Poll: Games aren't gay enough.

[mgirl]

He sees no reason to put in homosexual characters other than for the specific reason of making them homosexual, ie, token characters as you describe it. That's what he meant, he just didn't bother with the fancy semantics and just went straight to be point, so you imply that he is homophobic.

Also, unrelated, but I hate the word "homophobia". Who the fuck is afraid of gay people and why? Then again, we have xenophobia, so I guess it makes sense...

No. I implied he was homophobic for comparing gays and transgender people to pedophiles, and saying that having homosexuality 'shoved in his face' in a video game would make him not buy a video game. He said nothing about how characters would be implemented, so I didn't infer that from his post.

 

[VeneratedWulfen93]

-snip.-

Sorry, but I'm in England too and people do care. You do anything other than conform to the set "This is how a man acts and dresses" and you get funny looks, whispers and people shouting at you in the street. That is not accepting.

Ehhh, it would be nice to have more options with things like that, as many people have said the way Guild Wars 2 does it is very elegant indeed, at least compared to Mass Effect 3s shoe horning. This isn't about pressing views onto other people, it's about getting people to accept that homosexual is equal too heterosexual relationships. Something, that we still haven't achieved unfortunately.

I never noticed it all my life. I've been 'persecuted' because I watch anime and wear heavy metal clothes but never in a serious way. just nob heads thinking they were clever. Its not persecution its kids being the little shits that they are. I never claimed acceptance either, I merely observed that all of these problems people go on about I have never witnessed over here. My friends and family don't discuss it, its never been a big deal. I've never heard of gay people being beaten up. The worst that happens is the aforementioned nob heads calling people gay with little to no grounding.

 

[Olas]

I've always thought it would be cool to have a story where we find out about 3/4 of the way through that the protagonist is gay off-handedly, and then it isn't made into a big deal. Especially if the protagonist doesn't fit into any of the typical gay stereotypes.

Also this reminds me of something.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LhEMrDvkOU&t=2m37s

 

[Phaerim]

I'm gay. And I honestly like it to be a part of a character not THE character. I possess various qualities beyond my sexuality, as do heterosexuals.

Yes. More characters where these things are just a normal part of the character, but not the defining trait. Characters are made up of more than their sexuality.

Sadly, character writing is so freakishly bad in the video game genre. Gender roles are so stereotypical. A friend told me Nathan Drake was an interesting character. He was something young men look up too. Not an interesting character.

 

[VeneratedWulfen93]

He sees no reason to put in homosexual characters other than for the specific reason of making them homosexual, ie, token characters as you describe it. That's what he meant, he just didn't bother with the fancy semantics and just went straight to be point, so you imply that he is homophobic.

Also, unrelated, but I hate the word "homophobia". Who the fuck is afraid of gay people and why? Then again, we have xenophobia, so I guess it makes sense...

No. I implied he was homophobic for comparing gays and transgender people to pedophiles, and saying that having homosexuality 'shoved in his face' in a video game would make him not buy a video game. He said nothing about how characters would be implemented, so I didn't infer that from his post.

Gays and pedophiles are both minority sexualities. Its easy to compare them.

 

[Elate]

I never noticed it all my life. I've been 'persecuted' because I watch anime and wear heavy metal clothes but never in a serious way. just nob heads thinking they were clever. Its not persecution its kids being the little shits that they are. I never claimed acceptance either, I merely observed that all of these problems people go on about I have never witnessed over here. My friends and family don't discuss it, its never been a big deal. I've never heard of gay people being beaten up. The worst that happens is the aforementioned nob heads calling people gay with little to no grounding.

Hm, I guess I'm just a little bummed because people tote England as being so accepting usually, but only if you conform to their standards. And yeah I've had the same with the heavy metal stuff, I was into it for a while, still kinda am. It was a system shock for me though, moving from the country side where most people are pretty tolerant, you don't really get any funny looks, to the city where people will stare if you have a piercing or such. Kinda got to me, that they can't just let other people be themselves without making them feel uncomfortable about it.

 

[Vault101]

I know no gay people because like I said, in England its no big deal. This is obviously a culture thing since religion and sexuality are heated issues in america. My point all along with this whole issue has been to sit on the side line. Deconstruct it far enough and being gay is a sexual preferance, so is preffering under age partners. Then we start getting into dangerous waters. I don't like to get too involved because we are supposed to feel pity for one sexuality and despise another. Why are there parades for one and court sentances for another?

I know 1 lesbian. End of story. She wasn't beaten, bullied or anything. She just got on like the rest of us and didn't need a parade to feel like she did.

really? ALL of england? yeah...I highly doubt that, there are still people out there (parents even) who will discriminate

the problem is I feel attitudes like this are kind of missing the point..and don't understand what it means to be a minority, one that has faced discrimination

theres nothing wrong with having more variety/being inclusive some people have a fundamental problem with it..but fuck it...why should entertainment/art all be the same anyway?

my point is I get a little sick of "vanilla" getting their undies in a twist because chocolate and strawberry wants to be in the ice cream tub as well.....Neopolitan is better than straight vanilla because it allows for more prefernces

and that "slipper slope" argument is bullshit....

[small/]dont know where the hell I went with that metaphor but whatever[/small]

Why the hell do we keep having these discussions about what is essentially the idea of quotation to bring in various minorities in games? I hate the idea of quotation, let the writers and developers do whatever they feel makes more sense for them and keep your god damn political agenda out of my entertainment and out of my art. If an artist or writer wants to make a political point, let them, but don't fucking talk about forcing them to fulfill some kind of diversity/political correctness-quota that they have to fulfill.

thats ther thing though...say an artist wants to make a story with a gay character but OH NO his financial backers say no because its "a risk" that doesn't have enough mass apeal..you that kind of

 

[Andy Shandy]

Obligatory Chang gif.

Anyway, personally I couldn't really care if there were more or less gay characters. What definitely shouldn't happen is just adding them in to be token gay characters. What I would like to see is more well-written straight and gay romances in gaming

 

[KingsGambit_v1legacy]

I don't particularly care to play a game about sexuality, which is the only real reason I can imagine having a specifically gay protagonist would be (ie. where their sexuality is an important element of the plot).

In Mass Effect 3, Jade Empire, DAII and perhaps a handful of others where a homosexual relationship is possible, I don't know if the OP's friend would consider these to be "sufficiently" gay protagonists, particularly as they are only what we allow them to be. In both cases, sexuality didn't define the protagonist (mostly because we did much of the defining ourselves) or play a role in the story.

If the sexuality is important, I personally wouldn't really want to play it, regardless of orientation. I'm not interested in a game about politics, gender issues/equality, sexuality, discrimination, race relations, etc. If it isn't important, then what difference does the protagonist's sexuality make?. That's not to say I wouldn't mind playing a game in which there are racists, homosexuals/homophobes, sexists or feminists, provided that it is background and flavour and not front-and-centre/driving the plot.

My question then is this. If a protagonist is established as gay at the very start of a game, but no mention or reference to such is made thereafter, nor is there anything about sexuality or even any relationships to pursue, what would the OP's friend say on that? And why would a protagonist need to be specifically gay and able to be decided by the player? It kinda makes it annoying for players who would prefer to play a straight protagonist.

 

[Vault101]

Gays and pedophiles are both minority sexualities. Its easy to compare them.

being gay is a far cry from paedophilia

one hurts people in horrific ways

one hurts NO ONE

I dont even really see homosexuality as stretching the norm that much anyway...much like how a straight couple might be into kinky BSDM rather than "straight up missionary"

You feel frightened by people who have a differant opinion? I never condemned gay people I just shrug. To my reasoning a sexual preferance is what you prefer to have intercourse with and often it isn't a choice. Some people are born gay, some develop it over time or just go through a phase. Just think its a bit odd that we advocate one group and are meant to do the 'right' thing and support them while condeming other minorities who share the same trait of being differant.

so you cant see the distinction between homosexuality and paedophilia? you cant see how one is harmless and the other isnt?

from your posts I'm getting a serious sense of "I see no problem therefore there is no problem" you've pretty much admitted your ignorance on the matter

 

[Baron_Rouge]

I'd also like some well written heterosexual characters, while we're at it. I mean, I know they exist, but they're few and far between, and I'd love some well written romances of both a heterosexual and homosexual nature.

On that note, Catherine is an amazing game!

 

[VeneratedWulfen93]

Gays and pedophiles are both minority sexualities. Its easy to compare them.

being gay is a far cry from paedophilia

one hurts people in horrific ways

one hurts NO ONE

I dont even really see homosexuality as stretching the norm that much anyway...much like how a straight couple might be into kinky BSDM rather than "straight up missionary"

I'm obviously not talking about predators and people who take advantage. In England 16 is the age of consent. What we consider legal is a crime to Americans. If love is not bound by gender then why should it be bound by age as well? I just nearly threw up. I don't believe in love as an emotion, I believe its a concept for stories and fairytails.

Back to being serious a girl in my class was 14 when she had a 19 year old boyfriend, nothing happened other than usual bullshit relationship arguments. No one got hurt. In fact she hung around with all the girl who were like that. I wouldn't call it common but the fact I'm trying to put across is that a sexual predator isn't the term for this. Nobody was harmed.

 

[mgirl]

No. I implied he was homophobic for comparing gays and transgender people to pedophiles, and saying that having homosexuality 'shoved in his face' in a video game would make him not buy a video game. He said nothing about how characters would be implemented, so I didn't infer that from his post.

Gays and pedophiles are both minority sexualities. Its easy to compare them.

Wow. That's just outright disgusting. I seriously have no words for that. Apart from, as a gay individual, how dare you compare relationships between consenting adults to the people who abuse and rape children.

 

[VeneratedWulfen93]

@mgirl See above post.

 

[Vault101]

I'm obviously not talking about predators and people who take advantage. In England 16 is the age of consent. What we consider legal is a crime to Americans. If love is not bound by gender then why should it be bound by age as well? I just nearly threw up. I don't believe in love as an emotion, I believe its a concept for stories and fairytails.

Back to being serious a girl in my class was 14 when she had a 19 year old boyfriend, nothing happened other than usual bullshit relationship arguments. No one got hurt. In fact she hung around with all the girl who were like that. I wouldn't call it common but the fact I'm trying to put across is that a sexual predator isn't the term for this. Nobody was harmed.

what?

ok...so your not talking about paedophiles now?...your talking about relationships with reasonably large age differences?...heres a newsflash for you

1. they exist

2. they are not the same as peadophelia (were talking about adults..not children)

3. as much as some might raise their eyebrows they harm no one

Wow. That's just outright disgusting. I seriously have no words for that. Apart from, as a gay individual, how dare you compare relationships between consenting adults to the people who abuse and rape children.

actually what he just said

ummmm...yeah I don't get it eather

 

[mgirl]

@mgirl See above post.

No, I'm sorry, the very second you describe pedophilia as a legitimate sexual preferance, when, by definition they are the people who prey on children, you have no argument, and no crediblity, and you've annoyed me considerably. I'm absolutely sick of people comparing what I AM to rapists.

 

[Soxafloppin]

Another thing is that many lead characters sexuality is never defined or proved..therefore we assume that they're straight.

I'l be honest though..I'm stuck to think of a well written gay/lesbian character.

 

[VeneratedWulfen93]

I'm obviously not talking about predators and people who take advantage. In England 16 is the age of consent. What we consider legal is a crime to Americans. If love is not bound by gender then why should it be bound by age as well? I just nearly threw up. I don't believe in love as an emotion, I believe its a concept for stories and fairytails.

Back to being serious a girl in my class was 14 when she had a 19 year old boyfriend, nothing happened other than usual bullshit relationship arguments. No one got hurt. In fact she hung around with all the girl who were like that. I wouldn't call it common but the fact I'm trying to put across is that a sexual predator isn't the term for this. Nobody was harmed.

what?

ok...so your not talking about paedophiles now?...your talking about relationships with reasonably large age differences?...heres a newsflash for you

1. they exist

2. they are not the same as peadophelia (were talking about adults..not children)

3. as much as some might raise their eyebrows they harm no one

Okay my comments were hurtful, I kinda meant for it to be because I'm a bit of a hateful prick. However I still want an answer to this resolved. People are born gay, can discover they are gay or move through a phase. They are called gay. people could be born a paedophile, discover they are one or move through a phase and these people are hated and abused rather than given the means to reform themselves. If its a sickness cure it, just remember that people once considered being gay an illness.

@mgirl It was my ignorance that caused that. I was unaware that paedophiles had to rape or whatever. I believed it was just the term for having sex with an under-age partner.

 

[Pegghead]

Personally I think that putting more LGBT characters into games could do a lot of good for the world. Considering how widely the medium's loved (especially by younger generations) if more of these characters could be subtly worked into games then it could go well towards making such a thing just another part of life.

Obviously even heterosexual relationships aren't too well done in games at the moment, but they wouldn't have to be overt, or shoe-horned in, or jarring with the rest of the world. Implement these characters in subtle ways, like Arcade Gannon: wise-ass, good at seeing things as they are, bloke with a rough past, man caught up trying to do a little bit of good in a world where that shit doesn't fly...and he likes men.