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It's probably not news to anyone who's played an internet-enabled, multi-player video game in the last few years (or anyone who's ever met a teenage boy, for that matter) that LGBT gamers often face name-calling and harassment in the game-o-sphere when they advertise their sexual orientation. The Bay Area Reporter just published this investigative report in which they speak to several people in the industry -- including Flynn DeMarco of gaygamer.net and Caryl Shaw, a senior producer for the Sims and Spore -- who discuss things they've heard and seen. The takeaways: The Sims welcomes all kinds of sexual proclivities, gender identities and whathaveyou, but the multi-player environment of Xbox Live -- which is particularly rife with children and teens -- does not allow players to display their sexual orientation in their profile, gamertag or elsewhere.
Given the nature of the environment, both anonymous and full of immaturity, this seems like a dicey issue to solve. If you play with teenagers, shouldn't you expect to be treated like a teenager? We know the gaming market is full of adults, but in any environment where you mix underage people with adults with absolutely no accountability, there are going to be assholes (see diagram above, which also pertains to commenters), and there are going to be controversies surrounding sexuality. But should gay and lesbian people have to be closeted if they want to play these games?
The Sword (semi-NSFW) did this panel discussion among gay gamers in which they discuss forming gay World of Warcraft guilds other highlights of gay gaming.
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You reminded me to go finish my fishing daily. Thanks!
"when they advertise their sexual orientation"
Why would you need to do this in a video game?
to score some sweet loving, my man!
I often wonder the same thing about the thousands of other gamers that apparently really, REALLY like weed. Boy is that a well 'advertised' demographic. Screen names that involve every permutation possible of the slang involved with pot and the smoking of said pot. Granted I may not smoke the copious amounts of ganja that these fine people do, but I don't really feel the need to shout it from the mountain top.
Considering that their sexual orientation is often the source of insults and open hatred, their "advertising" could just be a way to find tolerant or like minded people to play with.
My son is an avid gamer and I feel safe in speaking his opinion here. When you are playing a game with other people online, it doesn't matter if they are 8 or 80, black, white, yellow, or green, or who they like to screw, they better be on point when the zombies come and not off somewhere humping a sandbag.
My bad, I thought gamers were all gay anyway, by default.
@ooeygooey
lawlz
"If you play with teenagers, shouldn't you expect to be treated like a teenager?"
Why the assumption that it's not only expected that teenagers will be intolerant in this way, but that it's ok for them to be?
The "boys-will-be-boys" excuse doesn't work anymore. (I use "boys" as a placeholder for whatever group we don't care about enough to push to treat other better and to become better people themselves.) What a cop-out.
How about "rednecks will be rednecks?"
everyone knows hardcore video gamers are a bunch of fags