"Bioware Neglected Their Main Demographic:The Straight Male"

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Fri Apr 01, 2011 8:15 pm

So says a poster on Bioware's forum with the assertion that most gamers are straight males. I'd like to ascertain this, so I'm going to do a bit of amateur journalism while neglecting my actual journalism homework. I'd like people to answer if they feel comfortable, and please, no trolling. This is not "srius biznis" but it's also not flippant, I'm genuinely curious as to whether a few informal polls will bare out his assertion.
(there aren't orientations associated with transgender because labels get confusing there.)

PoliteNewb · Post by **PoliteNewb** » Fri Apr 01, 2011 9:03 pm

Prak_Anima wrote:So says a poster on Bioware's forum with the assertion that most gamers are straight males. I'd like to ascertain this, so I'm going to do a bit of amateur journalism while neglecting my actual journalism homework. I'd like people to answer if they feel comfortable, and please, no trolling. This is not "srius biznis" but it's also not flippant, I'm genuinely curious as to whether a few informal polls will bare out his assertion.
(there aren't orientations associated with transgender because labels get confusing there.)

I seriously am not sure which button to click.

When you say "heterosexual" vs. "bisexual"...where does a guy fit who has never had sex with a man (and probably never will), but who finds some guys attractive and is not averse to the idea of sex with them under certain (very specific and fetish) circumstances? I am hesitant to click "bisexual", since having sex with guys isn't really a major part of my sexuality, but I find "heterosexual" too limiting.

I'm really not sure this poll is going to tell you much; if people are being honest, they generally don't fit into neat little boxes.

Gnosticism Is A Hoot · Fri Apr 01, 2011 9:26 pm

PoliteNewb wrote:
Prak_Anima wrote:So says a poster on Bioware's forum with the assertion that most gamers are straight males. I'd like to ascertain this, so I'm going to do a bit of amateur journalism while neglecting my actual journalism homework. I'd like people to answer if they feel comfortable, and please, no trolling. This is not "srius biznis" but it's also not flippant, I'm genuinely curious as to whether a few informal polls will bare out his assertion.
(there aren't orientations associated with transgender because labels get confusing there.)
I seriously am not sure which button to click.

When you say "heterosexual" vs. "bisexual"...where does a guy fit who has never had sex with a man (and probably never will), but who finds some guys attractive and is not averse to the idea of sex with them under certain (very specific and fetish) circumstances? I am hesitant to click "bisexual", since having sex with guys isn't really a major part of my sexuality, but I find "heterosexual" too limiting.

I'm really not sure this poll is going to tell you much; if people are being honest, they generally don't fit into neat little boxes.

Back when I was in roughly your situation, I probably would've called myself heterosexual. I only really started calling myself bisexual after my first (short-lived) relationship with another guy.

That said, it's not for me or anyone else to tell you how to self-identify, and your comment about neat little boxes is right on.

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Fri Apr 01, 2011 9:29 pm

put whichever feels most comfortable, or don't click one and just say "hey, I don't really fit any of those..." like you did.

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Fri Apr 01, 2011 10:21 pm

also, damn you TGD for skewing this poll. (not that I'm surprised in the least, I expected a lot of SM here. I'm just getting disappointed that his assertion is, to some extent, bearing out.)

MfA · Post by **MfA** » Fri Apr 01, 2011 10:22 pm

I don't think they neglected the straight male demographic so much ... I think the main problem was what went into designing the romantic interests in the game (ie. girls who like Twilight are not suited to designing masturbation bait for boys).

Also the elves looked hideous in the game.

Ikeren · Post by **Ikeren** » Fri Apr 01, 2011 10:30 pm

Truth be told, Straight White Males have been priviledged in plenty of games. Bioware was correct in responding "Screw you" to that poster.

I expected a lot of SM here.

Really? You didn't even put SM as a poll option? And what makes you think more Denziens would be into Sadomasochism? The hilarious vitrol?

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Fri Apr 01, 2011 10:31 pm

Ikeren wrote:Truth be told, Straight White Males have been priviledged in plenty of games. Bioware was correct in responding "Screw you" to that poster.

I expected a lot of SM here.
Really? You didn't even put SM as a poll option? And what makes you think more Denziens would be into Sadomasochism? The hilarious vitrol?

SM meaning Straight Male because I abbreviate things when I expect everyone to be on the same page.

Kaelik · Post by **Kaelik** » Sat Apr 02, 2011 12:18 am

Maybe I just missed something, but literally every bioware game I've ever played has had (for it's graphics):

1) A bunch of scantily glad and or "attractive" women.
2) The option to bang them.
3) The option to be one of them.
4) The option to do 2 and 3 at the same time. (Okay, yes, you needed a mod for this in BG, shut up.)

How are straight males being neglected exactly?

Koumei · Post by **Koumei** » Sat Apr 02, 2011 2:31 am

Kaelik: that is fucking hilarious. And true.

One of the things I liked about NWN was how whatshername the Human Bard was getting sweet on my character and putting it down as "Oh, just a case of hero worship I guess". Shame the game doesn't let you keep her through the whole Whores of the Underdark thing.

And teasing with Aribeth-ghost is funny, if nothing else.

Orion · Post by **Orion** » Sat Apr 02, 2011 6:38 am

I'm in PoliteNewb's boat, and generally call myself "straight," but since the poll was in reference to games rounded myself up to Bi because my male crushes are almost all fictional.

Kaelik, the dude's complaint was that straight male characters had the same number of people to fuck as characters of other genders and sexualities, when they should have had more. Of course, the real problem with his argument is assuming that people only play themselves in Bioware games. I'm pretty sure the lesbian arcs are played by more straight men than actual lesbians. As for me? I find many female Bioware NPCS shallow, bitchy, or lifeless, while the male NPCs are charismatic and interesting. So I roll up a straight chick and pretend I'm Alister.

Ikeren, of course a lot of denners are into SM. We're roleplayers, so we're not afraid of costumes, hokey dialog, or making fools of ourselves. And we're nerds, so we're not afraid of machinery and complex choreography.

Draco_Argentum · Post by **Draco_Argentum** » Sat Apr 02, 2011 6:50 am

Kaelik wrote:How are straight males being neglected exactly?

In Mass Effect there are times when some portions of the screen are not filled with boobs. The neglect is palpable.

Avoraciopoctules · Post by **Avoraciopoctules** » Sat Apr 02, 2011 7:57 am

This survey lacks a tiny box for sneering asexuals. I am disappoint.

Ikeren · Post by **Ikeren** » Sat Apr 02, 2011 8:02 am

SM meaning Straight Male because I abbreviate things when I expect everyone to be on the same page.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh! Now I get it! @Orion: I guess that makes sense.

Koumei · Post by **Koumei** » Sat Apr 02, 2011 9:41 am

Orion wrote: Ikeren, of course a lot of denners are into SM. We're roleplayers, so we're not afraid of costumes, hokey dialog, or making fools of ourselves. And we're nerds, so we're not afraid of machinery and complex choreography.

Someone really needs to go into a brothels and ask "So, are you okay with roleplaying?" and, when the affirmative is answered, say "Great. I brought a character sheet for you so you can get right into it, I'll MC this for you."

(Or possibly go as a group and, when they answer yes, high-five and say "Great, you get to be the DM")

Kaelik · Post by **Kaelik** » Sat Apr 02, 2011 11:54 am

Orion wrote:Kaelik, the dude's complaint was that straight male characters had the same number of people to fuck as characters of other genders and sexualities, when they should have had more.

Fucking Straight Male Privilege.

[/Crissa]

cthulhu · Post by **cthulhu** » Sat Apr 02, 2011 2:07 pm

If the point is about bioware's games, you need to ask what percentage of straight male gamers create a woman - I almost always play a woman (voice acting is better, model is better, dialog is always funnier) or try both, but my housemate always makes a guy.

He's really complaining that the options for a guy, playing a guy, that wants to pick up chicks were too limited?

The funniest part about the 'oh noes, anders hit on me' is that if you are female, everyone fucking hits on you. In both games!

Kaelik · Post by **Kaelik** » Sat Apr 02, 2011 4:33 pm

Regarding the den being overly straight male:

Yes, your poll is fucked over, but it`s actually not overly straight male.

In fact, so far the den is overly bisexual. The reason straight male seems over is because male in general is over. But bisexual male is apparently greater than gay male, which is not true of the general population, and bisexual male also outnumbers the number of women total.

TL;DR: It`s not biased to SM. Just M and BM.

CatharzGodfoot · Post by **CatharzGodfoot** » Sat Apr 02, 2011 8:03 pm

Judging by the posts in this thread, most of the "bi" males are effectively straight males who were at one point bi-curious or even just find some men attractive. In other words, enough to sound open minded ('we're all shades of gay') without walking the walk. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Starmaker · Post by **Starmaker** » Sat Apr 02, 2011 8:08 pm

Bioware panders to straight males too much. I wouldn't mind moar options, given that I almost always play straight male characters, but their writing paradigm is bad and they should feel bad. All romanceable NPCs should be bisexual - wait, no, wrong, they should be Schrodinger-sexual. You romance them - they like it, you don't - DADT. Consistency, what consistency? It's a single-player game for fuck's sake. On the first playthrough you play Elothar the Helpful Thatcher, and Der'renya the Ruby Sorceress builds an orphanage for orc kids. On the second playthrough, you play Elothar the Destroyer of Cities, and Der'renya unleashes a magical plague that kills all the lawful good population.

Now, some activists might say the world does not work that way, that in real life you might hit on someone and they're not interested - but a videogame is already a wish-fulfillment fantasy. By all means, have a broken bird+nice guy storyline - but have another one where the woman is actually okay and you have a healthy relationship without all that running mascara.

Kaelik · Post by **Kaelik** » Sat Apr 02, 2011 9:19 pm

CatharzGodfoot wrote:Judging by the posts in this thread, most of the "bi" males are effectively straight males who were at one point bi-curious or even just find some men attractive. In other words, enough to sound open minded ('we're all shades of gay') without walking the walk. Correct me if I'm wrong.

I think two people who posted that they were kinda bi said they were only kinda by, but Polite also said he wasn't clicking on anything in the actual poll, so that leaves four bis who may or may not walk the walk.

angelfromanotherpin · Post by **angelfromanotherpin** » Sat Apr 02, 2011 9:27 pm

What exactly does 'walking the walk' mean?

Username17 · Post by **Username17** » Sat Apr 02, 2011 9:32 pm

angelfromanotherpin wrote:What exactly does 'walking the walk' mean?

Phrase Meanings.

I believe in this case you can be talking the talk but until you're sucking the cock you're not walking the walk.

-Username17

Gnosticism Is A Hoot · Sat Apr 02, 2011 9:32 pm

Well, I tend to have relationships with women and casual sex with men. (neither, alas, as often as I would like). I have been told that this means I'm not 'really' bi, because bi guys should have relationships with men and women equally. I think this opinion is 'full of shit', but whatever.

As far as video games are concerned...yeah, straight men aren't lacking for eye candy or romance options. Gay men get it the worst in this respect - often, games which go so far as to include lesbian romance options won't offer gay options, or the gay options will be less developed (Jade Empire, I am fucking well looking at you). Dragon Age avoided that problem, though I'd have preferred a non-twink gay romance option.

Does anyone remember if Baldur's Gate II had LGBT romance options? I haven't played that game in over a decade.

Kaelik · Post by **Kaelik** » Sat Apr 02, 2011 9:41 pm

Gnosticism Is A Hoot wrote:Well, I tend to have relationships with women and casual sex with men. (neither, alas, as often as I would like). I have been told that this means I'm not 'really' bi, because bi guys should have relationships with men and women equally. I think this opinion is 'full of shit', but whatever.

As far as video games are concerned...yeah, straight men aren't lacking for eye candy or romance options. Gay men get it the worst in this respect - often, games which go so far as to include lesbian romance options won't offer gay options, or the gay options will be less developed (Jade Empire, I am fucking well looking at you). Dragon Age avoided that problem, though I'd have preferred a non-twink gay romance option.

Does anyone remember if Baldur's Gate II had LGBT romance options? I haven't played that game in over a decade.

It didn't as released if I recall, but people straight up modded that in so fast you wouldn't know that if you played with mods at all.

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