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WSJ explores claims of racism in Resident Evil 5
The Wall Street Journal's Jamin Brophy-Warren has a piece today exploring the racial connotations some are seeing in Capcom's latest effort, Resident Evil 5. The game's producer Jun Takeuchi recently said, "There is no racial element to it at all," and Capcom's Chris Kramer expands on that point, stating to the WSJ that the game adopts an "anti-colonialist" stance. Mr. Kramer is referring to white protagonist Chris Redfield, shooting his way through RE5's African non-zombies, and the imagery it represents with regards to traditional Western colonialism on the continent.The theme of the piece is one of exploring whether or not the game is racist, rather than starting with a condemnation and then going forward like we've seen so many times in mainstream video game coverage. He speaks to a variety of major game developers (from Fallout 3's Todd Howard to Dead Space's Glen Schofield) and even broaches the topic of racism in American society being perpetuated by a largely caucasian game industry. Surprisingly, no sweeping claims are made and no aspersions cast. Bravo, we say!
MSNBC wants mature sex (and more penis!) in games
Let's be honest: The mainstream press aren't exactly known for handling sexuality in video games with any amount of couth. But hey, neither are we! And if Winda Benedetti of MSNBC gets her way, we'll all be seeing a lot more loose skin. We're finding it hard to disagree with her when she says, "Adults in movies have sex. So why shouldn't adult characters in video games get it on or, you know, appear in their computer-generated birthday suits?" Bringing up the serially sensationalized Mass Effect sex scene, Benedetti calls it, "a sexual encounter between two adults that actually furthered the story and was tastefully depicted," while pointing out, "still, it was vilified by some in the media." Though we'd argue that the sex minigame found in the original God of War is clearly the most tasteful depiction of sexuality in a video game yet, Benedetti makes a good point. Couldn't we all stand for a little more context in our video game sexuality? Benedetti surmises that the entire industry could use some maturing to help handle this kind of content going forward -- and we're inclined to agree.
Second Life "Wonderland" scandal hits mainstream media
UK media outlets are blowing up with stories of "Wonderland", a virtual playground in Second Life where Ageplay is the go. Sister-site Second Life Insider has been following the various stages of this story over the last day, including its growing coverage by mainstream press and the reply from SL developers Linden Lab.For those who need a little background, Ageplay is when an adult roleplays a child. This need not be for sexual purposes, but to use the quote from SL Insider of Sky News reporter Jason Farrell, "Wonderland is a virtual children's playground where paedophiles cruise and kids are solicited." Even though there probably aren't real children controlling the characters, it is still an offensive community for others within SL, and a Kid Avs community representative has already spoken out about it. It is also something that SL fans wouldn't want to be mistakenly associated with -- now that it has hit the mainstream, it may be one of the first things that people remember about Second Life, akin to "Oh, wasn't that the computer game for pedophiles?".The response Linden Lab provided to SL Insider essentially says that they have found no wrongdoing after investigating the Wonderland community. I'm not sure how well the rest of the media will take this answer. Provided below is a link to SL Insider's on-going coverage of this story as it develops.
E307: Mainstream press loves WiiFit, constructs Wii robot as tribute
Though the gaming press's reactions to Nintendo's E3 media briefing have been, for the most part, lukewarm, mainstream publications are very positive about WiiFit's debut. Here are a few headlines that enunciate the differences in perception between the gaming hardcore and the general public: Forbes: "Can The Wii Save Your Life?" Washington Post: "Game On - Nintendo Is Star of E3 Show as Rivals Scramble to Catch Up" San Jose Mercury News: "Wii outplays Sony, Microsoft for now" (requires registration) The Mercury News went so far as to fashion together an automaton (see image above) out of coils and Wii scraps in order to illustrate Nintendo's domination. We'd be too scared to even compete with the company, knowing that this ED-209-esque villain could break into our houses and stamp us out at any moment. Jump past the post break for a better view of its hulking figure.
Manhunt 2 on Wii: A true murder simulator?
This is all dependent on the fun factor and responsiveness of the controls, but Manhunt 2 for the Wii could be a fantastic murder simulator for the M rated set. Following the announcement of Manhunt 2 by Rockstar on various consoles, GamePolitics took the obvious next step and asked Nintendo how they felt about having the ultra-violent game on their motion control system?Speaking for Nintendo, Beth Llewelyn, senior director of corporate communications, said, "Manhunt 2 is not developed or published by Nintendo. It is one of many titles released by third party publishers for our system that appeal to people of all ages and interests ... retailers and purchasers are strongly encouraged to follow the age-specific ESRB ratings when considering what software to sell or buy. If parents are concerned about kids having access to inappropriate Wii games, we encourage them to utilize the PIN-operated Parental Control features built into Wii."The original Manhunt was about getting jollies from up-close and personal impaling. That mechanic will certainly be more satisfying and personal on the Wii. For the most part, we're just waiting for the mainstream media to get their hands on this story. It'll have all the clichés we've come to expect: Surface treatment of facts by the nightly news, kids under 17 saying they love to stab people in the game and parents talking about how they have absolutely no control to stop their children.See also: Manhunt 2 Wii box art more interesting than teaser
