Platt further goes on to express her displeasure toward this subject stating: "This video game is marketed to children and young adults. Start them young… fearing, hating, and destroying Black people."

Watch the trailer again (provided after the jump) with the sound off and ignore the context of the game. Black men and women are savagely killed by a white antagonist. However, with the sound on and the context of the title known- that being that Resident Evil [aka BioHazard] is a game focusing on surviving an outbreak of either zombies or parasitic creatures- the argument doesn't stand as firm. The Village Voice has also expressed their concern but they are quick to note the entire story has yet to be released, even if the trailer is in poor taste.

The trailer on its own, is quite jarring in that regard. Had Capcom released the trailer previewing other enemies or the story in a more fleshed out sense, this situation could have been averted... but it wasn't and here we are.

Now it's possible that the game includes a wide variety of races and ethnicities, however, in the context of the lore the game itself never focuses on racial issues- but on the simple matter of surviving savage zombies... the inhuman savages are not the black community, just like they haven’t represented the white community in the last five console titles (0-4).

We ignored this issue originally, but new comments have been made by Platt herself that personally offend me and I cannot sit still and watch this happen. Its quite shocking and deserves your attention.

A comment by poster R_N on the post facetiously stated, "But they… ARE zombies. They aren’t “supposed” to be zombies. If it’s any comfort, most of the zombies in the first 5 games (0-4) were white."

A valid point, which was met by the extremely interesting comment by Platt: "R_N, Yes… I am more comfortable with the zombies being white. In fact, ALL zombies should be white from this day forth."

So, the double-standard is the white community may be targeted- and happily so by this activist of equality- as supposed inhuman savages and may die by any hand, for any reason. Only then will the lore of the universe hold true.

Is her response not ironically racist itself? Or as poster Ryo on Platt's blog states, "As a black woman myself, I’m disgusted by your ignorance and easily offending manor. This game is meant for 17+, and has shot other zombies of color. Why bring this issue up and recycle the hate machine?"

My name is Xav de Matos when I post here as an active writer for this community that I love to work for, working with amazing people and interacting with some of the nicest readers I've ever had the pleasure of meeting, my full name is Jeffrey Xavier Rodriguez de Matos (long, yes- which is why I shorten it as I have for years).

I am of Portuguese and Argentinean decent with a large family that migrated to Canada that unfortunately suffered racism in both physical and emotional ways. Obviously, the black community has suffered terrible atrocities that FAR outweigh anything my family has seen and have strongly risen above the issues to claim their rightful equal civil rights- but THIS is not an issue, yet. Unless the game is released as a racist look at the community- which it will most certainly never pass inspection to be released- it's still a game about killing zombies.

Resident Evil 4 was comprised of character models that could pass as my cousins (pre-head-exploding alien of course), speaking fluent (but muddled) Spanish- never once have I been offended by that fact nor have I heard of Spanish groups question the game. The movements and acts of the characters in Resident Evil 5 are very much the same as the Spanish-like characters in Resident Evil 4, is this not an issue for Spanish groups?

When we argue about racial context in a video game the first item I remember was the Kill the Haitians mission in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. Although the game sometimes includes lowbrow humor, that mission went too far and was removed and deservedly so. There is no other context for that mission; it is an active objective to commit genocide within the confines of a video game universe.

When Platt argues for racial equality throughout her blog and within he community, but then publicly scorns a poster and she mandates all those killed in a video game should be white, she loses my focus and respect as a public figure.

Some of the community is going insane over this situation, but we need to understand what is happening. Let me explain to you how it is perceived with a scenario (note this did not happen, but is an example).

Jimmy and I are in a bank, and while waiting in line I tell Jimmy about the third level in Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory. Just talking about a game we both love loudly and with pep because we enjoy the industry and the series, however, the third level of SP:CT is about breaking into a bank, disabling the guards and eventually taking billions of dollars. The security guard overhears this and calls the police and we are arrested for making threatening statements.

That's what this is- improper context and lack of knowledge. The mere fact that Platt claims this game that will, at the very least, receive an M Rating from the ESRB will be marketed towards children proves how little her knowledge is of the industry. That's why I hate referring to this industry as the Video Game Industry. The word GAME is synonymous with children, and its a stigma this industry must lose to be taken seriously.

If the game is released and the enemies are the regular black community with no zombie or parasitic force compelling it then I would condemn Capcom for their direction. However, we need to take a step back, learn the true context of the game and remember we're dealing with a series that has included countless nefarious beings (both white and black, by the way) and realize it’s not a racism trainer for our children.

Let's ignore the fact that Resident Evil 5 is developed by Capcom, a company from Japan, a people who have been targeted and outcast much like any other group.

I'm sorry, but Miss Platt- commenting on the context of a video game about zombies as racial fodder is a little out of your purview.

[Edit: Since this post is so long, added BOLD to where the post continues from the mainpage for easier reading.]

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