versellios

Tonyp1222

JohnD212

mcderek3000

That or hardly anyone wanting to see that, but it'd just be mocked by people anyway.
PS| I'm not gay/bi

Gigith

Or am I making you nervous?

Ok, seriously: Calling "gay stuff" nasty, gross and perverted and cringing when your gay friends talk about making out (I wonder how you'd react, if you saw two guys f***ing next to you..) is very close to the text book definition of homophobia.

On a side note: I can somehow understand you, I was freaked out by gay people too and felt rather uneasy around them. That was before I made out with a few guys..

little_dragon

but this is kidna lame news to me, i was kinda hoping they'd change up the mix from the other games and add two men pairing instead of just man/woman or woman/woman, i mean they even hinted earlier when they were playing a male character that one of the people they interacted with may become a "love interest" maybe the above article just means for the sex scene or whatever? maybe the animator didn't feel comfortable making the man sex animation (assuming it's a guy), i dunno but meh, i'll still play the game but it makes the double standard thing quite apparent...... and here i thought we were moving forwad, **sigh** oh well.

essko

cubabit

I find the fear of nudity in some places really amusing. Especially when games like GTA etc passes everyones scrutiny without a problem (unless your last name is, you know, Thom.. something).

"Breasts in a game? Oh my! Someone give the kid a gun, quickly."

Billqvist

tetrahedron

rhugghed

hageshiku

TC

haggen

Sabre_Justice: Okay, no more long name.

onikuwagata

This ain't a cut scene! Press A!

CyberSkull

bman784

Nexus6

Nexus6

Gouki4u

kyosen

Also, I'm not sure if this was your point, but I believe it's been confirmed that there is at least one male/male romance option (though it make take me a while to find on the forums). As I was saying, the options in the scene that this topic addresses don't suggest the limits on your romantic options. Just the options with the scene as a climax, for lack of a better term.

Heliophage

It wasn't explained how exactly the Asari reproduce, so it's possible that "asexual" isn't the correct term, but it's been explained that they don't have genders. They aren't "female", per se, but they have what humans would expect a "female" to have externally.

Heliophage

Anybody remember "Stranger in a strange land"? The thing that bothered me about that book is that when the alien character discovered sex, he started having it with everybody he could find, in large groups, except there couldn't be any other men. (It just didn't "feel right" to him for reasons that were never explained.) It's the same sort of adolescent boy fan-service, and it feels really awkward when it's imposed like that.

I'm not gay, but if I'm allowed to customize my character, why shouldn't I be able to make him/her whatever I want? It's things like this that explain the existence of sites like gaygamer (for anyone who was still wondering).

Finally, how is a female alien "asexual"?

sxp151, the happy-headed nose

Yes, actually. The Asari. Well, they don't have genders in their species, but they all look "female" by our species' standards.

Also, the pairings in the article don't suggest that there are no other possible love interests. All that it suggests is that the other pairings won't trigger a similar scene, for logical reasons.

The male "alien" species may be too oddly shaped to use the same animations in the scene with the female player model, and a male on male human 'romance' scene wouldn't as easily play out face-to-face, so to speak.

Heliophage

Generico

HackJenkins

Barbara

There's a bug that left her able to romance male players in the first version, but that was corrected later.

Rebochan

Naelok

@SlamDancinMoogle: As a consumer, I have the right to do, well, anything to a product. I do not have to right to *force* them to do something, but I do have the right to say "Hey, Bioware, I think you're pandering to straight guys and I'm disappointed that you're perpetuating a trend." Especially on a public blog. In turn, other Kotaku posters have the right to say things like "Rebo, as usual, is right" or "Rebo, as usual, is a moron." Furthermore, Bioware has the right to go "Hey, that's a point! We should take other people into account in our next game" or go "Huh?"

I'm just commenting on a trend in gaming that disappoints me. No demands. I still plan on buying Mass Effect.

@msimmons: KOTOR had no man-on-man. In KOTOR's defense, the only choice was Carth and Zalbaar. Carth is pretty much established as a heterosexual, and Zalbaar's a Wookiee. KOTOR did have Juhani, however, who was only intended to romance a female player.

@hulkster081: You were the first person to use the word "homophobic." You then said you weren't afraid of gay people, and suddenly turned around and described them as gross, nasty, and perverted. So whether that makes you homophobic or not, I don't know why you're surprised actual gay Kotakuites are offended by being described as nasty, perverted, and gross with no provocation. By the way? I know a lot of straight guys that don't think that way. So yea, it's your problem.

@hageshiku and @beeporama: The game is American made. It will not be cut for release in it's own country. Bioware has been very frank that they wanted to do an M-rated game, and nudity? M-rated.

Rebochan

KGBrAm

UncleScrotar

@mva5580: Blood & Gore = OK; T&A = Ban it!

Draconis

Seriously, I thought the average gamer was 20 something.

P4P

Im sold.

poematik14

but really, everyone that asks me about mass effect, I simply can't describe the awesomeness that will be. Usually I just get back to the jack bauer in space thing, but I try not to.

ManjiKengo

I think that makes it masturbation. Not sure.

Moonshadow101

This article is turning into a "quote-Zapp-o-rama". I want in too!
"In a game of chess, you can never let your adversary see your pieces"

Yin

Here's the problem though: Bioware romances aren't very good. The only good one was the female main character romance with Carth if you took the Dark Side path and that's just because you could kill the damn guy at the end. "I'm sorry it had to end this way, Carth." *stabs* Best break up ever. But generally Bioware romance subplots are tripe and I doubt throwing in nudity will change that.

Naelok

I'll vote for A!......I get to choose, right?

zaky

It's not really 'lesbian'... it's something else that needs a word invented for it!!

Sinnix

priznat

I think it is funny how males, and females can seduce the same characters in many games. It is like all NPCs are bisexual.

Gouki4u

Len Bias Cocaine Surplus

kojirodensetsu

Oh well, to be fair I suppose that breasts are generally more acceptable to people than the nether regions of either gender. So for any sexual content to be visually conveyed without the game just fading to black, breasts are the safe route.

Still, you can convey people being gay without nudity, because any type of love can be conveyed without sex.
Still have Fable 2 to look forward to :D

Avarite

Kif: (sigh) Yes sir.

ncdign

I don't understand why nudity and sex are something that would even effect the rating of a game. OH MY GOD! Breasts! Penises! Vaginas! WHO FREAKING CARES?! Same goes 4 letter words.

mva5580

@Hulkster81:
"not sure what would bother you about my post. i dont enjoy being called homophobic any more than you enjoy being called nasty and gross, yet im the one that gets labled as offensive. like i said, double standard."

No one in the thread called you homophobic... In fact your whole argument and point seem to have been dragged into the thread like the emotional baggage that it is...

As per your original post - you seem perfectly homophobic by your very description:

"im a heterosexual, and thus i think gay stuff is nasty, gross, perverted, etc."

Definition of phobia:
a persistent, irrational fear of a specific object, [b]activity[/b], or situation that [b]leads to a compelling desire to avoid it.[/b]

I doubt i'd ever find you in a room with lots of gay men kissing. Same with me, though i'd never label it as disgusting... the same way a child would of grown-ups kissing.

The difference is that you mentally differentiate between the person and the act, which means that you don't persecute people that practice their homophilic tendencies - which is good. :)

There is no real rational reason to find homosexual practice discusting other than it differs from your preferences and taught upbringing.

Duoae

ca$h

creid

I'm reminded of the "hot coffee" scandal with Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Here is a game where you can hijack a plane, fly it into a building and parachute out at the last minute, kill all the firemen who come to put out the fire (with an automatic weapon, rocket launcher, or by cutting off their heads with a sword), steal their firetruck, and use it to run over pedestrians all over the city. That's all fine for a "Mature" rating. But as soon as you might be able to see BOOBIES, that's "Adults Only"!

beeporama (brian.j.parker)

Let's just agree that it's equally offensive to be called "nasty and gross", "breeder", or any of the myriad of hateful names for gay people. I have always seen the term "homophobia" as referring to humanity's tendency to fear what it does not understand. Plus, I think the recent surge of talk about how gay marriage somehow threatens straight marriage, that exposure to homosexuals will "turn" a child gay, etcetera can be easily construed as fear.

RevDenton

hageshiku

Yin

If Japan has taught us anything is that alien / demon penises are either a) wider than a human baby and as long as a spear or b) it's all tentacle love.

RPGr

And "homophobic" might be acurate for the psychological thing about people being afraid of being labeled gay, and acting out against it for that reason. And then adopted as a general word. I don't know, I'm not a student of languages.

Let's talk about the game and how it's nice that it isn't censored instead, hm? It seems every mention of anything remotely gay here always gets a few of these stupid arguments.

Yin

Sullyville

But back to the topic at hand: yay for lesbians and boobies in video games! :P

ach77

well i guess technically i was the first one to be up in arms, but i wasnt really upset or anything...just making a point before people started posting all kinds of labled "homophobic" garbage.

hulkster081

That's the problem with political correctness.

SlamDancinMoogle

tk.

Bleentastic sees bandwagon and jumps

Yin

thank you sir, well said.

hulkster081

Seems like a great game. I don't have a 360 though... So no boobs for me :(
Maybe it'll be on the pc eventually.

Yin

not sure what would bother you about my post. i dont enjoy being called homophobic any more than you enjoy being called nasty and gross, yet im the one that gets labled as offensive. like i said, double standard.

hulkster081

I personally have no enmity towards gays or lesbians, I too have friends of those persuasions. But when they start talking about what they engage in, I'd rather not hear it and tell them they're grossing me out.

I'm not walking up to you and saying "You're gross for being who you are." I'm saying "You're talking about something that makes me uneasy."

If I started telling you my views on certain subjects, I guarantee you that you'd tell me I was a gross and/or evil person. And yes, that's a guarantee. You need to stop taking everything as a frontal offense and accept things as just being the conversation they are.

SlamDancinMoogle

I'm not even going to get into the many things that bother me about your comment, but I do want to say:

Please keep your comments about how "nasty, gross and perverted" you find gay people off of Kotaku. We queer gamers have to deal with that crap enough without finding it here too...

ach77

Grumpz®

Bokusatsu_Tenshi

Even aliens love them some vagina too.

ArmyofJuan

kojirodensetsu

You do not have the right to certain content in the game. This is a work by someone that isn't you, that means that they're allowed to do what they want how they want. So yes, it IS okay for them to pander to an audience.

Thank you, drive through.

SlamDancinMoogle

Blargorg

im a heterosexual, and thus i think gay stuff is nasty, gross, perverted, etc. does that mean im scared of gay people? hardly. i have several gay friends, and when i see them, i dont run off in terror at the site of something "gay". i do however cringe and call them nasty when they talk about making out with dudes.

conversely...are gay people heterophobic? if i called a gay person that, id be sued for all im worth. double standards are...heh....gay.

hulkster081

tetracycloide

zaky

Most of the female gamers I know are big RPG fans...so why not some candy for them. This si why there are so few female gamers.

Marasai

Keen314

Which is awesome.

Spike

ArmyofJuan

greeble

I guess alien male / human female love scene is the sci-fi equivalent of black male / white female on the silver screen.

O-Z

kojirodensetsu

doctorpayne13

JAcK0R

ビッグ ボス

Rebochan

Actually BioWare has given players gayboy love in Jade Empire. Male characters can "romance" the other male character Sky in the game.

Tull

Rebochan

Grumpz®

As far as I can remember, this is the first Bioware game without man on man.

msimmons

I'm hispanic and offended by Miller Lite's "Chill" beer commercials, again simply pandering to an audience and just gotta deal. Even if mildly offensive to a certain group.

ShiroRX

Given how gaming's audience is mostly teenage to adult males, showing wang wouldn't really do anything for the gae, but could possibly hurt the game. So...

msimmons

ShiroRX

I doubt it will wreck Mass Effect if that turns out to be the case, but I am annoyed if it is true just because of the obvious turn towards straight male fanservice.

Rebochan

ach77

ArmyofJuan

Alyxium

paradox

Twisk

Zho

Tull

daschupa

mahi

Don't folllow anyone.