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Activision's GUN Misfires With Native Americans

Posted by Zonk on from the differeing-opinions dept.

jkdove writes "Gamergod.com has published a news story reporting on the backlash from Activision's western shooter, GUN. From the article: 'In reaction to the content of GUN, the Association for American Indian Development has started a boycott against Activision. They have requested that certain explicit violence and stereotyping be removed from the game ... Ultimately, the Association for American Indian Development simply wants to see the content corrected in respect of the Apache people ... Even though the historical period portrayed in GUN was fraught with racism, Activision's decision to publish a racially stereotyped videogame represents a serious misstep in social responsibility.'"

8 of 149 comments (clear)

  1. Silly... by grub · · Score: 2, Insightful


    Ah yes, politically correct idiots are trying to re-write history. Not that GUN is exactly history but it's set in a different time with different values. I guess next someone should go through Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn to replace all instances of the word "nigger" with "African American". What will they call the character Nigger Jim; "James from Africa"?

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    Trolling is a art,
    1. Re:Silly... by 99BottlesOfBeerInMyF · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Ah yes, politically correct idiots are trying to re-write history. Not that GUN is exactly history but it's set in a different time with different values. I guess next someone should go through Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn to replace all instances of the word "nigger" with "African American". What will they call the character Nigger Jim; "James from Africa"?

      No one is trying to rewrite history, but this game certainly is offensive and inaccurate and may very well promote racism. If someone publishes a game called, "Kill the Nigger" that feature KKK members torturing blacks in a historical context, I won't buy it and I'd probably join in a boycott. If some people find Tom Sawyer to be racist and detrimental, well they are free to boycott the publishing company. No one here is advocating censorship. No one is arguing that this company does not have the right to publish this game. What they are arguing is that no one should be willing to give money to people who behave this irresponsibly.

    2. Re:Silly... by grub · · Score: 2, Insightful


      If someone publishes a game called, "Kill the Nigger" that feature KKK members torturing blacks in a historical context, I won't buy it and I'd probably join in a boycott.

      Did you ever see the TV miniseries "Roots" from the late 70's? It's full of racism and brutality. It was also one of the highest rated shows ever. I don't recall there being a lot of racist attacks after Roots played.

      It's just another kneejerk "boycott".

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      Trolling is a art,
    3. Re:Silly... by _xeno_ · · Score: 4, Insightful

      A lot of people here have missed the point. Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn may have contained the word "nigger" but they were not racist books. Anyone who thinks they are really needs to actually read them; while some of the characters definitely have racist views the books actually portray black people as, well, people. Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn find that, despite what the adults tell them, their actual experiences show that black people are just people, like them. There's racist speech and racist remarks made by characters in the books, but the books themselves are supposed to show how black people are really just people.

      According to the article, GUN isn't like that. GUN instead portrays American Indians soley in a racist fashion. The characters in a period piece are allowed to be racist. It's expected that an American during World War II would hate Japanese. (But, interestingly enough, not Germans...) Japanese characters are allowed to be racist against Americans. However, Japanese characters in a World War II film shouldn't act like a racial stereotype. They should behave like a Japanese person during that time actually would.

      Yes, you can't ignore racism. It's real, and it should be acknowledged. Pretending it doesn't exist is wrong. However, falling prey to it, and portraying the world based on racist views isn't right either. There's nothing wrong with having racist characters in a game. There is something wrong when the game itself reinforces the racial stereotypes.

      The Association for American Indian Development contents that GUN reinforces racial stereotypes, and the article appears to agree. Having never played the game, I have no way of knowing if they're right, but if the game really does display American Indians as racial stereotypes, they have a valid point.

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  2. Enough already by mahdi13 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Come on people, relax...it's just a game! It's not like Activision is telling people go out to slander and kill Apaches. Not to mention it's a period game that takes place in a time when hostility towards the Apaches was very high.

    I don't agree with what happened in the past, but that can't be changed and people should know, understand and learn from history. Let's educate people with accurate history instead of trying to re-write the past in order to cover up ones shame.

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    "Some things have to be believed to be seen." - Ralph Hodgson
  3. And Activision by Tweekster · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Will basically be like "Well since you are not in our target audience, therefore not purchasing our products in any quantity what so ever, well thanks for the boycott, it will only help sales" Why do people think boycotts work when they are not really the purchasers anyways... Bus boycotts worked because black people utilized that service. This wont matter because Native Americans arent exactly the most significant purchasers of video games.

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    1. Re:And Activision by RexRhino · · Score: 2, Insightful

      But we don't want to discourage them. If they weren't threatening a boycott, they would be threatening a lawsuit to have the game banned.

      People threatening boycots is OK. Restricting freedom of speech is not. So lets not complain about this organization who are actually handling this in the right way.

  4. Since when do video games have to be realistic? by Maugrim · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Last I checked you can make a game about anything; like demons for instance. We have wonderful stereotypes of them, running around rending flesh and such. However, what about the demons that in sipping tea in their smoking jackets? I don't hear then complaining. "Mmmmyes, jolly good."