Masachika Kawata, producer of Resident Evil 5, has denied that Capcom has made any changes to the game, following the controversy that the trailer caused.
The trailer for Resident Evil 5 sparked a flurry of dissent amongst gaming journalists about the racist and outdated depictions of black Africans, a claim perhaps summed up best by N’Gai Croal, an African-American himself, when he spoke to MTV Multiplayer in April last year.
In an interview Eurogamer, Kawata expressed surprise at the reaction and went on to say “I don’t recall modifying the game in any way following the controversy of racism.” Kawata was confident however, that Sheva, Chris Redfield’s half-African sidekick, will be enough to assuage fears that the game is racist. Unfortunately, Kawata’s confidence may be a little misplaced, as further criticism has sprung up following a preview version of the game that contained the first three chapters.
Most gamers seem to be unwilling to engage in the debate about Resident Evil 5, and many will take Kawata’s comments as definitive proof that the game does not discriminate against black Africans, even unintentionally.
Me, I’m not so sure.
