Video games, the White Savior Complex, and Change

After being the only black male at a social justice conference, I am always reminded of the white savior complex. These collegiate social justice trips are supposed to transformative for the people experiencing them (mostly white people) and help the communities they are working with. In reality most of these are white people going to exotic lands or worse forced to “slum” it in diverse areas in America. These white people do tasks, all the while imposing their values for a short period of time on the community and then they go back to college while the community is left to deal with both the cultural invasion and loss of resources.

All that said! Video games have a large amount of white protagonist and some of these narratives parallel the white savior trope seen in movies. “What chu talkin’ bout James?!” I am glad you asked, let me educate you via some on-line resources.

First a basic definition used by Wikipedia to define how this trope looks in film- “The white savior narrative is a cinematic trope in which a white character rescues people of color from their plight. The white savior is portrayed as messianic and often learns something about themselves in the process of rescuing. The trope reflects how media represents race relations by racializing concepts like morality as identifiable with white people over nonwhite people. White saviors are often male and are sometimes out of place in their own society until they lead minorities or foreigners. Screen Saviors: Hollywood Fictions of Whiteness labels the stories as fantasies that “are essentially grandiose, exhibitionistic, and narcissistic”. Types of stories include white travels to “exotic” Asian locations, white defense against racism in the American South, or white protagonists having “racially diverse” helpers.^“

That relates to games in a more direct level than other versions of the white savior complex. On a larger scale the white savior industrial complex looks at how there is basically an industry in “saving” impoverished communities. The problem is most of these communities were being ruined for years by American foreign policy but we don’t act until the “galvanizing moment” ( I learned that at my conference!). This excerpt from TheAtlantic sums up things well using Haiti as an example,

“Let us begin our activism right here: with the money-driven villainy at the heart of American foreign policy. To do this would be to give up the illusion that the sentimental need to “make a difference” trumps all other considerations. What innocent heroes don’t always understand is that they play a useful role for people who have much more cynical motives. The White Savior Industrial Complex is a valve for releasing the unbearable pressures that build in a system built on pillage. We can participate in the economic destruction of Haiti over long years, but when the earthquake strikes it feels good to send $10 each to the rescue fund. I have no opposition, in principle, to such donations (I frequently make them myself), but we must do such things only with awareness of what else is involved. If we are going to interfere in the lives of others, a little due diligence is a minimum requirement.”

http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/03/the-white-savior-industrial-complex/254843/

Real Talk- Helping people and committing to service is great! That service needs to serve the true needs of the populations and long term sustainable solutions should be the focus. A donation to Haiti of 10 dollars is OK for the short term but what about their long term infrastructure? Even if we spend 10 years there rebuilding homes and cleaning up what happens when we leave?

When I think about White Savior complexes I always think about the idea that there is an assumption that the people who are currently in an area can’t take care of themselves. You say, “We made blankets for those black kids so they can stay warm.”, I hear, “Let’s give those black kids blankets because their crappy parents can’t keep them warm and they would never survive without us.” The irony being that the neighborhood wouldn’t be so financially depressed if white people had not left the area, schools weren’t funded via property taxes, and businesses didn’t leave. It’s this idea of cleaning up a mess you made and expecting everyone to thank you for it.  

Video games are a fascinating look into this narrative especially because they normally take place during the galvanizing event and never show the long term plan.

An Example of a White-Savior Narratives in Video games

Mass Effect– For some reason in the vastness of space the human race is the alpha race and as such they represent the white people of space. Sheppard, the protagonist, receives mystic powers from the protheans and is becomes the only person able to save the world! As Commander Sheppard you gather a rag tag crew from around the galaxy to kill off in the second game’s suicide mission only to make sure you live long enough to save the Galaxy from the Reapers. Why is commander Sheppard the chosen one? In a game with more than just white people or black people we are stuck perpetuating the narrative that other cultures can’t take care of themselves.

Humans have a reputation in the Mass Effect Universe of being a little problematic, the main villain in the game is a human. The galvanizing event in the game is the discovery of the Reapers return and from that point Sheppard vs. the world. Sheppard learns about love, and culture and makes lots of tough decisions about the fate of entire species. The universe full of colorful people (see aliens) (colored…colorful…I laughed) is not competent enough and must be carried by commander Sheppard. Meh, he’s the savior…or the Sheppard to get us to prominence.

 

An Example of a White-Savior Subversive Narratives

Sleeping Dogs- Sleeping Dogs is really cool because it is a crime drama where in an effort to stop the crime issues in Hong Kong, authorities found a man from Hong Kong to go in and use his understanding of the culture to try and rectify the crime issues. The protagonist, Wei Shen, realizes that not everything is so cut and dry and maybe a lot of these cultural issues are actually being brought in from an outside factor! This leads to a story that doesn’t moralize racial groups. It’s also not a story that dehumanizes any group, it actually does the opposite. I don’t want to get too detailed because this is an awesome story-driven game but I recommend it to anyone and I think it subverts a lot of tropes.

To sum all this up, white-savior stories aren’t terrible because they exist. They are problematic because for too long they were all that existed in popular media. A lack of representation from other groups is what is really the issue. It’s hard not to think of white men and white race as heroes and look down on others if that’s what you see in your movies and games everyday.

I love Mass Effect. I love Tomb Raider, and I watch Indiana Jones films but I also understand that they can be problematic. A company that is surprisingly good about having strong black and female protagonist is GearBox. Borderlands and Battleborn are all super diverse and deal with the usual tropes of saving the world etc. but always have different representation of the hero.

 

Black Characters in Gaming- Lebron James (NBA Live/2K/Street/Jam/Shootout/Courtside/Ballers)

Now seems like the perfect time to choose a real life black athlete who plays like a video game created player. That player, of course, is Lebron James. He has taken his game and legacy to new heights with this championship (#ALLIN, #DROUGHTSOVER, #BELIEVELAND) and put up numbers in the NBA Finals this year that seemingly could only be done in NBA 2K. He did it against another game breaking player in Steph Curry (who famously ruined NBA 2K because he can hit 3’s from anywhere at anytime and that ruins video game balance).

I will give you the abridged version of why Lebron matters in real life and then why in video games. Lebron was born in North East, Ohio. Was a legend for the people of Akron. He was the prophet seemingly born to bring a championship to the Cleveland. He was drafted by the Cavs and started an epic stat filling career. Lebron went to the Finals early, got ruined by the Spurs but gave hope. Then Lebron dumped Cleveland for Miami, won some rings and came home. He didn’t just come home, he came back to Cleveland and promised a ring (no pressure right?) and he pulled it off.

Lebron in video games is a very interesting thing, to give context he exists in a world where gamer’s grew up not having access to the greatest players of all time. Michael Jordan was in “Jordan vs. Bird” back in the early Genesis era but after that he disappeared.

In NBA Jam, there was no Jordan. It was crazy, the most fun basketball game ever made didn’t have Jordan. A game about glorifying the dunk was missing his airness… but that was the 90’s.

I remember feeling cheated in NBA Live ’98 when the Bulls would trot out “Player” who was a bald black SG but was not MJ.

It cheapened an entire generation of games because the biggest icon in the league was missing. Cut to Lebron James. He had every right to not be in video games but that wasn’t the case. He was as accessible in games as he was off the court. He was seemingly a real life game character that leaped out of the Xbox 360 and onto TNT Thursday nights. I envy kids who got to grow up using Lebron in NBA 2K.

LBJ is a fascinating figure in games. He basically broke 2K ratings from the jump. He was rated a human 78 overall because he a kid coming out of High School. Who knew he would be able to man up at 18 the way he did. NBA2K4 has a human 78 Lebron who can’t shoot a jumper but is athletic and can dunk. He was also listed as a PG in that game! We all know he was a center masquerading as a small forward.

From his second year on Lebrons rise in ratings in 2K is meteoric. 88 to 97 to basically 100’s. How do you rate a guy who can dribble like Anthony Mason, Pass like Magic Johnson, Shoot like Charles Oakley, and defend/rebound like Rodman. He’s a gamebreaker and who doesn’t want to play with the gamebreaker! 

Significance of Lebron as a black video game character- Lebron is the rare combination of a transcendent athlete and a masterful role model. He accomplishes this by not conforming to white standards or losing his “realness”. Lebron is covered in tattoos and rolls around with a crew of his boys from the hood yet still connects with everybody. Where Iverson was/is a polarizing hyper black figure that is incorrectly and offensively labeled a thug, Lebron avoided all of this. He was liked by white people and emulated by black people. He has Jordan-like shoes without the Jordan-like stigman. He’s married and didn’t cheat on his wife. He shows the world that a black man with tattoos from a low income environment isn’t a criminal in waiting.

Lebron also forced a generation of devs to constantly work on their representations of tattoos.

Stereotypes

Black Athlete as thug- As stated above, he’s stayed out of trouble. He’s been authentic. He’s stayed true to his roots.

Black Athlete as womanizer/rapist- He is a great father and is happily married.

Black Athlete as selfish (unwilling to pass, doesn’t care about his people)- Lebron’s biggest crime is he passes too much. He is willing to let guys like JR Smith shine, hence the high rating in passing every year for LBJ.

Black man as criminal- He has a few speeding tickets?

Black man as lazy- There is this idea that black greatness is a result of talent and not hard work. Watching Lebron grow as a player and athletically has been incredible. His 2K ratings show it in the gaming world but the eye test shows how much Lebron has improved. Hard work personified is Lyndon B. Johnson, I mean LBJ. Lebron James.

Black man loves white women- He married a black woman so BOOM! Take that society! Lebron bucking all the trends!

Ain’t that some racist shit….

Is Lebron James (and his representation in video games) problematic?

Being able to select a Cleveland team in a video game and know that they are the reigning champs will be magical. It has never been done before. Lebron has been the most accessible transcendent talent in gaming since Bo Jackson, Mike Vick, and Kobe. James has been the small market hero sports gaming needs. So to answer the question, No. Lebron is not problematic and frankly most sports game are in a position to not present him in a problematic light. There really isn’t a story mode where you can be Lebron and take through Cleveland. MyPlayer mode might have a chance interaction with a real pro but most of the interactions happen on the court. Except in NBA Ballers. That shit was problematic! That is a post for another time. Peace! Go Cavs! Lebron did it big! 3-1 to 4-3! 52 year drought OVER!!!!

Really hard to find a Cleveland version of this…

I’m just playin…

Thanksgiving Special- Black Characters I am Thankful For: Roland (Borderlands)

Halloween is dead and now it’s time to revel in another holiday about death and slaughter…Thanksgiving! Does this holiday memorialize a massive genocide? Who knows…but I what I do know is I love Turkey and Football! And black people!

I want to highlight some black characters in games I am thankful for. These characters may not be the star of the franchise but their existence makes me feel better about gaming. We are in a gaming space where games still come out that won’t give you the option to change skin color (Need for Speed 2015…) even when all it would do is make players feel more engaged. When games have black characters, especially when the game isn’t showcasing them, it’s special.

This is my confession. I loved Borderlands 1. Playing as Roland was awesome. I hated Borderlands 2 (at first) because I didn’t have a black option and Roland was not playable. Roland exist in a weird place in the Borderlands world. He was playable in the first game but he was little more than an avatar that happened to be black (talk black?), but when he becomes unplayable in the 2nd game and Pre-Sequel you realize that they give him so much story and personality and in the process made Roland one of the most positive black characters I have seen in years.

Roland goes from vault hunter to revolutionary. When you reach the second game you realize the profound impact and leader that Roland has become. It’s a really cool moment when you are doing missions for him and his group. Roland helped form the Crimson Raiders, a group of radicals fighting the Hyperion Corporation. He was killed in the line of duty, and died a hero.

Roland was also in an interracial relationship with Lilith.

Roland was nothing more than a “boo-yah” spewing stereotype in Borderlands 1 but becomes an integral player in the plot for the rest of the series. Roland bucks stereotypes. He’s more than just a violent avatar. He is a leader. On some level he is fighting for civil rights on Pandora and beyond. The chaos is better than being under Hyperion’s thumb. Roland is multi-dimensional. He’s shown to be a soldier, a leader, and a lover. His relationship matters and the other characters (especially Tiny Tina) mourned his loss greatly. It’s awesome. I am thankful for Roland! GOBBLE GOBBLE

Random Lists!- Favorite Mario Kart Clones and Competitors

I love Mario Kart and I hate it all the same. It’s a series that is a pinnacle or refinement. The tracks are perfectly designed, the balance is wonderful and the music is legendary. BUT the blue shell literally ruins the game and battle mode has been neutered seemingly by the game since Mario 64. There a lot of things worth stealing from Mario Kart but in my mind other games innovated and move passed the series.

Before we move into what other I like better than Mario Kart lets sets some constant parameters that we can compare these games on, and I will start with Mario Kart Advance because I think it’s the best one.

Mario Kart Advance-

Graphics– This game looked amazing on the platform. It utilized almost Mode 7 like effects for the 3D and it really immersed players into the game. It looks more detailed and real than MK64 yet still stayed true to the SNES roots. I love the bright color palette as well.

Sound– The sound is great. The rev of the Kart, the cling of the coins, and all the voice acting is intact. The little details of the sound that have been consistent throughout the series make it feel like a homecoming every time you slam through an item block.

Control– The controls are best in MK Advance. Never has drifting been better or made more sense. In Mario kart you drift and build boost and it feels effortless in MK Advanced.

Tracks– The track are where this game shines. This is objective, but I think the mix of classic and new tracks in MK Advance has left me disappointed in every game sense. You beat the 8 new courses and cups then you unlock the retro courses. It’s an unreal amount of content. It updates and presents some of the best SNES tracks in the series. Koopa Beach should be in every game. Every track should be in every game at this point, why not?

Fun Factor– Mario Kart Advanced is the most balanced Mario Kart game. On 150cc, the game still feels fair and it doesn’t shame you and punish you for being in first place. Skill matters in MK Advance while other games punish you for success. The battle mode was also amazing! You could race and battle with only one cart. You would all be different colored Yoshi but it was an awesome way to let everyone get in on the fun!

Blur-

Blur is my favorite on-line racing experience. It was the first game I ever “prestiged” and unlocked all of the content in. I love the balance and thoughtfulness in this games design (In multiplayer, in single player the game is actually belligerently hard). Blur sold itself as the “cooler” version of Mario Kart. It was! It was so cool that it put Bizarre out of business…. but it really was a great game. Mario Kart with real cars.

Graphics– Blur is a beautiful blend of realistically cars and cities that have an almost hyperrealism to them. Lots of blurring and lighting effects. The water reflections and crash details are very solid.

Sound– The cars sound ok, and the music is forgettable. Where the sound shines is that every weapon has a unique sound. You can hear what is coming at you and counter it.

Control– The cars are very drift heavy. You have cars that are more handling focused but to be competitive, you need to drift. The cars feel weighty but fun to control. The weapons are where the controls shine. You can easily shoot backwards, and every weapons counter everything. This game has the anti-blue shell. Countering is key and it works. Mario Kart 8 finally added a horn to counter the blue shell but it’s a rare pick up.

Tracks– There are some varied beautiful locations in Blur. The rural mid-Western farm is as memorable as the high ways in fictional Tokyo. All the tracks feel intentionally designed and work well to make the races frantic.

Fun Factors- This game is so fun. The races feel fair. Skill is rewarded because you can counter attacks. It feels like a thinking man’s Mario Kart.

Crash Team Racing-

The proverbial Mario Kart Clone. This game took Mario Kart from a game series to a genre. Against all odds CTR turned out to be an amazing game. Everything Mario Kart did this game did better. Races? yup. Karts? yup. Tracks? yup. Battle Mode? Fuuuuck yea. The only thing Mario Kart has on this game is the characters, although Tiny is a dope character.

Graphics- Look above this sentence. See that? It’s real ass 3D. Not like the pre-rendered Karts of Mario Kart 64 these sprites are the truth. The colors, the 3d, it all came together incredibly well in CTR.

Sound- All Good. Nothing memorable. I listen to Mario Kart music when i am bored, I have never done that with Crash Team Racing.

Control- CTR aped Mario Kart with the jump drift system. The carts all handle very well. I think the different feel between how carts handle is limited though. I always felt like larger characters handled just as well as smaller ones.

Tracks- The tracks are amazing. You drove through open world levels to get to new cup races and challenges. It was like driving through your favorite Crash Bandicoot levels. At the time, that was a cool thing to do.

Fun Factor- The battle mode is super fun, the championship mode progression is amazing. There is no blue shell equivalent in this game and frankly the weapons are kind of a second thought. It’s a racing game first that happens to have weapons when needed. The weapons shine in battle mode though because is a nice mix of shields and missiles to grab.

Skylanders SuperChargers-

Skylanders Superchargers is the Kart racing Citizen Kane. I’m playing, I’ve never even seen Citizen Kane but I heard it was kinda good. Skylanders Superchargers is absolutely kinda good! It’s actually very good. This game is a mix between the classic diablo-style gameplay of previous Skylander’s games and a Kart racer. Half the game is played on foot, while the other is via Kart. There are air, land, and sea vehicles. All of which are fully realized. The cars feel like Mario Kart, the boats feel like Wave Race, and the planes feel like Ace Combat. It’s a beautiful thing.

Graphics- This is the only current gen game on the list, and it shows. This game looks amazing. It’s like playing a Saturday Morning cartoon. The water looks incredible. The details on the cars are stunning. The fire on the tires and the exhaust flames….eye candy.

 

Sound- The sound is great. The game is fully voiced. The music is catchy and appropriate for what is happening on screen. Otherwise it’s nothing super memorable.

Control– The racing controls for all vehicles are amazing. The battle control for the cars are awful because they have you at a weird camera angle and the controls keep shifting. It makes battle arenas super hard. Otherwise the karts handle great, they have a drift button to drift to gain a boost. The carts feel good.

Tracks- The tracks are so immersive. Each one is a set piece. One track you are going under water around a temple. The next track has you driving up a dragon’s back. The tracks are a little too long at times but they are so interesting and fun to navigate that you never get bored.

Fun Factor– This game is very fun. The racing is interesting. You don’t collect items and shoot them. The item box auto deploys as soon as you hit it and each cart has it own weapon it can shoot. It’s a cool system. No blue shells. It feels like so many different games with all the vehicles. This game is what Diddy Kong racing wanted to be.

Sega and Sonic All-Stars Racing-

This game is a love letter to everything Sega. Each track is a reference packed with Sega history. As a Saturn/Dreamcast owner this game was made to appeal to me. There are Sonic Adventure tracks, Samba De Amigo tracks and Nights is flying around too. The colors are vibrant and head exploding bright. This game is a playable epileptic seizure.

Graphics- Just look at this game…

So….beautiful….

The game is just gorgeous.

Sound– The sound is a cornucopia or Sega goodness. Sonic sounds are everywhere. The music is amazing. The soundtrack is vast and you can choose your music track.

Control– There is no brake. You let off the throttle or hit the drift button. It takes a lot of getting used to but it’s a lot of fun. The carts all handle differently. It’s a lot of fun and feels fair. The weapons are great with no blue shell equivalent.

Tracks– Beautiful and are basically memorials for the games they represent. Each track is a crash course in whatever game they rep. You drive down the notation bar from Samba De Amigo! It makes the rainbow road look like a dirt road.

Fun Factor- This game is very fun. It is better than Mario Kart in every way. I just miss the brake…. This game and it’s sequel are amazing. Check em out!

Ones that suck– Diddy Kong Racing. Game was dumb. Peace!

A Question: What does it mean to control a character with a racial identity in a video game? To Kill that Character?

The answer could be a short and sweet, “nothing” or a long and complex “everything”. One of the interesting facets of gaming that is focused on far too infrequently is that you control and act on raced characters in the game world. The main difference between watching a white man kill a black man in a movie compared to the same event in a video game is that you pulled the trigger (pressed the button) in the video game.

Does this act of pushing the button and being the white man in that scenario have implications? The example game I want to use in this scenario is Street Fighter II. This is a game that many people are familiar with and the characters are clearly tied to a race and/or region.

A little background on SF:II for this piece. Street Fighter II is a one on one fighting game featuring fighters from all over the world. Ryu is from Japan, Ken is from the USA, Guile a white man from the USA, Balrog is a black man from Las Vegas, USA, Zangief is a white man from the U.S.S.R, and there are more characters from more places…. This game is a one to one game where the user controls an avatar that is clearly representing an ethnicity and race while beating up another character of possibly a different race and nationality.

My thesis is this: (I use thesis loosely) Video games are an active medium where users have control over their avatar’s actions, due to the active nature of the medium interactions had with raced avatars can influence one’s personal views and experiences of that group. Basically, what I am saying is that if I am a white person and I control CJ from GTA: San Andreas for 60 hours, that interaction with CJ will influence my views of black people. There are a lot of factors at play, but imagine you are a suburban white kid who doesn’t have any black friends and has little exposure to black people. CJ and his friends/enemies in GTA are the first interactions with this group.

To take an even broader look, what does it mean when a white kid pulls the trigger on his XBOX 360 to kill a Middle Eastern man in Call of Duty?

When I mention these ideas and topics to people I almost immediately get dismissed and am accused of looking too much into things. Games don’t cause racism, they don’t cause violence, they don’t effect anything are what people say to me. Games evoke feelings, they stimulate users both visually, intellectually, and aurally. I think games have the power educate, create new ideas towards things, and reaffirm old notions you may already have.

In our defense of gaming, (i.e. gaming does not cause violence, etc.) we lose the ability to explore the medium further and deeper.

If i say a game helped helped me learn to read and the instructor I had in the game was Asian, people would be so happy. I had a diverse experience and gaming taught me something positive. What if I continue to say that “I think Asian people, especially women are bitches. My instructor was mean and I have never met any Asian people in real life.” Now everyone balks and says gaming doesn’t impact people like that. It’s a 2-way street. This is why I think race and culture and representation matter in games. (I have no issues with Asian Women….just to clarify).

My first exposure to somebody who was Indian is Dhalsim from Street Fighter II. What are the implications of that? His stage is covered in elephants. Dhalsim blows fire and can stretch his arm. He is a mythic figure who can float in the air. Dhalsim is basically a video game version of Johnny Quest’s Hadji. My entire exposure to beautiful diverse culture is reduced to stereotypes. On top of that, the interaction is violent. Street Fighter II is a fighting game. My first interaction with an Indian man is framed with violence. I am not saying this is good or bad, but I am saying that it has to mean something. What does it mean? Why don’t people look into it?

I am asking questions that I don’t have the answers to. I think they are questions that need to be explored.

Random Thought on 3/25/2015- Can’t Choose Your Race: THE GAME!

I came across the most interesting article on Kotaku this morning. The article details how in the game Rust for PC, the game chooses your racial and ethnic identity for you. That identity is tied to your Steam ID and cannot be changed. The community response has been a little negative as people don’t like not being able to choose their race. The article shows white people complaining about being black characters and I am sure these complaints go both ways.

I find this fascinating. Full disclosure, on my worst days as a black man I think to myself, “It really sucks being born on the wrong team”. I wanted to be born on the Yankees (white) but ended up on the Cubs (black).

Sometimes a white woman will walk by me at night and speed up while clutching her purse. She doesn’t see my master’s degree or my wife and kid. She just sees a black criminal. Her fear cuts me deep on those bad days and I know I had no choice in the matter. This “feature” in Rust captures that. When I read the complaints from those players online I can feel their powerlessness. As a minority in America I am a marked man. I am powerless to change your perceptions of me from the outside looking in, and I am powerless to change my skin color. I think it is amazing that a game captured this with one small change.

Honestly, when games force me to be a white protagonist I feel the same powerlessness. White is always the norm, so of course the silent protagonist is white. It’s frustrating. I am glad that other people can experience that.

I have not played Rust yet, but I might check it out now. I love when games capture real experiences. We don’t choose our skin color, and Rust has found a way to simulate that and the feelings that come with it.

Peace!

Black Characters in Gaming- Rodin (Bayonetta 1 & 2)

Let’s just tackle this from the start, I understand that Rodin is a demon who guards the gates of hell and is technically not a man of African Descent from America. But he looks black, and uses what I would consider American black language. So….. he’s black to me! and it’s my blog!

Rodin is the MAN! This dude is so fucking boss. He is the smoothest, most stylish, peddler of demon goods in gaming. Rodin shows up in cut scenes in Bayonetta and also sells you items in his bar. He is also a playable character later in Bayonetta 2. Platinum games is the company responsible for Baynonetta. Baynonetta is about a witch who kills angels and does crazy stuff. Bayonetta herself is hyper sexual and overtly feminine. Rodin is her male juxtaposition. Rodin is defined by having a sexy voice, he is incredibly strong, and always has a solution for any problems. In a game about extremes (extreme visuals, extreme sexuality, extreme scope and action), Rodin is disturbingly calm. It makes him stand out that much more.

Is Rodin a problematic representation of black characters in gaming? He has a dark side. He does run the games of hell and he sells Halos (the games currency that Bayonetta collects during fights) on the black market. He is a demon though. Rodin is a conundrum in a sense because he is very helpful and caring towards Bayonetta and he helps her work to save their realms from disaster.

 

Stereotypes: The Hyper-Sexualized Black Male-

In the past, Black people were portrayed in animalistic ways. One of those ways being that Black men have an animal-like lust and desire for sex that meant white men had to hide their woman. Hyper-sexualization is both created outside the black community and reaffirmed within it. From an era where Emmet Till was murdered for supposedly whistling at a white woman (he was killed to send a message to black men to stay stop seducing those white women) to now where black music (rap/hip-hop) and society in general flaunt sex at every turn (interracial relationships are all over television, porn is obsessed with large black penises plowing young white women…). Stereotypes about large black penises and the large amount of black male porn only work to keep this stereotype alive. All of that said, Rodin is constantly having a low-key sexual banter with Bayonetta in the 2 games. He is always making these sexual jokes and sly nods to Bayonetta’s sexuality.

Stereotypes: Black man as cool (more specifically, defining what cool is)

Black men have defined cool in this country for a very long time. Our music, dancing, vocal patterns, words, are constantly being appropriated within other cultures. Rodin is just so fucking cool. He always lands on his feet, never loses his glasses, and always gets Bayonetta the weapon she needs. Rodin has this deep low melodic voice and speaks using what many would consider black vernacular. At one point in Bayonetta 2, Bayonetta says, “How do you say? Pop a cap in yo ass…” and Rodin looks at her with suspect eyes….as the gatekeeper of cool Rodin made it clear her saying that was not cool. 

Stereotypes: Black man as a symbol of strength.

I’ll keep this brief, Rodin is basically a brick. In every Bayonetta game (there’s 2…) he has a concrete block or stone block hit him on the head and break. He in always unphased. No matter what is happening, he is always tending bar and relaxing. He never worries, he is forever resilient. Symbolically and physically he is Bayonetta’s rock. 

Stereotypes: The Magical Negro (it’s a stretch but bear with me). 

“The Magical Negro is a supporting stock character in American cinema who is portrayed as coming to the aid of a film’s white protagonists.^[1] These characters, who often possess special insight or mystical powers, have been a long tradition in American fiction.” – Wikipedia

Think of Rodin as the black dude from Green Mile. Rodin has the power to make Bayonetta’s magical weapons and provide her with the magical resources she needs.

What does it all mean? It’s another black man in gaming. I am glad he exist, and I am glad they made him playable in the second game. In a game where everybody is extreme, Rodin almost seems real. I like that.

Check out the Ebony and Ivory Cast! This week we discuss Patreon and all our beloved gaming personalities going solo!

Thanks for reading! Peace.

The Awards Show! Game of the Year, and other Black Gamer Awards!

2014 was a wild year of gaming. So many highs and so many lows but let us take some time to focus on what J3 the black gamer really loved. Full disclosure, remembering what games I played that actually came out this year turned out to be harder than I thought. 12 months is a really long time and I know I gamed during January but I can’t really tell you what I played….This will be in list format. Merry Christmas! Kwayzee Kwanzaa, and Happy Hanuka to you all (and anything else you may or may not celebrate!)!

1) Best use of black people in gaming- This one is tough, the year brought us lots of opportunities to be a brotha but I am choosing the wild card here…. POKEMON TCG ONLINE! Pokemon the card game on-line gives the player a full player avatar creator with multiple shades of black. My character looks just like me. It’s cool on so many levels, the game doesn’t assume the only people playing are young or nerdy or white, the game says “everybody loves Pokemon”. I love it!

2) Biggest Lack of Black Option in Gaming- This was easy. Forza Horizon 2. I drive using the in car dash view and all you can see are arms. White arms. Why? Just give me the option to make my driver have brown arms. I love to loose myself in driving games and every time I saw those white arms it took me out of the game in a weird way. It’s 2014, do better.

3) Most relevant game tackling a real issue award- Shape up! with an honorable mention to Watch Dogs. Shape Up may seem like an odd choice since it is a fitness game, but that’s the point. It is a true fitness GAME. It literally makes the player feel like they part of an awesome 8-bit world and fitness is just a side product of playing this awesome game. Obesity and being overweight is a real problem in this country. Anything that provides a fun way to keep the Xbox on lose weight is great. Childhood obesity is a real issue and this game is a fun step in the right direction for giving fun options to lose weight and game. Losing weight is hard, in this country almost impossible so any game that is trying to make that fun is worthwhile. Watch Dogs….. the government…..they see you. Check this link for some cool infographics about childhood obesity.

4) Coolest Black Guy in Gaming Award 2014- CCCCOMBO BREAKER! TJ COMBO from Killer Instinct Season 2. He rocks a high top fade, is tough as nails, and is the best Balrog impersonator on the planet. Is he problematic as a reinforcement of the violent black man archetype? Maybe, but he’s one of the good guys in this game (I think). TJ Combo has a great move set, and the unlockable outfits make him look like 90’s Kid and Play. He’s cool.

5) Best use of Culture in a Game award- Never Alone. The Cook Inlet Tribal Council funded a videogame company and made a beautiful puzzle platformer that gives players an intimate look at their culture and beliefs. This is how you change the industry and avoid cultural appropriation. You have indigenous people tell their stories using the medium.

Side note- Cultural appropriation is the adoption of elements of one culture by members of a different cultural group, specifically the use by cultural outsiders of a minority, oppressed culture’s symbols or other cultural elements.

“Nico Lang, a guest blogger for the Los Angeles Times, pointed out in a post that cultural appropriation highlights the power imbalance that remains between those in power and those who’ve been historically marginalized. As such, a member of a dominant group can assume the traditional dress of a minority group for a Halloween party, a music performance and so on. Yet, they remain blissfully unaware of the roots of such dress and the challenges those who originated have faced in Western culture.”

Source 

6) Best Portable Game (console)- This is an award that means a lot to me. I love to game on the go. Xeodrifter is such a pleasant surprise. It’s a neat Metroid-ish clone. You start with limited skills and can only advance as you improve your character skill set. The pacing is amazing, the music is great, and the boss fights are a lot of fun.

7) Best portable Game (tablet)- Asphalt Overdrive. This game is essentially an endless runner with cars but it harkens back to the 80’s both overtly in it’s style but also in that it reminds of Outrun.

Outrun is one of my favorite games of all time, taking a Ferrari Testarossa out and just driving is awesome. This game lets you take a super car and run from the cops in Miami Vice 80’s era Miami. All you really do is swipe left and right but it takes laser focus to win the chases. It is free to play, but if you have a little patience you can be successful for free. This game looks stunning. It’s amazing how good tablet games look now.

8) Best PC Game- Freedom Planet. I already reviewed this one but if you miss Sonic’s 16 bit days then you owe it to yourself to play this game.

9) Best Racing Game- I love racing games, and the Xbox One’s vibrating controller triggers really adds a lot to them. Every terrain change flows from left to right on the controller in a way that almost mimics force feedback. That said, I got a racing wheel for Christmas with Force feedback. Forza Horizon 2 is amazing. It’s the car love from Forza 5 but set in a playground. A European playground to be exact. You are basically unleashed in Europe with whatever car you can imagine reliving and create your own Test Drive (BBC not US) fantasies. The graphics are amazing and the rain is so amazing. Driving through a windy road through Greece with the rain pouring down is just magic.

10) Game I can’t put down– I love football. I love videogames. I love Jena. Sadly, I love the the Browns. That said, I can not for the life of my put down Madden 15. Madden Ultimate Team, to be exact. This mode has me coming back weekly to do the weekly challenges and keep up with the updates. They added almost 300 new challenges mid-year and just keep giving me reason to come back. When the game play gets stale, the modes and new content keep it fresh. Well played Madden….BOOM TOUGH ACTIN TENACTIN!

11) Game I will never pick up again- Sonic Boom. I tried. I wanted to like this game. The TV show is great and this game is mediocre at best. And absolute gutter trash at worst. I still love you Sonic….

12) Best Sports Game- Madden 15 (with a nod to NBA Live). I already talked about why I love Madden 15 but man I am so proud and impressed with NBA Live 15. They recently updated the game that balanced shooting percentages and made defenses and AI better. The game feels great. They are adding content to Ultimate Team at a great clip. NBA Live, keep doing you baby!

13) Best game from last year I played this year- Shadowrun Returns for PC. I am hooked to this game. The story is awesome, and the atmosphere is really cool. It’s a steampunk CRPG that was kickstarted into existence. I am looking forward to finishing my tale and delving into more content. Graphically, this game is nothing special but the art work is awesome. This game gets the details right. Every character exudes personality and life. I love it.

14) Best multiplayer Experience- Madden 15 (nod to Titanfall tower defense mode). I played Madden Seasons online in Ultimate Team a lot. I made it to All-Pro Second String, which is the top 2-4% of Xbox One players on-line in that mode. I rocked a 70 win to 30 loss record. I spent a lot of time stressing and loving this online experience. The wins were amazing and the losses were crushing. After every loss I wanted to play online and get better cards. It was a lot of fun.

15) Game of the year!!!!!!!- Madden 15 MUT(nod to Bayonetta 2, Killer Instinct season 2, Azure Striker Gunvolt, Kirby Triple Deluxe for 3ds). It feels odd to choose a yearly sports franchise that is constantly maligned  but Madden 15’s staying power is too strong to ignore. Bayonetta 2 is great, Killer Instinct Season 2 brought Riptor and TJ COMBO! Fantastic additions. They also added a deeper story mode to KI. A lot of great games came out this year but Madden 15 stole my heart in a big way.

16) Worst/Most Disappointing Game- Sonic Boom for Wii U. Fuck you Sonic Boom. Lost World, Generations, and Colors broke the cycle yet here we are….

17) Best Publisher- Sega. Google it. It’s nuts. Trust me. Or don’t.

Thank you so much for reading and following my blog and podcast this year. I have received a lot of positive support and feedback. This blog helps me engage in topics I love (videogames, social justice, race) but it also helps me cope with things I can’t control like racism. This is my way of trying to do more than just sit back and think, thank you for your support!

Peace

Random Thoughts on December 12th, 2014- Bouffalant is a black man

Bouffalant is a normal type Pokemon from Pokemon X/Y (at least that’s when I met him). He is a bovine type creature with a big black afro!

Of course you can’t pull no sideways shit on me GAMEFREAKS! (the creator of Pokemon) You made OJ Simpson!

Hear me out- Bouffalant has an afro like OJ during some of his acting days…

Bouffalant is the only Pokemon known to learn the move head charge (head strong black man man!) and finally….

OJ Simpson played for the Buffalo Bills! (Bouffalant is a damn Buffalo!)

Bouffalant is also very fast and strong like OJ. And one could say he is….a killer! AHHHH IM PLAYIN RELAX YALL!

The real question is….why?

Check me out on my podcast! The Ebony and Ivory Cast!

Clash of the Titans! NBA 2K15 vs NBA Live 15 (and a look at Race in these games)

I have now played both major NBA games this year for significant lengths of time. I like them both. I hate them both. I love the NBA.

I want to use some football metaphors to describe these NBA games. NBA 2K15 is the New England Patriots. It is always good and winning titles but there is a lot to hate about the franchise. The VC system and servers issues break the game (see: Spy Gate) but the gameplay is so good you can’t help but enjoy it. NBA Live is the Cleveland Browns. Live left for a few years, came back last year and was awful. This year NBA Live 15 is 7-5 and offers a lot to love but it is still not quite a contender for the title.

Method– I played both games back to back. I would play a game/mode in NBA Live 15 then immediately switch to NBA 2K15. The mode I played on most were the games respective ultimate team modes. I used a similar camera angle in each game for graphical comparisons.

Gameplay- Live is super smooth. The games flows extremely well. It’s fast and rebounding feels natural. 2K feels very jerky. Live wants the fast break where 2K wants to slow you down to run a “2K smart play”. Player intelligence is much better offensively in 2K. Players in NBA 2K are always moving where there are times in Live where everyone stands still and waits for direction.

NBA Live uses the X button to shoot and put dribble moves on the right stick. The left trigger calls for screens. NBA 2K maps everything to the right stick both shooting and dribbling (it’s too much) but the X button can be used to shoot. Screens are called for in 2K via the B button. Both control schemes work well and feel intuitive. My issue with 2K is that sometimes I am trying to do a dribble move and accidentally shoot. In NBA live the shooting mechanic requires an unbelievably quick press of the button. Both games give feedback for how you shot the ball.

Both games handle balancing the game of basketball differently. NBA Live balances the ability to score easily by making shot blocking and stealing easy and having a crazy fast and punishing shooting mechanic.

NBA 2K utilizes missing shots as the balance. You will miss countless open shots in NBA 2K and when a ball falls off the rim everyone waits for a second before they move to rebound. Most rebounds in 2K seem to be players picking the ball up off the floor. It’s really weird. The worst thing about 2K is that you spend all of your time staring at a meter under your player on offense. When you shoot in 2K the players have a meter with a blue patch in it and a line. When the meter fills up to the line you make the shot. The blue patch gets bigger and smaller depending on where the defender is. I hope that made sense…. but the issue is that you end staring at the meter and not looking at the defense or anything. It turns offense and shooting into a weird mini-game. I don’t love it.

In Live steals on lower difficulty settings are way to easy to come by and you  have to press LB to make players go into motion on offense. It makes running plays less smooth than in 2K.

Graphics- The faces are incredible in Live. The jerseys look like trash. In 2K the jerseys are literal masterpieces of modern technology but hair and faces are real hit or miss. The courts look great on each. NBA 2K player models hold up better and look better up close than the Live player models. NBA Live players are super swole. Everyone in Live is muscular. 2K does a good job of having player body types differ realistically. My biggest issues with graphics in 2K is that  Kyrie Irving looks like a spot on clone to his real life counterpart but lesser players like Matt Bonner look like cobbled together aliens. NBA Live has good likenesses even for lesser-known players. But the jerseys look plastic in Live….

I love the ESPN presentation live brings to games. It looks awesome. The presentation on 2K is very clean and good looking as well. 2K is great about showing a lot of info on your players during the game.

Ultimate Team mode- NBA 2K wants you to spend money and lose. NBA Live rewards your money spent and wants you to keep playing. Ultimate team (Live) or MYteam (2K) is where I spend most of my time in these modes. You get packs of player cards and contracts and put together a fantasy team and pit them against computer challenges and other opponents. I spent around 25 dollars on each game for comparison sake. To illustrate my point, when you buy special packs in Live they guarantee a good player or item, where 2K says you have a higher percentage. The best player I have gotten from 2K is Kyrie Irving (rating 86). On Live I have opened Kevin Durant, Lenny Wilkins (rating 88), LaMarcus Aldridge (89), and Rajon Rondo (twice) (86). My team in Live is a fantasy team. My team in 2K is cobbled together monster.

NBA 2K also uses an injury system in their MyTeam mode. Players get hurt and have to buy and use cards to heal them. I shot a 3 with Chris Bosh. He broke his leg. Out 16 games. I will have to buy injury cards that cure 5 games at a time at most. Fuck that. Worst still, if you get disconnected from a game you will lose contracts. It happens often in 2K, almost never in Live.

My biggest problem with both games is the games in the ultimate team modes are too long. 6 minute quarters in 2K, and 5 minute quarters in Live. Why? In Madden you play 3 minutes quarters mostly and then 4 or 5 minute in special segments. Basketball games should not take longer than football games. There is no need for it.

Both modes are great at staying current and giving new challenges and legendary player cards. Kobe has a triple double, the next day 2K had a competition to beat the Lakers with mega-Kobe. NBA Live has a Penny Hardawar card, play him and see how good he is. They are awesome and they keep adding gameplay and value as the season goes on. EA has done a better job on this mode. They have a lot of practice though as Madden Ultimate Team is amazing too.

My player mode- 2K has a story in their Myplayer and it feels good. The similar mode in NBA Live is very bare bones. I did not spend a lot of time in these modes this year. They are fun but I like controlling the entire team and not just one player on the court.

Fun factor- NBA Live is more fun. NBA 2K is broken. Every mode in 2K requires server connectivity and the servers in 2K are barely up. I have been pulled out of 10 games mid-session in 2k. They have challenges in their “Myteam” mode where you need to win 3 games in a row to complete the challenge. I have lost the challenges multiple times because during the third game the servers sever and I get the loss. It forces me to play all 3 games again and it wastes contracts for players. It literally cost me money when the servers disconnect. 2K uses the VC system to monetize the game in a shitty way and they don’t have the infrastructure to handle it. I can’t play single player in 2K because of server issues. That’s shit. NBA Live works. The online is great, the ultimate team mode never disconnects from the servers. While the game in 2K is better, I at least know I can finish the games in Live.

Which one to buy? Buy NBA Live or neither. Supporting 2K when their servers don’t work reinforces a bad system and reaffirms 2K’s consumer-unfriendly business model.

How is race handled in these games? Why do you care?

Race is a touchy issue in term of the NBA because the league has a predominance of black players. The NBA has always a lot of flavor for this reason. I have a lot of black friends who don’t game but they NBA 2K because we take a lot of ownership. No games have more black people than NBA games (maybe Resident Evil 5 but….that didn’t end well). This really shows up in the MyPlayer modes in the game because the avatars personality is more than skin deep in these modes. In my opinion, the MyPlayer voice always feel black. He’s kind of arrogant and black regardless of what color you make your player. I wish they had more options for this. The music choices, the visuals and create a player mode all have racial implications.

2K and Live are the only games I have played with current black hair cuts. You can have a high top fade! and a frohawk thing. It’s great to have more options than bald or corn rows. NBA Live has rap music top to bottom. They went all in with Rap music and then at certain times they have Jalen Rose talk about current events.

The presentation is very stylish and they are constantly focusing on throwbacks and using player nicknames in spots where they can. It feels very black to me. NBA 2K plays a much wider range of music, from rap to rock. It’s an eclectic mix. The background defaults to a white woman showing PR stories about NBA players and charity. It’s very “professional” and less in your face than Live 15. 2K also tries to replicate the playground experience where you wait for next to play in pick up games. Going for that Rucker Park authentic feel is really cool. Both games do a great job of appealing to the black community while not alienating others and I love it.

In conclusion, both games are a lot of fun this year. 2K is the better game of basketball of the Ultimate team mode in Live is far superior. If 2K gets it’s servers right, buy it. Live is worth a try too.

If you want to hear me wax poetic about gaming and more list to the EBONY AND IVORYCAST (THE podcast I talk on).