The Emergence of Gays in Games: The Evolution of the Gaming Industry's Attitude Toward Sexuality [translation]
We have a long way to go before everything gets better, but games are undoubtedly maturing alongside their players
Games, much like players, have matured somewhat over the last 40 years. Yet, when questions of sexuality arise, it seems nothing has changed.
In comparison to the increasing presence of LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) characters and narratives in other media—ranging from same-sex dating in "Losers" to a gay headmaster in "Harry Potter"—video games still seem stuck in the dark Middle Ages. The LGBTQ content that current AAA games can boast of reflects stereotypes and a general approach that would seem outdated even in the films of the 1930s (William Hays himself would have had his eyes bulging at the ridiculous cigarette brand "GOMEKI" from "[Duke Nukem Forever](/games?search=Duke Nukem Forever)")
David Gaider from BioWare.
"On one hand, one could justify it by saying that these are games, not a platform for social advertising," says David Gaider, senior writer at BioWare and lead writer of the [Dragon Age](/games?search=Dragon Age) series, "but entertainment value does not absolve you of responsibility for the social message conveyed."
As the average age of gamers increases and the very concept of a "gamer" changes, we see developers become more and more sophisticated with LGBTQ content. To tell the truth, current games are more LGBTQ-friendly than ever before.
More LGBTQ!
It’s straightforward to look at the relatively abundant representation of LGBTQ characters and narratives in many role-playing games and open-world titles. Series like Sims and Fable, for instance, offer players the option to flirt, sleep with, or even marry a same-sex partner. In the latest installment of Fable, same-sex couples can even adopt children.
"These romantic relationships have evolved alongside the societal climate," says Denis Farr, author and editor of GayGamer.net. "And in some respects—like the legal recognition of same-sex marriage—they even lead the charge."
Revelation in [The Sims 3](/games?search=The Sims 3)
Improved game development technology is what enables the development of relationships in open-ended games, believes game designer Jeb Havens, who heads the IGDA (International Game Developers Association) LGBT issues group.
"As technology improves and allows designers to introduce more choices, it makes sense to offer players the option of choosing what gender they want their character to be romantically interested in," he says, "especially in open worlds or MMOs where you can do anything with your character."
However, these potential partners serve more as props than characters: the Bowerstone bachelors, for example, are incapable of dialogue and have only a short list of standard actions. Their individuality is expressed in three to four words. Compare them to Eliza or Elliot—default heterosexual partners: they offer the hero unique dialogues and gifts, even special quests.
"Unnamed characters truly have nothing more to offer the player than the choice of gay or straight relationships, but I think it won't stop there," says Farr, "As technology improves, it will be hard to justify why the choices don't expand."
[Mass Effect 3](/games?search=Mass Effect 3) is getting manlier!
The developer known for providing more fleshed-out LGBTQ characters in games is BioWare. In both [Dragon Age](/games?search=Dragon Age) and the upcoming [Mass Effect 3](/games?search=Mass Effect 3), players can pursue NPCs of the same gender. [Dragon Age II](/games?search=Dragon Age II) even offers an equal amount of potential gay and straight partners for male protagonists (and for female protagonists, there's even an additional heterosexual option).
Moreover, Leliana, Anders, and other characters from the [Dragon Age](/games?search=Dragon Age) series offer the hero long hours of conversations, unlike the one-liners in Sims or Fable. In fact, Anders' storyline—often said to echo the current debates surrounding gay rights—serves as a driving force of the narrative in [Dragon Age II](/games?search=Dragon Age II).
What sets BioWare's approach apart is that, despite the player's choice to pursue either gay or straight relationships, some characters' orientations are already established as non-traditional. The decisions made by the hero as relationships develop simply reveal their bisexuality rather than sway them towards it. Take, for example, Anders, who will tell a male Hawke about his relationship with a certain Karl, but this won't be mentioned in conversation with a female Hawke.
"Regardless of Hawke's gender, Anders' romantic history with Karl doesn't go away," says Gaider, "He simply either reveals this fact to the player or not. A female Hawke won't hear about Karl from Anders because Jennifer Helper (Anders' creator) thought he wouldn't do that—and, besides, if a player prefers to see Anders as straight, there's no reason to disabuse them of that notion."
[Dragon Age II](/games?search=Dragon Age II) offers multiple partner options of any orientation.
The downside of more detailed LGBTQ character work, however, is that it requires additional manpower, development time, and testing, which developers might not have in a constantly time-pressed environment. "One has to be cautious in resource allocation," says Gaider, "Spending plenty of effort on something most players will never see isn't always feasible."
"But if providing additional options for romantic relationships isn't unreasonably labor-intensive, then why not do it?"
No longer just for male gamers
The reason why games have suddenly turned so "blue" is simple: gamers have grown up.
"The gaming industry has plenty of evidence that our audience is largely young heterosexual men," says Gaider. But the further we go, the less true that assertion becomes.
New data from the Entertainment Software Association shows that the average age of a gamer is approaching 37 years, with 12 of those years spent gaming. Moreover, 42% of gamers are women; the number of adult female gamers surpasses that of teenage male gamers nearly threefold. While the stereotype of a gamer as a teenage homophobe remains, the reality is that games are now for everyone.
HOW OLD IS THE AVERAGE GAMER!?
Because of this, players often request more LGBTQ content themselves. Fable creator Peter Molyneux admitted that fan feedback inspired him to include more LGBTQ elements in the new installments of Fable. At the same time, BinFan—a developer of the upcoming MMO Lucent Heart—conducted a survey on Facebook asking players whether they wanted to see same-sex marriage in the beta version. The overwhelming majority voted "yes."
Negative reactions, however, are inevitable. In March, one BioWare forum user criticized developers for not having enough romantic content for the "straight gamer," despite the presence of five possible heterosexual partners in the game. Gaider reacted calmly: "Most people have gotten so used to having things tailored for them that they perceive a lack of it as a discrepancy."
Nevertheless, many developers are mulling over the question of whether it is honest or appropriate to create LGBTQ content merely to satisfy gay players. Do straight gamers like same-sex couples?
Lucent Hearts: For straight players, there are still plenty of breasts.
"Let's clarify: not all straight gamers feel the same way about this," says Gaider. He refers to internal BioWare research conducted among a large number of players of [Dragon Age: Origins](/games?search=Dragon Age: Origins) who took advantage of the ability to develop same-sex relationships in the game. "Either gay players are far more numerous than we assumed, or straights are using this feature as well. I lean towards the latter. After all, it's a role-playing game, and your gaming character doesn’t have to be directly you. That’s the essence of it."
The Impact of Social Games
Even though games themselves are becoming more LGBT-friendly, irritation among players remains. In many instances, when conflicts arise, the industry prefers to pretend that gay players simply do not exist.
The most glaring example occurred in 2006 when Blizzard imposed a short-term ban on LGBTQ-friendly guilds in [World of Warcraft](/games?search=World of Warcraft), claiming they supposedly provoked harassment. In reality, many at that time argued that there was no place for real-world issues like homosexuality in a fantasy setting.
But there are also more recent examples of such behavior. In September, Microsoft banned a player on Xbox Live who listed Fort Gay as their hometown when an overly zealous content-filtering system reacted to the word "gay." Microsoft restored the player’s account only after the mayor of that town contacted them directly.
Yes, Microsoft, that town really exists.
Not to mention the slurs many gamers throw around in public chats. Their offensive lexicon violates many provisions of the Terms of Service, yet some players do not hesitate to use such homophobic slurs that even Mel Gibson would blush.
"Partly this happens because you are in a very tense environment where a lot of anonymity exists," says Jeb Havens. "You can say things that are quite offensive and provocative, without caring about the consequences."
Havens believes that, paradoxically, the social aspect of games has helped eliminate some of the online harassment, specifically with the explosive growth of social media games like Facebook. "These games are not so competitive in nature, and the people you interact with are mostly your friends rather than strangers," says Havens, "I think that somewhat changes people's attitudes towards each other online. They simply become kinder."
The Jewel of Indie Games
Despite the progress being made, however, do not expect an influx of LGBTQ content to flood GameStop shelves anytime soon. Same-sex love scenes at BioWare are one thing—after all, romantic relationships have become a hallmark of that developer—but only a handful of other large studios are willing to take the same risks. Experiments are more commonly conducted in the indie game arena, Havens notes, since "independent developers create games that do not need to conquer millions of players to succeed."
Nothing personal, babe, it's just not your story.
There are plenty of recent examples. Don’t take it personally, babe, it just ain’t your story by Christine Love cleverly weaves a range of LGBTQ themes—including coming out in high school, unrequited first love, and bullying. Gun Mute, a text adventure where a cowboy must save his beloved, goes a different route: it does not emphasize homosexuality. Even FrontierVille, a Zynga game on Facebook, offers the option to enter into a same-sex marriage.
What works for indie might eventually rise to the mainstream, says Havens. "They can push these themes until they stop being perceived as problematic," he says. "Then, in five to ten years, it won’t be an issue for players that they are 'forced' to play a gay character, just as there is no longer a concern for a guy gamer when he is 'forced' to play as a woman."
Historically, games have indeed been ahead of other media in some respects. "In terms of sexuality, games have done what has always been sidestepped in comics and film," says Farr. "That’s mostly because society is changing; people are seeing gay heroes doing their thing. It’s not as shocking as it might have been 50 years ago."
Ultimately, perhaps the industry needs to strive for a point where this subject is viewed with indifference, believes Gaider—that's exactly the benchmark by which we should judge our games. "When we get to the point where content meant for all types of players becomes so commonplace that it doesn't stand out, then we will have truly matured as an industry," says Gaider.
Thanks to Surt and Kavem for the long hours
of brutal cerebral sex during proofreading.