Slashdot Mirror
How Nintendo's Mario Got His Name
harrymcc writes "In 1981, tiny Nintendo of America was getting ready to release Donkey Kong. When the company's landlord, Mario Segale, demanded back rent, Nintendo staffers named the game's barrel-jumping protagonist after him. Almost thirty years later, neither Nintendo — which continues to crank out Mario games — nor Segale — now a wealthy, secretive Washington State real estate developer — like to talk about how one of video games' iconic characters got his name and Italian heritage. Technologizer's Benj Edwards has researched the story for years and provides the most detailed account to date."
It looks like the author was basically trying to confirm a story that was already reasonably well-known. The end result is that he came back with nothing new because nobody at Nintendo either knew about or was willing to acknowledge the connection to this real estate developer. The man in question, the actual Mario, is claimed to be reclusive. I suspect he's reclusive because he's trying to avoid being pestered by gamers and those in the gaming press.
I speak Japanese fluently, lived and worked there for a Japanese company and I'd love to see your explanation of this one.
Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong fix.
It doesn't explain how Donkey Kong wasn't named Monkey Kong.
War isn't about who's right. It's about who's left.
I'd think for the racism label to attach, one would need to demonstrate some negativity. Otherwise it is just stereotyping, which while based on race, may or may not reach the stigma necessary to earn the title 'racist'.