Ideally, games that have any kind of relationship simulation should allow the player to pick who they want to be with. It’s not like it would take much from a programming perspective since you’re already programming characters to be in straight relationships.
I myself have played games that had such systems built into them and I was a bit frustrated that my female character couldn’t hook up with another girl. But I also recognize I’m a minority, and putting homosexual relationships in a game might be considered offensive to some. It really is a lose-lose for the game company, as they’re basically picking whether they’re going to offend people who are more liberal or conservative minded. And offending people can and will impact sales.
Some might ask if it really matters what gender your character is marrying, and you could probably argue that it’s purely aesthetics. After all it’s just a different model/sprite with a different name. But I will say that it’s definitely more enjoyable and engrossing when your character is allowed to display your own sexuality when relationships are a part of the game.
Imagine if as a straight guy you were forced to have your character marry a guy. It wouldn’t necessarily block you from game content but it certainly might hamper your enjoyment.
Most learn about the concept of sex pretty early. The moment they learn the difference between male and female they begin to question and learn about sex and sexuality. Sexuality isn’t something that most children can help but discovering and questioning.
Also, if you seek to remove sexuality completely you’d have to remove any kind of romantic relationship or crush from media. And not even Disney is that close minded.
Eh, Nintendo’s been doing that forever. In the Japanese version of HMDS for girls you could “marry” certain girls. Guess what they took out in the US version.
True but given that the heterosexual population comprises over 90% of the species…I don’t think its a terrible oversight nor insensitive to go with the base assumption that most couples will be heterosexual in nature. I’m not saying it’s perfectly fine to ignore a demographic even if they are a extreme minority, however I don’t think its a issue to go with the default predisposition that in most cases the people playing this game will be straight.
This might upset certain gaming journalist from the likes of kotaku or polygon but I don’t think its a reasonable complaint just by the pure logic of the situation.
they can see and hear about it all they want, but when it becomes a comfortable and practical place within their psyche then thats when it becomes an empirical problem, when media is made we use certain psychological tricks to keep you infatuated with the world we create.
Yea except you don;t get to make choice in Tomadachi life, it makes all of them for you, it barely counts as a game. You just plop your Miis into a virtual enviroment and then laugh at the shenanigans.
Frankly my problem with this is people demand Nintendo make a statement. That’s not their job, they are not required to make social change. If they want to they can, but if they don’t want well tough fucking luck they don’t want to. Trying to pretend like Video games are great a source for social upheaval is immature as fuck and all of those people bitching and whining are acting like children, especially since they are complaining about a game they don’t know a fucking thing about.
Oh look polygon dickriding gaming social justice bullshit again, what a surprise.
Its a fucking game it isn’t interfering with your right to stick your dick into whoever you want (as long as they are willing or of age), play something else or make your own.
Shits been getting fucking stupid ever since feminist bitchs found they could start throwing shit around then play the victim when backlash happens.
Most people aren’t in interracial relationships either, but it seems a little silly to purposefully forbid such things in a game when you’ve already programmed relationship interactions for characters that are the same race. The same can be said of gender.
It seems like such a needless restriction. Just let the player exercise their choice.
Assuming everyone is straight is called being ‘heteronormative’, and it’s actually really offensive to some people.
Nintendo doesn’t have to do anything. But people are still free to criticize and ask for change.
That’s usually how change happens. People have to speak up.
It’s up to Nintendo to choose whether the PR backlash is worth changing for.
I’m perfectly aware of the term heteronormative and to me it’s a nonsense term because it’s always used by the same people who would think tropes vs women is a legitimate academically sound study of gender in video games. Furthermore as stared before there is nothing wrong in the base assumption of a statistical reality. I don’t know the numbers of interracial couples vs gay couples but I do know this game also excludes several other pairings I’m not seeing anyone mention. What about polygamy or people in "sub"and"dom"BDSM relationships. What people who would like pairing that reflect a certain religious belief of maybe people who are opposed to marriages and prefer to be titled common law.
I think the problem here is what we call the special snowflake syndrome. I’m not saying I don’t understand why some gay people would find this bothersome but from a rational and logical perspective it makes sense Nintendo would go with statistically accurate assumption that most people playing this are straight. If it’s really a big deal and some great injustice that some gay gamers can’t express themselves in a fictions virtual setting then I expect to see every possible pairing option available for complete and total inclusion.
Somebody post about some actual good games so we can get off this social justice soapboxing bullshit.
Fuck, why can’t I just get good games anymore? Why does everything have to be “about” something?
I just want to put a game in, fight eight Robot Masters and take down Dr. Wily, or rescue a princess, or be a badass gun-toting Arnold-ripoff who shoots a small army of aliens, all while having good music, great characters, thoughtful level design and inventive, fun gameplay mechanics.
interracial relationships is so miscalculated its not even funny. its rare to find anyone in a first world country (or a third if we’re being biologically realistic) who isn’t in an interracial relationship.
it’s interesting though. is there anyone here who is pure german? pure italian? pure english? pure japanese?
is there anyone here who is pure male? female?
theres a slight difference in the question. hope I’m not offending
