Poll: Do You Think A Game With A Homosexual Lead Could Survive?

[Thanatos34]

Wait, why would you make a gay character? What's the point? Just to show some support?

Why wouldn't you? What if its relevent to the story somehow? Or what if the game's writer just feels more comfortable working with a gay character for some reason?

By your logic, I would need a reason to make a character black, rather than it just being another thing about him or her. Its not like there's a default race/sexual orientation for fictional characters that can only be deviated from for certain reasons.

And don't start with the whole "If I'm just going to be shooting people, I don't need to know that the character's gay!" crap. Once again, try reading that sentence again and replacing gay with black. If the game's makers want to put additional details about the characters into the game, then that's their perogative, and sometimes that extra description can add to the feel of the game.

Sure, but when 95% or more of their customers aren't gay, they are risking alienating a good portion of their userbase. So why do so?

 

[Wyatt]

if it was just a part of the story line, like being able to romace a dude instead of a chick, id have no problem with it. being included as a part of a whole system of possable relationships that is. if i was locked into HAVING to play a gay lead, than no i wouldnt be interested in it.

before yall start squacking about being anti-gay ill say this. im not a big fan of the pure cheese that MOST games with 'relationships' in them put out, good lord i just couldnt picture the level of cheese that trying to create 'empathy' for a gay lead in a straight dominated world would give us. its bad enough as a straight guy when i have to set through a ton of sappy cheesy 'love storys' to advance the game, how much worse would it be having to set through gay based sappy cheesy 'love storys'?

and another point, as someone who thinks of himself as a christian and tend to atleast watch the odd church program on TV or read the odd article on the net about 'christian values' i just cant immagin the level of slaming that any 'gay' game would get. we are working hard enough as it is to try and limit all the anti free speach laws that are being dumped on our rights to play video games, give someone in a state legislature some place a gay based game, content aside (it will be ignored anyhow it allways is) and you can be sure that it would cause nothing but a giant crusade against all gaming. its just not worth the fight in my opinion.

make a game based on a gay lead, the FIRST one will sell well just because of the shock factor. the second one would be a case of been there done that, the GAME sucks so who cares about the lead anymore, mean while that first 'gay' game would be held up in the well of every state senate as an example of the 'filth' and 'perversion' that the game industry is using to turn OUR BABYS into modern day monsters with, and for ever after be used to shock and offend every 'parent' on the face of the planet that wouldt know a video game from a music CD, and all of us that actualy DO know that the game sucked, no one will buy another and that the only draw for the first one is long since spent and we have moved on will still be hearing about it for the next 10 years. i mean Jesus we STILL hear about GTA dont we?

i dont give a shit about a lead being gay, its not something id buy as a stand alone kinda of thing unless the game got really really good reviews by people whos opinions matter to me, as i said if there was a gay option i wouldt care about that, and i might play it through just for the laughs or the cringes, but you have to know that any game like this would be made a part of politics so fast it would make your head spin and its not a 'cause' that id care enough about to waste time arguing about it in a political arena.

and finaly, if a game like this WAS made everyone here knows it would ONLY be made for this exact political reason. and while im not anti-gay, im not anyones political pawn either. i dont want my gaming choices used by EITHER side as 'proof' that their agendas are right. i want to play video games not fight a gay/anti-gay political war even by proxy.

 

[Rooster Cogburn]

Maybe, maybe not. Maybe I like representations of heroes who prescribe to certain archetypes- a strong, silent figure or a stylish, debonair one.

So apparently you're not ever going to play Mario.

You quoted the one sentence of my post which contains no substance and didn't address any point I actually intended to make.

Really? Because I feel it has more to do with the topic then anything else. You gave me a what if, and I gave you a what if back.

You also mentioned your philosophy, which I'm not really sure what to say there. OK then, you have thoughts. That's fantastic.

You also mentioned you'd play a game where his sexuality didn't get brought up much, which was my original point. So we agree on that. What else is there to say there? It's the only part I felt I needed to comment on.

I was only listing examples of archetypes I may, or may not enjoy to give you an idea of the concept I was trying to invoke. I don't see how Mario comes into it.

I have thoughts, yes, and things I enjoy. Representations of homosexual relationships in mediums like books, movies and presumably games isn't one of them, and I'm trying to make a case that there is nothing wrong with that.

I might play the game, but again, homosexual content would sour me to the idea. I'm trying to make a case that there is nothing wrong with that. If you agree, then sure, I guess we're in agreement.

 

[runtheplacered]

Exactly. And most of the gamer population would agree. Thus, from a business standpoint, it would be extremely risky to make such a game.

Sure about that? I'd be willing to bet you right now that a video game will come out one day with a homosexual protagonist, and it will sell like hotcakes. I'm also willing to bet you don't really know what most of the gamer population wants or doesn't want.

Lesbian could do it.

Gay, might be able to, if it's a hell of a storyline.

A gay RPG? I really don't think so.

And of course, you, my friend know exactly what the gamer population wants. Let me ask you this. If a gay game would "sell like hotcakes" why the hell haven't they made one, (that has done so)?

Wait, I didn't say I know what the gamer population wants. I haven't taken that tally. I'm using logic to determine that given enough time, something will happen. Besides, our culture is definitely becoming more accepting of homosexuals, not less. It's not perfect and we're definitely not there, yet, but it will happen. Just decades ago we would have frowned on playing a black guy (pretending video games were available back then), but we got over that ideology and I would hope most people wouldn't complain about playing a black guy in these modern times. It's only a matter of time before a society like ours will become more forgiving of a particular demographic and just not care anymore.

 

[runtheplacered]

Maybe, maybe not. Maybe I like representations of heroes who prescribe to certain archetypes- a strong, silent figure or a stylish, debonair one.

So apparently you're not ever going to play Mario.

You quoted the one sentence of my post which contains no substance and didn't address any point I actually intended to make.

Really? Because I feel it has more to do with the topic then anything else. You gave me a what if, and I gave you a what if back.

You also mentioned your philosophy, which I'm not really sure what to say there. OK then, you have thoughts. That's fantastic.

You also mentioned you'd play a game where his sexuality didn't get brought up much, which was my original point. So we agree on that. What else is there to say there? It's the only part I felt I needed to comment on.

I was only listing examples of archetypes I may, or may not enjoy to give you an idea of the concept I was trying to invoke. I don't see how Mario comes into it.

I have thoughts, yes, and things I enjoy. Representations of homosexual relationships in mediums like books, movies and presumably games isn't one of them, and I'm trying to make a case that there is nothing wrong with that.

I might play the game, but again, homosexual content would sour me to the idea. I'm trying to make a case that there is nothing wrong with that. If you agree, then sure, I guess we're in agreement.

You really don't see my point by asking you if you wouldn't play a Mario game if you would only play games using a specific archetype? Then, I don't see how this conversation can progress forward from here. It was fun, though.

 

[ix_tab]

Yes, yes it could. I hope it does.

 

[duchaked]

It already has survived, see Fable 2 or any Legend of Zelda game.

LOL good point

 

[mykalwane]

Wyatt I agree with you that a game should be for something you enjoy playing. Though it is interesting that you bring up the deal of values when no ones is the same. If that is the case does any value even matter.

Though I think when it comes down to it, if the game is good it will be played.

 

[Escapefromwhatever]

Wait, why would you make a gay character? What's the point? Just to show some support?

Why wouldn't you? What if its relevent to the story somehow? Or what if the game's writer just feels more comfortable working with a gay character for some reason?

By your logic, I would need a reason to make a character black, rather than it just being another thing about him or her. Its not like there's a default race/sexual orientation for fictional characters that can only be deviated from for certain reasons.

And don't start with the whole "If I'm just going to be shooting people, I don't need to know that the character's gay!" crap. Once again, try reading that sentence again and replacing gay with black. If the game's makers want to put additional details about the characters into the game, then that's their perogative, and sometimes that extra description can add to the feel of the game.

Sure, but when 95% or more of their customers aren't gay, they are risking alienating a good portion of their userbase. So why do so?

Maybe they care more about making a game that works than money. Maybe they want to follow a central vision. Maybe...ahh screw it- most of them are out for money. Sadly, I would have to agree with you in saying that it would probably decrease sales. It would still be a nice effort to have a gay lead, though.

 

[Rooster Cogburn]

You really don't see my point by asking you if you wouldn't play a Mario game if you would only play games using a specific archetype? Then, I don't see how this conversation can progress forward from here. It was fun, though.

You could have explained it to me . Why diffuse discussion? I think I see what you mean now. My archetypes are very broad and generally inclusive, as most peoples' are. I find enjoyment in (representations of) death and mayhem, as well as fanciful things like Mario. I like a lot of stuff- most things, perhaps. Broad as they are, they do not include representations of homosexuality.

If I still do not get it, I will trouble you no more. But I don't see why you want to end it.

 

[Thanatos34]

Not in the slightest. I think there should be the option. I just don't see why it must be forced. Or why a company would make it forced. It seems like you are going too far, there. Make it even, by giving people options, and that is fine.

Now, if you could make a story that relies on the lead character being gay, for a reason OTHER than they just want to make one to be politically correct, as an integral part of the storyline, that just might work. I'm just saying, it would have to be one hell of a story.

Yeah, I think that it's pretty much the story-telling that needs some fleshing out in video games. There's a lot of potential for new ideas to be accepted in video games if only the context of the story was done well enough...

Oh, and just for the sake of turning your argument back, are we not in most cases forced to be heterosexual in games? I know there's the obvious argument that "the audience is, for the most part heterosexual so it wouldn't occur to them," but I'm curious to see if you have a reason that people should notice their character being homosexual but not heterosexual, or whatever else you think...

We are, for the most part, forced to be heterosexual because homosexuality was not really truly accepted as a lifestyle by the masses until around 5-10 years ago, if that far back. Thus, the gaming companies did not want to risk alienating their customers by making even the option to be gay. (Hell, Mass Effect still got a huge uproar from the hard-core Christian right over a little bit of ass showing.)

A heterosexual would immediately notice if the character they were playing was gay, because it would be outside the "norm." No other way to put it. And immediately there would be a decision of whether or not they would continue to play this game. Companies like to keep those decisions to a minimum. Until 10 years ago or so, most people would be in an uproar over homosexuality in a game, since it wasn't considered "normal."

We are getting past this. Mass Effect, in particular, what was the uproar mostly about? The nudity, not the fact that one could play as a lesbian. (Having not played it, this is only from what I hear, but it's interesting that they did not put the option to be gay in the game.) You will see more and more of these games, and as long as the option remains, they probably won't lose many gamers. If anything, they will gain them. But push it all the way to the other side, where one must play as a homosexual? Then you would lose a lot more than you would gain.

 

[Fantastico]

Didn't they already make one? I think it was Fear Effect or something like that. The problem was the game sucked in general, and the whole gay thing only made it marginally successful.

 

[Thanatos34]

Exactly. And most of the gamer population would agree. Thus, from a business standpoint, it would be extremely risky to make such a game.

Sure about that? I'd be willing to bet you right now that a video game will come out one day with a homosexual protagonist, and it will sell like hotcakes. I'm also willing to bet you don't really know what most of the gamer population wants or doesn't want.

Lesbian could do it.

Gay, might be able to, if it's a hell of a storyline.

A gay RPG? I really don't think so.

And of course, you, my friend know exactly what the gamer population wants. Let me ask you this. If a gay game would "sell like hotcakes" why the hell haven't they made one, (that has done so)?

Wait, I didn't say I know what the gamer population wants. I haven't taken that tally. I'm using logic to determine that given enough time, something will happen. Besides, our culture is definitely becoming more accepting of homosexuals, not less. It's not perfect and we're definitely not there, yet, but it will happen. Just decades ago we would have frowned on playing a black guy (pretending video games were available back then), but we got over that ideology and I would hope most people wouldn't complain about playing a black guy in these modern times. It's only a matter of time before a society like ours will become more forgiving of a particular demographic and just not care anymore.

Just because I am accepting of a particular sexual orientation doesn't mean I wish I was said sexual orientation.

Skin color is slightly different, a black person and I can have exactly the same beliefs and values, so I can pretend that I am actually in the game.

A homosexual and I cannot, for we will always differ on at least one point. Which I consider a rather important point. He will always say A is better, and I will always say T is better.

Seriously, though, I doubt I would ever buy a game with a gay guy for a lead. Those who would want to do so, go right ahead. It just wouldn't click with me.

 

[Donbett1974]

Enchanted Arms 3/4 of the main characters are gay.The main character, his lover, and his best friend who loves him. The only straight character is the underage girl.

 

[Thanatos34]

Enchanted Arms 3/4 of the main characters are gay.The main character, his lover, and his best friend who loves him. The only straight character is the underage girl.

Again, never heard of it.

I guess we should rephrase the question from can it survive, to can it do well?

 

[Thanatos34]

I wouldn't play it. Nothing against gay people, I just wouldn't be able to feel comfortable playing the part of a gay man. It would ruin the game for me.

Do you ever play games where you kill lots of people?

On a regular basis, and I fantasize about doing so too. But I don't fantasize about ravaging the asshole of another male.


I win.

That's a little... over the top. But it makes my point in a much more blunt way.

It does? What was your point?

That I don't wish I was a homosexual, thus I would not want to play a game, at least an RPG, where the lead character was a homosexual.

 

[Instant K4rma]

It already has survived, see Fable 2 or any Legend of Zelda game.

Link is NOT gay. Im not against having a homosexual lead character, and it wouldnt bother me, but I dont want Link mistaken for one. (Personal situation. Link is my favorite game character of all time.) Im not saying i wouldnt like him if he was, Im just stating that he is not as a fact, not a denial.

 

[Donbett1974]

Enchanted Arms 3/4 of the main characters are gay.The main character, his lover, and his best friend who loves him. The only straight character is the underage girl.

Again, never heard of it.

I guess we should rephrase the question from can it survive, to can it do well?

It did ok it wasn't a big seller but it didn't bomb either.