PEOPLE ARE UPSET AT WHAT THEY ARE REFERRING
TO AS AN UNBELIEVABLY RACIST VIDEOGAME.
THE GAME IS HISTORY TO SLAVE TRADE.
ACCORDING TO THE DESCRIPTION, USERS CAN PLACE CHARACTERS FROM
AFRICA TO THE COLONIAL WEST.
WE HAVE A DEMO VIDEO FOR YOU.
TAKE A LOOK.
>> HE WANTS TO GET BACK TO GRAB NEW SLAVES.
>> GO OUT THERE IN THE RAIN.
>> HE IS IN THE WORST SPOT FOR A SLAVE.
>> DO YOU REMEMBER NOTHING?
YOU USELESS ñ
>> YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE AN OFFER I CAN TURN DOWN.
GO GET ME AN OFFER.
>> PIRATES ñ IT'S LIKE YOU'RE NOT EVEN TRYING YOU LAZY LITTLE
ñ MY TRUST IN YOU HAS FALLEN.
>> BUT THE STAKES ARE RAISED WHEN HE SEES HIS SISTER
CAGED ON THE BEACH.
THE TWO OF THEM DECIDE TO WORK TOGETHER TO FREE THE SLAVES.
JOIN HIM AND HIS SISTER ON AN ADVENTURE LIKE NO OTHER.
EXPERIENCE THE TIME OF THE TRANSATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE
IN THIS JOURNEY THROUGH HISTORY.
>>TO GIVE YOU MORE INFORMATION, IN THE GAME THEY DECIDE HOW
TO BEST STACK SLAVE BODIES.
USERS CAN ALSO PLAY THE GAME FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF A
PLUCKY BLACK SLAVE BOY WHO SERVES THE SLAVE SHIP'S CAPTAIN.
THIS GAME IS NOT NEW, IT CAME OUT IN 2013.
IT DID NOT GET ATTENTION UNTIL NOW.
PEOPLE ARE UPSET ABOUT IT BECAUSE IT TRIVIALIZES A
TERRIBLE TIME IN AMERICA.
OTHERS ARE MAKING THE ARGUMENT THAT THIS COULD ACTUALLY BE
A GOOD THING BECAUSE IT EDUCATES PEOPLE ABOUT SLAVERY.
I DON'T KNOW IF I AGREE WITH THE LATTER ARGUMENT, BUT I WANT
TO HEAR WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY ABOUT IT.
>> THEY ARE TRYING TO DESENSITIZE THE HORRORS OF THIS.
IT IS UNSETTLING.
IT WAS UNSETTLING TO SEE THAT.
I UNDERSTAND THAT PEOPLE WHO DO VIDEO GAMES ARE NOT IN TOUCH
WITH REGULAR SOCIETY, BUT ñ
>>YOU JUST OPENED PANDORA'S BOX.
>> THEY ARE DISCONNECTED FROM SOCIETY?
>> YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.
BUT THE THING IS, HOW COULD YOU MAKE THAT AND CONSIDER YOURSELF
ñ I THINK IT'S ALL RIGHT.
>> YOU SAID THAT SOME PEOPLE ARE SAYING THAT THIS COULD HAVE
THAT EFFECT?
I DON'T THINK THAT GAME WILL HAVE THAT AFFECT.
I DO THINK YOU COULD MAKE A GAME THAT COULD HAVE THE EFFECT
OF OPENING PEOPLE'S EYES TO THE HORROR OF IT.
I HAVE PLAYED GAMES THAT HAVE BEEN DESIGNED TO GET ACROSS
A POLITICAL EXPERIENCE.
THE WHOLE POINT IS TO MAKE YOU FEEL THE TENSION AND
ANXIETY OF THAT.
THAT COULD HAVE THAT, AND YOU COULD SHOW THE REALITY OF
THE SLAVE TRADE.
WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE DECKS THAT THEY WERE KEPT ON WERE
18 INCHES HIGH.
YOU COULD HAVE A PERSON EXPERIENCE THAT IN A GAME.
>> BUT THERE WAS A THING ON PITY THE FOOL, THEY WERE MAKING
LIGHT OF THE WHOLE ñ
>> LET'S BE CLEAR, THIS IS SOME ONLINE INDIE GAME, NOT A
GROUP OF TWO OR 10 PEOPLE MADE.
THIS IS NOT A AAA GAME THAT WAS MADE BY A COMPANY.
YOU CAN'T TAKE THIS AND HALO AND SAY THESE ARE THE GAMES
PEOPLE ARE MAKING.
>> I RETRACT WHAT I SAID THEN.
I THOUGHT IT WAS A COMPANY.
>> IT'S NOT LIKE THIS IS EA'S RELEASE.
>>I THINK THIS GAME REPRESENTS THE INSENSITIVITY OF SOME
PEOPLE IN SOCIETY.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE INTENTIONS WERE OF THE PEOPLE WHO
CREATED THE GAME, BUT THIS IS NOT HOW YOU RAISE AWARENESS
OR EDUCATE YOUNG PEOPLE ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED WITH SLAVERY.
IT TRIVIALIZES IT.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS GEARED TOWARD 8 TO 14-YEAR-OLDS.
THIS IS NOT THE RIGHT WAY TO TEACH THEM ABOUT HISTORY.
>> HOW WOULD THAT MAKE YOU FEEL IF YOU WERE A BLACK KID?
IT'S TERRIBLE, I WOULD GUESS.
>> I THINK THEY DESERVE THE BACKLASH.
THE GAME STILL EXISTS.
ANYONE WHO WANTS TO PLAY IT CAN PLAY IT.
BUT THEY DESERVE THIS CRITICISM.
THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE THAT YOU SHOULD EDUCATE PEOPLE
ABOUT, NOT TRIVIALIZE IT.
>> I AM SO USED TO BEING THE GUY ñ
BEING THE TURD IN THE PUNCH BOWL.
THE WHOLE PUNCH BOWL FEELS
LIKE A TURD.
THAT IS BEYOND THE PALE.
>> THEY ARE ALL RELATED ISSUES.
PEOPLE WANT TO BE RECOGNIZED AND THEY HAVE GROWN UP HEARING
THAT ANY PRESS IS GOOD PRESS.
SO IF YOU WANT YOUR TWEET TO BE SEEN, YOU MAKE IT AS
HORRIBLE AS POSSIBLE.
IF YOU WANT TO BECOME THE NEXT REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL
CANDIDATE, YOU SAY THE CRAZIEST SHIT POSSIBLE.
BECAUSE EVERYBODY IS SO OBSESSED WITH BECOMING
FAMOUS IN THEIR OWN WAY.
>>
I THINK IT STARTED AT THE SAME TIME THE DRUG WAR STARTED.
I HAD A FRIEND THAT SAID WHATEVER WE DO TO PEOPLE
OVERSEAS WE WILL DO OURSELVES.
WE OVER POLICE ñ
LOOK AT THIS STORY WE DID ABOUT STOP AND FRISK.
WE HAVE TURNED INTO BEHIND THE IRON CURTAIN.
WE'VE GOT A POLITICAL PARTY SAYING WE WANT TO
DECITIZENIZE PEOPLE WHO ARE CITIZENS ALREADY.
WE ARE BECOMING MORE RIGHT-WING.
I HAVE TRIED TO CALL OFF THAT THERE IS FASCIST TENDENCIES
HAPPENING.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE 14 POINTS ñ THERE WAS A FAMOUS
SOCIOLOGIST THAT DID THE 14 HALLMARKS OF FASCIST SOCIETY.
IF YOU LOOK AT IT, THE GOP CANDIDATES ARE FULFILLING
EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM.
BY THE WAY, THEY ARE MORE FAVORED BY THE MEDIA, RIGHT?
SO THE MEDIA IS FAVORING FASCISTS.
IT'S A GENERAL COARSENING OF THE SOCIETY.
I THINK BERNIE SANDERS COULD TURN IT AROUND.
>> YEAH.
I FEEL LIKE WE ARE MORE DIVIDED THAN EVER.
THERE IS A LOT OF HATRED OUT THERE.
THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO BASK OR ARE BOASTFUL ABOUT
THEIR OWN HATRED.
THEY LOVE IT.