Ethnic Cleansing (video game)

2002 video game

2002 video game

Ethnic Cleansing

Developer(s)| National Alliance
Publisher(s)| Resistance Records
Designer(s)| D. Bryan Ringer
Programmer(s)| D. Bryan Ringer
Engine| Genesis3D
Platform(s)| Windows
Release| January 21, 2002
Genre(s)| First-person shooter
Mode(s)| Single-player

Ethnic Cleansing (also known as Ethnic Cleansing: The Game) is a 2002 first-person shooter game developed by the National Alliance, an American white supremacist and neo-Nazi organization. The player controls one of three selectable characters, including a Ku Klux Klan member and a neo-Nazi skinhead, and traverses two levels to kill stereotypically depicted African Americans, Latinos, and Jews. Designed to be politically incorrect and spread a white supremacist message, the game was released through the National Alliance's record label, Resistance Records, on Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2002\. It was received negatively by anti-hate organizations like the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith and has been considered as one of the most controversial and most racist games. Resistance Records sought to release a series of games based on the novel The Turner Diaries and published White Law in 2003.

## Gameplay

[edit]

The player's enemies are ethnic minorities depicted with racial stereotypes, including Latinos in sombreros and ponchos. Part of a series on

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Ethnic Cleansing is a first-person shooter that depicts a race war.[1] The player can choose to control a Ku Klux Klan member, a neo-Nazi skinhead, or the Aryan White Will (who visually resembles the domestic terrorist Timothy McVeigh).[2][3] As enemies, the player faces African Americans, Latinos, and Jews, who are described as "predatory sub-humans" with "Jewish masters".[2][4] They are depicted with various racial stereotypes and, when killed, Black characters make monkey noises, Jews shout "oy vey", and Latinos exclaim "¡Ay, caramba!" or say they would take a siesta.[2] Health is restored by collecting life runes and white power rock plays in the background.[5][6]

The game comprises two levels. The player starts in an urban environment, where they fight Latinos and Black enemies, including their leader, Big Nig.[3][7] The second level is a subway station, outlined as the hideout of Jews seeking world domination.[2][8] The final boss is Ariel Sharon, the prime minister of Israel, who attacks the player with a rocket launcher.[2][9] A playthrough lasts for approximately 20 minutes.[5]

## Development and release

[edit]

Ethnic Cleansing was produced by the National Alliance, an American white supremacist organization.[10] According to the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith (ADL), it was "the largest and most active neo-Nazi organization in the United States".[2] Shaun Walker, the chairman of the National Alliance, said the game's sole purpose was to be "racially provocative".[4] It was advertised as the "most politically incorrect video game ever made".[11] Ethnic Cleansing was developed using Genesis3D, an open-source 3D game engine, and its Reality Factory set of tools.[12] Using an existing engine allowed for the game's creation with only minor modifications to the source code.[12] D. Bryan Ringer designed and programmed the game using the Visual Basic and C++ programming languages, while Bob Hawthorne provided additional video and sound elements, including the voices for Jews.[13] The game was released by Resistance Records, a record label owned by the National Alliance, on January 21, 2002, coinciding with Martin Luther King Jr. Day.[2][14] The label sold the game on CD-ROM via its website for US$14.88, a reference to the Fourteen Words.[8] Several thousand copies were manufactured and shipped by Rainbo Records until the company severed its ties with Resistance Records in June 2002.[15]

## Reception

[edit]

Marcus Brian highlighted Ethnic Cleansing in his report on racist video games for the ADL and said it was "the most sophisticated racist game available online".[2] The organization's national director, Abraham Foxman, regarded it as a perversion of the "very legitimate and popular" medium of video games.[16] James Paul Gee, a professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, described it as a "persuasive example" of an ideology conveyed through a video game.[17] Similar concerns were raised by the National Association for the Advancement of Hispanic People and the National Urban League's Institute for Opportunity and Equality.[18] Mahnoor Saeed at the Institute of Regional Studies found the game to reinforce racist stereotypes.[19] ABC News, as well as the authors Constance Steinkuehler and Kurt Squire in the book Gaming and Extremism, attributed the rise of extremist games at the time to the availability of open-source game engines like Genesis3D.[9][20] Alex St. John, the chief executive officer of WildTangent, which owned the engine, distanced himself from the game and said his company was not involved.[16]

William Luther Pierce, the National Alliance's founder, claimed the game had a positive reception and sold 2,000 copies by March 2002, with 90% of customers being "white teenage boys".[7][21] He characterized it as a "medium for the message" that teenagers could be subjected to even before being old enough to join the National Alliance.[18][22] Several academic writers noted the use of video games and the associated popular culture as an effective recruitment tool for young people.[5][6][23][24] Nick Robinson and Joe Whittaker believe that having the collectable life rune, which doubles as the National Alliance's logo, restore the player's health makes them associate it with positive effects. However, they believed the game's high difficulty may limit its appeal to experienced players.[5] In a retrospective for Vice, Paweł Mączewski noted that "the game itself is so tragic in terms of execution that even neo-Nazis would not want to play it".[25] The Record interviewed several young men who identified as white nationalists, and they found the game to be in bad taste and potentially harmful for their movement due to the violence it depicts.[26]

Kristian A. Bjørkelo in Game Studies, as well as Galen Lamphere‑Englund and Jessica White of the Global Network on Extremism and Technology, remarked that Ethnic Cleansing was one of the first right-wing extremist video games and was key to their rise in popularity.[27][28] According to Mic's Ryan Khosravi, it was the best-known neo-Nazi game and continued to be discussed on Stormfront, a neo-Nazi internet forum, until at least April 2017.[29] Ethnic Cleansing has been ranked among the most controversial video games by PC World (2010),[30] GameZone (2012),[31] PCMag (2014),[32] and The Escapist (2015).[33] UGO and Complex considered it the most racist game in 2010 and 2012, respectively.[34][35] Ethnic Cleansing is explicitly prohibited to be shown on Twitch, a video game livestreaming service.[36]

## Sequel

[edit]

Ethnic Cleansing was advertised as the first in a series of games. The second game was to be Turner Diaries: The Game, based on Pierce's novel The Turner Diaries, which depicts Aryans eliminating all non-white people through nuclear, chemical, and biological warfare.[2][14] In 2003, Resistance Records released White Law.[37][38] The game casts the player as the former SWAT member Michael Riley, who must reclaim the fictional new American capital, Kapitol City, from people of color.[38] It expands on the gameplay of Ethnic Cleansing with more levels and weapons.[6]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Gonzalez, Annette (October 1, 2010). "Rapelay And Operation Pedopriest Among Most Offensive Games Ever". Game Informer. Archived from the original on September 20, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Marcus, Brian (February 19, 2002). "Racist Groups Using Computer Gaming to Promote Violence Against Blacks, Latinos and Jews". Anti-Defamation League. Archived from the original on April 8, 2002.
3. ^ a b Solomon, Susan (December 1, 2002). "Boots and Braces". Vice. Archived from the original on September 20, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
4. ^ a b Gibson, Ellie (July 18, 2005). "Racists launch PC game". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on April 7, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
5. ^ a b c d Robinson, Nick; Whittaker, Joe (January 2021). "Playing for Hate? Extremism, Terrorism, and Videogames" (PDF). Studies in Conflict & Terrorism. Taylor & Francis: 1–36\. doi:10.1080/1057610X.2020.1866740. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 2, 2023. Retrieved February 17, 2025 - via White Rose University Consortium.
6. ^ a b c Bowman-Grieve, Lorraine (March 2013). "A psychological perspective on virtual communities supporting terrorist & extremist ideologies as a tool for recruitment". Security Informatics. 2 (1): 1–5\. doi:10.1186/2190-8532-2-9. ISSN 2190-8532.
7. ^ a b Scheeres, Julia (February 20, 2002). "Games Elevate Hate to Next Level". Wired. Archived from the original on September 20, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
8. ^ a b "ADL Report: Growing Proliferation of Racist Video Games Target Youth on The Internet" (Press release). Anti-Defamation League. February 19, 2002. Archived from the original on February 22, 2002.
9. ^ a b "Racists Produce High-Tech Hate Games". ABC News. February 27, 2002. Archived from the original on October 12, 2014. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
10. ^ "Hate games spread on Web, group says". The Globe and Mail. July 8, 2002. Archived from the original on September 20, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
11. ^ Left, Sarah (February 21, 2002). "White supremacists create racist computer games". The Guardian. Archived from the original on May 27, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
12. ^ a b Marcus, Brian (February 19, 2002). "Creating a Racist Computer Game – A Relatively Simple Task". Anti-Defamation League. Archived from the original on April 16, 2002.
13. ^ National Alliance (January 21, 2002). Ethnic Cleansing (Windows). Resistance Records. Scene: Credits.
14. ^ a b "Games Extremists Play". Southern Poverty Law Center. March 5, 2002. Archived from the original on March 21, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
15. ^ "Music Manufacturer Boots Resistance Records". Southern Poverty Law Center. June 18, 2002. Archived from the original on March 31, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
16. ^ a b Becker, David (August 8, 2002). "Video games raise concerns over racism". CNET. Archived from the original on January 20, 2021. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
17. ^ Aviv, Rachel (January 4, 2005). "Game On!". The Village Voice. Archived from the original on September 20, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
18. ^ a b "Hate Games". Herald News. Knight Ridder News Service. March 17, 2002. p. A4. Archived from the original on September 20, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023 - via Newspapers.com.
19. ^ Saeed, Mahnoor (2022). "Video Games: Enablers of Violence and Stereotypes?" (PDF). Spotlight on Regional Affairs. 40 (20). Institute of Regional Studies. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 7, 2024. Retrieved February 17, 2025.
20. ^ Steinkuehler, Constance; Squire, Kurt (2024). Schlegel, Linda; Kowert, Rachel (eds.). Gaming and Extremism: The Radicalization of Digital Playgrounds (PDF). Taylor & Francis. doi:10.4324/9781003388371-2. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 17, 2025. Retrieved February 17, 2025 - via OAPEN.
21. ^ Godinez, Victor (March 17, 2002). "Hate groups lure youths with computer games". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The Dallas Morning News. p. A13. Archived from the original on September 20, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023 - via Newspapers.com.
22. ^ "Hate groups play fast, loose with teen video games". Herald News. Knight Ridder News Service. March 17, 2002. p. A1. Archived from the original on September 20, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023 - via Newspapers.com.
23. ^ Gerstenfeld, Phyllis B.; Grant, Diana R.; Chiang, Chau-Pu (December 2003). "Hate Online: A Content Analysis of Extremist Internet Sites". Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy. 3 (1). Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues: 29–44\. doi:10.1111/j.1530-2415.2003.00013.x. Archived from the original on December 4, 2024. Retrieved February 17, 2025 - via Pennsylvania State University.
24. ^ Waltz, Scott B. (2006). "Nonhumans Unbound: Actor-Network Theory and the Reconsideration of "Things" in Educational Foundations" (PDF). Educational Foundations. 20 (3–4). ISSN 1047-8248. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 1, 2025. Retrieved February 17, 2025 - via United States Department of Education.3–4&rft.date=2006&rft.issn=1047-8248&rft.aulast=Waltz&rft.aufirst=Scott+B.&rft_id=https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ794732.pdf&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Ethnic+Cleansing+(video+game)" class="Z3988">
25. ^ Mączewski, Paweł (October 17, 2013). "Gwałcę, torturuję i jestem rasistą" [I rape, I torture, and I am a racist]. Vice (in Polish). Archived from the original on March 31, 2020. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
26. ^ Ivry, Bob (June 27, 2004). "Hate: New Jersey a hotbed for Nazi-inspired racist music". The Record. p. A-18. Archived from the original on September 20, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023 - via Newspapers.com.
27. ^ Bjørkelo, Kristian A. (September 2020). ""Elves are Jews with Pointy Ears and Gay Magic": White Nationalist Readings of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim". Game Studios. Archived from the original on February 17, 2025. Retrieved February 17, 2025.
28. ^ Lamphere‑Englund, Galen; White, Jessica (May 2023). "The Online Gaming Ecosystem: Assessing Digital Socialisation, Extremism Risks and Harms Mitigation Efforts" (PDF). Global Network on Extremism and Technology. King's College London. doi:10.18742/pub01-133. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 19, 2024. Retrieved February 17, 2025.
29. ^ Khosravi, Ryan (May 22, 2017). "Neo-Nazis are making their own video games — and they're just as horrifying as you'd think". Mic. Archived from the original on August 8, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
30. ^ Peckham, Matt (September 29, 2010). "The 15 Most Offensive Video Games Ever Made". PC World. Archived from the original on May 30, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
31. ^ Francis, Anthony (September 7, 2012). "The top five most controversial video games of all time". GameZone. Archived from the original on February 12, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
32. ^ Steele, Chandra (June 21, 2014). "10 Shocking Games That Ignited Controversy". PCMag. Archived from the original on February 3, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
33. ^ Whitaker, Ron (June 1, 2015). "8 of the Most Controversial Videogames Ever Made". The Escapist. Archived from the original on June 20, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
34. ^ Jensen, K. Thor (November 30, 2010). "The 11 Most Racist Video Games". UGO. Archived from the original on January 28, 2012. Retrieved October 21, 2014.
35. ^ Hester, Larry (June 25, 2012). "The 10 Most Racist Video Games". Complex. Archived from the original on August 6, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
36. ^ "List of Prohibited Games". Twitch. Archived from the original on May 30, 2020. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
37. ^ Kelly, Kevin (April 28, 2020). "IntelBrief: Game Not Over: An Assessment of White Supremacist Online Gaming". The Soufan Center. Archived from the original on March 30, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
38. ^ a b "White Supremacist Games or Just More of the Same?". PopMatters. February 26, 2004. Archived from the original on December 28, 2022. Retrieved September 20, 2023.

## Further reading

[edit]

* Bartel, Christopher (2020). Video Games, Violence, and the Ethics of Fantasy: Killing Time. Bloomsbury Academic. ISBN 978-1-350-12187-4.
* Crisafi, Anthony F.; Drawmer, Lois (2009). "The Seduction of Evil: An Examination of the Media Culture of the Current White Supremacist Movement". In Balmain, Colette; Drawmer, Lois (eds.). Something Wicked This Way Comes: Essays on Evil and Human Wickedness. At the Interface/Probing the Boundaries. Rodopi. ISBN 978-90-420-2550-9.
* King, C. Richard; Leonard, David J. (2014). "Gaming the Racial Order: White Power Identities and Ideologies in Video Games". Beyond Hate: White Power and Popular Culture. Ashgate Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4724-2746-5.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website at the Wayback Machine (archived January 23, 2002)

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