Is LocoRoco Politically Incorrect?

The game LocoRoco, takes place in a peaceful faraway planet whose harmonious existence is shattered when it is assaulted by an insidious race called the Moja Troop. Right here on Earth, LocoRoco is causing its own spark with claims that the game has racist overtones. More precisely, bad guys Kojya, Mojya and Ojya resembles the portrayal of Black people back in the days of racism. In the eyes of Alejandro Quan-Madrid, the resemblance is too close for comfort. If you look at the images above, you may see where Alejandro is coming from.

“Im not accusing the developers of being racist, nor am I accusing LocoRoco of being a racist game. I simply hope believe that this is a product of unchecked institutionalized racism that need’s calling out,” said Alejandro Quan-Madrid.

Meanwhile, Florian Eckhardt has this to say about it. “I do think [Alejandro] 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…his argument (is) silly and worthy of derision (LocoRoco as a metaphor for white flight? In a game about yellow amorphous blobs?)… it demeans the struggle against actual racism.”

Which reminds us of our last visit to our psychoanalyst who did the Rorschach inkblot test on us. You know, those cards with ink blots and you’re suppose to tell the doctor what you see. It could be a case of seeing something that not’s there at all. Sony did issue a statement stressing that LocoRoco is a fantasy game set in a vibrant pastel world with colorful landscapes and characters. The game, they said, is not based on real-life places, people or things. Which we take to mean LocoRoco is not racist.

By the way we failed the test.

Via 1Up

The game LocoRoco, takes place in a peaceful faraway planet whose harmonious existence is shattered when it is assaulted by an insidious race called the Moja Troop. Right here on Earth, LocoRoco is causing its own spark with claims that the game has racist overtones. More precisely, bad guys Kojya, Mojya and Ojya resembles the portrayal of Black people back in the days of racism. In the eyes of Alejandro Quan-Madrid, the resemblance is too close for comfort. If you look at the images above, you may see where Alejandro is coming from.

“Im not accusing the developers of being racist, nor am I accusing LocoRoco of being a racist game. I simply hope believe that this is a product of unchecked institutionalized racism that need’s calling out,” said Alejandro Quan-Madrid.

Meanwhile, Florian Eckhardt has this to say about it. “I do think [Alejandro] 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…his argument (is) silly and worthy of derision (LocoRoco as a metaphor for white flight? In a game about yellow amorphous blobs?)… it demeans the struggle against actual racism.”

Which reminds us of our last visit to our psychoanalyst who did the Rorschach inkblot test on us. You know, those cards with ink blots and you’re suppose to tell the doctor what you see. It could be a case of seeing something that not’s there at all. Sony did issue a statement stressing that LocoRoco is a fantasy game set in a vibrant pastel world with colorful landscapes and characters. The game, they said, is not based on real-life places, people or things. Which we take to mean LocoRoco is not racist.

By the way we failed the test.

Via 1Up