Dirty Chinese Restaurant: Satire or Racism?

Many Are Finding It More Sour Than Sweet

Video games are no strangers to controversy. With their depictions of violence, sex and other taboo subjects, it seems like every year there’s a new public outcry demonising the medium.

Granted, a lot of the time the accusations are all based on misunderstandings, and recently it seems that the non-gaming public have been rather forgiving of what content a game chooses to focus on. After all, it would have to be something blatantly offensive to reignite that ire.

Whelp, it happened again. Say hello to what might be 2017’s Hatred.

According to an article on CBC News –

A Toronto-area company’s upcoming video game called Dirty Chinese Restaurant is being denounced as racist, but the business says the game is meant as satire.

Big-O-Tree Games says the game — in which players chase cats and dogs with a cleaver, scavenge for ingredients and dodge immigration officials — “in no way is meant to be an accurate representation of Chinese culture.”

The Markham, Ont., company says the game is coming out soon for Apple and Android devices, but it has yet to announce a release date.

In a Facebook post on Monday, New York Rep. Grace Meng says the game “uses every negative and demeaning stereotype that I have ever come across as a Chinese-American.”

The company defended the game in a statement posted on its website.

“It has come to our attention that our small, independent game, ‘Dirty Chinese Restaurant,’ has upset some people due to its content,” it said. “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.”

The company describes itself as a small independent game studio “making games no one thought possible” and says it strives “to create entertainment that we all want to experience which is fun, addictive, and hilarious.”

Is this simply another case of non-gamers reacting like they always have at the first sign of upsetting content? Or has this game gone too far with its attempt at edgy humour and just made a racist product?

Watch the trailer for Dirty Chinese Restaurant below and judge for yourself!