GayGamer.net

Dragon Age: Gay Plus, Trans Negative?

2009-11-20T22:00:00Z

As with many of the writers here at the GayGamer.net castle, I've had a huge chunk of my time swallowed by playing Dragon Age: Origins. As we already have a review and sex scenes with Zevran, I wanted to write about another piece of the game across which I ran (and one more piece after that--but that includes finishing the game, which I should manage this weekend).

In Denerim, the metropolis, in medieval terms, of Fereldan, there exists a brothel you can visit called The Pearl. If you speak to the madame there, she gives you the option of choosing your preferences, whether that be male, female, a surprise, or both.

Choosing both gives you what you see in the screenshot I captured up top. So, while many of us are going YAY! about the inclusion of Zevran and Leliana, below the fold you'll read about an issue that's made me frown.

]]> It can be difficult to write into media a character that is considered a minority and underrepresented. Among those difficulties is when finally including characters of the minority, having only a few examples tends to mean that it's the only representation players have of said persons. When that is a stereotype, it can be easy to be disappointed.

What you see above, in the brothel, is my human mage standing next to a woman who is coded as trans. Unfortunately, these trans women (both the ones in the screenshot include "female" companion), are already made known to us that they are trans by the nature of the quotations around female, as if to say, "This is no real female."

Ouch.

Now, the way this makes sense is that you are in a brothel, where such would be communicated to you. That problem is solved here, albeit in an inelegant manner. Unfortunately, the trans women across whom I've come in this game are only here, in The Pearl. It is commendable that sex workers in the game are not seen as wholly seedy or villified, but the fact that this inclusion codes trans women as only sexual fetishes and makes it appear humorous (with one companion, she quips, "Oh, don't pretend to be surprised now) makes me wonder a few things:

Are there other trans persons in this game? Where are they?

Which brings me to a bigger thought about games in general. If they include a trans person, how do they become coded? If they pass, it should never become an issue what sex they may have been at birth. Otherwise, how is the discovery handled? Had they not coded these trans sex workers before selection, would people have been insulted that they were 'tricked?'

Don't get me wrong, BioWare has done an amazing job with this game, and includes many political issues which I never expected of them (and I am a BioWare fan), but this one is an example of something I would like to see as a starting point to a more friendly, less stereotyped inclusion of the (too often ignored) T from our communities.

Particularly as the game does very well at other gender issues in the game (women that play as women, instead of just a male with woman model!), especially as it includes my favorite party companion, Shale.

Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days Confirmed

2009-11-19T19:00:00Z

Slated for a 2010 release, Square Enix has officially confirmed Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days for the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC, developed again by IO Interactive. A website has launched, featuring two videos, one of which Dawdle reported (it includes the duo running about nude). Screenshots and more videos are promised in the future, and the website is to be fully launched in 2010 as well.

The new video is also set up to be a surveillance camera observing Lynch taking a bowling ball and using it to bust open a door. The grainy textures and surveillance equipment seem to be the theme this time, with the reported aim being to explore new levels of realism and intensity. Considering the pedigree of the first game, that is certainly enough to make an eyebrow raise if it succeeds.

From the press release:

"Gamers are always looking for something new and that is exactly what they are going to get with Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days," said Niels Jørgensen, general manager of IO Interactive. "A special thanks to gamers worldwide for their feedback. They are certainly in for a shock as we, with immense pride, welcome back our two dear, violent and somewhat unfortunate friends."

No More Heroes Coming To Xbox 360/PS3 Near You

2009-11-18T19:00:00Z

It appears that recent scans of Famitsu, as seen on Kotaku, have confirmed that No More Heroes will be coming to both the Xbox 360 and PS3. Apparently, it is slated for release in Japan on February 25, and will include upgraded graphics and Very Sweet Mode, where one can have the females of the game scantily clothed (in which I have no particular interest, but I'm also no Humbert Humbert to a young, teenaged assassin). The title is to be No More Heroes: Hero's Paradise.

No More Heroes certainly numbers among my favorite titles on the Wii, and I will be excited for it if this gets it more recognition and play. Then again, I recall being absolutely thrilled when my controller started speaking to me as if it were a cell phone (don't worry, I'm often easily amused), so am not sure how I'd feel about such a game on a different console. It was a game whose novel uses of the Wiimote certainly carved itself into my memory; as well as roommates' when I needed to recharge my beam katana.

PS3 Firmware 3.10 Glimpses

2009-11-17T19:00:00Z

Over at the PlayStation.Blog, they've offered a preview of what we can expect from the PS3 Firmware 3.10 update (which, if you're paying attention, sounds similar to what Xbox Live is also doing):

The latest update incorporates Facebook into the PS3 experience. By linking your PlayStation Network account to your Facebook account, you will have the option for the PS3 to automatically update your Facebook News Feed with Trophy and PlayStation Store activity. This update also enables developers to set specific criteria in their titles to publish additional game information to your News Feed. You can then check out your updates, and those of your friends, on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media favorites through the PS3's built-in web browser.

Their blog post also includes a video, in which you may or may not have interest. Nothing overly game-changing, but it is curious to see how the two console publishers are continuing to both improve their services while competing with each other.

No official word on a when, just the ever-ubiquitous PR word soon.

Clint Hocking On Auteurship And Art

2009-11-16T19:00:00Z

Clint Hocking, whom you may know as part of Far Cry 2, wrote a blog post this weekend examining the article that popped up in the New York Times Magazine about indie games. He was interviewed for the piece, and this serves as a retrospective on the piece over all (which includes Jason Rohrer, Jon Blow, Jenova Chen, and many more).

The post starts with the recognition that only a certain subset of gamers really cared about the question of whether or not games can or have the ability to be art. He acknowledges that games are entertainment, just as any artistic medium may be. It is the realization that more and more, major publications are posing such thoughts and questions as well, meaning there is a relatively new medium through which people can experience art, or simply expression.

His issue, however, is how the New York Times Magazine article seems to push that in seeing more art in games in the future, there will need to be auteurs, or a strong authorial intent coming from the side of the game developers.

Hocking succinctly sums it up in this paragraph:

But in some ways, I feel this is the very purpose of games. Every other artistic medium is authored in the traditional sense: the message passes down from author to audience through the medium. But games (as we know) are different. Input is expression, and when players input their expression it passes back into the medium, where it feeds back against predictions the author(s) made about the kinds of things players might express (never reaching the author directly).

The idea is not that developers give us a story and that's it, but that this is a medium through which the player can be part of the formation of the narrative and experience. It is among the reasons I myself enjoy gaming so much; it feels like rehearsals for a play, or the process of writing out a story, poem, et cetera. It allows me not to just experience, but create and share the joy of authorship while making the play completely my own.

Which is not to say I mind strong authorship in games. The old Sierra and LucasArts adventure games hold a prominent place on my games shelf.

PETA's Super Chick Sisters Sequel

2009-11-13T20:00:00Z

PETA's Super Chick Sisters now has a sequel, New Super Chick Sisters, with the return of mustachioed chicks. This time the target is McDonald's, and there appears to be much more humor injected in its cutscenes, particularly at Mario's expense: mustache ride license plates, Yoshi abuse, et cetera.

Unlike with their game concerning KFC, this one addresses the concern that McDonald's has ignored claims to alleged chicken mistreatment and suggests a more humane method of kill, rather than an outright ban on eating chicken itself.

Unfortunately, or fortunately for those not interested in the political points made (and trust me, I have lots of criticisms for PETA myself), half the political message is buried in chickens who stand by and require you to stand and wait for their message to fully load, which creates gameplay that doesn't really communicate well the full intent or pertinent information.

Be warned that progression also eventually nets you a video where you get to see PETA's I'm Hatin' It campaign, which features videos of the chicken mistreatment.

The game also features an unlockable character, the Princess Pam whom you are set to rescue from the evil clown.

Available both on their website as Flash, and downloadable for PC/Mac.

ALA Recognizes National Gaming Day

2009-11-12T19:00:00Z

Via Kotaku, a piece on Reuters today reminds me that November 14, this Saturday, is the second annual National Gaming day. That's right, the American Library Association has put up a site with a list of participating libraries and activies.

Goals this year:

Raise awareness about the use of games as a library program;

Expose people to new types of board games;

Establish connections between local board game groups and the library.

The article linked takes a bit of a step back to speculate about videogames, specifically. Apparently libraries will offer a chance to play games, but not just any (after all, ratings will also play a key point). The focus is on games that have historical weight, whether or not that is explicit. Examples are games like the upcoming Assassin's Creed 2, particularly the focus on a younger version of Leonardo Da Vinci than to whom we are more accustomed (though I still lament Commedia Dell'Arte acting troupes into which I can lose myself and improv). Taking historical figures and putting them in games is certainly one method of such a historical overview, but there is also a mention of just creating the general ambiance of a time period, from the fashions to architecture, and even social conventions.

The issue not discussed is how accurate these depictions may be, or if there are problem areas (such as with Velvet Assassin, where a woman who had been raped and executed by Nazis took morphine to run around in a slip with flowers on screen). Then again, how many films and novels are questionable about the history they depict? Are games a good first step into historicism and the skepticism we are should bring to reading anything regarding history, even primary documents?

After all, what is history but a fable agreed upon?

Valve's Dude! Where's My Thumb Contest... 2

2009-11-11T19:00:00Z

Considering Valve has decided to spend $25 million on advertising for the sequel to Left 4 Dead, it should come as no surprise that the contest for Left 4 Dead 2 is similar to last year's:

Take a funny, interesting, scary or otherwise unique photograph of you or a friend in front of one of L4D2's outdoor media placements (billboards, bus ads, etc.) and you could win a custom Xbox. All entries will be reviewed and judged by Gabe Newell, president and founder of Valve, so be creative!

Entries must be submitted by Sunday, November 15, winners chosen November 18. The winner will receive a special 'infected' Xbox 360, custom designed. Twenty-five runners-up will receive an autographed copy of the game.

To think, just last Saturday I came across one of those billboards here in Chicago. How many others have seen this advertising campaign out in the wilds?

Secret Of Monkey Island: Deleted Scenes

2009-11-10T19:00:00Z

As someone who normally skips deleted scenes and such on his DVDs, I was surprised to see how loud a squee I let loose over the fact that LucasArts found 'deleted scenes' from Secret of Monkey Island. As found on the LucasArts Workshop blog

My name is Adam Bormann, and I was one of the designers on the Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition. One of the things I worked on was the new hint system, which meant a lot of digging through the old original SCUMM source code to figure out how Ron Gilbert, Tim Schafer and company were tracking the state of different puzzles and whether Guybrush had completed something or not. One thing I quickly noticed was that Ron and Tim had left a lot of notes in the code, explaining why things were the way they were, or putting a date when a certain bug was fixed. This was fascinating to see and read. The other thing I noticed is that when they made some changes, they left the original versions of the code in there, but commented out, so that it wouldn't be used.

Among the scenes are right before Fester Shinetop kicks you into the water, after emerging from said water to speak with Elaine, with the crew, et cetera. The full scripts, again, can be found right over here.

This makes all makes me wonder if any of the other SCUMM games included such code, as I longingly look back at Maniac Mansion: Day of the Tentacle.

Dragon Age Toolset

2009-11-09T19:00:00Z

While it's a bit too early for me (25 hours and only 22% complete with my mage playthrough), Bioware has released the Toolset to Dragon Age:Origins here.

Among the features:

Create your own add-ons to extend the main campaign in new directions

Tell stand-alone stories in the Dragon Age setting or in a setting of your own devising

Share resources with other modders to enhance each others' works

Look "under the hood" to see how memorable moments in Dragon Age were done

Or, if you want do something other than mod, here's something for the intrepid filmmaker:

Also included is a dedicated cutscene editor with a wide variety of powerful cinematic capabilities. The cutscene editor is a movie-making toolset in its own right; it is quite capable of producing stand-alone works of machinima if one so desired. All of the in-game footage in Dragon Age was produced using it. Lip-syncing and facial animation is fully automated, making lifelike performances easy to accomplish.

The last bit makes me chuckle, but then again, having been on stage a few times, the critic in me does fault Dragon Age for stiff animations and not really believable facial performances. At least you know that's taken care of for you.

Since I'm curious to see what this can do, and don't plan on booting it up until I finish the game, feel free to add me on their network and share with me anything you create. Name, Redgren (link only works if logged in).

Video: L4D2 Iteration (More News Besides)

2009-11-06T19:00:00Z

Video Games - E3 2009 - G4 Web Exclusive

The above video is an interview with Dario Casali of the L4D2 team, talking about the iteration of level design and how it has progressed from the first game. While so far it is nothing like this entry from L4D (perhaps my favorite developer blog entry of 2008), it gets more behind the design process and theory of how to maneuver both the director AI and players--particularly how to do so beyond what was done in the first game.

Of particular interest is how different maps scale better to different modes of play, such as versus. The idea of mazes and larger maps to navigate, so that the director AI has more with which to work, sounds like it could either be overkill or make for a more tense experience (knowing Valve, I'd expect the latter).

Also of note, via Kotaku, is that Left 4 Dead 2 preorders four times the first. It's not really a surprise when one considers how strong the first game was, and how it was an untested IP, but this was said anyway:

"As we get closer to launch we see the reaction to the demo, pre-orders are four times what Left 4 Dead 1 was, people's excitement, the boycott itself and how it's changed... I think people are just excited now," he said.

Count me among the excited; though a large part of that is the ability to play Rochelle, as there aren't too many black female protagonists in games as yet.

More videos, covering Realism, Scavenge, and Survival mode are available at the G4TV blog.

For Fri: Instant Streaming Disc For PS3

2009-11-05T19:30:00Z

Just received this e-mail, and thought you'd like to know:

Dear VorpalBunny,
Your free instant streaming disc for PS3 should arrive by Friday, Nov 06, 2009.

Meanwhile, add TV episodes & movies to your instant Queue now so you're ready to watch instantly when your instant streaming disc arrives.

-Your friends at Netflix

Yay!

Epic Releases UDK Into Gaming Wild

2009-11-05T19:00:00Z

Epic Games has decided to release its Unreal Development Kit for free to PC developers. To obtain this before, one had to purchase Unreal Tournament 3 or the Gears of War PC version.

Now, just because it has been released for free, does not mean everything you do with it is; there still exist licensing issues that apply if you do not plan on releasing your own projects for free:

If you use UDK in your business, sell a game or application created using UDK, sell services or training and in connection with that business, distribute an application you've created using UDK, or use UDK in any way to generate revenue, directly or indirectly, in addition to your agreeing to the UDK EULA, you are required to sign a UDK Commercial Use License Agreement.

Alongside this, there is a showcase of games that have used UDK, including Whizzle and The Ball, the former also highlighting a developer diary video and the first thirty days of development documentation.

Video: Shattered Horizon Gameplay

2009-11-04T19:00:00Z

Video Games | Shattered Horizon | Escalation Gameplay

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

I already made mention of Shattered Horizon with a rather quiet and eerie video that reflected the silence of space. Well, today is the release date, and can be purchased from many different sites for the price of $17.99 (though full price is $19.99, and not sure how much longer this sale lasts).

Above is a video showing actual first person gameplay, focused less on ambiance, and more on showing you firefights. It highlights the zero gravity fights, being able to propel through space, and shooting people.

Video: Krystian Majewski's TRAUMA

2009-11-03T19:00:00Z

TRAUMA Gameplay Preview from Krystian Majewski on Vimeo.

The above rather lengthy seven-minute video is gameplay footage of a game called TRAUMA that is to be released by the end of the year. Atmospheric and eye-catching might be words I use to describe it (I started to write creepy, and then realized it does not creep me out, but does give me a sense of melancholy). From its own site, it is described as:

TRAUMA tells a story of a young woman who survives a car accident. Recovering at the hospital, she has dreams that shed light on different aspects of her identity - such as the way she deals with the loss of her parents. TRAUMA lets you experience those dreams in an interactive way, reminiscent of Point-and-Click Adventure Games. It builds upon this established formula by introducing a gesture-based interface, real-time 3D technology for dynamic level layouts, unique photographic visuals and a level design philosophy that focuses on creating a rich experience rather than an elaborate puzzle challenge. Combined with the unconventional story, it is aimed to be a compact and deep game for a literate and mature audience.

It will require Adobe Flash and be playable in most browsers. For those who want a copy on their hard drive, such will be provided for a small fee, and there will be a later edition released on physical media. As was evident of my write-up for Fatale, I am a strong proponent of games that give me an experience over which I can mull and chew.

Here's to adding one more game to the end-of-the-year queue.