For Black Americans, the Video Game Industry has been a reflection of the larger society in which we inhabit. We have been loyal contributors and supporters from as far back as the Atari 2600 but have been relegated to the role of “slightly tolerated consumer”. When Developers are asked why so little representation exists for us in their video games, they blame it on the lack of diversity in the workforce. But when we apply for jobs at the largest Publishers and Developers, we are denied because of “cultural fit”.
This cycle allows the industry and its leadership to engage in perpetual finger-pointing to deflect from the real culprit, racism. While the industry has done some performative changes, is it really a more inclusive space for Black Americans?
Anti-Blackness in the Gaming Community
Anti-Black racism in the gaming community is as American as apple pie. Any random session of Call of Duty is a time machine back to the early 1900s where racial epithets flew freely from the lips of White people. Circa 2017, famous streamer “Pewdiepie” made headlines for casually saying the “N-Word” live on stream. His usage of the word was so casual and uneventful that it exposed to the world just how hostile the gaming community is towards Black people. In fact, racism is so prevalent in video game spaces that Right Wing Hate Groups use them as recruiting farms per the NPR.
But the racism espoused by “gamers” does not stop at online contest and dialogue. Often the inclusion of a Black person in a popular series is derided for being “woke pandering” or “historical inaccuracy”. When Battlefield 1 was released in 2016, many “gamers” balked at the inclusion of a Black character on the cover. One commenter on the release stated:
When you analyze their concerns in greater detail you see that “historical accuracy” and “woke pandering” are simply code words for “get that N-Word out of my video game”. After all, can “historical accuracy” be a true concern if the game features magic, elves, and fire breathing dragons? Absolutely not.
The Homogenous World of Development
According to an International Game Developers Association survey in 2019, only 2% of Developers self-reported as being of African descent. This is not because of a lack of motivated and skilled Black workers, it’s due to racism; a racism that often seeps into the portrayal or lack thereof of Black characters.
When Black people are locked out of the industry it gives way for digital Blackface which was evident in Naughty Dog’s Uncharted Series. Nadine Ross, a Black South African mercenary and implied victim of apartheid (according to canon) was voiced by a White woman. When met with outrage, the head of development dismissed the complaints by saying:
“I’m so proud of Laura’s performance, and I hope none of this takes away from what she was able to accomplish.”
Black leadership in key positions at Naughty Dog would have been able to communicate the issues at the highest level and then ensure the role be recast. This would be their worst nightmare which is why they filter out Black employees at recruiting stage.
Black Stories As Told By Whites
Like many other facets of American society, the video game industry chooses to pander to Black people rather than solve the systemic issues plaguing it. Instead of empowering Black people to tell our own stories, it empowers White people to tell our stories for us. What you end up with is cardboard cutout stereotypes like Jacob from Mass Effect 2. He is one of 2 Black characters in the installment and you guessed it, he has an absent father.
It doesn’t just stop there, if you become romantically involved with Jacob he will cheat on you and end up impregnating his mistress. Negroes 10 light years away on a space ship belonging to a galactic space federation can’t even escape White American stereotypes of Black people. But it would be unfair to characterize all characters in this light, some developers have had better representations such as:
- Lee Everett, The Walking Dead
- Miles Morales, Spiderman
- Marcus, Watch Dogs 2
- Lincoln Clay, Mafia 3
- Tilly Jackson, Red Dead Redemption 2
- Marina, Splatoon 2
The Code is the Answer
Those of us in Intelligent Black Society have the duty to call out the racism prevalent in the industry and hold those to account with our dollars. We do not have to settle for low-rent Black stories as told by Whites. We have the power to fund and support Black Developers who have the wherewithal and skills to tell Black stories. It won’t be easy and there will be failures along the way, but it is important for us to form a strong Black community that creates and supports our own stories.
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