Lack of gaiety in gaming
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Whats funny is how do we know that most videogame character AREN'T homosexual? Gordon Freeman, Solid Snake, Master Chief, Lara Croft, Luigi?
Like another poster said, alot of characters sexual orientation has nothing to do with the game.
The only way to let gamers know about their orientation is by creating a scene or dialog that shows us that. Once you do that though, it looks like a gimmick.
Unless I see a sequence where Lara croft is in a scene where she kisses a man in tomb raider, I'm saying shes gay. Either way, shes still TOMB RAIDER.
Like another poster said, alot of characters sexual orientation has nothing to do with the game.
The only way to let gamers know about their orientation is by creating a scene or dialog that shows us that. Once you do that though, it looks like a gimmick.
Unless I see a sequence where Lara croft is in a scene where she kisses a man in tomb raider, I'm saying shes gay. Either way, shes still TOMB RAIDER.
I think it is funny how many people here seem to assume that shooters are the only place to explore the idea of homosexuality.
To those who say that homosexuality doesn't change anything in the game, I ask you this: What about the romantic subplots in RPGs like Mass Effect and Jade Empire? You get nothing out of pursuing a relationship, and they have no real impact on the story. So, should we just not include the ability to form romantic relationships between your character and an NPC in your party in RPGs, because they don't add anything to the actual story? Hell, talking to your party members in RPGs doesn't add anything to the main story either. You see what I'm getting at? Saying homosexual characters don't "add anything" to the plot or "aren't necessary" is a pretty weak excuse when you consider that side quests, optional conversations, romantic subplots between your character and NPCs, and similar such things so heavily ingrained in RPGs are also additions that don't effect the main story. They are just extra things there for the player to explore if they so choose.
Instead of assuming that the developer has to MAKE you play a gay character or something, is it so strange a concept to take the Mass Effect route? Basically, what is the harm in making one of your party members lesbian/bisexual and/or one gay/bisexual? Romantic subplots between your character and an NPC, and optional conversations with your party, make up a big part of RPGs like Mass Effect, KOTOR, and Jade Empire. Making one or two of the characters bisexual or homosexual won't hurt anyone, and will only allow the homosexual gamers to have their own options for a romantic subplot that reflects their personal sexual preference. No one is FORCING you, a straight gamer, to go bareback riding with the homosexual male character, it is purely YOUR choice when handled in this way. YOU choose whether or not you want to pursue a homosexual relationship, and YOU choose how much you want to get into that particular character's backstory. If homosexuality makes you uncomfortable then fine, don't talk to that character or pursue a relationship after their sexual orientation comes up in an optional conversation, as opposed to saying that it shouldn't be there in the first place because it is just a "gimmick."
I'm just saying that I don't see what is so wrong about developers including deep, mature homosexual relationships in an RPG if handled in this fashion. In fact, it would be good for the industry if we started exploring mature issues like this. If we prove to the public that games are capable of deep, mature stories and issues, then we are one step closer to showing that video games aren't just toys for kids and irresponsible man-children. It will cause controversy, for sure, but it will help games get out of the hot seat faster by proving to people that they are as capable of exploring mature themes as novels and movies.
To those who say that homosexuality doesn't change anything in the game, I ask you this: What about the romantic subplots in RPGs like Mass Effect and Jade Empire? You get nothing out of pursuing a relationship, and they have no real impact on the story. So, should we just not include the ability to form romantic relationships between your character and an NPC in your party in RPGs, because they don't add anything to the actual story? Hell, talking to your party members in RPGs doesn't add anything to the main story either. You see what I'm getting at? Saying homosexual characters don't "add anything" to the plot or "aren't necessary" is a pretty weak excuse when you consider that side quests, optional conversations, romantic subplots between your character and NPCs, and similar such things so heavily ingrained in RPGs are also additions that don't effect the main story. They are just extra things there for the player to explore if they so choose.
Instead of assuming that the developer has to MAKE you play a gay character or something, is it so strange a concept to take the Mass Effect route? Basically, what is the harm in making one of your party members lesbian/bisexual and/or one gay/bisexual? Romantic subplots between your character and an NPC, and optional conversations with your party, make up a big part of RPGs like Mass Effect, KOTOR, and Jade Empire. Making one or two of the characters bisexual or homosexual won't hurt anyone, and will only allow the homosexual gamers to have their own options for a romantic subplot that reflects their personal sexual preference. No one is FORCING you, a straight gamer, to go bareback riding with the homosexual male character, it is purely YOUR choice when handled in this way. YOU choose whether or not you want to pursue a homosexual relationship, and YOU choose how much you want to get into that particular character's backstory. If homosexuality makes you uncomfortable then fine, don't talk to that character or pursue a relationship after their sexual orientation comes up in an optional conversation, as opposed to saying that it shouldn't be there in the first place because it is just a "gimmick."
I'm just saying that I don't see what is so wrong about developers including deep, mature homosexual relationships in an RPG if handled in this fashion. In fact, it would be good for the industry if we started exploring mature issues like this. If we prove to the public that games are capable of deep, mature stories and issues, then we are one step closer to showing that video games aren't just toys for kids and irresponsible man-children. It will cause controversy, for sure, but it will help games get out of the hot seat faster by proving to people that they are as capable of exploring mature themes as novels and movies.
Fourthing. The thing is, stating the main character in a game is homosexual (unless it had any real signifigance to the story), would come across as at best irrelevant, and at worst controversy-baiting. If it was made an integral part of the story, then it'd be ok, but I can't think of many instances where that would occur.Nimbus said:
See it seems to me what you're saying is, if we have a gay character who acts straight, it's ok for them to be in the game. I may be wrong, I'm not too clear on what you're saying. When I say flamboyant, I don't mean a guy who runs around with an over acted lisp, who hits on all the male characters, and constantly says his rump needs to be filled. I mean a guy who has a slight lisp, and who may check out a few hot guy characters. There's nothing wrong with that. And those who get offended by that are being far to politically correct. There really isn't a normal, everyone's different.Xojins said:
I'm not saying that they should be "straight-acting," but I am saying that just because a character is homosexual doesn't mean he or she has to be a stereotype homosexual (lisp, trendy fashions, etc). I say this because stereotyping just asserts that all homosexuals act like that. The same goes for stereotyping any group.MessiahOfPants said:
P.S. I put "straight-acting" in quotation marks because there isn't such a thing.
Fifthted.Liverandbacon said:
You can look at it the other way too, having the player say "eat lead alien scum, btw Im straight" is just as pointless. It does not affect the game in any way except for making it kinda dumb looking.
Well, the same could be said about anything, race for instance, and yet RE5 has gotten a lot of grief about its use of African characters.out0v0rder said:
On a purely mechanical level, game's may not be able to deal directly with these issues. But there are very few games that are purely mechanical. As the referenced article described, Metal Gear Solid 4 examined homosexuality in a mature, non-gimmicky / stereotyped way.
Offset that with Mass Effect that somehow managed to slip in more than one lesbian encounter if you played a female character, yet didn't even hint at any gay encounters. You could argue they didn't need to include sex in the game at all (arguable in a story driven universe) and if they were doing anything more sophisticated and mature than trying to appeal to fanboys with more hand lotion than phone numbers there would have been a gay character to strike up a romance with.
It's doubly offensive with mass effect because it says that even in a sophisticated, industry leading product, the primary audience is one that is grossed out by gay males, but finds two girls kissing hot. So much for games as the next new art form, with messages like this being conveyed it suggests that games are little more than soft core porn with explosions designed for an emotionally immature audience.
most people can't. that's the problem.Liverandbacon said:
i'd rather he be a hulking man-beast like the rest of the COG. then there's a scene where you see him hug his partner or something and he's all like "what? i'm gay." and then marcus sort of shrugs and they go back to butchering locust.MA7743W said:
that or make him the next carmine.
games like morrowind could, why they generally dont? fear probably, the marketing department controlls all and i know that at least in this country, homosexual people arent viewed as homosexual PEOPLE by a sizable portion of the population. games like halo could not, i dont think theres a homosexual/heterosexual way to shoot someone, to be honest i would be VERY suprised if there was.
Perhaps I should clarify: It's not homosexuality I have a problem with in these cases, its the fact that any mention of a character's sexuality, whether heterosexual, homosexual, or anything else, is completely irrelevant in most games. The few games where sexuality has made any difference are in RPGs, and I've seen plenty of homosexual romance options in those, which I'm fine with, because they add to the story.cobra_ky said:
While amusing, the idea of that Gears of War scene is exactly the sort of thing I'm against. The way you portrayed it (hug scene, mentions gayness, everyone goes back to killing locust) would be irrelevant to the story, the gameplay, and everything else. It would seem like unneccesary controversy-baiting.
The legions of 12 year olds who shout "GAY!" into their microphones when I defeat them would disagree742 said:
. To quote two people who I forget the names of on this forum (if it's you, tell me and I'll edit credit in):
Why is it important?
Sure Homosexual people want to be represented in games, but what does it add plot wise/game wise
Games with manly men killing things are usually taking inspiration from male action films and stuff and cannot be burdened with the task of showing sexuality-If It never mattered before in Movies etc
Sure Homosexual people want to be represented in games, but what does it add plot wise/game wise
Games with manly men killing things are usually taking inspiration from male action films and stuff and cannot be burdened with the task of showing sexuality-If It never mattered before in Movies etc
Agreed, Especially the kind you find on islands in the pacific THE SIZE OF RATS.MaxTheReaper said: