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Bioware responds on issue of LGBT rights and privilege

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Why Bioware Enforces They Deserve My Money [sic]

I don’t write often enough about games on my blog. However, I wanted to share something cool about a game company, Bioware. Recently they released a game called Dragon Age 2. This game has been played non-stop by Ray and Dave since it came out, and I’ve been watching it. It’s an awesome rpg. You get to choose to be a mage, warrior or rogue and the game changes depending on every decision you make. The non-linear story is very cool and allows for a different experience each time you play through, depending upon the companions you choose to have with you. Additionally, your companions in the game flirt with you and you can choose to flirt or not flirt back. The gender of the companion doesn’t matter; they’re all omnivorous.

On the Bioware forums, a player complained (this is the forum thread the complaint and the response came from) that Bioware neglected their main demographic, the straight male gamer, by having the straight male gamer have to ‘put up with’ men hitting on their character in addition to women.

One of the Bioware staff members, David Gaider, made a wonderful response to this player, which I wanted to share in part with you:

The romances in the game are not for “the straight male gamer”. They’re for everyone. We have a lot of fans, many of whom are neither straight nor male, and they deserve no less attention. We have good numbers, after all, on the number of people who actually used similar sorts of content in DAO and thus don’t need to resort to anecdotal evidence to support our idea that their numbers are not insignificant… and that’s ignoring the idea that they don’t have just as much right to play the kind of game they wish as anyone else. The “rights” of anyone with regards to a game are murky at best, but anyone who takes that stance must apply it equally to both the minority as well as the majority. The majority has no inherent “right” to get more options than anyone else.

More than that, I would question anyone deciding they speak for “the straight male gamer” just as much as someone claiming they speak for “all RPG fans”, “all female fans” or even “all gay fans”. You don’t. If you wish to express your personal desires, then do so. I have no doubt that any opinion expressed on these forums is shared by many others, but since none of them have elected a spokesperson you’re better off not trying to be one. If your attempt is to convince BioWare developers, I can tell you that you do in fact make your opinion less convincing by doing so.

And if there is any doubt why such an opinion might be met with hostility, it has to do with privilege. You can write it off as “political correctness” if you wish, but the truth is that privilege always lies with the majority. They’re so used to being catered to that they see the lack of catering as an imbalance. They don’t see anything wrong with having things set up to suit them, what’s everyone’s fuss all about? That’s the way it should be, any everyone else should be used to not getting what they want.

I appreciate the fact that the company’s official response was thoughtful and pointed out that not only did they make the game to appeal to everyone, not trying to exclude female gamers, gay gamers or anyone else. And with these statements, they’ve enforced that they deserve my money because they see the imbalance and try to cater to everyone, rather than the ‘straight male demographic,’ which excludes me and many of my friends.

Why Bioware Enforces They Deserve My Money | Phyrra

I am an unabashed fan of Bioware's games, but the inclusion of possible gay romances for the player to explore means that gaming, in my opinion, is really moving forward and demonstrating that it can be socially progressive. I was aware of the gay relationships in Dragon Age 2, but this particular response written by Dave Gaider really helped to clarify that Dragon Age 2 is the way it is because Bioware is interested in a game which has broader appeal, homophobes be damned.

The eloquence with which Dave responded, though, makes me think that social progress may have just found a new medium for getting the message out. The willingness to speak frankly about straight privilege is a risk, considering there's a lot of homophobia and hatred in the gaming world. The next generation of bigots can be accessed directly through gaming, reaching out to demonstrate that tolerance and acceptance is inevitable and a good thing.

What do you think about having gay characters in Dragon Age 2? Could this signal lgbt rights moving onto consoles and PCs, for young people to learn about, interact with, and learn to accept?

I am indifferent to it. If gay guys want to play at killing dragons it doesnt make any odds to me and I dont see why there cant be gay love stories within the game, although it isnt a story line I'd follow myself probably. But, if you keep getting distracted when youre trying to merk the enemy by someone trying to cybersex with you I suppose it would be annoying... whether its a gay guy or a woman, so I dont really get the whole "flirting" element of the game.

I cant say I am an expert on homosexual issues, but the couple of mates I've had who were gay were just ordinary people who I played football with or knew from down the pub. I suppose to a degree in that situation if someone is gay they might feel like they couldnt talk about what guy they fancy or whatever but I dont consider that prejudice.

If I was in the company of a group of girls I wouldnt necessarily be talking to them about who I had a wank over the other day either...

Well, I think it's a bit odd if it's set up as every character being bisexual or possibly gay if you just flirt enough with them. It kinda presents a "fantastical" view of sexuality. (Wait a minute....!)

That aside, I think it's great to have games for adults where multiplicity is added for a rich and open experiences, and sexuality is one way to make characters more engaging and lifelike. Linear gaming has its place, but open gaming is exciting in terms of it being a kind of interactive narrative.

Beyond that, I think it's a bit silly for the "straight male gamer" set to not expect it to be possible that a man could be sexually attracted to another man. I mean, if you can believe in dragons and magic systems....right?

Hot hot Female Cdr Shepard on Yeoman Chambers action. :D

---------- Post added at 10:04 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:39 PM ----------

On a serious note, yes I think doing this is a subtle way of 'norming' such behavior. I find it interesting.

Surprisingly though, in Mass Effect 2, females can enter in to relationships with females, but I don't believe there's a male-male option in ME2. I suppose that's the difference in Dragon Age 2.

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Originally Posted by KirStang (Post 2884973)

This is a slight digression.

That reminds me of a girl I was once seeing. She brought up the idea of a "threesome" and I was well up for it, I mean, really excited... then I realised she was talking about me and another guy and her and I just went "what? thats disgusting!"

I dont think of myself as a homophobic person and it was just an instant reaction... but it shows a kind of inbuilt prejudice I suppose. When presented with the idea of a threesome, the idea of two men and a girl never even occured to me as a possibility of what was on offer.

I don't think that's homophobic per se, SF. You got caught up in the excitement of the proposal.

I wonder if that self-appointed spokesperson for the straight male gamer noticed that every woman in the game has the kind of breasts that would make fighting dragons really difficult. I suspect not.

Bioware's response is great.