you can't
now name all the super popular games with lesbian protags
gee, i wonder why the latter is so much easier to do :|
I can't think of any lesbian ones either until TLOU2
Unless we count stuff like Dragon Age and Mass Effect
wife is strange
gone home
both met with critical acclaim
i'm sure there are others i'm missing
Mario
Zelda
SONIC
i lol'd but i said openly :|
and mario is probably as heteronormative as a video game can be lol
Quote from: Magyarorszag on June 12, 2018, 03:34:25 AM
wife is strange
gone home
both met with critical acclaim
i'm sure there are others i'm missing
Are those popular games though (popular amongst who may be a better question)
Never heard of life is strange. Gone home is just an indie game
wife is strange is extremely popular lol
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_Is_Strange#Sales
and in any case, it and gone home are far more popular than they would have been had they featured gay male protags
Huh I guess that's popular enough. Surprised I never heard about it. But then again I'm pretty good at ignoring weird games.
But yeah gay is still way more taboo than lesbianism so makes sense. Majority of target audience is way more cool with being a chick that makes out with a chick
I am surprised I can't even find like a shitty steam title with a gay main character though
Quote from: Magyarorszag on June 12, 2018, 03:46:13 AM
wife is strange is extremely popular lol
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_Is_Strange#Sales
and in any case, it and gone home are far more popular than they would have been had they featured gay male protags
Life is Strange is at least popular enough that it was featured at E3 and it's published by Square Enix. The lesbian romance is technically optional and depending on the player's choices. Choosing the no-homo options (which are admittedly unpopular according to the online metrics the game shows at the end) they're just friends and that "romance" is at most just subtext.
And if you're including optional homosexuality, that means other games like Fire Emblem Fates and Mass Effect count, right?
Quote from: YPargh on June 12, 2018, 03:52:00 AM
I am surprised I can't even find like a shitty steam title with a gay main character though
You're clearly not looking hard enough. I've heard of plenty.
The first one that comes to mind for me is Dream Daddy. There's plenty of BL in visual novels, not as much in other genres.
Quote from: bluaki on June 12, 2018, 05:37:10 AM
Quote from: Magyarorszag on June 12, 2018, 03:46:13 AM
wife is strange is extremely popular lol
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_Is_Strange#Sales
and in any case, it and gone home are far more popular than they would have been had they featured gay male protags
Life is Strange is at least popular enough that it was featured at E3 and it's published by Square Enix. The lesbian romance is technically optional and depending on the player's choices. Choosing the no-homo options (which are admittedly unpopular according to the online metrics the game shows at the end) they're just friends and that "romance" is at most just subtext.
And if you're including optional homosexuality, that means other games like Fire Emblem Fates and Mass Effect count, right?
Quote from: YPargh on June 12, 2018, 03:52:00 AM
I am surprised I can't even find like a shitty steam title with a gay main character though
You're clearly not looking hard enough. I've heard of plenty.
The first one that comes to mind for me is Dream Daddy. There's plenty of BL in visual novels, not as much in other genres.
Isn't that a dating sim? I wouldn't even consider there to be a protagonist in those games because the character is basically the player. Aside from visual novels barely being games in the first place
But yeah I only did a Google search and couldn't find any examples of a gay lead character which wasn't optional (only lesbians like Tec said) but I'm sure there has to be something obscure out there.
Quote from: YPargh on June 12, 2018, 03:50:42 AM
But yeah gay is still way more taboo than lesbianism so makes sense. Majority of target audience is way more cool with being a chick that makes out with a chick
I feel like Life is Strange might not be a great example for that, actually. I get the impression it has an exceptionally high proportion of female players. The romance isn't really portrayed in a way that seems clearly male-oriented like a lot of other lesbian content is.
Quote from: YPargh on June 12, 2018, 05:43:31 AM
Isn't that a dating sim? I wouldn't even consider there to be a protagonist in those games because the character is basically the player. Aside from visual novels barely being games in the first place
But yeah I only did a Google search and couldn't find any examples of a gay lead character which wasn't optional (only lesbians like Tec said) but I'm sure there has to be something obscure out there.
Yes, it is. I'm sure there are indie gay games in other genres out there, but I'm not familiar with any since I don't keep that much track of indie stuff and on top of that my interests are more in the yuri direction.
If visual novels are "barely games in the first place" I feel like the same should apply to a Telltale-style walking simulator game like Life is Strange, right?
Quote from: bluaki on June 12, 2018, 05:52:10 AM
Quote from: YPargh on June 12, 2018, 03:50:42 AM
But yeah gay is still way more taboo than lesbianism so makes sense. Majority of target audience is way more cool with being a chick that makes out with a chick
I feel like Life is Strange might not be a great example for that, actually. I get the impression it has an exceptionally high proportion of female players. The romance isn't really portrayed in a way that seems clearly male-oriented like a lot of other lesbian content is.
Quote from: YPargh on June 12, 2018, 05:43:31 AM
Isn't that a dating sim? I wouldn't even consider there to be a protagonist in those games because the character is basically the player. Aside from visual novels barely being games in the first place
But yeah I only did a Google search and couldn't find any examples of a gay lead character which wasn't optional (only lesbians like Tec said) but I'm sure there has to be something obscure out there.
Yes, it is. I'm sure there are indie gay games in other genres out there, but I'm not familiar with any since I don't keep that much track of indie stuff and on top of that my interests are more in the yuri direction.
If visual novels are "barely games in the first place" I feel like the same should apply to a Telltale-style walking simulator game like Life is Strange, right?
I guess the target audience still enjoys chick on chick in that case lol but yeah from a different market than I presumed n_u That's nice that there's at least some variety out there. We'll see how TLOU handles theirs once it's expanded in 2.
I did find a couple in the "queer games" section of Steam (only 17 games listed). There seemed like there could be 3 or 4 actual games in there with a lead gay character.
Idk from my perspective those and telltale games are more like choose your own adventure books. Which can be interesting and entertaining but they don't really have any "gameplay." I could be completely off base lol but that's just how I look at them
Quote from: YPargh on June 12, 2018, 06:03:21 AM
I did find a couple in the "queer games" section of Steam (only 17 games listed). There seemed like there could be 3 or 4 actual games in there with a lead gay character.
I heard that Steam used to have LGBT tags that were very recently removed in the past week or two, around the same time they announced the new "anything goes" (except illegal or trolling) content policy.
does stardew valley count
my dnd character is gay
Quote from: bluaki on June 12, 2018, 05:37:10 AM
And if you're including optional homosexuality, that means other games like Fire Emblem Fates and Mass Effect count, right?
Quote from: Khadafi on June 12, 2018, 06:57:53 AM
does stardew valley count
i should say
canonically gay, in which case, no, those don't count, as homosexual relations are just one possible option
the protags of those games are more like stand-ins for the player
Does it have to be the "main" character, such as the player character?
If not, both Mass Effect and Dragon Age do.
Other than that, you right, can't think of much
Quote from: Big Goop on June 12, 2018, 08:46:34 AM
Does it have to be the "main" character, such as the player character?
yes
like in wife is strange, the lust of us, gone home, etc.
Quote from: YPargh on June 12, 2018, 03:52:00 AM
I am surprised I can't even find like a shitty steam title with a gay main character though
See what I mean? musica.cards;
call me if you find one
[spoiler]
boyah tcg[/spoiler]
Bully/Canis Canem Edit
sub-challenge: name a single game with a canonically bisexual protagonist
Quote from: Magyarorszag on June 13, 2018, 02:39:22 PM
sub-challenge: name a single game with a canonically bisexual protagonist
Does Legend of Korra count? It's not confirmed within the game, but the character herself is canonically bi.
it's a licensed game that apparently makes no indication as to her sexuality in game, but it is true that she's bi in the animated series
hmm
i'm not sure whether it should count tbh lol, but maybe
still, that may be the only example, and even then it's a real stretch
the ballad of gay tony
Quote from: Nyerp on June 14, 2018, 09:53:32 AM
the ballad of gay tony
that one did come to mind but tony isn't the protagonist lol
the protagonist is his bodyguard, who as far as anyone knows is hetero
Has there been any official word on the sexual orientation of MGS characters? Are they supposed to be "straight"?
well, as far as protagonists go, raiden has a wife and child, and snake never really demonstrates any romantic interests period afaik
There's implied sexual tension between him and Meryl, at least in the first one, isn't there?
there is, although it really is pretty superficial
but it does suggest that if anything snake leans towards hetero
any time tec can create his own char it's gay
Quote from: SVT on June 14, 2018, 09:20:37 PM
any time tec can create his own char it's gay
i suppose this isn't too far from the truth goodjob;
ultimate challenge: name a single game featuring a trans protag lol goowan
Quote from: Magyarorszag on June 12, 2018, 08:47:13 AM
Quote from: Big Goop on June 12, 2018, 08:46:34 AM
Does it have to be the "main" character, such as the player character?
yes
like in wife is strange, the lust of us, gone home, etc.
gone home is kind of a weird example since the player character isn't the main character
the player character isn't gay, her sister (the actual main character) is
Quote from: Magyarorszag on June 30, 2018, 11:12:19 AM
Quote from: SVT on June 14, 2018, 09:20:37 PM
any time tec can create his own char it's gay
i suppose this isn't too far from the truth goodjob;
ultimate challenge: name a single game featuring a trans protag lol goowan
aerannis lmao
well, more serious example but is also a spoiler for the game:
[spoiler]a normal lost phone[/spoiler]
Quote from: Magyarorszag on June 13, 2018, 02:39:22 PM
sub-challenge: name a single game with a canonically bisexual protagonist
vamp from mgs
Quote from: Magyarorszag on June 13, 2018, 02:39:22 PM
sub-challenge: name a single game with a canonically bisexual protagonist
tec's sub goal
Quote from: Magyarorszag on June 13, 2018, 02:39:22 PM
sub-challenge: name a single game with a canonically bisexual protagonist
deadpool sillydood;
Quote from: wawi on June 30, 2018, 04:14:17 PM
Quote from: Magyarorszag on June 13, 2018, 02:39:22 PM
sub-challenge: name a single game with a canonically bisexual protagonist
vamp from mgs
bisexual, yes
protagonist, no
Quote from: donʼt letʼs on June 30, 2018, 04:20:46 PM
Quote from: Magyarorszag on June 13, 2018, 02:39:22 PM
sub-challenge: name a single game with a canonically bisexual protagonist
tec's sub goal
subbing is indeed my goal
Quote from: Thyme on June 30, 2018, 04:33:37 PM
Quote from: Magyarorszag on June 13, 2018, 02:39:22 PM
sub-challenge: name a single game with a canonically bisexual protagonist
deadpool sillydood;
til lol befuddlement
anyway my only point here is that lesbianism, for whatever reason, is the safest, most vanilla choice for a non-hetero primary character in any """progressive""" media, which is why it's so much more common and accepted and popular than g/b/t
there is a very real, non-arbitrary reason the acronym lgbt is in the order it's in lol
Any updates on this? befuddlement