LGBT topics in Video Games

[Zaik]

No.

That's entirely pointless and it has absolutely nothing to do with video games at all.

Anyone who puts it in them is just trying to "send a message", and games trying to send a message have all unanimously been terrible.

Yeah, I hated Metal Gear Solid too

I know, right?

Peace this, peace that, war sucks despite the fact I killed over 9000 dudes, it's okay when I do it cause it's for peace and killing metal geerz.

I actually enjoyed playing the game parts, but shit damn are the cutscenes awful.

What the hell are you talking about? Is this is some sort of elaborate ad hominem attack?

I wouldn't play a video game authored by Fox News to make conservatives look like deities, and I wouldn't play a game authored by some self-tortured gay guy trying to "fight for his rights".

Their message will always, now and forever, come before making anything of any real value.

Colour me confused. Do you mean to say that homosexual content should not be included because homosexuals only care about their message, not the quality of the game in question?

How do you even come to that conclusion? I don't care about homosexual content.

I care, or rather don't care, about any sort of moral, spiritual, political, ethical, or whatever message forced into something that is supposed to be for my own amusement. If I wanted that crap forced down my throat I can argue with people on a forum all day for free.

Someone writing for any form of media in order to "send a message" will put any and all enjoyment or other merit of said product as secondary to pushing their agenda, and I've got no interest in it whether they're right or wrong.

Kind of weird how people keep reading over that and seeing me say the words "no" and "gay" in the same post and being like "what, he hates all gays and is in the KKK?".

 

[Busdriver580]

No.

That's entirely pointless and it has absolutely nothing to do with video games at all.

Anyone who puts it in them is just trying to "send a message", and games trying to send a message have all unanimously been terrible.

Yeah, I hated Metal Gear Solid too

I know, right?

Peace this, peace that, war sucks despite the fact I killed over 9000 dudes, it's okay when I do it cause it's for peace and killing metal geerz.

I actually enjoyed playing the game parts, but shit damn are the cutscenes awful.

I was being sarcastic, MGS did a pretty good job of displaying the moral ambiguity, i'm saying games can have a serious message and theres' no reason it can't be related to LGBT

 

[Freechoice]

Having them for the sake of having them is inappropriate and disrespectful.

Oh, and the proper term is LGBTQ. If you want to be as PC as possible, QUILTBAG.

Queer/Questioning
Undecided
Intersex
Lesbian
Trangender
Bisexual
Asexual
Gay

I shit you not.

I get your point, but doesn't it strike you as odd, maybe not PC that they throw 8 different lifestyles in one heap? It's almost saying everyone that's not normal.

If you're not straight, you need to be classified in the same manner that if you are not white, you are some type of continent/country with a hyphen in addition to American. And the more of these terms I see, the more I think people are just being underconfident and trying to justify anything they want to do. Anything you consider inherently normal or true, you do not discuss in detail. If it's cool with you, you do not give a flying fuck what other people think.

I've been called all kinds a' shit. Sticks and stones.

 

[omega 616]

To be honest I don't want to see anybody kiss anybody, I think it's all "gross".

They put black guys in so they can say "hey, were being PC", that's the only feeling I get from it. Like they made everybody white, then realized and thought "we better make one of them coloured so we don't get hated on for it", the example that springs to mind is ME2 and I think gears only had one black guy in it.

Seriously, I have no idea who those people are, I have never seen a Harry potter film. I can gather what your point is though and to be honest, all it seemed to do was add a little emphasis to fight. If they had made it so they were bestest friends from the age of 1 and they were like brothers, would that be so different from one loved the other? I think it sounds like they used it as a surprise/twist as well, "omg, he's gay! I never saw that coming!".

I will have to complete some of my other save games on DA:O 'cos I have like 5 left to do. I love character creators.

Yet you took the Morrigan romance option first?
Interesting.

But do you think that they should all be white?

Actually, SPOILERS FOR THE HP FANS THAT HAVEN'T READ IT YET, AND IF YOU HAVEN'T WTF ARE YOU PLAYING AT IT'S BEEN OUT LONG ENOUGH, Dumble door is effectively the big good, he is the headmaster of the school and one of Harry's mentors, at any rate in his back story Grindlewald was a dark wizard that Dumbledore started knocking about with after his sister was beaten by muggles (regular humans) so they started to wreak a bit of havoc, after a while they started looking for certain magic artifacts so they would be effectively unstoppable, Dumbledore got a hold of one, the most powerful wand in existence, you could only use it's full power if you killed the previous owner.
Grindlewald decided that he wanted it so he tried to kill Dumbledore, he failed, as such Dumbledore saw what the lust for power had done to Grindlewald and was doing to himself, combined with the shock of killing his best friend (and according to Word of God, the man he loved) caused him to give up his ambitions for power.

END SPOILERS

Granted this is hardly the best example, but it does give it a bit of a bitter edge.
As for the difference between someone you love and the closest friend you've ever had?
It's just different, I can't really describe it.

I'm into the gothy looking types, so why wouldn't I play me in an RPG? Seems as good a profile as any. (that's why I went with the morrigan path first)

Would it matter if they were all white? Would it matter if they were all black? Unless your going to start stereotyping black people by making them all come from the ghetto and they act all though 'cos your from the street then the colour of there skin doesn't matter.

I'm sorry, is this HP reference for me or you? "combined with the shock of killing his best friend (and according to Word of God, the man he loved)" were they best friends or gay lovers? I'm awfully confused!

EDIT: I know some may called closed minded and flame me on other ways but who else is a bit sick of all this making up shit to be? First it was be hetro or be ashamed (which I think is wrong) and now we have 300 flavors of sexual being.

There's straight, gay and bi ... your thinking what else is there? There's metro sexual, a sexual, pansexual (I have just learned) and probably 294 more others. Sexuality is starting to look like metal at this point, there's so many divisions and sub genres people are going to be about 6 different sexualities!

I have just read a few lines on pansexuaility, it is basically a non racist bi sexual ... so a bi-sexual then, yeah?

 

[moretimethansense]

I'm into the gothy looking types, so why wouldn't I play me in an RPG? Seems as good a profile as any. (thats why I went with the morrigan path first)

Would it matter if they were all white? Would it matter if they were all black? Unless your going to start sterotyping black people by making them all come from the ghetto and they act all though 'cos your from the street then the colour of there skin doesn't matter.

I'm sorry, is this HP referance for me or you? "combined with the shock of killing his best friend (and according to Word of God, the man he loved)" were they best friends or gay lovers? I'm awfully confused!

Hey, whatever floats your boat, I liked her because I fucking love snark, and there was plenty to go around in that game.

The thing is, there is simply no reason not to have black charecters in, unless it doesn't make sense for your setting the only reason to NOT have them in is if you don't like them or if you simply forgot they exsisted, both of which are equally bad in my book and both of which apply to gays.

In the book its self there isn't any real indicater to his sexualioty either way, the author however has said flat out that he was gay, implied that he loved Grindlewald but (unless my memory has failed me) Grindlewald wasn't gay.

 

[godofallu]

The gay community is bad enough at promoting themselves in real life, how are they going to get anything done in videogames?

I can only think of a few games that added gay characters to the mix, and those games all did it poorly and in bad taste.

It could be done properly, but I don't see that happening often.

 

[Baneat]

I mean, he turned out to be a rather unlikable slut, but at least they tried.

Eh, there was unlikable (Fenris) and there was the slut (Anders)

 

[Shikua]

What the hell are you talking about? Is this is some sort of elaborate ad hominem attack?

I wouldn't play a video game authored by Fox News to make conservatives look like deities, and I wouldn't play a game authored by some self-tortured gay guy trying to "fight for his rights".

Their message will always, now and forever, come before making anything of any real value.

Colour me confused. Do you mean to say that homosexual content should not be included because homosexuals only care about their message, not the quality of the game in question?

Having them for the sake of having them is inappropriate and disrespectful.

Oh, and the proper term is LGBTQ. If you want to be as PC as possible, QUILTBAG.

Queer/Questioning
Undecided
Intersex
Lesbian
Trangender
Bisexual
Asexual
Gay

I shit you not.

That still excludes pansexuals/omnisexuals. I am, oh, so very offended. D':

It's okay, I'm here for you! Pansexuals unite! *championing hug*

 

[Shikua]

Having them for the sake of having them is inappropriate and disrespectful.

Oh, and the proper term is LGBTQ. If you want to be as PC as possible, QUILTBAG.

Queer/Questioning
Undecided
Intersex
Lesbian
Trangender
Bisexual
Asexual
Gay

I shit you not.

That still excludes pansexuals/omnisexuals. I am, oh, so very offended. D':

It's okay, I'm here for you! Pansexuals unite! *championing hug*

Yay! Hugs for all the pansexuals!! Why is THIS not an option in videogames?! D:

Well, if it were, it would probably go past hugging reaall fast XD

 

[YawningAngel]

The reason this topic is never addressed is because games generally only sell well if people can relate to them, and most of the population can't relate to being LGBT simply by virtue of not having experienced it. Similarly, it's hard to treat such an issue in a credible manner if you're unfamiliar with it.

 

[ultratog1028]

Should there be? Yes. Will there be? Yes. Soon? Probably not.

 

[The Gnome King]

Do you think that there shud be more LGBT topics in Video games.

i reckon yeah because it may teach understanding which cud mean less discrimination and theres a hell of alot of that.

or even something about yourself that you didn't know may even help with a problem.


please explain your answers

I think that there "should" be topics of any sort in video games; I'm one of those people that actually views gaming (and games) as an art form; and art wants to express itself.

If there are heterosexual love interests in a game, toss in some bisexual or homosexual or asexual characters as well. What's wrong with showcasing the whole spectrum of human experience? Romances tend to be optional in games, anyway. I have yet to play a game with a "forced romance" but maybe they're out there...

 

[Cain_Zeros]

Only if they write it well and don't shove it down your throat. And they manage to make me care about the character for some reason other than their sexual quirks.

Like her.

 

[Shikua]

Well, if it were, it would probably go past hugging reaall fast XD

This... cannot be denied...

And... I don't think it would be a bad thing... at all...

 

[Thaluikhain]

The reason this topic is never addressed is because games generally only sell well if people can relate to them, and most of the population can't relate to being LGBT simply by virtue of not having experienced it. Similarly, it's hard to treat such an issue in a credible manner if you're unfamiliar with it.

Well, there's that, yes, but then most games don't really reflect the average life of gamers to a great degree anyway. Unless being a 7 foot space marine fighting zombies accompanied by scantily dressed women of rather odd proportions is just easier to understand than a person fancying a member[footnote]no pun intended[/footnote] of their own gender.

 

[The Gnome King]

The reason this topic is never addressed is because games generally only sell well if people can relate to them, and most of the population can't relate to being LGBT simply by virtue of not having experienced it. Similarly, it's hard to treat such an issue in a credible manner if you're unfamiliar with it.

Well, there's that, yes, but then most games don't really reflect the average life of gamers to a great degree anyway. Unless being a 7 foot space marine fighting zombies accompanied by scantily dressed women of rather odd proportions is just easier to understand than a person fancying a member[footnote]no pun intended[/footnote] of their own gender.

Yeah, this was lol-worthy.

 

[The Gnome King]

Yay! Hugs for all the pansexuals!! Why is THIS not an option in videogames?! D:

Actually, THIS is a huge problem for me.

"I'm a minority, why aren't I represented in videogames/movies/books/TV shows/informational pamphlets/billboards?"

I'm going to say something that will probably offend a lot of people, but screw it. The majority does not have to change to accomodate a minority. The majority should change if it is mistreating a minority, or if the minority is not on an equitable social scale, but for anything else, just shut the fuck up. It's not our job to change just because you want to feel included.

Please note Fenris, that wasn't aimed at you, because I'm pretty sure you were just joking around. But you did remind me of the people who actually do think that way.

And yet, Bioware has admitted that the gay/bi romance options are some of the most explored in game when they get the data from people actually playing.

How odd, yes? Perhaps we're not as much a "minority" as you might think.

 

[The Gnome King]

And yet, Bioware has admitted that the gay/bi romance options are some of the most explored in game when they get the data from people actually playing.

How odd, yes? Perhaps we're not as much a "minority" as you might think.

Context mate. Please, please look at the context.

Also, wait what? How does that apply to what I said? There's a difference between "It's there, people will use it" to "I DEMAND TO BE ABITRARILY IN FORMS OF MEDIA DUE TO MY MINORITY STATUS OTHERWISE IT'S DISCRIMINATION RAAAAGH"

Kind of hard to have a conversation with you. Perhaps you know this already.

 

[The Gnome King]

But hey, at least they tried to put a male homosexual in there. I mean, he turned out to be a rather unlikable slut, but at least they tried.

He wasn't unlikable, he was really sweet once he opened up. And what he said when I chose to take someone else into the final mission was by far the most emotional response out of any of the romances. But I'm just one of what seems to be about five Zevran fanboys so I'm biased

About having more LGBT characters in games sure if it's done nicely. Compare Dragon Age Origins to Dragon Age 2, Zevran and Leliana were both well designed characters even if Zevran made himself look like one night stand material only and Leliana had some freaky moments ("I was just watching you sleep" being the one that instantly comes to mind). On the other hand the Anders retcon combined with the fact he's the most flirtacious of the romances does make me think they just wanted to showcase the PC aspect of it. Fenris is still good though, still on my first playthrough so haven't really tried the others.

I thought it was adorable when she said that... I said that about a girl I liked once, she appreciated the compliment, but she didn't like me that way.

If you've never watched somebody sleeping that you love than perhaps you won't get this. But yeah, it's actually quite endearing. My wife told me this once and I thought it was anything but "creepy" ...

 

[The Gnome King]

Kind of hard to have a conversation with you. Perhaps you know this already.

Is that because you seem to be trying to talk about something completely different?

No, mate. Simply saying that including these supposedly "minority" plot-lines and options in games seems to be immensely popular.

You were the one that went off on the (uncalled for) anti-minority rant.

To each their own, I suppose. Just might want to note that in the privacy of their own living rooms many people seem to want to explore these supposedly "minority" tangents.

Kind of how like many men I've known seem to want to explore more than what they claim to be when... ah, nevermind. You either get it or you don't.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8772014

Seems like a lot of people secretly want what they rail against.

Again, just 'sayin. Along with government sponsored studies. And Bioware sales/use statistics.

Minority, indeed.