Understanding Video Games – Week 10 – Race
The first video for the week notes that “colour” is frequently used as a way of showing race, even when it is two armies — one red, one blue. As you go through the next four videos, it is expanded to show how race is used to indicate “the other” — an opponent, for example. Some examples for the week include:
- Choices may often reflect external racism i.e. “black dwarves” are more evil than light dwarves, often as proxies for more complex situations;
- Race serves as the basis for conflict, and conflict can serve as the basis for a narrative arc;
- What is present is as important as what is absent;
- Default characteristics can serve as “indicator” of what a “normal” character should be;
- Character race representations look at cultures and roles within games, including options around protagonist or antagonist roles;
- Fighting games often include game mechanics framed through a racial lens to control player attributes (strength, intelligence, etc.);
It was an interesting summary, and I can see in many cases the detailed internal mechanics and choices that are presented as a basis for racial conversation. However, the initial premise — red vs. blue, or even white vs. black in chess — is a bit too stretched.