In today’s media world it is still irregular to see video games support and/or include homosexual content. This may be because it can cause backlash and skepticism about your company hurting the overall support of the game. One company though has been leading the way openly supporting homosexual relationships and including them in numerous games. Bioware an Edmonton based studio has introduced the option into numerous of their Role-Playing Game series.
This article is announcing to the general public that a new video game “Mass Effect 3” will contain the option for your character to be homosexual. Previously Bioware, a successful company with many successful games such as Mass Effect 1 and 2 and Dragon Age series, has had such an option in previous games but it is now garnering attention. It was announced by Bioware that they have made the option for a character to be gay and have a relationship with another male character in the game. This feature in their game has come with lots of backlash from Fox News and a blogger, both later apologized. These games that Bioware created are showing how homosexual relationships are slowly becoming important in the Role-Playing Franchise.
This is one of the first video games to incorporate such content and thus people everywhere did not necessarily see it their way. The Edmonton based studio commented on their online forum in defense of their support of same-sex marriage saying “So long as romances of any kind are optional and need to be actively pursued by the player in order to be experienced, they simply don't have a leg to stand on. Advocating that nobody should be able to have content you don't intend to personally use is largely pointless—outside of a vague notion that such efforts should go towards other things, instead. Personally, it's not a lot of effort to include them. The resources we can devote to a minority of players isn't great, but I imagine to those players it's quite worth it... and I would hope that some folks could be sensitive enough to be happy for those players, at the very least out of the selfish notion that they may one day end up in the minority of some content issue and receive the same consideration if nothing else.”
Effectively stating that they would in no way force this upon everyone who played the game, do you have a problem with Bioware putting the option into their Role-Playing Game? If your children were to want to play this game and you knew this content was in it, would you let your child play it? Do you think the game deserved such a backlash for this?http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/technology/video-games/controller-freak/bioware-outs-gay-male-relationship-in-mass-effect-3/article2023589/
I don't really see a problem with this option. The videogame does not force you to create a homosexual character, it is an option. I wouldn't mind my child playing this videogame because of the homosexual option, I would more so mind about the violence. Why is it a big deal to have gay characters, but not a big deal to let our kids blow each other up virtually.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that the game necessarily needed this backlash, but of course it was going to get some. I'm sure the creaters knew this, and it is great publicity for a game that I know I've never heard of.
I feel like this is a good attempt to try to equalize heterosexual and homosexual relationships by trying to give gay gamers an equal right to engage in the type of virtual relationship that they want to engage in. However, I do not think it will be effective to change opinion on homosexual relationships because heterosexual teens will use this new option as a way to poke fun at homosexual relationships. For example, they may purposely choose their character as homosexual just so they can make fun of this type of relationship, just as some people may choose their character as a woman, just to have some fun but not really taking the game seriously
ReplyDeletei feel this option is not really needded, especailly when in the prvious version of the game you can interact with the charecters however you want to. it seems to me to actually be creating more seperation amongst people and in fact is a step backwards. this make syou label yourself as one thing or another which i do not think is right.
ReplyDeleteI feel as if this is a step in the right direction for those in support of the LGBT community. This video game company is taking a gigantic risk; however, it should pay off. This could be referenced in the future as a positive force/reference for the continued effort of equality in America. If I were a parent and my kid wanted to buy this game, I would see no problem in it at all. I think banning him or her from playing it would result in them wanting to play it more. I would also be supporting hate if I denied my child from playing this game for the simple fact it includes an OPTION for people to be homosexual. The fact that it is an option means the people who do not agree with this option, can simply choose a different one.
ReplyDeleteI don't have a problem at all with Bioware putting this option in the game. I haven't played this game too much, but I am familiar with it. It's a first person shooter game that allows you to customize your character. I'm not sure how much actual controversy there was over this game, but I think people were overreacting. An option to be homosexual really doesn't seem like a big deal. I would let my child play this game.
ReplyDeleteI honestly think that the controversy over this is just stupid. It's a video game, it's not even reality! Why are you going to complain about a sexuality issue in a video game when it's not even real? I just odn't think it makes sense. If someone feels the need to inform another player of their sexuality then that is their business but I really don't find it necessary.
ReplyDeletethe game is just giving everyone the opportunity to be who thy are without being judged. and supporting the lgbt community who i think shouldn't be discriminated towards i don't care what they are but i feel like they should be seen as individuals instead of labeling them.
ReplyDeleteI think that this is a pretty incredible topic. This video game just wants the publicity. It is having kids and adults choose and isn't the whole point behind equality to not have to choose? I guess I'm just confused to why anyone would make something like this. I think that it says a lot about love in pop culture today because even though they are trying to make everyone feel welcome, they are actually separating them even more.
ReplyDeleteI just find it very peculiar that a shooting game allows you the opportunity to decide to be homosexual or heterosexual. I can understand it in games like the Sims, but I feel as if it really doesn't matter if you are just playing the game to kill people. I think this was only implemented into the game to make a statement, not to add to the game itself.
ReplyDeleteI think that the game developers adding in optional features will only make a game better becuase if they the player doesn't like it then they don't have to use it. I feel that if my kid is able to play a game that kills people then i feel that they are mature enough to handle homo/heterosexual situations in a game.
ReplyDeleteI think that including the option to be homosexual in a game is a step in the right direction, however, I don't believe you should have to explicitly choose homosexual or heterosexual. In the game you build relationships with the characters around you, so I think having another option opens the game up that much more. Also, homosexuals have not really been represented much in games before so this is a good thing.
ReplyDeleteI think it's important for the players to make the decision for themselves, and they should be able to decide how they want their characters to be represented in their games to reflect their personalities or create their own in games.
ReplyDeleteWell, everyone has the right to love and to be loved right? So, I think this stating is pretty effecitve in advocating the equalness of love. And I also believe that if some is really into this game, he or she will not care whether there is a gay actor in this game.
ReplyDeleteI think people getting so worked up about this is a little ridiculous. Are there not bigger issues in the world? It's a video game! Video games aren't real life and they are designed as such so that the player can have virtually endless possibilities. Having the option to be gay in a video game is not anything like being gay in real life.
ReplyDelete