Comments on: Race and Responsibility http://ludusnovus.net/2008/04/21/race-and-responsibility/ The Art of Interaction Thu, 20 Nov 2008 21:18:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: A Nerd’s Haven / Tastee (del.icio.us) links! (April 21st) http://ludusnovus.net/2008/04/21/race-and-responsibility/#comment-19551 A Nerd’s Haven / Tastee (del.icio.us) links! (April 21st) Mon, 21 Apr 2008 21:02:15 +0000 http://ludusnovus.net/?p=24#comment-19551 [...] Ludus Novus :: Race and Responsibility - WO offers up an opinion of the Resident Evil 5 race issue. "Games are art. Artists have a social responsibility to try and prevent their work from promoting or encouraging ideas they believe are evil or undesirable." [...] [...] Ludus Novus :: Race and Responsibility - WO offers up an opinion of the Resident Evil 5 race issue. "Games are art. Artists have a social responsibility to try and prevent their work from promoting or encouraging ideas they believe are evil or undesirable." [...]

]]> By: ludusnovus http://ludusnovus.net/2008/04/21/race-and-responsibility/#comment-19543 ludusnovus Mon, 21 Apr 2008 14:14:02 +0000 http://ludusnovus.net/?p=24#comment-19543 Lissa: I concur that people are unlikely to pick up a game that seems to hold a view they disagree with. That gives a more pragmatic reason not to evoke racist imagery: if you only appeal to the Klan demographic, you're probably going to sell fewer games. I think that the trailer is poorly conceived because it can be picked up by racists (subconscious or no) and used to reaffirm their racist ideas of African (or Carribean, it's unclear) villagers. One thing I haven't mentioned is that, because the game isn't out, I don't know how well it handles the problems brought up in the trailer. It's entirely possible that the problems in the trailer aren't present in the game. Lissa: I concur that people are unlikely to pick up a game that seems to hold a view they disagree with. That gives a more pragmatic reason not to evoke racist imagery: if you only appeal to the Klan demographic, you’re probably going to sell fewer games. I think that the trailer is poorly conceived because it can be picked up by racists (subconscious or no) and used to reaffirm their racist ideas of African (or Carribean, it’s unclear) villagers.

One thing I haven’t mentioned is that, because the game isn’t out, I don’t know how well it handles the problems brought up in the trailer. It’s entirely possible that the problems in the trailer aren’t present in the game.

]]> By: Lissa http://ludusnovus.net/2008/04/21/race-and-responsibility/#comment-19538 Lissa Mon, 21 Apr 2008 12:58:10 +0000 http://ludusnovus.net/?p=24#comment-19538 "It’s more likely to influence those who have not formed a hard decision" -- True, yes, but people are often only inclined to take in "art" that holds an opinion similar to theirs in the first place. I, for instance -- the very epitome of open-mindedness, *grin* -- am less likely to pick up a book extolling the virtues of the KKK than I am a book containing some new slant on feminism that isn't man-bashing. The same applies to video games. I'm less likely to pick up a game like RE 5 than, say, Sims 3 or Spore. One seems to "promote" killing barely-zombies while the others "promote" creation and cute-and-fuzzy interaction. I'm a fan of cute-and-fuzzy. And creation. “It’s more likely to influence those who have not formed a hard decision” — True, yes, but people are often only inclined to take in “art” that holds an opinion similar to theirs in the first place. I, for instance — the very epitome of open-mindedness, *grin* — am less likely to pick up a book extolling the virtues of the KKK than I am a book containing some new slant on feminism that isn’t man-bashing.

The same applies to video games. I’m less likely to pick up a game like RE 5 than, say, Sims 3 or Spore. One seems to “promote” killing barely-zombies while the others “promote” creation and cute-and-fuzzy interaction. I’m a fan of cute-and-fuzzy. And creation.

]]> By: ludusnovus http://ludusnovus.net/2008/04/21/race-and-responsibility/#comment-19537 ludusnovus Mon, 21 Apr 2008 12:49:48 +0000 http://ludusnovus.net/?p=24#comment-19537 Art has two roles in influencing our world-views: it can make arguments, or it can reinforce a particular view. <i>Uncle Tom's Cabin</i> was persuasive enough that Lincoln attributed it as starting the Civil War. It made arguments about the nature of slavery that changed peoples' minds. <i>The Birth of a Nation</i>, on the other hand, probably didn't change anyone's mind, but it reinforced undesirably positive views of the KKK and of blacks as monsters of a certain, specific sort -- and probably helped educate a new generation in those views. So your world-view influences your taste in art, but art also influences your worldview. It's more likely to influence those who have not formed a hard decision, and with the current target audience of video games, that makes the onus of social responsibility especially strong on video game developers. Art has two roles in influencing our world-views: it can make arguments, or it can reinforce a particular view. Uncle Tom’s Cabin was persuasive enough that Lincoln attributed it as starting the Civil War. It made arguments about the nature of slavery that changed peoples’ minds. The Birth of a Nation, on the other hand, probably didn’t change anyone’s mind, but it reinforced undesirably positive views of the KKK and of blacks as monsters of a certain, specific sort — and probably helped educate a new generation in those views.

So your world-view influences your taste in art, but art also influences your worldview. It’s more likely to influence those who have not formed a hard decision, and with the current target audience of video games, that makes the onus of social responsibility especially strong on video game developers.

]]> By: Lissa http://ludusnovus.net/2008/04/21/race-and-responsibility/#comment-19536 Lissa Mon, 21 Apr 2008 12:31:25 +0000 http://ludusnovus.net/?p=24#comment-19536 I agree with you on the point of artists having a social responsibility re: evil ideas, but I question your later statement, that "[a]rt is a major factor in how we see the world". How heavily is my world-view influenced by my distaste for impressionist paintings? Seems more like my taste in art is informed by my world-view. Which you seem to agree with, according to the last sentence of the post, but I'm curious as to how much you think it goes both ways. I agree with you on the point of artists having a social responsibility re: evil ideas, but I question your later statement, that “[a]rt is a major factor in how we see the world”. How heavily is my world-view influenced by my distaste for impressionist paintings? Seems more like my taste in art is informed by my world-view. Which you seem to agree with, according to the last sentence of the post, but I’m curious as to how much you think it goes both ways.

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