How come there are no positive gay or lesbian characters in games?

[Gaskell]

It just occurred to me that very few games have gay or lesbian characters.
There are one or two exceptions to this, Fable 2 being the only one I can think of off hand, though I don't think this should count, as your character's choices are controlled by the player.
How members of the gay and lesbian community here feel about this?
Do you care?

 

[Mephisteus]

Games play on stereotypes, and in games like Saint's Row not a single one is portrayed positively. Also, if you aren't going to portray stereotypes, why diverge from the standard? There's no real gain to be made from it.

It's all business really

 

[SharPhoe]

I've lost count of how many threads there have been on subjects similar to this one in the last few weeks. And they all devolve into the same thing, eventually... *sigh*

But alas, I'll bite.

I'm gonna go ahead and say what plenty of people are going to say: It is NOT that big a deal whether or not alternative orientations get more of a showing in games. Sure, a more positive would be nice, but we're not going to go picketing or anything for it. If it happens, it happens.

 

[pdgeorge]

Why should people care really?
If people expected it to happen we all know it would be nothing but fan service done to appease the gay/lesbian community.
That community is the minority. Things arn't tailored to them specifically because well... if your making a product would you aim it for the majority or the minority?
Plus traditional stories always has "boy meets girl, boy saves girl, boy marries girl" to do "boy and boy" and "girl and girl" will only potentialy open up the wrath of people and just be seen as tacky trying to cash in on the fact it isn't done regularly.


Plus am I the only one that notices... it's usualy the majority people with very few things aimed against them (except claims "your a discriminatory jerk!") that like to turn around and say "OH! thats racist to a group of people other then me!" "OH! thats sexist to girls! and I'm a boy I should know!" "I'm straight but those poor poor homosexuals"
Is it just me or does bringing up these differences in people only cause people to MORE see the differences between two groups of people? Instead of seeing eachother as just people, it brings about the whole "I see this person for this trait" thing

 

[Anachronism]

Well, the protagonist could be a lesbian in Mass Effect, and that was a critically and commercially successful game.

I think if the protagonist was a gay male, though, it wouldn't end so well. Say what you will, a significant proportion of people who game are retarded adolescents whose thoughts basically revolve around one thing: "OMG Bewbs!" As such, a lesbian protagonist could prove to be very popular, while a gay male would not be so popular. I mean, hell, go to 4chan, Xbox Live, pretty much anywhere idiotic gamers hang out. What's the most frequently used insult?

Fag.

 

[Dragon_of_red]

To tell you the truth, i really dont care

 

[Bcoolbyte]

Honestly, unless it's a major point in the storyline I very rarely think about the sexuality of the characters. It's just not something I tend to wonder about.

There's no reason why there shouldn't be a positive gay or lesbian character however, provided it fits with the rest of the game and doesn't stick out like a sore thumb.

 

[JC175]

I've lost count of how many threads there have been on subjects similar to this one in the last few weeks. And they all devolve into the same thing, eventually... *sigh*

But alas, I'll bite.

I'm gonna go ahead and say what plenty of people are going to say: It is NOT that big a deal whether or not alternative orientations get more of a showing in games. Sure, a more positive would be nice, but we're not going to go picketing or anything for it. If it happens, it happens.

Very true. Good topic, but use the search bar, please. It's been done to death, especially during the last fortnight.

It shouldn't be an issue. Gay = straight, whatever. No racism, sexism, etc.

 

[Dead_Boy]

the second exceptions most then be "Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4" (a good game by the way).

what about all the jrpg pretty boys, do they count?

 

[Knight Templar]

What does it matter?

They are eather there or they are not, its that simple. I don't care that games are full of stright relationships and likewise I wouldn't care if games were filled with gay or lesbian relationships.

 

[bloodhound12345]

i figure their should be at least one gay "action hero"
some guy who rips aliens to pieces and blasts his way through a whole bunch of crap and then at the end grabs his obligatory sidekick and shoves his tongue down his throat.
not even just in games, in movies, tv and literature gays have no action heros. sometimes they get gay sidekicks, but never particularily tough ones. The closest thing to a gay action hero i've ever seen is the cowboys on brokeback mountain. and they wern't action heros at all, just tough guys.

that said gays are a minority and one of the last minoritys thats generally subjugated. it doesnt make a whole lot of sense to market a game that makes straight gamers who cant handle a dude kissing another dude throw up. Pink is the new black, baby.

lesbians probaly have an action hero, straight guys love girl on girl and im sure i can remember one from somewhere.

 

[Gaskell]

I just wondered because I'm a Literary studies student at Uni, just compiling my dissertation on approaching to literary theory, and the sexual orientation theory was quite interesting.
With the gay/lesbian story, it opens up for deeper characterizations and stories, perhaps looking at the persecution faced by them, or how characters feel they have to excel so they aren't identified by their sexuality

Admittedly, this is probably a scripting issue, not really a gaming one

 

[Lord George]

But lots of gaming heroes never reveal their sexuality, Master chief could be gay, so could Link for that matter, (sure he rescues Zelda a lot, but that could just be because he's a nice guy), same thing with sonic, (he sure did like Tails). Oh and Marcus Fenix is defiently gay have you seen the pure Manley tension in those games. But my point is outside RPG's its never really important what their sexuality is.

 

[Frybird]

Thing about a positive gay character would probably be that it would not make much difference compared to a "straight" char. In that case, i wouldn't mind either way.

But after seeing how horribly forced positive gay characters in other media can be (I especially think about Torchwood here), i'm rather happy for not trying, honestly...

 

[Labyrinth]

As main characters, it simply doesn't sell. Well.. unless you can be a hot lesbian and have lots of equally hot lesbian sex, in which case I imagine it'd sell quite well. Game characters are aimed at being empathic, especially in first person games. They're canvasses upon which we plonk our actions and decisions.

The lack of non-heterosexual NPCs is a different issue. I suspect that some of this may arise from the aversion to portraying such individuals in popular media, but much of it probably comes from developers writing what they know. It's a pity. I'd like to see more GLBT characters, simply written as normal people with this added, subtle factor of "Oh hey, different sexuality here." How you'd portray that without enacting a negative stereotype is a difficult hurdle to approach.

 

[Gaskell]

I'm pleased that, for the moment, we have sensible, thought out responses

RE: Gay NPC's, I think it'd be very easy to introduce the sexuality in. Lets take the example of the woman who runs the shop is Megaton from Fallout 3. My memory has failed me here, so I can't remember her name, but say for example, one of the later missions you have to do something covert for her and bring her back something when the shop is empty. WHen you arrive back you are introduced to her partner, one of the female NPC's from megaton. Nothing more is said, no action is taken, it's not referenced again and a big deal isn't made.
It would be a way to flesh out characters, and give them depth.
I'm pretty sure a large number of the gaming community are members of the alternative sexual orientation, it wouldn't come as a shock

For games in which stereotypes are largely prevalent, and being gay or lesbian is just a way to show the eccentricities of the characters, I would be less pleased (but not offended, I'd just think it was lazy) to see this.

I suppose with a lot of games, where the protagonist is mute and you are leading them through the world, you can make up your own back story for them.

 

[Lios]

Let me give you the one true and simple answer: Because it is unnecessary. Not just unnecessary to have homosexuals, but it's unnecessary to even announce characters sexualities. It serves no real purpose but to add complications, and moreover, it doesn't even matter.

No one really cares whether or not a character in a game is gay or straight. Announcing it will just create controversy.

 

[Gaskell]

Let me give you the one true and simple answer: Because it is unnecessary. Not just unnecessary to have homosexuals, but it's unnecessary to even announce characters sexualities. It serves no real purpose but to add complications, and moreover, it doesn't even matter.

No one really cares whether or not a character in a game is gay or straight. Announcing it will just create controversy.

But in a well written game, sexuality, like any of characterization technique can be used positively, and without controversy to add to the plot

I just feel as though game designers are actively avoiding most gay or lesbian characters to avoid the suggestion they're using them for controversy.

 

[electric_warrior]

it doesn't really matter that much, on the grand scale of things, i mean

 

[CoffeeMonkey]

As a gamer and a homosexual, I'd rather have a (hawt) straight protagonist in a game, whether it's action/RPG/whatever, than I'd have a stereotypical flaming gay guy running around.

Being a normal guy, who just so happens to like guys, I find the usual portraying of (male) homosexuals rather offensive. Because, well yes, it *is* a segment of the homosexual community, sure, but it's NOT the ENTIRE community. The rest of us just aren't as visible, maybe because we really don't think that being a homo is that big a deal, really. I don't think that videogames have come to the point where it's a sexual-political arena yet. And I sure don't hope that it'll ever be.

Imagine Chris Redfield from RE:
"Look at that dress-up honey. These zombies have some SERIOUS skin-issues. Let me handle it.
HELLO MISTER! I got just what you need for those AWFUL pimples *smears zombie in lotion and makeup* Now look at that mister, much better. You look FABULOUS! Now go get those naughty BSAAs"

Nah, it doesn't really work for me. I prefer the (hot) straight Chris Redfield anytime.

As I said before, I'd rather have a stereotypical straight action guy, than I'd have a stereotypical gay guy in a videogame.