Homosexuality in Modern Visual Media

[Vow]

As someone who wishes to become a game designer in the future, this subject has been a curious one for me. I'd like to ask the true recipients of these depictions about their ideas on the matter, but until recently I've not had the chance. So here we go...

At least three series of games have brought homosexuality into mainstream view in recent years: Bioware's Mass Effect trilogy, their Dragon Age duology, and Bethesda's The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim. The first two have party members who are able to be romanced by both male and female player characters, and have a heavy amount of dialogue and back story included as part of the relationship mechanic.

Skyrim's relationship mechanic is far less visible; the PC can gain followers after helping them with certain quests or events. After unlocking a bit of dialogue explaining marriage from a priest of that universe's deity of love, you can then approach the follower of your choice wearing an amulet of said deity and request for marriage. The whole affair is easily missed, however, and very little dialogue is unlocked, nor is there a major mechanic effected by doing so aside from minor experience boosts you can get from sleeping in the same bed with your PC's spouse and being able to obtain money and supplies from a shop they run.

Now, as to which of these were successful, in my opinion... Mass Effect caught a lot of flack from the media for their "scenes of a sexual nature", which were obtained at the culmination of the romance and honestly displayed less skin than your average R-rated movie. However, going into the first game's code and dialogue reveals that initially, a male or female PC could have a romance for all three romance options, which are a male human, a female human, and a "female" mono-gendered alien. This was removed before release. A male PC could only romance the female human or the alien, and a female PC could romance the male and the same alien. The second game of the series removed the alien character, and after that a true homosexual romance was impossible until the third game.

Dragon Age had much the same, only with two bisexual romance characters. This trend continued in Dragon Age 2.

Aside from easily being able to miss the romances in Skyrim, the whole thing is not looked at strangely by any characters in the game. It's taken as completely neutral, though this is probably because the developers didn't add much of anything on that subject regarding NPC interaction.

Gah... I feel like I'm making this too much like a college lecture, but honestly I do want to know this community's thoughts on the matter. Feel free to post anything regarding other modes of visual media as well, if you like. Though if you can, please keep the conversation civil...

--V

[Undreamt]

I think you left out another different perspective.

Fable II for example much more gay romance. you can have gay npc's approach you (rather than the player having to initiate any gay aspect)

I think for the most part relationships in games don't play a huge role. But if they are in the game and its not a fixed game mechanic (ie it would be stupid to have a gay mario game considering he is constantly going off to save the princess) then there should be options for either type of relationship to be built.

[Vow]

That is true. I never played any of the Fable games unfortunately, so I didn't know. Should have done my research.

Additionally, there was also ParaNorman, which had one of the main characters reveal he was gay, much to the chagrin of another main character that was trying to date him. Greatly amused by that scene...

I suppose in my question, though, I forgot to mention my main question: are these depictions positive, or are they negative?

[TimeSage]

Most of them are positve. Though I'm not sure Zevran counts in that regard as he's pretty depraved and slutty... His trophy is even called Easy Lover...

[Bowyn Aerrow]

The Sims - at least the first one could have homosexual romances/love. Even have guys move in with other guys. If you wanted to you could reset every house on the block with all males and everyone would eventually be happy.

IDK about these other games, never played them. Never wanted to either - not because of sexuality but because of graphic violence and endless farming.

Those are much more important to me than sexuality or forming relationships.

[Kiid]

Well if you did put homosexuality into the main story of a game christians would be all like HOMOSEXUAL AGENDA. ALSO I'd play games with more gayness.

Also you for get about the game fable which in the first one pretty much you could turn people gay and the 2nd one people had sexualites and there was even a quest where you fixed up a gay farm boy with a rich city guy.

[megumidesu]

lots of bisexuality in the "metal gear" series. the fact that he loves his boyfriend is the only humanizing thing about volgin hah
(if you're fighting him and you wear a mask that looks a bit like the boyfriend , he won't attack you lol)

[SolemnBoy]

Usually when a character is LGBT in a movie/game/book or whatever it's used as a plot device and will somehow affect the story. That's why I've come to love media where a character is LGBT without it carrying any real significance to the story at all. It sort of adds to the "they're just regular people" sentiment.

[KawaiiKitty]

wasnt one of the main characters in the GTA franchise gay?

[megumidesu]

wasnt one of the main characters in the GTA franchise gay?

tony

and possibly others ... i can't remember ...