Is LocoRoco Racist?

[wraggster]

News from Spong

Earlier this week, a Californian-based blogger pointed an accusatory finger at Sony’s new PSP hope LocoRoco, accusing the game of being blatantly racist due to the inclusion of Golliwog type characters (see picture to the right).

Alejandro Quan-Madrid insisted that the game was guilty of "institutional racism", claiming that the bad guys - Moja – were far too similar to offensive early 20th Century caricatures of Africans popularised by such things as golliwogs and the Black and White minstrel-type entertainers of the day.

Another Kotaku writer, Florian Eckhardt, offered a counter-point to Quan Madrid’s accusations: "[he] is making himself out to be one of those knee-jerk reactionaries who measures his own importance by his ability to be self-righteously offended. Not only is his argument silly and worthy of derision, but it demeans the struggle against actual racism."

Ryan Bowling, PR manager for SCEA, waded into the frey, offering the comment, "LocoRoco is a fantasy game geared towards a worldwide audience that takes place in a vibrant pastel world with colorful landscapes and characters and is not based on real-life places, people or things."

What do you think? Are Japanese games designers innocently creating wonderful fantasy worlds for us to play in? Or are some of them really guilty of “institutional racism” as per Quan-Madrid’s comments? Is there really something darker at work here?

[publicprivates]

well, i hate all races equllay.

[Larry]

well alejandro is in my personal opinion, a fool.

I'm black. (half african, half japanese) but i have skin as dark or darker than full african decendants.

and alejandro isnt at least according to the picture in his blog
He has no RIGHT to say something is racist against the african race.

I Have the right to say if its racist or not at least to me. How ever the game is not racist in my eyes. It's just a game.
Pollitical correctness is politically incorrect.

it took centries for those with darker skin colors to get equal rights.
And now.. this fool wants to divide us and split us up.

everytime a dark colored charactor appears in a game, theres always gonna be someone that says its racist.

But same can be said for any charactor of any game of any color.

[acn010]

so what does the name mean then

[INKED]

ha how ****ing stupid is that, you have to be one hell
of an attention $#@! to manage to convince yourself that a video game is racist or causes racism...sounds like Alejandro Quan-Madrid dosent have any friends to play psp with

[slaphappygamer]

DID YOU ALL HEAR! in lion king, at the waterfall, the mist spells SEX. oh ****.

[slaphappygamer]

****?

[acn010]

the guy should be slapped.
really

[Ennohex]

Who cares if it's racist or not. It's fun. Seems like the gaming society has once again become the political soap-box. This nonsence will never end, we'll just have to wait it through.

[Shiaoran]

I hope thwy don't screw the game like they did in megaman Powered Up, making Oilman BLUE because black was racist ¬¬
WAKE UP MORONS!
Now they'll turn every black evil character blue?

Why don't they do it in american stuff too? Why don't they make all the evil egyptian characters in Stargate blue? It would be easier to tell wich character is good...

In SG-1:
O'Neil: I can save these people. Help Me.
Teal'c(blue, or teal XD):Many have said that.*turns black* But I believe you can.
(I don't remember exactly the scene, but I believe its it.)