cross-posted from: https://lemmy.blahaj.zone/post/23565790
Hello! I’m currently working on a research paper for my English composition course, and we were given free reign on the topic. I decided to do my topic on the history of queerness in gaming, and I’m not only talking about queer characters, but also the gaming community too. So far, my major sources focus on things like:
- Demographics of games with queer characters (which identities, created in what country, what year was the game made, etc.)
- I want to try to find more stuff about trans, enby, and ace characters as I feel their representation is a little underepresented
- Opinions of queer and non-queer gamers on queer representation in games
- How fan interpretations, fanon, and external content (like social media posts) is important to gaming too
- What games do right and wrong with representation, especially when it comes to “non-gendered” character creators
- How localizations/translations are sometimes used to censor queerness. Also about how queerness can be seen differently around the world.
- Some info on Gamergate, but that’s not a major focus of the paper
- A pinch of info about feminist gaming, but not necessarily lesbian-women-only gaming
I want to make sure I’m hitting what people find important to explain and teach to others, as the goal of this paper is to be read by anyone who’s curious to learn. So if there’s any topic you deem extremely important that shouldn’t be missed, please tell me! Also, I’m a little more knowledgeable about JRPGs compared to popular western games, so character recommendations to bring up are appreciated greatly.
I plan to promote a survey about this stuff later on, I just need to get my questions together :). I will crosspost this to other gaming or queer communities, so you might see me there too!
This post is also on Reddit, although due to it being a new account I’m going to struggle to gain traction there with the low karma bans :(
One thing that could be interesting to discuss is character creators and general restrictions on what a player avatar can and can’t do.
For example:
- Require all player + npc relationships to be hetero.
- Have most relationships be hetero, but sprinkle one or two bi characters for spice.
- Lock certain clothing options or body styles to specific genders.
- Tie the player’s pronouns and voice to their gender.
- Tie the player’s gender to what’s in their pants.
- Restrict genetal options to a boolean “male” or “female” (intersex people exist).
- Force the player to only be in a monogamous relationship.
- Allow the player to be polyamous but inexplicably punish them for being too poly (Looking at you, Stardew).
