It’s awesome that a Black owned video is coming, that’s fantastic news and Black business should be promoted wherever possible but looking at the early news and teaser video I am personally left with a bad taste in my mouth.

This video game is going to make a lot of cash for Businessman entrepreneur Percy Miller AKA Master P if it’s any good as a game but it’s pushing a lifestyle and perpetuating negative stereotypes in a way that I think are destructive.

The game, for a start, is called ‘Get Money’, I guess you get the concept?

It’s inspired (ripped off from) Grand Theft Auto and essentially allows you to play a host of characters in New Orleans. You can be a villain, hustler, cop, boss or entertainer and through making what are described as the ‘right’ choices you can get the money! Make the wrong choices and you may end up in jail, dead or destroying everything.

Master P joined with a group of Korean developers six years ago to start the project. It’s touted as the “first African-American minority owned technology console game available for Playstation , Xbox, PC’s, mobile apps and online access where multiple players have the ability to compete against each other.”

In the press release Master P wrote:

“Why are we not benefiting from this multi-billion dollar industry that has been created off of our lifestyle,”

And goes onto ask:

“We have to expand our mind to technology. It is the new way to sell music.”

So, what is he saying here? That hustling, gangsta life and poverty are something he thinks that the Black community should be profiting off? If he used every penny of his profit to try and clean up the hood, maybe I would feel some passion for this project.

I’m just not down with this, pushing a lifestyle that is leading the Black community nowhere, so he can create a new platform to sell music and make money.

Why didn’t he focus on another black-positive subject. He thinks he is representing real life but video games are not real life, they enable youth to pretend to be ‘badder’ that they really are, to enact evil thoughts, to seed the ideas of making the community worse.

Sure, the game probably only gives you the cash if you do majority good things but I still don’t think it lays down the right message.

What do you think? Am I being too sensitive?

You can see the teaser trailer below: