‘Dirty Chinese Restaurant’ game denounced as racist by Ont. politicians

By News Staff

A Markham-based company’s upcoming video game called “Dirty Chinese Restaurant” is being denounced as racist.

However, the business behind it says its product is meant as satire.

Markham’s Big-O-Tree Games says its the “first ever restaurant simulation where you have the choice of running a prestigious Oriental establishment or a real filthy dive!” Players chase cats and dogs with a cleaver, scavenge for ingredients and dodge immigration officials.

Big-O-Tree has issued two trailers for the game, which show the protagonist, Wong Fu, dumpster diving, evading tax collectors and sabotaging competitors.

The videos begin with the company’s logo and the tagline, “Because being politically correct is so…boring.”

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne took to Twitter to condemned the game while Markham mayor Frank Scarpitty called it “offensive and racist”.

“I am deeply disturbed by the game’s demeaning depictions of the Chinese-Canadian community,” Scarpitty said in a statement released Friday morning. “The makers of this game call it ‘satire’ and ‘comedy’ but there is nothing funny about perpetuating negative stereotypes against any one culture.”

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.”

Files from The Canadian Press were used in this report

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