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JWeinCom on 01 May 2020
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Snoorlax said:
JWeinCom said:

A quick google search confirms there was at least some reasonable level of outrage over Ellie being a lesbian.  Less than there is now, but that's likely due to the fact that homosexuality is far more accepted these days than being trans or some sort of gender non-conforming person.  Which I would say is at least partially due to how homosexuals have been portrayed in the media.  

There are also plenty of times that a franchise introduces a new character to focus on at the expense of the old.  I've never really seen this responded to with anything other than mild to moderate annoyance.

But the main problem is still something you're not getting.  You keep insisting that there has to be some special reason for a character to be "diverse".  

You wouldn't say "don't make a character white unless it adds to the story or character development".  

You wouldn't say "don't make a character black unless it adds to the story or character development".  

You wouldn't say "don't make a character Asian unless it adds to the story or character development".  

You wouldn't say "don't make a character blonde unless it adds to the story or character development".  

You wouldn't say "don't make a character straight unless it adds to the story or character development".  

You wouldn't say "don't make a character short unless it adds to the story or character development".  

Yet when it comes to this circumstance where someone is defying gender norms, either through their sexuality or the way the present themselves, there needs to be a special reason.  A character can't just be trans because that character happens to be trans.  What is the reason that there needs to be this special requirement?  I'm open to suggestions but the only logical reason I can think of is that people just don't like that group of people.

Sorry but im really feeling you're just reaching here.

Yes, there will always be a minority against gay portrayals in videogames and whatever else but lets not act as if The Last Of Us got bad scores, gamers stopped playing it, put the game down and pissed on it just because of homosexual representation.

Plenty of times, but this is a case where most fans feel it's not done right and they have every right to express their opinions about it.

I don't insist we need a special reason for gay characters, because again Ellie didn't have any reasons, she just happened to kiss another girl and yeah we got the message cool. I insist that we don't need existing franchises to make "awareness" a major point of the game applied to them in an unneccesary manner. Cause we all know racism exists, would i like the game if it centered around racism? Replace Ellie and Joel with Black or Latino characters instead? Not at all i'm sure most people wouldn't cause that's not what they bought the game for, they developed with these two characters, don't throw them away because of modern day politics.

BTW you apparently keep insisting that gamers are anti- LGTB and are the sole reason for there not being enough diversity in gaming. The only reason heterosexuality is viewed as the norm, as you said, in gaming is because most gamers are heterosexual white males, that's their target audience. I don't think it's because of their "closed minded nature" that LGBT, women and minorities aren't as represented as cisgendered white males in gaming. It's because these Game Studios only care about making a profit, notice how they want gamers to be more "open minded" about content they're not neccessarily looking for in their favorite games.

Honestly, if gamers Choose not to buy a game for it not being to their liking, wheter they're closed minded or not, they have every right not to support it and should not have to be attacked and accused for any isms or phobes for it.

You literally said that characters should not be diverse unless "it adds to the story to character development".  Do you apply the same standard for instance to white characters?  Should a character only be white if it adds to the story or character development?  If not, then yes, you are insisting that there needs to be a special reason for characters to be diverse.  

The rest of the post is a strawman.  As I never said gamers "are anti-LGTB and are the sole reason for there not being enough diversity in gaming", or anything like that, I'm not going to defend a point I never made.

I also never said a person couldn't refuse to buy a game for whatever reason they want.  But if those reasons are based on bias, they should be called out as such. 

Last edited by JWeinCom - on 01 May 2020