APPARENTLY … The reason video gaming hasn’t yet seen a title with a “fully realized” leading gay character is because, according to video game designer and Sex in Video Games author Brenda Brathwaite, “most straight developers, including myself, [don’t] know what gay men and women want in a video game” — and not because gaming remains an industry plagued by tolerated homophobia. Walk into the offices of a company like Electronic Arts and count the number of times you hear “fag” and “that’s gay” in 10 minutes. Or: Count how many out developers they employ, ’cause the number might just rhyme with “hero.”
apparently
It’s Naïveté, Not Rampant Industry Homophobia, That’s Keeping Leading Gay Characters Out of Video Games
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Mr. Enemabag Jones
Has it ever occured to Ms. Brathwaite and her het counterparts that what queers want in gaming are the same things hets want? Of course not, that’s too logical. Just another excuse for doing nothing.
Serena Yates
I would be more than happy to work with any game developers who want to listen about making video games attractive to gays. So would many other authors of m/m romance! We’ve got the imagination and the knowledge what appeals – just come and ask!
oa
Naiveté
SteamPunk
They could always just ask the Gay Gamer: “For boys who like boys who like joysticks and girls who like girls who like rumble pads.”
http://gaygamer.net
DeAnimator
Yeah, what could we possibly want? Uhm…video games? The same exact video game except with a queer lead. That’s it. Not, flannel mania 2, not raver 3…just normal games.
Sure there is not homophobia in the gaming industry. That’s why she gets to make this comment and ignore her own privilege.
What would it even mean?
What would it even mean to have a “gay lead” in a video game? What possible difference would it make?
Quinn
@What would it even mean?:
Representation.
M Shane
It’s entertainment. Most of those things I have seen are a sexual and have women and men killing each other . Also not unlike films, where we most often see a male female “love” angle they are just following suit . They probably wouldn’t want to have a hero stopping off by a tree for a BJ. as a reward. Better a kiss from the pretty girl . The Christian parents wouldn’t like it-don’t forget that breeders are the best customers for those things.
furryalchemist
The idea of a main gay character means to me?
Hmm… not too difficult of a question, but I will try to keep it simple.
A lead would mean a step towards equality in sexual preference in the video game industry. I wouldnt be asking for every game to have the gay option, but to have a game now and then have the option to create a character who choses the best friend or friendly rival as a love intrest instead of the local maiden or princess.
I know it seems silly, but to be honest. Many gamers look to games as way to seperate themselves from the real world, and the very same like to see some of themselves in the characters they play as. If you notice even with the hetero relationships there isnt any actual sex, just suggestions and inuendos. That is what many are concerned with.
So, to sum up, I wouldnt mind seeing a character in which the gamer could make them choose which gender they prefer. Just having that option would bring in the growing population of gay gamers out there.
Rick
In Dragon Age Origins, fantasy RPG launched november 2009 for PC, PS3 and XBOX360, the player’s character can have sexual relations with another man and/or another woman, and the relationship can evolve to a romance. The players can enjoy it with R-rated scenes.