Ubisoft
On the left, Yasuke, the black samurai at the heart of the controversy. On the right, Naoe, an assassin who makes up the duo of playable characters in the new game of the franchise.
VIDEO GAMES – In the name of the ” creative freedom “. The expected release of the next video game in the saga Assassin’s Creed is causing unexpected turmoil for publisher Ubisoft, which is faced with a growing petition about one of its heroes.
Expected on November 15 on PC and consoles, Assassin’s Creed Shadows is shaping up to be one of the video game blockbusters of the end of 2024. After trying out a variety of environments, from ancient Greece to the French Revolution, including the era of piracy and the Italian Renaissance, the game’s developers this time wanted to represent feudal Japan. A choice that is far from being without consequences.
Since the first trailer was unveiled in May, some feedback remains very mixed regarding the choice of one of the two main characters. Because if Naoe, an assassin, does not seem to provoke any particular reactions, this is not the case for Yasuke, a black samurai presented as a historical figure from the 16th century, who arrived in Japan after being kidnapped by Portuguese slave traders on the east coast of Africa.
In Japan, a petition launched on June 19 has already gathered nearly 100,000 signatures to denounce this presentation of a black character as a samurai. It denounces “a serious problem of historical accuracy and cultural disrespect”. Enough to provoke a reaction from the developers at Ubisoft, who are determined to make their choice of adaptation heard for their brand new character.
“Since its inception, the series has taken creative licenses and incorporated fantasy elements to create engaging and immersive experiences. The portrayal of Yasuke in our game is a testament to that.”the team said on Tuesday, July 23, in a message published in English and Japanese on its official account.
They also want to defend their “creative freedom”.
Object of many fantasies
In his text, the author of the petition does not question the existence of this historical figure, nor his skin color. Rather, he accuses the publisher of factual errors and “a serious insult to Japanese culture and history, which can be equated with racism” towards Asians, denouncing the fact that according to him, Yasuke never had the title of samurai.
Therefore, he calls on the French publisher to stop launching the game and to “show seriousness and respect” for Japanese history. On this point, the developers ofAssassin’s Creed Shadowthey believe that “ Although Yasuke is depicted as a samurai (in the game), we are aware that this is a subject of debate and discussion.”
As AFP reported after speaking in March with Julien Peltier, an author specializing in the figure of the samurai, ” We don’t know much about him (this black samurai) and it’s a pretext for all the fantasies”.
“Our intention has never been to present our games (…) as factual representations of history or historical figures,” The game team also defended itself, stressing that it wanted above all “arouse curiosity” players and encourage them “to learn more about historical contexts.”
Which is why the team that worked on the game ended up addressing the few angry fans, reminding them that the franchise has always had the habit of working with historians to virtually recreate the different historical periods. And that it is therefore not necessary for fans to ” direct their criticism towards (their) collaborators, both internal and external”.
Source: www.huffingtonpost.fr
