Gay Characters in Videogames

Yes. I'm a big fan of role-playing games that allow a player to create their own character and make important independent choices that affect the outcome of the game including relationships/love interests. Mass Effect will always be one of my favorite for this reason.

 

For starters, my BS meter went off the charts after watching this Broken Gamez rant/video. His bitching regarding UBIsoft adding a trans character to the Assassin Creed franchise, seemed more like a weak excuse for him to mask his own ignorance. I'm not denying that he didn't have any valid points, but the fact that this Broken Gamez cat is so pressed because a game character's gender identity doesn't effect the "gameplay element or story" is laughable to me.

*NEWS FLASH*

Adding a LGBTQ character to a gaming experience, does not require the gameplay nor the story to revolve around the character's gender or sexual identity (this also applies to any other under represented group in mainstream media). Lets be clear, its important to include the narrative of minority groups in media, but its not required for all occassions.

For example, would you prefer Jax in Mortal Kombat X to scream out "Black Lives Matter" everytime you select his character (which could be kinda awesome) or to have Lara Croft changing her tampon while exploring a tomb in Tomb Raider. The same applies in film/television, just because you have a black gay lead, the story doesn't have to follow four gay besties looking for dick/love in ATL, NYC, LA, etc (something that has been echoed on Cypher Avenue often).

The power of representation is beneficial in many forms. Sometimes its reflected by providing a detail journey of a under represented narrative. Yet at times it's also shared by having a dope ass LGBTQ hero, without chaining them to their gender/sexual identity (just like your common heterosexual hero)

Also in regards to UBIsoft pandering/profiting off the LGBT movement, by adding a trans character in Assassin Creed Syndicate. Well lets not act like major game studios haven't pimped out horny heterosxual gamers, by marketing big guns and bigger titties in gaming since the Atari era (with no major complaints). So lets not have a fucking tantrum, because trans gamers are finally getting some visibility, in this hyper-heterosexual gaming world.

Anyway, back to your intial question Cypher21. Yes, I would like to see more LGBTQ characters in gaming.

 

While we're on the subject, I'll curious how you feel about.....

 

I'm all for more representation. I just don't want that to be what the character's purpose is. Mass Effect did a great job with that (and the male Shepard/Kaiden romance was awesome.) Dragon Age is a little more preachy but Western rpgs are great precisely because they're beginning to offer more choice.

 

Agreed. Not sure how I feel about revisioning black comic book characters as lgbt. There not really many black st8 comic characters to begin with. Would it be better to create entirely new black lgbt characters? Honestly, I can't think of any (black lgbt characters) that already exist. Of course, on the flip side, Mr Terrific was never a really a really popular character and his New 52 series was canceled do to low sales, I'm sure st8 Black America will still take offense.

 

Meant to say: I can't think of any black MALE lgbt comic book heroes that exist.

 

Prodigy, who had the mutant power to assimilate the knowledge and talents of anyone near him is bisexual.

He lost his powers but was able to retain all the knowledge he gained. Before Marvel's universe "ended" he was a Young Avenger. Now, I'm not sure if he even exists, especially since they're killing off most of the mutants.

 

Him hot. Here is my Shep.




I love Mass Effect. I played through the game straight, 'omni sexual', and gay. I liked the variety and that you have choice. Cortez and Shep are hot together for real. That part towards the end in ME3 where Cortez yelled.......damn. Kaiden was good two but I liked the Cortez relationship more.

What was disappointing to me is the new Dragon Age game. The guy I want to date in the game and the way the game is on rails, they make it painfully clear that he's a top and your character looks like a power bottom. I just can't relate. I wish they would have made it ambiguous as far as 'positions' go. Oh well. Just can't date him.

 

You didn't want to ride the Bull?

I agree, though. They were a little too specific with the characters and the roles they played.

 

Hey....I'd have no problem with that but if he wasn't tryna toot up too, it wasn't gonna happen. I need my dudes full functional. Lol

 

He said that LMAO

But wait though...I could have sworn they said for the last game it was to much of a hassle to add a female character. Due to something with design time etc. So they just gonna say fuk it and add a what "female to male" transginger? Is this a way to appease or something?

 

Unity's female avatars likely required more effort. They would have had to create and animate multiple female avatars for the co-op missions. This time, there are no co-op missions and there's only a single transgender character, and he's likely minor.

Ubisoft might be full of it and covering its ass but, considering Unity's infamous technical issues at launch, it seems that there wasn't even enough time to properly check the game for bugs. Or they figured that the glitches would be masked by the art design and graphics and could be patched later. Sometimes companies get away with it (I hear that Bethesda games were often buggier on PS3, but reviews rarely mentioned any discrepancies between the versions), but I think franchise fatigue made reviewers less lenient.

 

It would be cool to see more gays in games. It would be cool for games to be more diverse, in general. I don't think there will be many token gays added. The mainstream audience that companies seek for their increasingly expensive productions is still fairly conservative, so companies that add them will probably either make an honest effort or just exclude them entirely. And I doubt they'll be used for comic relief in present times when such a depiction could spark an online backlash and social justice campaign. The most recent comical gay character that I recall is lisping, flamboyant Makoto in fairly obscure 2006 JRPG Enchanted Arms, who's depiction seems cartoonish.



I don't think we'll see many gay mains for some time, and we're more likely to initially see them in indie games. The big, story-driven, supposedly AAA games still have fairly little racial and gender diversity, likely to avoid alienating their audience. It's a gamble that they are only willing to take with a sure thing like GTA V and San Andreas, which still got plenty of online feedback from people who have no problem with being a murderous gangster or psychopath but can't relate to playing as a black guy from the hood.

We're seeing more companies add decent gay side characters like Naughty Dog with The Last of Us, and options like Nintendo's upcoming Fire Emblem Birthright/Conquest, so maybe it's a matter of time. Atlus included a trans supporting character in a recent game. Nintendo previously seemed to want to bury their head in the sand and ignore sexuality, but the pressure they received after Tomodachi Life seems to have pushed them to react.