Online Kombat

[The Wooster]

How often does sexuality come up in most video games anyway?

Pssst. Every time a character's main motivation is "MY WIFE IS DEAD" that's their sexuality coming up as a central character trait. That literally happens several times in the series we're talking about right now.

Guilty gear. venom. Comon guys. Gay people have been in videogames a long time. This isn't news. I'm not say anymore about the subject because i know how quote happy people are.

Maybe because we already know Guilty Gear is from Japan, the most people said "ehhh, whatever, I saw worst from Japan". Also Vemon isn't only gay, but also a children lover [if I remember right].
What would happen if you had this kind of character in MK? CHAOS!!!!!! RAGEEEEE!!!!!! CCCOOOMMEENTSSSSS!!!!! TTHHHRREEEAAADDSSSS!!!!!!

The sad this is. That makes a lot of sense. Is that why no one bats an eye when the japanese hav gay tran animal jello characters?

Japan is WAY ahead of us on this shit, even if some of their portrayals can be a bit insensitive. One of the benefits of more diverse casts is that your minority casts aren't put under the same level of scrutiny. You avoid the Smurfette problem.

 

[Lightknight]

How often does sexuality come up in most video games anyway?

Pssst. Every time a character's main motivation is "MY WIFE IS DEAD" that's their sexuality coming up as a central character trait. That literally happens several times in the series we're talking about right now.

"My wife is dead" isn't a sexuality. I've even known gay guys to assume the term of wife and proudly so (albeit I've heard others that I don't personally know quite definitely against the maintaining of the term and I get why).

I also seem to remember a game I played where a character's "wife" that was kidnapped ended up being some sort of sheep.

EDIT: By sexuality are we talking primarily orientation or just issues pertaining to "sex partners" in general?

 

[Redryhno]

Suprised theres less focus on the Vastly improved female character designs. Sonya actually looks like special forces now rather than army costumed hooker.

Don't be silly, female character designs is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO last year. Though I could've done without carapace boobs D'Vorah, a bit unnecessary. But I will say I sorta liked the older Sonya design if only because nearly everyone else in the game that wasn't a ninja was in varying degrees of undress and how over-the-top the series is in general.

Honestly I'm not sure I can buy the confrim myself. Not because he's gay, no, just that it took a dev outside of the game to confirm it, because I figured he was

Spoiler: INTO

Cassie since they have a bit of a moment near the end of the story mode at the temple, though that could have been confused because of the Jacqui/Takeda pairing built up most of it.

It just seems a bit like a cop-out. Like they can take it back and say it was never in the game to begin with if it got bad press and that all the hints were just you projecting your own wants onto the character. I mean, I actually have emotions towards Kung Jin, mostly because of how abominably STUPID and impulsive he is most of the story mode, so he's already better than most other gays Western devs have done, but it's not really confirmed in-universe. Just a dropped hint that be taken to mean a couple of things.

But, if we're talking about characters in this thread now, I've got to say that Cassie has got to be the blandest character. She's got nothing going for her other than being Sonya and Johnny's kid, who both have better scenes and lines than her, despite the story being pretty centered around her team. Her lines are...bad(and not in a so bad it's Cage way). And her moveset and animations are so boring, though she does have one of the best Fatalities in the game.

Edit: Also, I'm surprised people play the game for the story mode, the only thing that makes them somewhat interesting is the killing off of characters, everything else is honestly just par for the course, Outworld's got silly shit going down, Raiden brings everyone in, crap happens, boom, everything's good again.

Though I will admit the after-credits scene is pretty good in that it opens up alot of opportunities.

 

[Rad Party God]

Is he stereotypically gay? How is he identified as such in the game?

They really don't draw much attention to it. This is the only reference to it in game.

... SERIOUSLY!??, people are getting worked up for this incredibly subtle moment!??, it's not like he's doing a Blowjobtality or something, it's just heavily implied!, even Raiden himself aknowdeleges that that really doesn't define who he is!

 

[Diablo1099_v1legacy]

Check. Fucking. Mate. [http://streetfighter.wikia.com/wiki/Eagle]

In addition to resembling a blonde version of Mercury, some of Eagle's voice clips are remniscent of him (such as "the show must go on" and "no time for losers"). This has lead to speculation that since Mercury was homosexual, Eagle is as well. This is backed up by several of his Japanese winquotes, which seem to indicate that he is homosexual.

While it was recton'd into his back story only in CvS2 back in 2000, it still means that Street Fighter had a homosexual character in it before either Mortal Kombat even existed! (Hell, even before Zangief!)
I really fail to see what the big deal is about MK having a gay guy, they bleed the same as straight people

 

[Erttheking]

Snip

I have similar viewpoints. Artists should be allowed to do what they want. Fans have the right to criticize them, but unless the artist agrees that the criticism is right, they shouldn't be under any obligation to change it. I respect artists that stand by their work. Even if I don't like the work. I don't play Mortal Kombat because I don't like the borderline fetishistic approach to violence mixed with skimpy clothing, it makes me feel uncomfortable (That and I suck at fighting games and don't have the patience to memorize combos. Plus a lack of people to play them with.) but hey I respect the people who make Mortal Kombat (for the most part. Paying for fatalities, the fuck?) because they do make some damn cool designs. Heck, maybe I'll get over my uncomfortableness just so I can play the game as the badass that is Scorpion.

 

[SweetShark]

Guilty gear. venom. Comon guys. Gay people have been in videogames a long time. This isn't news. I'm not say anymore about the subject because i know how quote happy people are.

Maybe because we already know Guilty Gear is from Japan, the most people said "ehhh, whatever, I saw worst from Japan". Also Vemon isn't only gay, but also a children lover [if I remember right].
What would happen if you had this kind of character in MK? CHAOS!!!!!! RAGEEEEE!!!!!! CCCOOOMMEENTSSSSS!!!!! TTHHHRREEEAAADDSSSS!!!!!!

The sad this is. That makes a lot of sense. Is that why no one bats an eye when the japanese hav gay tran animal jello characters?

Jello? What do you mean with Jello? This doesn't sound bad.

 

[SweetShark]

Check. Fucking. Mate. [http://streetfighter.wikia.com/wiki/Eagle]

In addition to resembling a blonde version of Mercury, some of Eagle's voice clips are remniscent of him (such as "the show must go on" and "no time for losers"). This has lead to speculation that since Mercury was homosexual, Eagle is as well. This is backed up by several of his Japanese winquotes, which seem to indicate that he is homosexual.

While it was recton'd into his back story only in CvS2 back in 2000, it still means that Street Fighter had a homosexual character in it before either Mortal Kombat even existed! (Hell, even before Zangief!)
I really fail to see what the big deal is about MK having a gay guy, they bleed the same as straight people

Again, in Japan they react differently. Also their whole culture in deep inside the taboos already, so no a shocking factor for them if they see a gay character.

 

[Diablo1099_v1legacy]

Online Kombat

Pushing boundaries.

Read Full Article

Not sure if you really care, but Eagle [http://streetfighter.wikia.com/wiki/Eagle] was actually the first homosexual in Street Fighter, seeing how he appeared in Street Fighter 1, before Zangief was even created!.
Just a pointless factoid I had

 

[Darth_Payn]

I've got mixed feelings on the whole tokenism debate. On the one hand, I would like to see more fleshing out of a character dealing with their sexuality. On the other hand...do they always need to? I mean there are black characters in fighting games and they don't exactly flesh out their race and any experiences related to their race. Why not just let them have a gay character who just happens to be gay, end of story? We have plenty of characters who just happen to be heterosexual, end of story, why not the other way around?

This is a thing now? Trumpeting a trait of a character that doesn't really apply to gameplay in the grand scheme of things? Well, La-de-FREAKING-DA! So he's gay; I don't see how that's relevant in a game of bare-handed dismemberment. Did they throw a big hissy fit when Jax was introduced in MK II as the series' first black guy? I don't remember, so no. It's like making a new friend, who happens to be gay. It's who they are as a person that should matter, not JUST because they're gay. Like that time on Community where Britta thought she made a lesbian friend, who was actually straight and she thought Britta was gay.

 

[The Wooster]

This is a thing now? Trumpeting a trait of a character that doesn't really apply to gameplay in the grand scheme of things?

Well written characters are rare. Well written gay characters even more so. People are happy with a dev for managing it.

So y u mad, bro?

 

[Gorrath]

Snip

I have similar viewpoints. Artists should be allowed to do what they want. Fans have the right to criticize them, but unless the artist agrees that the criticism is right, they shouldn't be under any obligation to change it. I respect artists that stand by their work. Even if I don't like the work. I don't play Mortal Kombat because I don't like the borderline fetishistic approach to violence mixed with skimpy clothing, it makes me feel uncomfortable (That and I suck at fighting games and don't have the patience to memorize combos. Plus a lack of people to play them with.) but hey I respect the people who make Mortal Kombat (for the most part. Paying for fatalities, the fuck?) because they do make some damn cool designs. Heck, maybe I'll get over my uncomfortableness just so I can play the game as the badass that is Scorpion.

I like that viewpoint because I think it's better for everyone. I honestly believe that if games are more inclusive, it's not just good for women or people of color or homosexuals, it's good for straight white men who like breasts too. If games are inclusive for everyone, then everyone gets something they enjoy. I don't think we'd hear as much about the "problematic" nature of Kitana's outfit if you've got a nice attractive guy for straight women to enjoy, or a nice looking gay guy for homosexual men to enjoy. The more everyone's tastes are met, the less reason anyone has to complain that the industry needs to change. Whether you ever get to enjoy Mortal Kombat, I for one hope there's a game for you, me and everyone to enjoy, and I can't see why everyone doesn't want that too.

 

[Diablo1099_v1legacy]

Again, in Japan they react differently. Also their whole culture in deep inside the taboos already, so no a shocking factor for them if they see a gay character.

Well, point I was making was: This isn't really the earth shattering news everyone things it is. Fighting games are a lot more diverse then people would think.

"ERMUHGADDD! MK HAS TEH GAY!"
"Yeah, and Street Fighter technically had it since the '80s, get over it."

Everyone just screaming from the hilltops about how much of a big deal it is, I mean, sure, you could make the case that it's because NRS is a western studio, but hell, even SNK's King of Fighters has 2 Bi-sexual fighters (Mature and Seth) on the roster since at least 1999, even going so far as to flirt with their rivals before a fight.
Here, they just imply that he's gay and suddenly the whole world is on fire.

Just really irks me how differently some people react to something that's actually been common in this type of games :/

 

[Darth_Payn]

This is a thing now? Trumpeting a trait of a character that doesn't really apply to gameplay in the grand scheme of things?

Well written characters are rare. Well written gay characters even more so. People are happy with a dev for managing it.

So y u mad, bro?

Not mad, just confused as to why it was in a fighting game, where most players don't give a toss about "story" as long as they get to kick the crap out of each other. My attitude isn't "HOW DARE THEY?! ITS RIUNED FOREVER BWAAAAAHHHHHH", but "yeah, and? If he has some special moves that let me whoop ass, I'm cool."

 

[The Wooster]

This is a thing now? Trumpeting a trait of a character that doesn't really apply to gameplay in the grand scheme of things?

Well written characters are rare. Well written gay characters even more so. People are happy with a dev for managing it.

So y u mad, bro?

Not mad, just confused as to why it was in a fighting game, where most players don't give a toss about "story" as long as they get to kick the crap out of each other. My attitude isn't "HOW DARE THEY?! ITS RIUNED FOREVER BWAAAAAHHHHHH", but "yeah, and? If he has some special moves that let me whoop ass, I'm cool."

MK9 and X actually have pretty in-depth story modes that were obviously a big focus for the developers. A lot like Injustice. The games aren't really "competitive" due to a fuck ton of balance issues, so a lot of players play them purely for the story.

 

[Diablo1099_v1legacy]

Not mad, just confused as to why it was in a fighting game, where most players don't give a toss about "story" as long as they get to kick the crap out of each other. My attitude isn't "HOW DARE THEY?! ITS RIUNED FOREVER BWAAAAAHHHHHH", but "yeah, and? If he has some special moves that let me whoop ass, I'm cool."

Character lore in fighting games is srs business.

But, seriously, that's the right attitude to go about it and, like I'd said several times in this thread, there has been gay characters in fighting games longer then there has been Mortal Kombat.
Personally, I'm more annoyed as just how rushed the romance between Jacqui Briggs and Takeda Takahashi towards the end.
Seriously, entire world is going to shit, Kotal Khan is attacking, THEN Cupid takes the shot?
I mean, they did hint at it, but they just skipped to "-and now they're dating!" fight before the final showdown, THAT could have been done better IMO.

 

[Lightknight]

This is a thing now? Trumpeting a trait of a character that doesn't really apply to gameplay in the grand scheme of things?

Well written characters are rare. Well written gay characters even more so. People are happy with a dev for managing it.

So y u mad, bro?

Not mad, just confused as to why it was in a fighting game, where most players don't give a toss about "story" as long as they get to kick the crap out of each other. My attitude isn't "HOW DARE THEY?! ITS RIUNED FOREVER BWAAAAAHHHHHH", but "yeah, and? If he has some special moves that let me whoop ass, I'm cool."

Have you really never played through a fighting game with different characters to see how their story develops? They're actually really good.

If you like fighting games then I strongly recommend checking this out. Consider it single-player gameplay. Cause it is.

What I don't get is how people are freaking out about this particular instance. It's as subtle as someone telling me the guy has an 8 of diamonds card in his pocket. "Um, ok, but it doesn't show so what does that matter?"

 

[Diablo1099_v1legacy]

MK9 and X actually have pretty in-depth story modes that were obviously a big focus for the developers. A lot like Injustice. The games aren't really "competitive" due to a fuck ton of balance issues, so a lot of players play them purely for the story.

That and in the case of MK9, the Network was rather bad so online wasn't as big as it could have been.
Injustice was better, but the size of stages and the number of projectile attacks each character had made it VERY prone to people just playing lame and just throwing fireballs.
You ever see how bullshit Deathstroke's gun attacks were before they were nerfed? it was pretty bad.

 

[JMac85]

I just hope there isn't a massive blowback after people who take an active interest in representation in media realizes there is a gay character... in a Mortal Kombat game. Which means they can be horrifically killed like everyone else. Because even though I think people like Anita "if you can kill a female NPC that means the game promotes violence against women" Sarkesian are full of shit, I have to admit I winced a bit when I YouTubed the fatalities and the first one I saw was demonstrated on Cassie Cage. She wasn't even in her special forces skin, she was in her "spoiled teenager" garb.

 

[SweetShark]

Again, in Japan they react differently. Also their whole culture in deep inside the taboos already, so no a shocking factor for them if they see a gay character.

Well, point I was making was: This isn't really the earth shattering news everyone things it is. Fighting games are a lot more diverse then people would think.

"ERMUHGADDD! MK HAS TEH GAY!"
"Yeah, and Street Fighter technically had it since the '80s, get over it."

Everyone just screaming from the hilltops about how much of a big deal it is, I mean, sure, you could make the case that it's because NRS is a western studio, but hell, even SNK's King of Fighters has 2 Bi-sexual fighters (Mature and Seth) on the roster since at least 1999, even going so far as to flirt with their rivals before a fight.
Here, they just imply that he's gay and suddenly the whole world is on fire.

Just really irks me how differently some people react to something that's actually been common in this type of games :/

Maybe the reason is because the MKX character a "visually realistic" gay character and not a cartoon/anime looking character like most of the times i other videogames.
Maybe that why characters like Venom,Mature,Seth,Poison,etc get a free pass: Because they are cartoon looking = No real enough so I can get angry about it.

There is already a game which have a trans Hero in the game "Aerannis". But guess what, not a big reaction about it. Reason? Maybe because the hero is cartoon looking.
Even Cartoon Network had a Cartoon TV Show WITH A CROSS-DRESSING LITTLE BOY AS A GIRL!!!!!! The name is "SheZow".
Well...reaction? NOPE!!!! THE BOY IS FINE FOR A KID TV CARTOON SHOW!!!!!

You get my point.