Lack of gaiety in gaming

[geldonyetich]

Homosexuality in gaming has about as much place as sex in gaming. It pretty much has nothing to do with the appeal behind games, and people who include it in their games are mostly trying to get attention.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

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?

Change Alyx to Alex and try to relive the moments of sexual tension of the game. Since you're immersed in Gordon, as you're him, it would make it a little awkward, no?

Ah, but imagine Gordon attracted to G-Man but not interested in Alyx, as he seems to be. No change really, is there? We're not talking about changing the game, just his reactions.

 

[TheHorizon]

I think that whoever's quote that is needs to learn that there is a difference between "progressing" and "ass kissing".

EDIT: And to the person above me: Of course it would change the game!

EDIT EDIT: And as always there are some crazies on the OTHER side of the arguement.
http://www.tumeroks.com/conservative-christian-investment-firm-flags-gay-content-in-games/

 

[MessiahOfPants]

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.

 

[MintyFreshBreathGuy]

I'm fine if there were to be gay people in a video game, it's kind of something i wish someone would throw into a game mostly because it'd show the developers a different, even a little different.

 

[ElArabDeMagnifico]

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?

Well Eli was hoping that Gordon would make babies with Alyx....

 

[minoes]

Zangief and Eagle from Street Fighter are gay and they were created in the late 80´s. They are also far from stereotypical.

 

[xitel]

I don't really care whether the characters in my game are homosexual or not. I just care whether the game is fun to play. If you want to make a homosexual character star in a fun game, I'll buy the game. If you make the character straight, I'll still buy the game. But if you make a bad game, I'm not going to buy it regardless of the character's sexuality.

 

[Hunde Des Krieg]

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.

 

[IntoxicatedKnight]

The Grand Theft Auto series is a culprit of stereotyping homosexuals...
Niko's old army buddy Florian, he's portrayed as a completely effeminate 'comic' character.
It might seem comical to have a stereotype but isn't that a little too far?

 

[Ace of Spades]

I don't mind if there are gay characters in games, but Bernie from GTA IV was just annoying. I remember saying at the time "If he calls me sweetie one more time, I'm going to start emptying AK-47 rounds into him."

 

[Fanboy]

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.

Neither did master chiefs.

The game doesn't have to be different because of the character's sexuality. Would metroid be any different if Samus was just some dude? No, it wouldn't, but the angle that she was a woman did make the game more popular.

 

[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.

 

[Hunde Des Krieg]

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.

Neither did master chiefs.

The game doesn't have to be different because of the character's sexuality. Would metroid be any different if Samus was just some dude? No, it wouldn't, but the angle that she was a woman did make the game more popular.

But what I mean is, at no point was the character's sexuality touched upon at all... ever. it was just declared later, so why bother at all.

 

[AceDiamond]

Fallout 3 had a gay couple no one noticed, flak & shrapnel

Yeah I think the subtlety there was good, even though Shrapnel looked like Freddy Mercury.

But I'm going to be perfectly honest, with all the bad slashfics going on about just about every male character in everything (especially video games), the world is clearly not mature enough for any sort of gay protagonist in a video game. Hell if they suddenly made a protagonist in a long-running series gay, you'd have thousands of fangasming yaoi fangirls/fanboys thinking that somehow their crappy writing and art forced that change.

Though there was Fear Effect...

 

[Fanboy]

But what I mean is, at no point was the character's sexuality touched upon at all... ever. it was just declared later, so why bother at all.

Publicity? There's no other real reason, besides just doing it for kicks.

 

[minoes]

Fallout 3 had a gay couple no one noticed, flak & shrapnel

Yeah I think the subtlety there was good, even though Shrapnel looked like Freddy Mercury.

But I'm going to be perfectly honest, with all the bad slashfics going on about just about every male character in everything (especially video games), the world is clearly not mature enough for any sort of gay protagonist in a video game. Hell if they suddenly made a protagonist in a long-running series gay, you'd have thousands of fangasming yaoi fangirls/fanboys thinking that somehow their crappy writing and art forced that change.

Though there was Fear Effect...

Well most fifteen year olds think lesbians are "hot". I don´t think they would buy games with "male" gay main characters.

 

[RebelRising]

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, there just isn't really a way that you can insert a particular sexuality into a game without it seeming gimmicky.

I'm thirding this. I mean, how would stuff like this even come up whilst fighting aliens. "Eat lead Alien Scum! Also, I'm gay!"

Well, a non-cinematic shooter like Half-Life 2 isn't quite the best example; an RPG could do it quite well, but humans haven't quitee advanced to the point where such would be "burned at the stake" both commercially and critically. There'd be no easy way to sell it to the majority, especially since straight relationships are so silly anyways. Gays would need to be held to a higher standard if they were show us that, really, Ivy (from Soulcaliber) or one of those sickeningly cliche Final-Fantasy romances is, in fact, not the best we can do.