The Canadian developer behind upcoming mobile game Dirty Chinese Restaurant has offered a half-arsed justification for its existence, after it was slammed as “negative and demeaning” by a New York congresswoman ahead of its release.
Dirty Chinese Restaurant, from indie developer Big-O-Tree Games (yep, we definitely see what the did there), lets players take control of an eatery that engages in unscrupulous business practices, paying its staff a “degradingly frugal” minimum wage.
The two trailers released so far also show the game’s protagonist Wong Fu chasing cats and dogs with a meat cleaver, diving in dumpsters for scraps to feed customers, and evading tax collectors and immigration officials.
Earlier this week, congresswoman Grace Meng put the game on blast and urged Apple and Android not to carry it on their platforms, saying in a Facebook post:
I wish I could say that I was shocked that there is a new video game soon to be released called “Dirty Chinese Restaurant.” This game uses every negative and demeaning stereotype that I have ever come across as a Chinese American. From the names used for the characters of the game, to the types of food they cook, to the disturbing depiction of their faces, this game epitomizes racism against Asian Americans.
I fear that prejudice against and othering of Asian Americans remains a form of racism that is too frequently brushed off and tacitly accepted. Racism against Asian Americans is just as harmful and pernicious as racism against any other group, and we must call it out when we see it. How we portray people matters. I urge Google, Apple, Android, and any other platform to not carry the game Dirty Chinese Restaurant, or any other game that glorifies in hurting any community.
Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne also expressed her upset at the game, saying “this type of racism has no place” in her community:
This type of racism has no place in Ontario. I know this does not reflect the values of the people of Markham. https://t.co/7VjeqyLLcD
— Kathleen Wynne (@Kathleen_Wynne) September 28, 2017
The Big-O-Tree website, which features the tag line “because being politically correct is so … boring”, promises games that are “tongue-in-cheek” and “shockingly humorous” and that no other developer will have the “cojones” to make.
After the blowback against Dirty Chinese Restaurant, developer George Lambropoulose emailed the Huffington Post to offer a justification for the game, and it’s pretty wild:
It has come to our attention that our small, independent game, Dirty Chinese Restaurant , has upset some people due to its content. Our game is mainly satire and comedy influenced by the classic politically incorrect shows we grew up watching, such as: South Park, All in the Family, Sanford & Son, Family Guy, Simpsons, [and] Chappelle’s Show. We also listen to Jay-Z. Our game in no way is meant to be an accurate representation of Chinese culture.
So there you have it folks, a cynical mobile game that was solely engineered to drum up publicity by offending people has drummed up publicity by offending people, and the developers are sorry-not-sorry about it. What an amazing time to be alive.
