In 2010, are gamers ready for a main character to be gay?

[Kugyince]

Video game designers know their target audience — young white males — and being the smart, money-earning fellows they are, they design games for this audience. But in the year 2010, is this audience ready for the main character in their $60 game to be gay? Now I'm not talking about an overly effeminate, swishy, dress-wearing men making the same jokes as my classmates in 8th grade, but a real down-to-earth man, with a strong and comfortable relationship with another man.

Feature: Keep it Gay, Keep it Gay, Keep it Gay - Kombo.com

[jim5cents]

Dante?

[Dudebro]

Originally Posted by jim5cents

Dante?

Incoming SJB rant in 3.2.1...

[nikegirl2012]

I know it was a joke... but how is Dante gay?
And second... why do guys use gay as in insult? I know that's not what the article is about but I don't get it. Are guys just that insecure of their sexuality?

[Demon-Mask]

We've had gay main characters for quite the time, all you have to do is look a little deeper than the surface of the character.

[Dudebro]

Originally Posted by nikegirl2012

I know it was a joke... but how is Dante gay?
And second... why do guys use gay as in insult? I know that's not what the article is about but I don't get it. Are guys just that insecure of their sexuality?

I'm really not trying to use gay or metrosexual as an insult. I just bring it up because SJB doesn't seem to get why Dante and Squall are more feminine than masculine.

[Delegate Zero]

They should be, but they aren't. We are still, still raised trying to be taught homosexuality is somehow wrong. A homosexual main character would be just the same as a heterosexual main character anyway, unless there is sexual scenes. In that case, if you're homophobic, then don't buy the game. If you're going to let personal feelings intervene in your gaming, then that's you.

Sometimes it's not even being uncomfortable with your own sexuality with kids, it's just how they are raised, especially with a religious family. Let's be fair, religion is a major contribute to modern homosexual condemning.

[Kugyince]

Originally Posted by Delegate Zero

Let's be fair, religion is a major contribute to modern homosexual condemning.

Are societies that are more accepting of homosexuality less inundated with religion?

[Winnebagel]

Originally Posted by Tenser

Are societies that are more accepting of homosexuality less inundated with religion?

I bet that would be a big factor in that yes. It seems like the hardest on this issue would be Christian/Islamic groups. I don't think Judaism or many other religions are as prejudiced in this area anymore. I don't want to sterotype those religions either, but it does seem to be a prevalent anti-gay message in a lot of the ultra-right wing types of religions and groups.

To answer the original question, I think people are getting closer to accepting that if they are not already there.

Television is already featuring more and more gay characters. A prime example of this would be the enormously popular character of Captain Jack Harkness in Doctor Who/Torchwood (Omni-Sexual in the show). He is not written as some basic sterotype, but as a real three dimensional (immortal) character, and a very cool one incidentally.

[Delegate Zero]

Originally Posted by Tenser

Are societies that are more accepting of homosexuality less inundated with religion?

No society as a whole accepts homosexuality, but, hypothetically, you're more likely to have a society of liberal atheists accepting homosexuality than a society of mixed religions, yes.

[Slime Slayer]

Regardless of "ready for it" the industry is about making money. How many sales would they gain vs. how many would they lose, besides:
http://retrouprising.com/video-games...dedness/t8493/

[Dudebro]

I wasn't raised with religion but I was certainly raised around a lot of homophobia. I'm not saying my parents are but the whole atmosphere was like that when I was a kid.

[Winnebagel]

Originally Posted by stevencassidy13

Regardless of "ready for it" the industry is about making money. How many sales would they gain vs. how many would they lose, besides:
http://retrouprising.com/video-games...dedness/t8493/

Yeah. Good flashback Essie. I forgot about that one. I wonder how many copies that one sold?

[Dudebro]

They did make a homosexual shooter game in japan and I believe it sold well. I'm not sure if it was because people think it's funny or not but their just more open about sexuality than we are in the US.

[samejamesbond]

Originally Posted by Tenser

Are societies that are more accepting of homosexuality less inundated with religion?

From experience, I'd say yes.

@Dudebro: I know you label them feminine because of their attire and their
attitudes, but they don't deserve that title becuase both of them have the coolest
moves of their respective franchises, and that says alot.

[Dudebro]

@Dudebro: I know you label them feminine because of their attire and their
attitudes, but they don't deserve that title becuase both of them have the coolest
moves of their respective franchises, and that says alot.

So you think in game moves make a character seem gay or not? Don't you see the point that they dress like gay guys and they look fem? I'm just pointing out the obvious, not trying to gay bash.

[Kong]

In 2010, are gamers ready for a main character to be gay?

No. As an option yes, but as a mandatory main character with no choice to be straight, no, the market is not ready.

Examples
We are NOT ready for
The brothers in a Double Dragon clone to try saving their kidnapped boyfriends.

We are ready for
An RPG that allows you to marry anyone in town and you have an option to pick a man or a woman.

Games are about pretending to be a hero and mainstream consumers do not want to pretend to be gay.

Originally Posted by nikegirl2012

Are guys just that insecure of their sexuality?

Yes.

Originally Posted by Tenser

Are societies that are more accepting of homosexuality less inundated with religion?

I think it is safe to say that homophibia is pushed by religion. I'm not saying we would or would not have homophobia without religion but I do believe we would have less of it.

[Dudebro]

We are ready for
An RPG that allows you to marry anyone in town and you have an option to pick a man or a woman.

Fable lets you get with and marry any gender as any gender. If you check the NPC they can even say stuff like "saucy, gay, boisterous" Dragon Age lets you engage in some freakness with another guy, but only that one dude I think. It's already here and established in big name games. Technically this means we do have gay(or at least bi) lead characters and it's not a big deal at all.

[Slime Slayer]

When 51 percent of the gaming community is gay or lesbian, you will see your precious hero, until then tough luck.

[Dudebro]

It's already here it's just not big news for some reason. Fable is a very successful game and it's got homosexuality on display, if you encourage it from the npcs. You can be a openly gay hero and the npcs will be ok with it. There might be in game homophobia but I never tried that route so I can't say for sure.
If you're not into it you can just ignore the gay guys/girls fawning all over you. It's a humorous game but it's also tasteful and well put together. It's a little short though.

Dragon Age is weird, it's allows your character to have a relationship with pretty much any party member but the only gay relationship is between the male protagonist and the bisexual elf party member. I didn't play as a female character yet so I could be wrong but I haven't heard of any lesbian relationships. Weird right?

[Slime Slayer]

That's not the same situation db, it is cool you can do that, but the question is about a game where you play a gay person without a choice.

[Dudebro]

But does it really matter if it's your only choice? I think you mean a game where the characters sexuality impacts the story in some way. In Fable it's cosmetic basically, it has no bearing on the actual storyline.

Either way I think an RPG where your chosen character can be gay or straight is a huge step towards acceptance of gays in games. Fable is mainstream and I haven't really heard any protests or any fans angered by the homosexuality. I'm actually surprised by that, where's the outrage?

[Kugyince]

So by default Massachusettes is less religious than other states?

Are people less religious in South Africa? Mexico? Brazil? Argentina? Uruguay? Isreal? Nepal? Norway? Sweden? UK? Belgium? Netherlands? Spain? Australia?

[Dudebro]

So by default Massachusettes is less religious than other states?

Not that I'm aware of why?

[Kugyince]

Considering the laws you have in place, wouldn't you consider Massachusettes less homophobic, or at least, more proactive than other areas of the country?