We love it when video games incorporate LGBT elements into their games, and why wouldn’t we? There are tons of gay gamers who deserve a little representation in the games they play, and even more straight ones who might benefit from some subtle exposure to gay people (even if they are of the digital variety) as they go about killing dragons or aliens or whatever it is they do.
But do the big gaming producers have a responsibility to include gay content? That’s the question posed in the latest PBS Digital Studios Gaming Show, and the answer is a resounding “yes” according to host Jamin Warren.
Here are a few of his more compelling points:
- “Having a fully realized gay character is only fair. Think about all the gay players who are forced to play straight roles in every single game.
- “Representation in media for a wide range of sexuality and gender issues is valuable, because it gives the LGBT community characters that they can relate to.”
- “Even if you’re not gay, the inclusion of gay characters just makes games better. One of the biggest strengths of video games as a medium is that they allow you to try on distinct roles that are different from you in real life.”
- “Experiencing empathy involves simulating the experiences of others in our neural circuits.”
Watch the episode here:
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Ladbrook
Well, the only game I play is Words With Friends on my phone (obsessively) so I can’t comment on how “important” it is to have gay characters in games, but sure…whatever.
As someone who followed the Gamergate controversy (google it) over the past several months, I’ve learned that hardcore gamers tend to care very very little about equality, representation, identity politics, etc etc. They care ONLY about one thing: “How much fun is this game compared to all the others?” The gaming industry took note and backed off, so I’m not sure how successful the social justice crowd will be in their quest to bring equality to gamers and their couches.
Gruffling
He’s a bit late to the party. Bioware had overtly gay and lesbian characters years ago.
Even as early as 2007 in Mass Effect 1 where the protagonist’s same sex romance lines were recorded (albeit for back-up data) and was accessible if you knew what to do. It makes some of the dialogue flags wonky but later in 2012 when same sex romances were ‘officially’ introduced (with the exception of a genderless alien who outwardly resembles a female) a line of dialogue was wrote in especially to acknowledge people who used the m/m same sex romance trick in the first game. With this in mind given the branching dialogue system it is possible for said romance interest to be a straight, bi, or gay man. Much to the chagrin of hardcore fans who are adamant he can’t be gay but that’s a whole other story.
And this looks only at Bioware. The Mothership Zeta DLC to Fallout 3 released in 2009 features a character who is smitten with the protagonist regardless of what gender you’re playing as and later in 2010 overtly gay and lesbian characters were introduced as prominent and arguably essential parts of the story in Fallout: New Vegas.
For NPC’s an overt sexuality is usually more important however the proof with Kaidan Alenko from my completely bias standpoint is that the ability to mould a characters sexuality can really change the impact the story has for different people which in the case of RPGs really should be the entire point of the game.
However for protagonists I’m a lot more in favour of blank slates. The ability to choose the gender, race and sexuality of your own character is just so much more engaging when so many set protagonists and dull carbon copies of the same formula. It allows a story to become more personal, the interactive movie formula can work extremely well but you need a good writing team. This is assuming said game even cares about the story.
I disagree about straight people should try out gay characters. Why? I mean the option is certainly there but you want to bring in elements of a character you can identify with for greatest immersion. I mean saying gay people should try out straight characters is the same thing but has a much different response when you say it.
I have a gay gaming channel so this is a topic of interest to me. Yeah, I’m a geek.
level75RDM
@Ladbrook: “Well, the only game I play is Words With Friends on my phone (obsessively) so I can’t comment on how “important” it is to have gay characters in games, but sure…whatever.”
About as important as it is for there to be gay characters on TV or in the movies. Video games are just about as mainstream as any other form of media these days. I don’t think anybody is asking for sex scenes between Peach and Rosalina. But, at the very least when part of the pitch of a game is to be a theatrical experience, I’d say yes. Hell, they’ve even managed to include gay NPCs in “Pokemon” games lately. I think it’s a great thing when developers are willing to make sure every corner of their fanbase is acknowledged, even if it is a minority.
barkomatic
There are a handful of examples of gay characters in games, but the overwhelming majority of console games often feature hyper sexualized straight characters. They are all designed for insecure, horny straight male kids and adults who have no other outlet. The big companies know that if they put a gay character in a game–or worse–a gay character in a sexual situation — that they’d be taking a risk. Gamers are generally not interested in social justice or fairness–just compelling games and lots of boobs.
Paco
I don’t see the point of RPGs that don’t allow you to create your own character and choose who or what you want to be. I lose interest quickly in games that don’t allow me that freedom to choose and forces me into someone else’s story and character. I don’t object to NPCs being available to those that want to play and explore a certain sexuality, but don’t predefine a player’s character for them. A blank slate is my preference too.
I don’t think most players choose characters to gain any empathy for gay elves or anything for that matter. Unless the focus of the story is about the plight of the gays, I don’t see how simply playing a gay character is going to generate much empathy or hold someone’s interest for very long when they really want to be chasing after the scantily clad female warrior while they are busy leveling their character and progressing through the game.
little Alex
Which game is the upper right picture from? The one with the black guy and the white dude?
Persa
@little Alex: It’s not a “black guy” he’s an Elf. The game is Bioware, Dragon Age.
Kieru
I love the idea of a more inclusive game… but how do you as a developer account for the spectrum of LGBTQIA and whatever other letter of the alphabet we’ve added to our community this year? That isn’t meant to be as snarky as it sounds… but let’s consider:
– Allow a character to identify and interact with the world as Straight
– Allow a character to identify and interact with the world as Gay
– Allow a character to identify and interact with the world as Lesbian
– Allow a character to identify and interact with the world as Bisexual
– Allow a character to identify and interact with the world as Transgender
– Allow a character to identify and interact with the world as Intersex
– Allow a character to identify and interact with the world as Asexual
– Allow a character to identify and interact with the world as Queer
That’s a lot of extra coding, accounting for proper pronoun usage, proper flirtation options and other appropriate dialogues. And even then we’re still missing Pansexual representation. And the moment one of these letters is included into a game but others are not? You’re going to see people rage on the internet with phrases like “Bisexual Erasure” or “Trans Invisibility”
… so serious question; at what point is it just not worth it to even TRY when failure to be absolutely inclusive of every nuanced gender or sexual identity is seen as being X-phobic?
Mykaels
@Ladbrook: “Well, the only game I play is Words With Friends on my phone (obsessively) so I can’t comment on how “important” it is to have gay characters in games, but sure…whatever.”
Allow me to add to what level75RDM wrote: there are millions of us out there whose only ‘medium’ for entertainment is video games. I watch MAYBE 5 hours a month of TV, and I am not alone. There is just nothing new, or different, or interesting, on TV anymore. Plus, most of what I watch falls into the genre of A Haunting, Ghost Adventures, etc. Nevermind the paranormal genre, but many people just dont watch comedy/dramas anymore like Glee, How to get away with murder, how I met your mother, ETC. They watch biggest loser, greatest catch, bachelor, etc. So even adding gay content into dramas and comedies do not reach everyone. So adding gay content to video games further reaches an audience that otherwise would never be reached.
Also, to add to the article, what was so significant about last year was the TYPE of gay content. Writers, developers, and producers are moving away from many of the stereotypes, both character and story. I am soooo done with the “coming out hardship” storyline. I want to see fully realized gay characters, secure in their sexuality, and living life. Sure, throw in some “coming to terms” storylines for those that still need it, but also showing confident secure gays living their lives I think is just as important, if not more important as a message.
Next, content needs to evolve from the “they are not homosexual, bisexual, or heterosexual, but yousexual” to fully realized sexualities. Bioware toyed with this idea for Dragon Age 1 & 2 and Mass Effect 1 & 2, where characters were either straight or bisexual, and even then, not really bisexual but just interested in you, whatever you are. YES, I know this was a transitional period, but we have moved on. See: DA:I. You may really like this person, you may think they rock, but guess what, they are gay. You want to romance them, you got to be gay, or just enjoy their friendship. Just like in real life. I wanted so badly to romance Cullen, so guess what, I am having to play a female character. It is… different, but enlightening, and that’s the point.
level75RDM
@little Alex: To be fair, in the game’s world, Zevran is Antivan, which means he’s meant to have more Italian features. The series didn’t have its first true colored character until “Inquisition,” with characters like Ser Barris or Vivienne. That doesn’t take away from the fact “Dragon Age” openly tackles racism, of course.
I think it’s a problem that Bioware seems to be the only developer ahead on this issue though, especially since so many other things about them as game developer are problematic. Games like “Skyrim” or “Pokemon” place the onus on players to project themselves simply by leaving backstories and preferences of the main characters vague.
And most games aren’t so choice driven- “The Last of Us” has a gay character. And I, for one, think there are more gay characters than people believe. They’re not just openly gay or their sexuality simply never comes up. We take it for granted a character is straight when nothing in the game outright says that.
@Mykaels: I’m in the same boat. I hardly watch TV. I do, however, play a lot of video games. The first time I came out to people was actually on the MMORPG, “Final Fantasy XI.” That was back when the game did not allow for same-sex marriage between characters. It took them until their reboot of XIV, “A Realm Reborn” to finally get around on that issue, but I’m happy to see they finally did, even if I no longer play “A Realm Reborn.”