Complete with the Bernie Mac perfect afro the redguardsman stared back at me in 1080i. His racial description?
The most naturally talented warriors in Tamriel, the dark-skinned, wiry-haired Redguards of Hammerfell seem born to battle, though their pride and fierce independence of spirit makes them more suitable as scouts or skirmishers, or as free-ranging heroes and adventurers, than as rank-and-file soldiers. In addition to their cultural affinities for many weapon and armor styles, Redguards are also physically blessed with hardy constitutions and quickness of foot.
Lisa looked at me and said “Oh my God!” The first thing that popped into my mind? “Run, Nigger, Run” (followed by a whole slew of other equally offensive stereotypical quips). I dropped the controller and jotted down some thoughts. Lisa told me to stop taking notes and just play the damned game for once. So I finished my character and tried to forget Jimmy the Greek, the middle passage, the history of African Americans as “scouts” (what gamers now call tanks ) in the military, and the sickness in the pit of my stomach that was either caused by too much coconut rum or just too much damned ignorance. —Jimmy the Greek Made Oblivion (Dr. B.’s blog)
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All the same, with all the talent the designers of Oblivion had at their fingertips, it's a shame they couldn't think of something better than recycling a stereotype.
And if pudgy, pasty white guys had been enslaved on the basis of their pudginess, pastiness and whiteness, then you might have an emotional reason to get bent out of shape when encountering that particular stereotypical in an unexpected place. (Note also that Dr. B includes Lisa's "just play the damned game" response alongside her gut feelings; so the blog entry doesn't strike a single note of indignation.)
Methinks "Dr B" doth protest too much. So the game character has several outward appearance characteristics that are similar to some African Americans...so what? Would he be happy if they were lighter skinned or had straight hair? I don't get bent out of shape when I see a game character that looks like a pudgy, pasty white guy. It's not as if the game designers created some sort of virtual minstrel show. Sometimes, wiry hair and dark skin is just that.