Is the world ready for a gay video game protagonist?

[TonyAndonuts]

I watched this video and thought it was pretty good. I think it'd be awesome if there was a big mainstream AAA game that had a gay main character. Whenever I see gay characters in video games, they're just rumored to be gay based on their flamboyancy and femininity and/or they're just side characters. But I guess what people's concern is that if they make the main character gay, they're afraid the whole game will focus on the character being gay and the character's sexuality will be the selling point. What would be better is if they made a game with an intriguing world, a compelling story, great gameplay, and a main character that's strong and likable but also just happens to be gay. But on the other hand, some people would think that if they aren't going to focus and build off the character's sexuality, then why even make them gay? They might as well just be straight or un-specified. So then what's a good middle ground? How can we have gay representation in video games without their sexuality being a huge spectacle, but still be relevant in some way?

[Sylph]

First off, games are just games to me, I don't care what pixels are fucking what pixels in their animated world, however listen to this gurl.

I was playing this game called Symphony of the Origins on a whim on my phone, and there is a super Fem, very clearly male character, who's catch phrase was "Women should be...Sexy (Girly pose) and Violent!(Mean pose)" and would proceed to kick ass all over the place and yes he refers to himself as a woman, even though through out the whole game it's clear he's a male.

He even has a boyfriend, although it's slightly one sided up till the end when the other guy kinda agrees to the "situation".

I don't get the big deal of needing to make openly gay characters in games, because hardly anyone gives a fuck now and probably will give less of one if there is one.

What I liked about this character I talking about, was that he was overtly gay, perhaps even a Transgender, but didn't make an issue of it. It was funny, and kind of normal like, as if it was no big deal, because really it wasn't. and the game got like 100,000 downloads or maybe more on the Android Platform, so it must've picked up some consumer base that was not just the stray gay or whatever



He's the one in the bottom right corner, whose name is Hargna.

Even if they made him the leader character/player, I really don't see an issue.

And to be honest, and being a very flamboyant man myself, I don't need to see myself in every single thing I like or do, I'd like to be able to play a video game that didn't have a gay main character or a gay person as the lead, because really, it's a game, why would I want to play my own alternate life basically?

I get what you mean and stuff, but really I don't see the point and again, I am probably the type of character they'd make as a lead character if they did do a gay lead, just for the stereotype factor, because a "regular" gay guy, to the average eye is just a guy really, so any character in that instance can then become gay or straight, according to that person's persuasion and or desires.

Where as if they acted like me, then the audience loses that factor of ambiguity and personal conceptualism.

It's like when girls are forced to play as Male characters and vice versa, they're not allowed to be who they are without it being kind of weird, because of that lack of conceptualism based on internal customization and expression.

That's why an openly gay character would not work well as a main character, because then it becomes very one dimensional.

Atleast with characters who are just not specified and what not, we can atleast make our own image of what the character likes or dislikes and so forth. True there are alot of games that have Hetero themes, but I for one don't find it offensive.

I always knew Luigi and Mario weren't really brothers and were doing more than just smoking mushrooms behind Peach's tower.

Toadstool is their supplier you know!

[ceez]

There's actually some main stream games where you can choose what your character likes. In Mass Effect if you build a good relatiomship with one of the male crew members they fall in love by the third game and I've been playing one of my favorite games, Fable 3, where not only can you fall in love with the same sex but you can get married and adopt kids.

And another wierd fact about the game is if you have sex without a condom then you risk catching an std and when talking to villagers you can view their sexual orientation. I believe the game Dragon Age is similar, it's almost becoming the standard for rpg games where you can build a relationship with either sex or none at all throughout the game. I would post some videos but it's to hard to do on my tablet and I'm to lazy to start my laptop

[TonyAndonuts]

I know there are games that allow you to choose your sexual orientation, but there aren't too many where the lead is gay by default. As time went on, it became more common to play a game where the main character wasn't just a white or Japanese male. More games with female leads were made and more games with lead of different races were also made. But not gay leads yet, they're still side characters and a lot of times just portrayed in a very stereotypical way. And the video goes over all of this stuff, but if gay characters are becoming more prevalent in TV shows, why not video games. Nowadays, video games can tell some stories with a cast of characters just as deep and interesting as a TV show or movie. Most don't, but they can. I like playing games with great gameplay, but also just tells a good story. I don't feel like the main character NEEDS to be like me in order for me to enjoy it. I'm neither white or female, but I have no problems playing games with a white lead character or a female lead. But a gay lead, that's going too far?? I feel like most gamers don't care who they're playing as for the most part, as long as the game is fun to play and the character is fun to play. The only ones that would care are the extreme homophobes, just like misogynistic gamers would never play a game with a female lead even if the game's really good.

[Chase]

I have a gay marriage in the game Skyrim.

[Samfreek]

I have a relationship with Kaiden Alenko in Mass Effect 3, I also have a husband in Skyrim, he's the blacksmith in Riften. I am a total slut in Fable series, so many hot shirtless bandits type men in knothole glade!

I don't think it's a big deal though, but if a main character is confirmed as gay from the start it would be okay too.

[Sylph]

I know there are games that allow you to choose your sexual orientation, but there aren't too many where the lead is gay by default. As time went on, it became more common to play a game where the main character wasn't just a white or Japanese male. More games with female leads were made and more games with lead of different races were also made. But not gay leads yet, they're still side characters and a lot of times just portrayed in a very stereotypical way. And the video goes over all of this stuff, but if gay characters are becoming more prevalent in TV shows, why not video games. Nowadays, video games can tell some stories with a cast of characters just as deep and interesting as a TV show or movie. Most don't, but they can. I like playing games with great gameplay, but also just tells a good story. I don't feel like the main character NEEDS to be like me in order for me to enjoy it. I'm neither white or female, but I have no problems playing games with a white lead character or a female lead. But a gay lead, that's going too far?? I feel like most gamers don't care who they're playing as for the most part, as long as the game is fun to play and the character is fun to play. The only ones that would care are the extreme homophobes, just like misogynistic gamers would never play a game with a female lead even if the game's really good.

[COLOR="Blue"]You know I agree. What you've said is true.

I still stick to my opinion however that it doesn't really matter if the character is openly gay, whether it be stereotypical or not.

I play a game for it's fun factor, and story as well obviously, I especially love games like Final Fantasy and Blazing Souls and so forth, but honestly, we've got men and women now almost equally included both in the game itself as characters and those who play them because they now can without being always gender locked. That's all that matters to me, after that, character personification should be left up to the player.

I'm sure if they started making gay characters as mains, we'd soon get tired of them heffas too, just as we have with seeing over macho male leads, or the overly dramatic and emotionally stunted ones and now even the overly Feminist, Women crushing men with their fists leads as well.

This is why I tend to prefer strategy games such as Final Fantasy, Blazing Souls, Generation of Chaos, because while they have a story, it is integral to the furtherment of the game itself, and not trying to prove a point or make an impact other than universal, genderless ones.

"Gotta save the world" "Save the Towns folk" these are story arcs that are not gender or sexual orientation specific, and yet still tell a fabulous ass story.

I literally cried at the end of Chaos Rings II, because the thought of killing innocent people whom you grew to care for, one of whom was like 10 or 12 year old kid, just to save the world in a never ending cyclic event that after 1000 years always destroys the world unless certain people are sacrificed, is really some fucking shit.



Put it this way, if they make games such as where the Main character was gay or lesbian or even Transgender, then I think it shouldn't even be said, like at all. Let the character's actions, depict who they are and what they feel, because to me, having to say it, is kind of attention seeking.

No body knew Albus Dumbledore was gay, no body, and yet, he was a old ass queen, hiding secrets and mysteries in that beard of his. No body knew why Severus's Patronus was the same Doe patronus as Harry's Mothers, not even when they showed his memories of how he loved her and coveted her. It's implied. His Patronus was a Doe like hers, because he loved her so much, it took the shape of her Patronus.

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[Woollyhats]

Yes, the world is ready. A lot of main characters in big games now (Examples, sims, skyrim) are bisexual, and give you the choice to effectively decide their sexuality.

As for games where you're default gay, I'm sure companies will start to experiment with a few games like that in the near future, probably initially with games where there are multiple leads, or you can choose a lead, first.

[Sylph]

Yes, the world is ready. A lot of main characters in big games now (Examples, sims, skyrim) are bisexual, and give you the choice to effectively decide their sexuality.

As for games where you're default gay, I'm sure companies will start to experiment with a few games like that in the near future, probably initially with games where there are multiple leads, or you can choose a lead, first.

And to quickly tie into what Kuma-Puma has so effectually stated;

"Choice" . That is the word I find is the biggest turn on for me in a game. You can either mold your character the way you want, or they should'nt have an overt sexuality at all.

Actually... Sexuality is kinda overrated now that I think about it. Let's just play Chess and be over with it ;3

[Eth21]

In a perfect world it really shouldn't matter and people wouldn't even notice however I believe if a game came out tomorrow with a gay main character it would be all over the headlines. But after that original one people would move on and it would become more common place so for that I would say yes.