RE5 Producer: Capcom 'Quite Surprised' by Racism Backlash, Claims Racially Diverse Workforce

The outrage and accusations of racism sparked by the first Resident Evil 5 (PS3, 360) trailer were entirely unexpected by developer Capcom, RE5 producer Jun Takeuchi told MTV Multiplayer.

"No, we certainly didn't anticipate the reaction," Takeuchi said. "We think it was a bit of a misunderstanding when we published the first images of the game back in the day. And we think that as we move along and allow people to see more the game and more of what's going on and more of the story, people will get a better idea of the game."

Consumers and gaming journalists alike have offered criticism of the trailer following its debut almost a year ago. Last April, Newsweek tech editor N'Gai Croal said that the trailer contained imagery which was "dovetailed with classic racist imagery."

"There are black members in the development team," Takeuchi offered. "We do have staff working on the game, who are aware of the historical background and we are constantly checking these kinds of things with them. Certainly the most important thing we have learned is that different countries do see the same things in different ways."

Takeuchi previously stated that Resident Evil 5 saw no major changes following the initial reaction. Having played the game at E3, however, Shacknews can attest that the latest build of the game features a much more racially diverse roster of enemies.

"I think it's very important as we go along and start other projects to learn from other countries and learn from other companies who are working in the video game and entertainment sectors, learn from their experiences, and not have the same problems again," the producer concluded.

"We're not out to make anything to deliberately shock anyone, so I think we can take a couple of lessons away from this experience."