Video games are way behind the Afrocentric wave in entertainment

In the current video game landscape, especially in PC and console video games, it seems like we get the same kinds of stories every year. How many times do we get the same roguelike first-person shooter that's somehow set in medieval times every year? Yet, in all of the video game showcases I've seen from every major platform, I haven't seen a single Afrocentric PC or console video game announced at any of them. To prove my point, let's see exactly how far behind the video game industry is by looking at the big strides that books, television shows, and movies are taking in Afrocentrism.

In terms of how books have been telling stories of Afrocentrism in recent years, let's start with the obvious example of Tomi Adeyemi's 2018 novel, Children of Blood and Bone. It's set within a fictional version of Nigeria that wasn't affected by colonialism and explores themes very relevant to today's society, such as oppression, racism, and many more. I haven't read this book, but the fact that it was a New York Times best-seller when it debuted tells me that people are looking for these types of stories. That's not even mentioning that a movie based on the book is currently in the works from Paramount Pictures, which took over the movie rights from Disney earlier this year. The movie will be talked about later in this post.

Another example of the rise in Afrocentric stories is the emergence of comic books and manga with African main characters. Companies such as Saturday AM, Studio Maho, YouNeek Studios, and many others, have put out many stories that feature characters from the African diaspora, and none of them are showing signs of slowing down anytime soon.

Let's also talk about Afrocentric television shows. There has been an increase in the development of television shows with African roots in recent years. Walt Disney Animation Studios is teaming up with pan-African media company Kugali Media to produce an animated series named Iwájú, which is set in a futuristic version of Lagos, Nigeria. Iwájú is set to release on Disney+. Crunchyroll is teaming up with Idris and Sabrina Elba to produce Dantai, an Afrofuturistic science fiction animated series. Most recently, YouNeek Studios, Dark Horse Comics, and Lion Forge Animation announced that Iyanu: Child of Wonder, based on the comic book of the same name from Roye Okupe, is coming to Cartoon Network and HBO Max. It's only a matter of time before other studios follow suit in creating their own Afrocentric television series.

Finally, let's talk about Afrocentric movies. Granted, the examples about to be given are adaptations of previous works, but that's still more than what the video game industry has given us, so I'll mention them anyway. The most obvious example of Afrocentric movies has to be Marvel Studios's 2018 blockbuster film, Black Panther, based on the comic book series of the same name. That movie grossed over $1 billion (USD) at the box office and has a sequel, titled Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, that is set to release in theaters this November. If the recently released trailer is anything to go by, Wakanda Forever may end up being a worthy sequel to the first film. Another example of Afrocentrism in film is the upcoming movie adaptation of Tomi Adeyemi's Children of Blood and Bone, which was mentioned earlier in this post. If that movie performs well, Paramount Pictures will most likely produce more films in that franchise, adding to the Afrocentric film count. I don't think Disney (owner of Marvel Studios) and Paramount will be the only film studios telling Afrocentric stories. Others will follow suit.

Okay, let's wrap this up. Books, television shows, and movies are putting in the work to get more Afrocentric stories out into the world. However, the video game industry is way behind the curve in telling Afrocentric stories, and honestly, that's unacceptable. There should absolutely be a push for interactive stories with African themes, characters, and settings, so that the world can know more and more about a part of the world that has been ignored for far too long.

What do you think? Should there be more Afrocentric video games? Am I off base? Are there African video games that I may have overlooked? Sound off in the comments. For more of my thoughts on animation, tech, and where both intersect, listen to my podcast, The Cels & Circuits Podcast. You can also follow me, Chibueze Anakor, on Twitter, for more updates.