLC more or less confirmed an RE5 remake with a tease at the end.

The problem with the African setting and how it can't be changed easily is just how ingrained it is into the Resident Evil mythos. Africa is a central place in the lore and even things like those tribal men and the ethnic genocide have explanations for their being laid out in files and notes. So it's not like Capcom can just remove these so easily. But regardless, do you think it's just too offensive? People as of 2023 are WAY more sensitive and prone to cancellation than they were in 2009.

When referencing real horrid events in a horror game becomes controversial to you you might just be down the zealotry rabbit hole a bit too far.

If you've ever been there outside of the sanitized tourist rides you'd know Genocide (capital G to distinguish from the trivialising politicised bullshit) and racism are within the living memory in many places there.

South Africa comes especially vividly to mind (as some family members lived there for a while), as that place has been a hot mess for a while now, with the, eh, "natives" (including boers and such) hating the often identically colored new arrivals with a passion.
Then there is the latent broad hatred for the Zulus, who are viewed as just the next oppressor after the Boers were deposed.
Of course there is plentiful hatred of the Boers (often brown halflings as they themselves were introduced to concentration camps at the hands of the British), the British (no explanation necessary there, really).
Then there are the dozens if not hundreds of other tribes and sub-countries, as well as the oft ignored Indian Diaspora (dating back to colonial times).

So yeah, more than a little absurd to complain about such things, especially as SA is a relatively stable and peaceful country, much of the rest is much worse. Rwanda comes to mind, but Somalia's never far from the news in terms of horror either. And apparantly they're currently writing a new horror spin-off in Tigray.

[VinceVega]

We are talking about games that sell millions of copies in the West. The idea that they don't care what people in the West think is extremely naive.

The whole racist thing doesn't have any effect on sales. No one really cares if someone accuses someone else as racist.

The media makes you think that. But most poeple are just normal people not reading racists stuff into everything.

[YUPPIE]

The whole racist thing doesn't have any effect on sales.

In an inverted example, ironically, that's why Forspoken flopped. So it can matter.

[Jtbrig7390]

In an inverted example, ironically, that's why Forspoken flopped. So it can matter.

Forespoken flopped because it was a shit game, has nothing to do with race.

[Soulwind]

In an inverted example, ironically, that's why Forspoken flopped. So it can matter.

We finally found some racism in this thread!

RE5 is many things, but racist isn't one of them. African tribes shown in more traditional outfits isn't any more racist than RE4 and RE8 taking place in Europe and featuring medieval outfits and weaponry. It's not realistic, sure, but we're talking about the games in which people get infected with viruses that turn them into skyscrapper-sized monsters.

[Kumorii]

People were worried it was racist and people complained others found it racist.
Then the game released and it wasn't racist. People still try to be loud on their ends meanwhile people just play the game and take it for what it actually was. Then it died down when they didn't get attention...

Both groups went to the next thing.
Business as usual.

Re4 also got flack for being racist, here we are with a remake.
Re5 has been seen more positive a while after it's release so a remake makes sense considering the success of the remakes so far.

[McNeil]

They shouldn't remake RE5 and onwards, they have already done it for the ones that would benefit the most out of it.