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Before Daniel Monastero—one of the founding members of Garage 227 Studios and the studio's primary 3D modeler and texture artist—became a game developer, he was a member of Brazil's military police, cracking down on drug trafficking and other violent crimes in the favelas of São Paulo.The average gamer might recognize favelas from their prominent role in the 2012 action game, Max Payne 3, or the Academy Award–nominated film City of God, but for those unfamiliar with the term, a favela is a Brazilian slum that's similar to an American housing project, but with a degree of violence and poverty that is nearly unheard of in the States. More than 12 million Brazilians live in favelas, and they're at the center of the nation's drug-trafficking problem. Much of the favela population consists of remnants of Brazil's slave trade, creating tension between the nation's black, indigenous, and European populations.The tension between police and civilians weighed heavy on Monastero. Police action is so prevalent, he says, that the residents of São Paulo have become increasingly desensitized. Even as dozens of armed police storm through the favelas of São Paulo, children keep playing. "It doesn't even matter to them anymore. It's just another freaking day.""The game is just a medium. It could be a book. It could be a movie. It could be a song. It doesn't matter. The important thing is that you focus on your message."
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