Lack of gaiety in gaming

[Nutcase]

The thing is, does it really matter? I mean, it's like throwing in the token not-white dude into a game to appeal to the PC crowd. While this might sound a bit boorish, think about it. Wouldn't be a touch MORE offencive to act like you have to cover your bases with minority group A, even if it doesn't fit in with what the character would do/situation?

You mean: though game developers currently systematically ignore a large part of the populace, allow them only token roles or use them completely out of proportion, that should be ignored because there's a risk that when more diverse characters were created, someone might be inspired to wrongly add a token character which might be offensive?

The way to deal with this is that game writers and artists take a hard look at their own possible bias, and create a more diverse cast in the first place. Ethnicities, sexes, builds, ages, subcultures, etc. Once there are explicit reasons to cut down on that diversity, *then* it should be adjusted for. Maybe the setting won't allow something, like a free black man in the United States in 1700s. Fine, make him a white German immigrant instead. Or maybe it turns out that for the sake of the plot, a character needs to be a crack shot with a rifle, and the original design where one of his arms is paralyzed is not going to be OK. Scratch the paralysis.

Or even that the developer decides that they "just want" a young, single and beautiful woman in a prominent NPC slot rather than a married middle-aged man. Maybe it's a gut feeling that the game will be more entertaining (craft) or better represent a vision (art). Or the same decision is made on the grounds that customer research shows the game will sell better (business). I'm not out to crucify anyone for making this kind of decision, but it's a lot better if it's made explicitly and with a sense of purpose.

The alternative is a cookie cutter cast of NPCs that originates from routine ("it's always been done this way") and unconscious developer bias. That's also when you get token characters: the cast starts to look too obviously homogenic, and the token characters are sprinkled on top as a band-aid.

 

[scotth266]

This thread has an interesting point. I can only recall one set of lesbian characters up from memory in games, but this isn't so suprising to me. Characters in games are hard to make.

To be honest, I don't see more homosexual characters being included for a while in games, and there are two reasons:
1)Our society is uncomfortable with sexuality, a lot more so than with violence. And we're still working on the "violence in videogames" thing.
2)Sales. These days, games are big business, and risky ideas are hard to acquire funding for. It's safer to stick with conventional models than to break the mold, and risk offending people and losing money that you desperately need.

I had another thought, but it escapes me. I'll write more if it comes back.

 

[Same River New Water]

Back up. The idea that there are few gay characters is based on the assumption that any character who doesn't do anything to suggest they are gay is straight. But who's to say that Master Chief, Gordon Freeman, Link, Samus Aran etc. are heterosexuals?

Someone above mentioned sexual tension between Gordon Freeman and Alyx Vance, but a) that's only implied, and b) it all comes from her side; Freeman, being the classic blank-canvas protagonist, makes no overt response, so for all we know Alyx's (implied) love could be unrequited: he might be pining for Barney.

(It's just an example. If one of the listed characters really does demonstrate their heterosexuality, ok, but it doesn't change my general point.)

On the OTHER hand...

Most games are about combat, and how many army commandos are openly homosexual?

 

[Healey]

Most games characters seem to be asexual; at least, unless there's a specific love interest for them. I've never played them, myself, but you could probably count the Fable games as having a fairly low-key representation of homosexuals (citation needed?). It would be difficult to have a gay character without having it feel forced and implemented specifically for sexual tension - probably not always something you're looking for in a character's dynamics.

 

[spyrewolf]

Vamp in metal gear played for both teams if you get my drift (it was revealed in MGS2)

 

[RetiarySword]

Yea! Lets make a game about marines! Or the navy! On a serious note I wouldn't care. As long as he doesn't thrust it in my face (bad pun). If he mentions hes gay or you see his boyfriend I won't care. Even male nudity wouldn't bother me. But if they start getting handsy and I'm in first person I would have to go rehabilatate myself through beer and porn.

EDIT: I notice that it could be homosexual as in the female sense and I have nothing against that. But I can't be bothered to change the post.

 

[x434343]

There are "gays and lesbians". Fable 2, Fallout 3, GTA4 (Bernie). Generally it's avoided because it's unimportant.

 

[RAWKSTAR]

Most games have gravity...

OOH! Read that wrong!

 

[Xojins]

To be honest, stereotyping isn't exactly a bad thing. Over stereotyping is. Making a guy sound and act flamboyant isn't bad. I know many guys in the gay community that are like that. That being said, not all gays act flamboyant and not all lesbians are butch. I thought in Indigo Prophecy they added a gay character nicely. I think it's only bad when you make fun of the gay/lesbian character in a hurtful way.

It depends on who you ask. I have many gay friends, all of whom would feel differently about that kind of stereotyping. If you had one gay character in a game who was very flamboyant, that creates the image that all homosexuals act in such a manner, which emphasizes (perhaps unintentionally) that homosexuals are different from everyone else. If it was a gay character that was just a regular, average guy or girl, it wouldn't add that negative connotation.

Anyone who gets their world view from video games deserves to have a mal-formed world view. Ditto TV, music and movies. People should know better than that.

Yea, people should, but they don't.

 

[sequio]

Lesbians in game would be too distracting.

In all seriousness, you could probably make this argument for all minority groups.

On a personal level, I'm not sure the game play would change that much? Since in most games sexuality is not that integral to the game it can be whatever the person playing wishes it to be. For example, I'm playing COD2 right now. My character might or might not be gay. I identify him as heterosexual because I am not gay and I identify myself with the protagonist. If my character were to blurt out in the game "I'm gay" i would think that detracts from the immersive gaming experience.

 

[Higurashi]

It would be doable. For instance, if someone makes a game that acts as a follow-up to V for Vendetta, one of the characters could be gay, definitely. You just need to find the right opening. However I still think people wouldn't be as charmed if the player's character was a homosexual. It would require alot of tact to pull that one off.

Aye, it would indeed. It could be done with exactly any game if it is done subtly, which is how it would pan out in real life, too. It is not like you could focus on it; that would only be insulting. Mass Effect is a really good example as a step on the way.

 

[iamnotsteve]

I'm surprised Bridget and God Hand haven't come up yet.

 

[I3uster]

This thread has an interesting point. I can only recall one set of lesbian characters up from memory in games, but this isn't so suprising to me. Characters in games are hard to make.

To be honest, I don't see more homosexual characters being included for a while in games, and there are two reasons:
1)Our society is uncomfortable with sexuality, a lot more so than with violence. And we're still working on the "violence in videogames" thing.
2)Sales. These days, games are big business, and risky ideas are hard to acquire funding for. It's safer to stick with conventional models than to break the mold, and risk offending people and losing money that you desperately need.

I had another thought, but it escapes me. I'll write more if it comes back.

Nono, sexuality is really no issue in europe.
In austria there were a few reports on violence in videogames, but none about sexuality.
I think that that may be an american problem, theyre known to be more sensetive about sexuality than other countries...

 

[Shurikens and Lightning]

Army of Two anyone?

Wow...

that comment actually made me laugh.

But in all seriousness. Im not homophobic but It would be kinda awkward in a game to do it. In most games it is a strict story telling. That means that they would force you to be gay which is kinda of a turn off to a game. If I was playing Halo 3 and all of a sudden the arbiter was hitting on me and the it said. Press RB to do it with the arbiter, I would do everything in my power to try and avoid the cutscene.

Its kinda useless plot and would only be done to show that we can do it. It also isnt Homophobics. How many christians would be offended by it if they played it in a game? And think of the children that are growing in this day and age. Im not saying that it is wrong for kids to know it but they are just kids.

Do you have a link to any of your games that we can play?

 

[PersianLlama]

Does it really matter that much what a character's sexual preference is? Gordon Freeman could quite easily be homosexual, but would it change any part of Half Life 2?

This. Sexual preference doesn't make a difference. Except maybe in those odd Japanese erotic games.

 

[jebussaves88]

Master chief was gay.

I wouldn't feel weird playing a homosexual character in a video game, so long as the game isn't centered around the fact that said character is homosexual. However, I don't think the majority of gamers are ready for something like that, and it would only reach a very limited audience.

I think it would be better to keep the character's sexuality secret, then spring it on the fanbase after the game has become successful. Kind of like what J. K. Rowling did with Dumbledore.

But Dumbledore's sexuality never came out in the story and appeared to have no impact on the plot at all.

Yeah, that whole thing annoyed me a bit. She shouldn't suddenly change your perception of a character by making up things as she goes along, unless it's actually part of the story. I can't help it, but my envisionment of Dumbledore is now altered from the one I formed naturally in my head. It's not that I have anything against gays, I would be equally annoyed if she turned around and said "Dumbledore was in a wheelchair the whole time!" or "He had only one arm", or even "His nasal hair was really long, so that he could tie it into his pubes and strum himself like a chello". Would completely change it

 

[Nation.Skull]

Well, ok, you can put "Gay people", or Homosexuals (<- Correct term, acording to my homosexual friends), BUT, alot of gamers are more homofobic than you might think! So it wouldn't sell well, which would upset the whole Homosexual-community... And things would go very bad.

I am not trying to offend. If it sounds like it, I'm sorry

I definately agree.
I cannot count how many times I've been called a "******" on any live game.
It's anoyying, because I hate the word.
What annoys me more is that most of these people would allow lesbians to be in the game, just because with the stereotype that video-game characters have oversized breasts, and they'd be seeing it on their screen, they could fap one off without going to their computer and looking 'hentai' up on google images.

Most gamers aren't ready, like most of the world, to see this in every day life. It would'nt sell well, and it would get way too much controversy.

 

[Ricky 49]

i thought his point was all charcters are steriotypes

is there a game out there whos main character is

cowardly,useless,stupid etc etc

so i recon make games where charcters have fatal flaws