Poll: Would you play a game where the main character was gay?

[Dimbo_Sama]

Does it matter? No.

I would, because I don't care about someone's sexual orientation

I mean, it matters if I'm trying to hit that. But I'm not gonna give two shits if someone's gay.

It's all the same thing. I think we should be past this by now.

 

[HentMas]

well... Yoshi is a girl

so yeah I don't care as long as the game is good

 

[ryuutchi]

What's wrong with that? Heterosexuality is technically the way we're naturally wired. You seem to be saying that making the assumption a character is heterosexual when no indication is given either way is some sort of discrimination. I hope you aren't saying that, because that's just sensationalism. It's looking for bigotry where there is none. Look at, say, Altair from Assassin's Creed. No mention of any love interest, no mention of sexuality. What do you assume he is? Straight or gay?

The answer is: It doesn't matter. Which ever you assume or choose doesn't change anything about the dynamic of the game, or his character.

Ain't the way I'm wired. And yes, the automatic assumption is that Altair is straight. Why? Because as a general rule, the automatic assumption is that everyone is straight.

And if it doesn't change the dynamic of a game, why would it make a difference to you if a game where the main character has a relationship that's tangential to the plot (or, hell, important to the plot) is gay? Shouldn't it, in that case simply BE? It's not changing the dynamic, so why is everyone flailing about it's only okay if the homosexuality matters, or if it's never ever ever mentioned.

This isn't some big discriminatory LAN party. Lack of gay characters in the gaming world isn't indicative of a big anti-gay cover up to exclude them from games and gaming culture. Not everyone is out to 'get the gays'.
Who cares if sexuality is in a game or not? If it is there, I would just hope that it would be done well and not as a marketing ploy. If it's sex and sexuality for the sake of itself, then gay or straight, it's useless, pointless, and there merely to shock people and/or grab their attention.

LOL N00B to aversive prejudice. Just because someone's attitude isn't characterized by aggressive hatred and discrimination doesn't mean the discrimination isn't taking place.

Also, it matters to me. It matters to other gay gamers. It matters to gamers who would like to see a different relationship model than "active man/passive woman". You know, people who'd like to see new things, and to see their games utilize the diversity of human experience while they kill aliens.

 

[brodie21]

if it was someone who went to where they celebrate the deaths of american soldiers because the US doesnt kill all the gays and kills them all in horrific yet hilarious ways.

 

[Amanov]

As long as it doesn't become the sole focus of the game then no, I don't mind.

Also as long as it doesn't impact the game too much, for example I would find playing a gay male character as camp as Alan Carr or Gok Wan in a shooter pretty odd simply because that kind of personality just wouldn't mix well with violence.

Plus I can imagine the in-game dialogue as you gain a headshot "OOH DUCKY!" would be rather annoying after a while

 

[AlexanderZero]

Also, it matters to me. It matters to other gay gamers. It matters to gamers who would like to see a different relationship model than "active man/passive woman". You know, people who'd like to see new things, and to see their games utilize the diversity of human experience while they kill aliens.

True enough. Straight people naturally don't notice, but homosexuals get almost no honest representation in any form of media. It's either the drag queen or the rapist.

 

[NihilCredo]

I was looking at Yahtzee and saw this headline in the sidebar: Poll: Would you play a game where the main charac

I thought, "Hmm, I bet it's about having a gay protagonist!". Lo and behold, the forums did not fail to disappoint.*


[small]*double negative intended[/small]

 

[Branovices]

I'd play a game with a gay main character, sure... I'd -buy- a game just because it has a gay male main character. Voting with your dollars and all that.

 

[Word Salad]

Of course I would...and I have! I happen to be a big Final Fantasy/JRPG fan. The main characters usually are gay.....

Of course, I jest, but you get my point.

 

[Atvomat_Nikonov]

I chose other: As long as they arent an incredibly camp gay, it would make no difference to me. I wont play a game if I dont like the main character, and I personally can't stand camp people. They just irritate me.
To clarify: yes, aslong as they aren't camp.

 

[Baby Tea]

Ain't the way I'm wired. And yes, the automatic assumption is that Altair is straight. Why? Because as a general rule, the automatic assumption is that everyone is straight.

The assumption of heterosexuality isn't some veiled discrimination. If that's the case, and you assume that unspecified sexuality automatically equals heterosexuality, then you'd be discriminatory against yourself. Seems pretty silly. Again, it doesn't matter.

LOL N00B to aversive prejudice. Just because someone's attitude isn't characterized by aggressive hatred and discrimination doesn't mean the discrimination isn't taking place.

Yeah, you're right. Everyone is out to get you. Better start getting upset over phantom discrimination.

Also, it matters to me. It matters to other gay gamers. It matters to gamers who would like to see a different relationship model than "active man/passive woman". You know, people who'd like to see new things, and to see their games utilize the diversity of human experience while they kill aliens.

Well not everyone either wants, or cares, about it as much as you. And you seem to be in the minority. Most of the posts on this thread are people saying 'who cares?', and I'm not sure that's localized to the Escapist. If people aren't calling for it, why would the developer even care to implement it? Certain games leave the option open (Fable 2, Sims, etc), but if you're looking for a homosexual narrative, then you're looking for a niche story or protagonist that people aren't screaming out for, and that not everyone can relate to.
And that's not discrimination.
It's just not a big deal to the majority of the market.

 

[OrenjiJusu]

As long as the character in question kicks ass it doesn't matter in the slightest. fallout 2 is an example of this, you can make your character into anything you want...including a porn star/power armoured sado-masochistic super soldier.......where was i going with this again?.....ah yes, it could only matter to me if the character is camp...because im pretty sure that dulls combat efficiency.

 

[peel15]

i think this already happend http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-te_jTkmVKo

 

[hcig]

oh joy, yet another thread created for the sole purpose of inciting flamewars

if this is not the case, you must admit you are friggin retarded.

stop trying to create controversy on these forums, you assholes

 

[The Great JT]

I would say yes and no. Yes if the story is good and the character's interaction with other characters is tasteful and the homosexuality of the character isn't forced or giving in to stereotypes. No if it's the opposite of the aformentioned.

 

[Benny Blanco]

What does it matter? Given how tame even the most reputedly "sexually explicit" games (GTA:SA; Mass Effect) are, it's not like the programmers are likely to force you to watch your hero tossing his love interest's salad... Unless there's an explosion of Yaoi games in the next decade, I don't think any computer game is going to feature any content that would offend the heterosexual majority, simply because in demographic terms, homosexuals are a minority.

 

[hcig]

I would say yes and no. Yes if the story is good and the character's interaction with other characters is tasteful and the homosexuality of the character isn't forced or giving in to stereotypes. No if it's the opposite of the aformentioned.

i think weve covered that, sparkle fags are tottaly annoying, but dont act like its some stereotype a bunch of manly men in a room made up to prove how gay gays are.

go to the gay bay, and find me one who isnt sickeningly colorful. if its a stereotype, its one they themselves created through shit like the pride parade

 

[ryuutchi]

The assumption of heterosexuality isn't some veiled discrimination. If that's the case, and you assume that unspecified sexuality automatically equals heterosexuality, then you'd be discriminatory against yourself. Seems pretty silly. Again, it doesn't matter.

Internalized prejudice is exceedingly common. That's not really news. That said, our culture is heteronormative-- which is, yes, discriminatory. It supports the idea that heterosexuality is the only sexuality, the only one that's normal, the only one that's okay. And the minimizing and aversion to openly gay heros is part of that.

Yeah, you're right. Everyone is out to get you. Better start getting upset over phantom discrimination.

GRATE N00BLY B00BLY!

(Aversive prejudice: Consciously knowing, and/or professing, that all people are equal, yet subconsciously treating and judging some groups (races, genders, ethnicities) differently.)

Well not everyone either wants, or cares, about it as much as you. And you seem to be in the minority. Most of the posts on this thread are people saying 'who cares?', and I'm not sure that's localized to the Escapist. If people aren't calling for it, why would the developer even care to implement it?

Because it's an interesting twist on an old story. Or a new story to be told. Or just because gay people exist and why shouldn't you? I mean, the main character in Portal is a Black woman-- it doesn't affect the gameplay, and neither did Mirror's Edge having an Asian women as a main character; so why do that? Because you can. Because people other than straight white guys exist, and it would be nice to have them represented the same way a straight white guy characters are represented.

Hell, who knows. Maybe representing more than just straight white guys in video games might lead to people other than straight white guys playing them.