No no no, I am not being politically incorrect in this world. It actually exists and is a funded game coming out this month for mobile devices. Sorry, I’m getting ahead of myself. The game is called Ultimate Gay Fighter and is touted, according to GameSpot’s report, as the “world’s first ever gay video game…ever.”
Now, I know how volatile the internet is, so let me be frank; I don’t care about, petty or otherwise, views on sexuality especially when discussed in any relation, whatsoever, to the Video Gaming industry.
With that barbed wire set up, I can tell you what I want to know: is this game serious or joking at people’s expense? In simpler terms, is the game brandishing being “Gay” like a wrestler with a championship belt, or is it the condensation of “Gay” stereotypes meant for a quick, controversial laugh? The game’s tagline is, as you can see, “The only colors in this rainbow are black and blue,” so… are they trying to counteract the stereotypical femininity of homosexuality, or are they mocking those that identify with that sexual preference? I suppose my question is answered from one of its trailers, particularly when I hear “That belt, those shoes? Bad idea!” According to a statement that the creator made, the idea was originally a joke, but then goes on to say, seemingly non-sarcastically, that the game is a “love letter to my gay family.”
[youtube http://youtu.be/WtxVh1D0E1g]So, I ask, which is it? It seems that the game was made to project mockery so intensely that if you nuked it 50 times, you would still find traces of it left. I just don’t get it… well, the cynic in me does, but he is a cynic. On the most superficial level of my consciousness, I’m confused, because of the contradiction between the creator’s words and his actions. I’ll defer to you; what is your take on this game and situation?
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It seems to be really mocking a lot of gay stereotypes. I don’t know…it doesn’t smack of something done out of love. To be fair, I’m basing my opinion 100% on the trailer you posted.
That trailer is filled with all the worst stereotypes. The blonde lesbian literally turns into a pair of scissors for one of her moves… I mean come on…
Yeah, that one caught my attention too. And the guy whose attack sends rainbows fluttering about??? Geez.
Hahaha, I wonder how many gay people will actually play this game? I don’t think that gay people are the target audience, it is those who mock gay people who will be buying this for the novelty value. That or kids who think the word ‘gay’ is funny.
That’s basically how I feel after watching this trailer. I would love to see the reaction from the gay community after it’s release. If this was made by an all gay group of developers I think it would be a different story, but it’s made by a straight man.
The comedic way in which ‘Ultimate Gay Fighter’ is voiced over at the end says it all. He’s stereotyped every gay character too. The gay theme is probably tacked on to boost sales amongst adolescents who will no doubt find this hilarious. There could be a big backlash, in todays world it won’t go unnoticed either way.
First of all: Great post, I love finding out about new games, no matter the size. I also like hearing about the LGBT scene in gaming. It shouldn’t take long to figure out why, but hey, I’ll be mysterious like that and not explicitly say why 😉
Well, it looks like it’s pushing the button for contraversy quite a bit.
In fighting games, there have been gay characters (Street Fighters Eagle, Guilty Gears Venom)… and there have been transexuals (Final Fights Poison)… and cross dressers (Guilty Gears Bridget, Tekkens Leo).
I guess this games Unique Selling Point is that it’s made entirely of the LGBT spectrum. Interesting in some respects. I’ve seen a few other games rising as of late which are “Gay games”. With the invention of Kickstarter, it’s not too big a surprise these games are popping up.
I’m interested to see what happens with this, although the gameplay, to me (personally), didn’t look too inspired. I will, for now, stick to playing as Venom and Bridget in Guilty Gear and scare the heck out of my friends when a teddy bear jumps out at them before I throw them to the moon… or turn them into a cue ball and use them to play pool (Anyone who’s played Guilty Gear should be familiar with these moves).
I want this game to end up being a success and for it to not be done as a big joke about the LGBT community. I hope it’s done in a “Jest-like” way, whilst not making the scene out to be “Jesters”. The only person who truly knows is the creator… But I respect the fact there is a diverse range of characters to choose from – Important in a fighting game.
Most importantly: Big respect for the gutsyness in making this game in the first place.
Thanks for the post guys! 🙂
Thank you very much for the fantastic and informative response. I try not to be too over “PC” because it seems like people are up in arms about ridiculous things on a daily basis. Everything can’t be taken completely seriously, but I can imagine how some people might be upset with this release. I guess I would need to know more about the developers intentions before I passed any serious judgment.
I’m as “unPC” as the next guy at times. For New Years Eve, we played a fantastic game of Cards Against Humanity – And it didn’t matter what card was pulled. A party game for horrible people, indeed!
I think it’s down to what the intentions are as you say 🙂 Personally, good luck to them – So long as it’s not supposed to directly ridicule the scene. It could be good intentions met with stereotypicalism, but hey, we’ve seen worse in gaming – Riiiiight? 😉
Yeah, I can’t tell if it’s a joke or taking itself seriously. I guess it may be taken more seriously if it looked a bit better, but then again… I don’t play games on a phone. This may actually be a sweet looking game. In the end, I’m just confused. If this is for real, I wish them luck. If this is mocking that lifestyle, I hope it fails.
It looks incredibly similar to Divekick, which is completely a joke, so maybe that’s why many are jumping to conclusions about the intentions of the game. Either way, I know some people will find it hilarious and many others will find it incredibly offensive.
it actually looked like a mildly fun way to waste a few minutes, avoiding the whole character creation shtick.
Wikipedia has a list of video games w/ gay characters, going all the way back to 1986. ..http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_LGBT_characters_in_video_games
This seems to be more of a joke, rather than something done by and for the gay community. I’m curious to see how they react.