Abubakar Salim, veteran developer of African descent who recently launched Tales of Kenzera: ZAU under Electronic Artspublished a video message on X to tell about the racist attacks received by the game. Evidently many enlightened people don’t want blacks to take the place of whites as protagonists, but they don’t want them in works with stories with an African setting either. They don’t just want them and when they see them they can’t stop themselves from offending and threatening.
Salim’s message
“I didn’t want to broach this topic, but we’re here now.” Salim began, then explained: “From the beginning of my career, there was always someone who made me feel like I didn’t deserve the opportunity I had. From Assassin’s Creed to Raised by Wolves I had to ignore those who said it wasn’t my job that earned me new opportunities. No, it was simply because I’m black.”
In most cases Salim “turned his back” and “continued to do his own thing”, even when he received direct and unpleasant accusations for the roles he obtained, like Father’s in Raised by Wolves. “I can usually shrug off some of these comments when they are few. But when there is a constant bombardment of attacks, they become exhausting.”
The reference is to what is happening after the release of Tales of Kenzera: ZAU, which according to Salim is receiving great support from the community, but “at the same time we are suffering constant harassment from people who see diversity as a threat. From people who watch to the vast landscape of modern media and decide that anything that doesn’t speak to them or those around them is useless and false.”
Moreover, as he explained, according to these people “there is always a reason why different stories cannot exist. It’s always as if we were telling them in the wrong way or as if they only served to tick boxes.” In short, there is no right way to tell them, at least for racists, who would like to marginalize certain realities, which Salim categorically rejects: “If there are people who are not like you in a game, I want you to know that that game is still for you.
You know, if the characters are a different race or a different gender or have a different ideology or express different points of view, that doesn’t mean the game isn’t for you. It can still be. It’s an opportunity to live in new worlds and explore different perspectives, different cultures, and at the same time, play a decent game. These games are opportunities to experience something different, something new. You just have to be open.”
In short, for Salim a video game does not necessarily have to be the representation of its players, but can also become one tool of knowledge and openness. For this reason he decided to make ZAU even more accessible, lowering the price to under 15 dollars thanks to a discount that will last throughout June, the month dedicated to diversity. “Video games are for everyone. Different games aren’t about taking something away from you. They’re about adding something new because there’s room for everyone.”
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