Guest Editor's Note: Queer Eye for the Gamer Guy

[BehattedWanderer]

I like the idea of more representation in some games, though I'd be curious about the whole mute protagonist thing, as I'm not sure how that will play out. There wouldn't have to be a scene depicting anything more than subtle but obvious emotion (hand on the side of the face, those specific glances, maybe a kiss or so) with dialogue fit to match. It would be as meaningful as anything else in games (if not more so, really), with the added bonus of then going on with the story in the way desired. It really is time for gaming to grow up and develop more, maybe even go through that college experimental phase, following up with that perfect analogy.

I'd love to see a game that had a big, manly, space marine type character, where you killed lots of people and everything, and it's just mentioned nonchalantly like, halfway through that he's gay or whatever. It'd be interesting to see the reaction.

Or if their entire quest is to save "Ashley" and the first you see of Ashley is your manly guy kissing him at the very end of the game :3

That is a phenomenal idea, but I think it would go over better if you used a more neutral name, something fairly ambiguous, with no cutscenes of the partner, and never let him use a clarifier like he, she, him, her, etc. I think it would be a big step forward to see such a step in gaming, though I'd suggest putting in a big final sequence where the two of you have to work together to complete the goal, ie kill the boss, making it something you couldn't do on your own, something that required your lover to be there with you to do.

 

[LiquidGrape]

Anywho, when push comes to shove, I think we could all take a leaf out of Simone de Beauvoir's book:

"In itself, homosexuality is as limiting as heterosexuality: the ideal should be to be capable of loving a woman or a man; either, a human being, without feeling fear, restraint, or obligation."

Simone seems to presume that determinant physical attraction is something we choose. Maybe her quote resounds better in an era where people thought homosexuals were simply being difficult, or whatever such nonsense.

Beauvoir merely expressed an ideal. And an ideal as such isn't exactly required to take all factual and logical factors into account. But wouldn't you agree with the sentiment? That it would be a wonderful world in which people were capable of loving one another regardless of gender?

 

[TheNumber1Zero]

If people only play who they want to be, why do so many straight guys I know play as females on EVERY MMO they come across?

I think that was already covered a while ago, if i'm not mistaken.

 

[whaleswiththumbs]

He has a point, it's alittle odd, i don't see men as attractive, i even kind of shudder at the thought of me being gay, but if it makes some one happy to be LGBT then so be it, we should mature ourselves before we get out of bed, no not event hat, because you can still be on a computer in bed and that means people can still hear you around the world, we need to mature ourselves all the time, no LGBT is stopping you from being straight, so don't stop them. I'm fine with two women together, like almost all men, two guys, hey their business i wouldn't like to see it and the thought of "that ain't right." might come across quickly, but fuck i'll get over it, just don't kiss me. and we are cool, I'd love to have a gay friend or two. sounds like they are more ,whats the word, tolerant than any other group. I feel like i'm rambling about this so I'll quit while im here.

 

[The Random One]

The industry seems a bit stuck in its "horny teenage boy" phase, and until it gets out of this puberty I doubt we'll see a superstar game hero who just happens to be gay.

Enphasis on 'teenage' more than anything. The industry is too focused on living out adolescent fantasies, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. It's a phase, a phase I'm enjoying due to its shameless stream of unapologetic yet beautiful killfests, but I'll still be glad when keeping up with the latest gen's graphics won't be worth the effort and the manly space marine will wear itself out. Then we can have a few characters who are gay just because there are some people who are gay.

From what I remeber, you could only have a lesbian relationship in Mass Effect if you played as a woman. No gay relationship.

And that never made any sense to me.
Let's face it, even a convinced heterosexual man playing a firmly heterosexual character ought to choose Kaidan over the unspeakable horror that is Ashley Williams.
Thank heavens they managed to salvage that mess with the help of interstellar lesbianism.

Ach. Kaidan is drabness given human form. Although I was very entertained by when he came on to my character, because he is so evasive and there's an option all along to have Shepard reply "erm... what?" up to the ending, which made that one of my favourite conversation. Slightly more in topic, I was also befuddled (befuddled, I say!) by how you can't have same sex relationships in ME unless one of you has blue skin.

 

[Bloodeye]

I find the assumption that protagonists are predominately heterosexual curious. Asexual main characters seem far more common to me.

 

[HobbesMkii]

It's sort of interesting to note how much of a hot-button issue this is. This is the first time I've seen an issue of the Escapist where every article had 40+ comments on the first day.

 

[Zand88]

Zangief gay? nothing makes sense anymore

Zangief gay? WHAT?

Wikipedia used to have have a mention of this on Zangief's page. But, apparently it was removed, and is only mentioned on the discussion page because of the "agenda."
Basically, in a few Street Fighter games, there is a mention saying Zangief dislikes 'projectiles and pretty women.' Also, after being Ryu he would say "I don't like projectiles, but I like you.."
It's may or may not be canon, but even still, there is enough that one would think it deserves a marginal mention. But, instead, it was completely erased, frankly because someone is trying to push their own view on the article.
Despite what you think of that, what really sets Zangief apart is this; in Japan, people recognize a stock/cliche gay character differently. The typical image is of a large, muscular, hairy man in underwear/trunks/scant clothing. It's a cultural stereotype, much different from the skinny, feminine, flaming ones the west usually recognizes. Seeing any japanese comedic sitcoms, anime, or video games, you'll eventually see that stock character. Zangief perfectly fits into that.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Guest Editor's Note: Queer Eye for the Gamer Guy

This week, The Escapist tackles the at times fraught relationship between videogames and the LGBT community.

I can't believe you didn't mention Final Fight in that. The game literally screams it's pink head off.

In fact, you did an article on it : http://gaygamer.net/2007/05/is_final_fight_the_gayest_game.html

 

[MovieBob]

This is the sort of content that makes me proud to be a (tiny) part of this outfit.

I think we're quite a'ways from seeing a positive gay character as the lead in a major-release game. I mean, look how long it took film to get to "Brokeback Mountain" - and even that A.) Wasn't really all that good of a movie and B.) Is still trading in the tired stereotype of the frustrated-misfit gay male.

While I do think gaming will get their "faster" than the movies did, it'll be in fits and starts. I think it's a safe bet that we'll see a major-release game with a gay lead within the next console generation or so... and I think it's an even SAFER bet that it will be a gay woman - either a "girl Mario rescuing her princess" or a semi-butch "psychologically male character who just happens to be a girl" Samus Aran type making eyes at the female NPCs - and that they'll both be grounded mostly in a fifteen year-old boy's concept of lesbianism than anything close to the experience or outlook of an actual gay woman.

Gay MALE heroes? Probably a much longer wait, and the first few will probably be played for "ironic" laffs; i.e. "HA HA! Isn't it CRAZY how that tough, strong, capable guy is actually GAY!!??"

 

[Housebroken Lunatic]

If people only play who they want to be, why do so many straight guys I know play as females on EVERY MMO they come across?

Because they probably aren't playing "what they want to be", but rather opts for female characters because an MMO often entails having to spend several hours of looking at the backside of your character running around fighting. If you're straight then spending those hours looking at a digital female ass might be more interesting than having to look at a brawny man's ass.

Speaking as a heterosexual, I can certainly sympathize, even if I find that particular motivation to be a bit silly. But still, it is likely to be the most probable cause behind their choice of player characters. Suspecting that they are gay or transgender because of their choice in gaming characters would be a bit of a stretch...

 

[Drakey]

The fact is, announced or just truth, LGBT characters are as real as thier real world counterparts. And I love a good SUPRISE!

Back in the day when Metroid was all SUPA SPACE MARINE TAKES ON UNIVERSE OF ALIEN SCUM! Samus at the end of its 20 MEGABITES of thrill seeking bug killing Mania, Politely removes HER helmet and the player discovers a whole new world of reality... GIRLS!

The same will suprise you when one day out of the blue all you Dom Curious folk out there will discover your battlehardened warrior is really just a Proud soft hearted Bear, lookin for love like the rest of us.

Cant wait! THANKS FRUIT BRUTE!

 

[GloatingSwine]

Gay MALE heroes? Probably a much longer wait, and the first few will probably be played for "ironic" laffs; i.e. "HA HA! Isn't it CRAZY how that tough, strong, capable guy is actually GAY!!??"

The guy flying the ship? Camper than a field full of boyscouts, until it's time to kick asses. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxXCV4DN3fU]

 

[Lovesfool]

At first, when I saw the subject matter the escapist has chosen for this week, I thought WTF. It's a strange idea to say the least.

However, seeing all these comments I realize that perhaps I have misjudged. It actually does make sense as a valid topic that can spark a discussion.

You guys never seem to stop from amazing us. Spot on, once again.

However, I still think it is a bit irrelevant. It's not like Birdo and Tinkle are the most iconic video game characters of all time. That said, it appears that gay is part of the industry, just like it is a part of society. I guess it's only natural.

 

[LadyZephyr]

SPOILERS AHOY FOR MGS SERIES

Some titles, like those of the Metal Gear Solid series, treated gay characters seriously, merely making their homosexuality a part of their character background (although it should be noted that these characters were almost always evil).

Gonna put on my MGS meta-loving nerd hat here, Mr. DeMarco. MGS repeatedly condemns sexuality in general, or at the very least gets great joy from going Joss Whedon on every couple.

Let's think about how many relationships went badly in the games: Big Boss and EVA, Boss and the Sorrow, Otacon with every woman he ever dared to love, Grey Fox and Gustava, Snake and Meryl, Raiden and Rosemary (at first), Vamp and Dolph, Fortune and everyone she ever dared to love, and I could go on. Sexuality is twisted into an intensely creepy rape subtext with the Beauties of MGS4 as well. h god, I could go on for pages:

In fact, the only long, loving relationship with comparatively few issues in the entire series is between Snake and Otacon, who have so much subtext, if Kojima ever confirmed they were gay for each other, no one in the world would be surprised. Well, maybe the really blind fanboys...

TOO LONG, DIDN'T READ VERSION: I don't think MGS has any ill to say of the gay.

 

[bourgtai]

Beauvoir merely expressed an ideal. And an ideal as such isn't exactly required to take all factual and logical factors into account. But wouldn't you agree with the sentiment? That it would be a wonderful world in which people were capable of loving one another regardless of gender?

Having taken a look at the complaints of heterosexuals and weighed them against the complaints of homosexuals, it seems like we all have a hard time finding "the one", regardless of the final shape our varying attractions take. There's a difficulty to love, no matter who you ask, because the sex and gender of your partner are only two of dozens of factors to attraction.

So would it matter if we lived in a world where we could all ignore the gender of others with regard to love? I suppose it would, but only if you found that basis for attraction being the reason you can't have the parter you want in this world.

 

[thejoshualee]

A video game with homosexual characters would only be natural, but it faces more issues than the closed minded straight guys everyone blames.

1. lack of complex characters in video games. Some are out there, but the vast majority of video game characters are either stereotypical action heroes or else mario clones whose voiceless presence allows the gamer a mirror for their own thoughts. We will see lots of realistic gay characters around the time we see realistic characters period.

2. The political and social power of a gay character. Brokeback Mountain is famous not because it's a great story, but because it's about gay characters. If a haloesqe game came out with an openly gay character, no one would let it exist as a game. One side would use it as a tool to further the gay movement and the other side would use it as fodder against it. If a work of art can't exist as a work of art then it suffers from a fundamental loss of intent.

3. Polarizing stereotypes. Games for girls... what does that even mean? Am I to assume that the games I like wouldn't appeal to my wife? Should she love Left 4 Dead as much as she does? Good games, like good movies or any good work of art, should appeal to many. What would a gay character have to be? I'd love to see a character who has no obvious outer appearances to being gay, but we don't get that. Some of the comments made so far point to this. If my big bad warrior mentions that he likes guys, then he is made a cuddly bear. Can we have a gay character without someone putting them in a stereotype? Can we have a female character who isn't a stereotype, or a male character for that matter?

4. Us VS. Them. It exists on both sides. While this article was interesting, it stinks of the same kind of rhetoric that clogs up the entire political, moral, entertainment, and social atmosphere. There isn't just two sides. If I prefer to play a straight character it doesn't mean I wouldn't want to play a gay character. (I prefer to play female characters when given a choice for some reason.)If game developers create male characters I assumed that it is because that is their personal experience. Stephen King sure writes a lot of books about writers in Maine.

the issue of homosexuality in video games is more complex than "it's too immature for it now" and such a simplification does a disservice to the form as a whole I think.