BioWare Explains Why There's No Homosexuality in Mass Effect 2

[Doc Cannon]

Actually the "third-person narrative" explanation is the one I can understand the most. It's like asking a writer why the character in his novel isn't gay.

Which would make more sense if they didn't tout choice as one of the major options in both games. I get that the conversation wheel isn't truly a roleplaying element, but it was marketed as such. You can't have it both ways, arguing the freedom of the player and the sanctity of the narrative.

Maybe you are right, but then again, if I wanted to play a depressive character, I can't. They didn't include the dialogue options to make my character a nervous wreck who blames himself over the death of you-know-who in ME1.

Choice is an important matter in Mass Effect, how you play your Shepard is of great importance. But the other characters are already written and their personalities established, so maybe the writers didn't come up with a gay male character, or they didn't intend to come up with any gay characters at all (but the asari got in there somehow).

I mean, yes, it might seem arbitrary, but I really think that if the notion of "lesbians are hot" didn't exist, there wouldn't be any kind of gay relationships in the Mass Effect universe.

And I'd prefer no gay characters to something like Zevran. He was disgusting (judging him by his morals and attitude). They could have done such a good job there... but that's not the point.

 

[Trebort]

i mean it's not like a gay guy'll have sex with any man is it?

EDIT: let's be honest, default shepard with scars looks like someone glued a thunderbirds puppet back together out of fragments. would you? really?

Yes... Yes I would.

 

[thirdsonsaburo]

Seconded! If there are two disappointing things for me in life, they are lack of freedom to snog other dudes, and fewer krogans to be in my party.

 

[Dertex]

Could someone explain to me why it's such a big deal that there's no homosexuality in the game?

I mean, Kratos doesn't do gay but no one complains. Master Chief doesn't do gay but no one complains. Ezio Auditore doesn't do gay but no one complains. I could go on for a while..

If no one minds that, then why is Shepard such a big deal? Very confusing.

 

[Warped_Ghost]

They probably didn't do it because of all the flak they had to put up with over the "lesbian" part in mass effect 1.

 

[WhiteTiger225]

Complete bull shit. If they had a vision for the Commander they shouldn't have let you customize her. She is supposed to be a BLANK SLATE. Bastards. I can't believe they would throw us out to the cold. I feel so sorry for homosexual males who play this game. I was heartbroken when all I got was a peck from Liara. Honestly, it was in the first game. I can't believe they'd change it. Disgusting.

This is, right here, an example of why I don't buy into equality movements. Equality movements (No longer) are about equality, but instead, are a dictatorial movement simply looking to take control.

Look at Femmenists now-a-days. During a sex scene in a movie, the man is on top, so obviously (To them) the movie see's women as less. But if the WOMAN was on top, and you pointed out that in this case, it is not equality, but SHE that is controlling the situation, suddenly you are a chauvinistic pig.

Same goes for the Gay Rights movements. It is starting to turn into what the women rights movement has turned into. Not EVERY FUCKING CHARACTER has to be GAY OR BI. Not EVERY GAME, MOVE, OR BOOK HAS TO INCLUDE GAY OR BI CHARACTERS.

Like the commenter that I am quoting, it seems many are starting to want NOT equal rights, but instead domination, FORCING people to HAVE to have gay or bi cast in their movie, game, or book or else they are being "Intolerant".

I am half expecting next "Why is there only a Black MAN? Why can't there be a Black WOMAN in the crew?"

Seriously people. Get off your cross, and use that wood to build a bridge and GET OVER IT!

ok i see your point but shepard is meant to be your shepard and if you want to be gay you should be alloed to be gay. you comment would make sence in a liner game but in a game which prides itself on choise it is just strange to leve homosexlity out.

Why can't I get myself humped by one of those Krogan dogs? Why can't I do it with Jacob's father on that planet!? Why? Well I don't know, guess since they didn't include it they are anti mature porn, and anti beastiality so therefore let US REBEL!

Garrus hasn't shown gay intentions. Morridin while a bit femmey, has yet to show gay intentions. Jacob seems like the typical ladies man, I pick up no gay or bi vibes from him. Joker seems more like a high school boy, the most you'd get out of him gay wise is a drunk night that ruins your friendship. The engineer seems pretty straight (And into his co-engineer). Thane had a wife and kids, and maybe his religion forbids gayness, or maybe he is just straight. Zaeed screams straight (Though very understanding, the kind of father a kid would be okay with telling that he was gay).
So no... there is no gay characters in the main cast for you to be gay with. There are 2 BI females (Jack and Kelly) but really, Statistically speaking, women are more willing to experiment then men are at a 3-1 ratio. Not to mention jack never mentions if she LIKED her experiment or not, or if she just did it because she could. (Like everything else she did in her past)

So, with that out of the way, what character would you go gay for if there is no really Gay or Bi characters save for your Aid, Kelly?

Also, shepard is not you, but a controllable character. If he was you, you would have options to betray the migrant fleet to the geth, and to offer your aid to the reapers and be evil. There is no good or evil option. Just Chaotic Neutral, or Lawful good. You are playing John Sheridan from Babylon 5, or Dirty Harry, or a skewed, psychotic mixup of the two. Basically, you are leading shepard along by a leash, rather then actually piloting him.

EDIT: Sorry for the long response time. The pollen count here is so high it is like a fog and I now have a HUGE sinus infection/headache.

 

[F8L Fool]

Not good enough, Bioware. You could be a lesbian before! And then CARRY OVER YOUR LESBIAN!

Heh I was going to touch on that myself.

They definitely went for the easy and PC approach to the question. But hey, it says a lot that gaming has come to the point that we are actually asking questions like, "Where is the homosexual stuff at??

I think it says a lot for how far we've come in the acceptance of different beliefs.

 

[Dorian6]

Alright, I didn't really care one way or another. But I can understand what they're saying.

Mass Effect isn't the kind of game where you get to decide the character's personality and basically make him however you want. Despite being able to choose his upbringing and one life-defining past event, Shepherd, whether paragon, renegade, or somewhere in between, has his own personal image and defining characteristics.

His being gay wasn't a part of their idea for him,and I feel like crow-baring in a bromantic love scene in order to appease any homosexual players would have felt unreal and distracting.

But, like I said, I honestly didn't care that you couldn't pursue a relationship with Garrus, Not every protagonist needs to have sex with the one gay character in the game .

And as I've stated in a previous post, "Wrex bending Shepherd over a cargo crate is an image that I will never be able to un-see"

 

[SenseOfTumour]

Again surely it could be a case of there's a gay character who's not a flaming 'Will & Grace' glittery rollerblades stereotype.

There must be characters in ME2 that don't get involved romantically. They're ALL gay. Glad to help.

Honestly, do we need a DDR 'Abba' licensed nightclub minigame in ME to make sure people know there's homosexuals in the future?

Yes, I'm playing on stereotypes, but damn, it's quite possible to share an office with people and not find out their sexual preferences, can we not offer characters in a videogame the same?

 

[Johnnyallstar]

This made me sad. In the first game, my dude was straight, mostly good guy, and my chick was a hardass lesbian *****. In the second, my dude was a straight, mostly good guy, and my chick was just a hardass *****.

Felt incomplete : \

 

[DarkDain]

Holy. Crap. people are whining that there are no gays in this game? even though there were in a different game? And somehow they feel entitled thats its only FAIR and POLITICALLY CORRECT to have them in the rest of their games? I'm starting to hate gays, this is sick, stop trying to make the world get down on its knees for your life style, this is even worse than the people who play these games for sex.

 

[Soxafloppin]

I really don't see whats wrong with not having homosexuality in a game.

I mean it's not like there first game to leave that out.

 

[SW9]

im glad they left it out imho

 

[Danial]

I still think one of the main reasons is The Daily mail/Fox crowd, when it comes to Man on Man they tend to get more angry then girl on girl.

 

[rium125]

Bioware, hi.

I haven't bought Mass Effect 2 for two reasons:

1) No Wrex in the party (IN THE PARTY, everyone I mention this to says "but he's in the game")

2) No gaying it up with Garrus.

So yeah.

But mainly lack of Wrex.

i agree with 1. but anyway, Bioware i've played through mass effect2 3 times now and while i can't say i would desire and homosexual relationship (exept maybey Tali ) the fact that you put them in dragon age means that you've raised the bar on this sort of thing and now players expect more of you, don't be inconsistant!

 

[standokan]

what about pokemon +3+, just kidding, they weren´t homophobic but just too lazy. standokan out

 

[Dogmeat T Dingo]

I'm in the GLBT community and I happily accept the explanation. It's not a game where you create your own character, so they're going by a concept of what they think the character should be like. You can't or rather shouldn't expect them to change their character concept in the name of political correctness.

 

[tikalal]

Bioware have designed Shepard a certain way. He's your Shepard in a way, but he's still Shepard. It's an odd situation that most gamers probably aren't used to; they're used to a character that is either completely canon or completely theirs, and Mass Effect 2 strikes a balance right in the middle.

Long story short, Bioware is welcome to create whatever damn characters they want. If you don't like it, just accept that this game has a style that you don't completely like. There are plenty of other games with your style, one of them coming from the same developer (Dragon Age).

This isn't a matter of tolerance or inclusion, it's a matter of artistic freedom and style of storytelling.

 

[Jesus Phish]

I find it acceptable if they dont want Commander Shepard to be able to be gay. I can understand people being annoyed at the fact Bioware wont let them make that choice, since it was in Dragon Age, and ME1 if you played Femshep.

However femshep isn't the face of the game and if Bioware want Shepard to be forcefully straight, I don't have any issue with that. He's their character. The relationship part of Mass Effect 2 wasn't done nearly as well as it was in the first or in Dragon Age anyway.