Dragon Age 3 Inquisition Writer Hits Back On Critics Of Gay Character

Is Bioware merely pandering to the LGBT community? Is that wrong in itself? Read David Gaider's reaction.

[corvusmd]

As long as he is a quality Character in the game, doesn't bother me, I'll judge him on his actions...don't care which team he plays for in his personal time. I really doubt he'll be hitting on me, so it doesn't matter at all.

[NextLevel]

"I really doubt he'll be hitting on me, so it doesn't matter at all."

http://mundoestranho.abril....

[Drithe]

You can bet he WILL be hitting on you. Lol. You can also bet that the game will NOT allow you to reject him either.

I would expect lawsuits from people if this happened, calling for sexual harrasment in a game.

It's coming. Wait and see.

[Mr Marvel]

That's fine, as long as we also have the option to kill off any unwanted party members too.

[joab777]

Martin Luther King Jr. had it right all that time ago when he said that you judge a man on the content of his character.

Until we get to that point, racism, sexism etc. will continue to exist. I am sick and tired of pandering and political correctness being used to make money. I dont know if Bioware is pandering or not but until we get to the point in which it isnt a headline for an article if someone is black, gay or a woman, then we still hav problems.

[Drithe]

It's nothing personal. Just business. Many movies and some games have had gay or effeminate characters in them and the fact they were gay was not a big deal or was just an after thought. Bioware wants to cash in on this.

What do you bet this game will not sell as well as the other two?

[yodawins]

I just face palm at your comments.

[ThatOneRiggaNob]

Welp I hope the gay character like rejection because that's all he's going to get from me! I refuse to let that stop me from buying this game though. I'm trying to play games, that's all.

[s1rnem]

Sounds more like a response to IGN deciding to headline the article about the character calling him "the first fully gay character". Rather than a response to critics.

[Cyb3r]

I think all of this is for publicity just to give EA a good name and make people think that they are the good guys by fighting back against prejudice. Personally I dont care if a character is gay or not as long as this game turns out good.

[Jadenkorr021]

I cant belive this is even news. Peopke really need to get a grip. If there are gay characters in the game then so what? Why is this even "news".

[BX81]

Try reading the article and you'll see why it's news.

[mahmoods26]

I don't care that the character is gay. I just don't want the gay thing to be shoehorned into the plot.

I would prefer if the character's sexuality was revealed more like Zevran rather than Cortez. With Zevran the reveal was simply, oh so you swing both ways? With Cortez there was a big sign on head saying "I'M GAY. LOOK AT ME I'M GAY." I don't want Bioware to stoop to crappy writing just to make sure they have a gay character, it should add to the character not define him.

[mogwaii]

So its ok to be bi but not gay because that offend you less?

[Ogygian]

Lol I love comments like this. They try to reveal ignorance yet in reality they contain it.

Nobody is "offended" by this. They're just a little peeved that it's being rammed down their throats in such an unsophisticated manner. The most frequent argument I've heard for exclusive LGBT romances is "good, that'll teach the homophobes they can't always get what they want"; I mean this is the kind of thing I used to come out with when I was 13.

It's like someone dressing up as a slug before proceeding to hop around the room on one leg yodeling, and assuming that people are "offended" for asking them wtf they are doing instead of clapping.

There is a mature approach to homosexual romances, but there's a very real chance that the approach taken by Bioware in this game is not it (let us not forget that LGBT people make up around 5% of the population).

[mahmoods26]

I don't care if they're bi or gay. People need to realize but being gay is not a character trait, so stop making it one. Being gay has nothing to do with your belief system, what you're into, your intelligence, what city you grew up in, what choices you have to make. It has nothing to do with any of that. It's like having two arms on your body, its just something that happens. Being gay doesn't make your character interesting, being gay and being in a dilemma that is escalated due to your sexual preference, is. What's interesting is the story being told, not that the character is gay, so don't put the focus on his sexual preference.

[TheTimeDoctor]

ginger beer

[mixelon]

What I think would be nice is if they're going to have character relationships, don't always define them by their relationship with the player character.. I mean, he can be gay and have a gay partner, or persue other relationships, etc.. I know you're generally "the" important character in Bioware titles, but still.. Always seems unrealistic how everything revolves around you and your needs and that characters, regardless of orientation have little agency except when it furthers the plot in some big way.

[CloudRap]

Theres a fine line between acceptance and promotion. According to Hollywood its cool to be gay now.

[Chapter11]

Straight men have this idea that gay guys constantly want them. What does that tell you? Are they afraid they might like it? Is it because they're afraid they'll be treated the same way they treat women?

[Roccetarius]

It was pretty much inevitable to get a reaction, in order to get more publicity for the game. It's a pretty clever marketing trick, but also predictable.

Next we'll have the knights defend their honour as well, and that the community hates gay characters.

[voodoochild346]

I really don't care either way as long as he's well done(as in not stereotypical with a lisp. I hate lisps.) and they allow you to forcibly reject his advances should they write them in unlike mass effect 3.

[kevinsheeks]

Omg they wouldn't dare lmao that would get annoying real fast he'd be the first character i'd let risk his life on a no return mission -_-

[Wni0]

Bioware stop, work on your gameplay variation next time

[mogwaii]

I as a gay man have to deal with hetero characters all the bloody time, love bioware, they are representing everyone and all these little boys cant handle it, getting all scared that a gay character is going to hit on them, you poor things, your balls will drop one day and you may become men. Deal with it.

[AnEwGuY]

Did he really "hit back", or was it really just an open handed sissy-slap?

[memots]

Your game has No gay character .. people bitch .
Your game has a gay character .. people bitch .

like really now ?

[Ogygian]

There are always vocal minorities on every side, which is why Bioware should be completely ignoring them and look solely at statistical data to judge what types of characters most people play, and thus which types to put most of their attention into.

Because good statistical data (when analysed by a good statistician whose agenda is merely truth and not of a political nature) is morally neutral.

[Ogygian]

Lol the profit question makes no sense, as "straight white guys" make up the vast majority of the market, so by catering to niche groups, Bioware are actually sacrificing profit for this.

I feel Bioware are spending a lot of time creating romantic subplots which only a small minority of players will use and completely botching the heterosexual male inquisitor options, as all I can see so far on that front is Cassandra and Vivienne, which is simply not enough for 75% of your player-base (those "stats" stating that 50% of gamers are women are incorrect when looking solely at hardcore games) when you've created two options exclusive to around 10% of players (5% of people are LGBT, so I'm overrepresenting them as is standard when niche markets are catered to).

To clarify: there's nothing inherently wrong with creating two LGBT-exclusive options as long as Bioware give straight male inquisitors (the core market) a good three solid in-party options, as opposed to the two present (my proof is that 82% of people played male shepard, of which we might assume that perhaps 8% are gay (10% of 82%))
When the game is released I'm sure feedback will echo this sentiment, as I can't for the life of me work out why there are only three women in a party of nine. The grass is always going to be greener elsewhere when your own has been subjected to a drought.

Also Gaider is a hypocrite: if romances weren't at the centre of his game, why have they been focusing so much on them in comments made? I believe his statement is a cop-out, when what he should have done is reassure the core market that there is a lot more to come for them (though his comments indicate that perhaps there isn't, which is why he felt the need to tell people to focus on other things about Dorian as that's "not all that defines him"; true, but it dodges the question, which is about romance options themselves and Bioware's "some are more equal than others" approach to them.

I have a feeling we'll be hearing a lot more about this once the game is released, but I hope advocates of Gaider don't just dismiss their opposition as "homophobes". The vast majority of the gaming community are liberal (as are most of the games we play), but we just fall into two camps, similar to how in the reign of terror there were revolutionaries who said "enough is enough" and others who said "we're not done yet" and proceeded to guillotine their former republican allies. Similar mindset, different view of what is fair.

[SaturdayNightBeaver]

People forget about Dragon Age , and what it's actually about. You should look for gay romance simulator i think. This is Dragon Age , a game where you get strong and slay big dragons. Its like , you're more interested in being gay in this game than actually playing the real thing

[Mokastro]

Which ever the character sexual preference, as long its a believable and interesting Character all is good.