Gender in the game is a contentious issue. Recently, when Pokemon-style MMO Temtem dared to ask players to choose pronouns when creating characters, confusion followed. The tender chicken was thrown at the screen. ask for refund. People who say "You're angry" and call others "Snowflakes" who are unhappy with the options in children's video games.
Despite the controversial gender flashpoints in the game, the media is becoming more inclusive. In recent years, the diversity of roles has been increasing, but there is still a long way to go. A game that will be truly groundbreaking is the upcoming PC & Xbox One game, developed by DONTNOD, and the studio brings you Life Is Strange.
The title will be Tyler Ronan's first three-player game with a transgender protagonist. The role is not to create your own avatar. I interviewed Tyler's voice actor August Black, as well as game director Florent Guillaume and narrative director Stéphane Beauverger The story behind Luo Nan's creation.
Guillaume explained: "Given the nature of the theme and story we are exploring, making Taylor a trans man resonates with the essence of our game." Tell me why there are two main characters: Taylor and his twin sister Ellie Mori. Obviously, Guillaume and Beauverger believe that Tyler is not only more important than his transcendence, but he (and tell me why) will be impossible for anything that breaks new ground Avoid being defined by it.
Guillaume said: "We understand the possible risks, but we also have to take the responsibility of establishing the role as realistic as possible." "We decided not to avoid it because we believe in the power of the story." Considering the concept of pronouns May cause game controversy, please tell me why it is absolutely risky. But this is admirable and even necessary.
Being transgender now is like Billie Eilish: Few people even know who you are lately, and now your entire existence is being debated between the media, the social world and an old guy, and that once It's fun but it's sad now. People know more, which gives me a lot of support, but there are many people who don't understand them and seem to somehow dedicate a lot of their identity to hate you.
Fiction often tends to portray minorities with vulgar strokes, but Guillaume explains that "Tell Me Why" avoids this pitfall: "We know we can't represent all transgender experiences. We tell about Taylor Law A transgender story by Tyler Ronan, I hope people are moved by it. "
So what exactly is the story of Taylor Ronan? "Due to his difficult past, Taylor does not easily believe anyone except his twin sister Alison," Beverge explained. "When our story started, Taylor left the center of a troubled youth and finally felt like he was going to be his own life as a park ranger." He seemed to be a different person and he kept himself away The world, but love nature. He "is struggling to find his place in a world that he often sees as hostile"-an experience that many transgender people can associate with.
Such a transgender is the actor August Black of Tyler Ronan, who is himself a transgender. He told me: "This is an important story." "A transsexual story is not a story that many people know, and the game will provide it with a huge platform. I'm glad people know these characters! Taylor can provide There are so many things, and his experience as a transgender is only part of it. Taylor is great because he is tangible. The writer has created such beautiful three-dimensional characters. It is very easy to have a video game character that looks like you Great, but more importantly, having a game character that looks like your character can provide transgender young kids with connections they might not have elsewhere. "
Taylor is clearly Black's deep personal character, and it will be interesting to see how it translates to the screen when the game releases three episodes in mid-2020. Black acknowledged: "Many of my experiences have affected Taylor." "His struggles with his personal relationships and recipients in the community are many things that the LGBT + community has experienced, and it determines how you live. I am very happy to be able to Relive these moments in life in many ways through Taylor. "
Although he is proud of his career, he also realizes that the game industry has not yet fully developed. "I can easily see how (my gender) affects the areas in which you are allowed to work in the industry. I don't want to be a part of myself." "As an actor, I hope to have the opportunity to play more differently one day Role because I fit them well, not just because I have a common identity. "
Black doesn't want to "tell me why" to stop this inclusiveness, but hopes that this game may become a watershed. "We are moving in the right direction," he said. "The future will certainly be full of challenging roles." H
"I believe representation and diversity are very important, especially in video games, because this medium allows us to place players in characters, which is a unique opportunity to inspire empathy and share experiences," said Guillaume agree. "I really hope our game encourages other Triple-A creators not to avoid telling more diverse stories." However, the result of "Tell Me Why" must seem to be that they all sing in the same hymn.
Black is not the only transgender voice "tell me why." The game was developed in conjunction with LGBT + charity GLAAD, and Guillaume is eager to point out how important the charity's point of view is: "GLAAD has always been an amazing partner that helps us with script review and cast releases and LGBTQ + community promotion. Most importantly, GLAAD provides valuable insights throughout the development process to help us ensure that Taylor is a real hero and help us create an inclusive gaming experience that attracts more people to play. "Black ( Guillaume added that Black ’s influence is also clear, “August is more than just our voice actors, he is an important member of the creative team.”
Mermaid, Britain ’s leading transgender charity (recently raised $ 340,000 for them in the Donkey Kong stream at Hbomberguy) did not participate in “Tell Me Why”, but this charity, like Taylor, has thousands of narratives Have keen experience. The Mermaid's KC told me: "Our entire community is struggling to lack positive, visible role models, and it's great to see more role models. It's great that fictional narratives have long challenged reality bias And Hypothesis provides a platform. World opinion films. It ’s important for writers and directors to listen to the communities they aim to represent and engage more people in the creative process. "
Like Black, KC is hopeful about the future and recognizes the power that video games can have. "We really feel that the mainstream media has entered a more positive era of denormalized representation … Video games are unique in that it allows players to walk a mile on someone else's shoes. Positive video games say they can help People learn empathy, friendliness, and tolerance. I can't help but feel that when video games seriously think about representation, inclusiveness, and stand out as positive role models, everyone wins. "
Another thing Guillaume has noticed is that although Tell Me Why will be the first three-player game to put trans characters first and center, many indie games have previously broken this line. He told me: "There are many talented creators in the indie game developer community who have created truly exciting experiences with LGBTQ + characters and themes." And he is right: Indie games have been publicly used across characters for some time Time is up.
Celeste's DLC strongly suggests that Madeline is transgender, which fits both the game's offensive narrative and the fact that one of its creators, Matt Thorson, is non-binary. Dupl City has trans / non-binary characters throughout its narrative. The implementation of the "ordinary lost phone" is incomplete, but undoubtedly brings the trans experience to the forefront, and "Eternal Ocean" brings its trans theme to Underwater, and into the life of the mermaid. There are countless others.
However, in the rare case of a transgender character entering a large league, it is almost always necessary to mock or fear it. The venomous poison in Final Fight / Street Fighter has a troubling history, Persona 4 allows you to simply remove the irritability of trans characters and "naturalize them," while Katherine is trans. Women's "deception trap" stereotypes play an important role. Sorry, sorry, Atlus fan. Even the infamous "Mix It Up" poster of Cyberpunk 2077 is unclear in the news: Is this a bitter critique of consumerist culture, or is it more mockery? "Dragon Age: Inquisition" deserves special attention for its wonderful depiction of transgender people in Krem. Although his influence as a third party is impressive, it is dwarfed by Taylor's influence war.
In a world in which a feminist's protagonist can feel political about someone-after all, women were invented in 1986 to suppress the rights of gamers-having a trans man's protagonist is destined to be controversial. Obviously, this is a much-needed game whose core is a game of consideration, tolerance and storytelling. Time will tell if "tell me why" is actually good, but with Tyler Ronan, it has carved its name into history books. This is a commendable improvement, while many in the industry want to be attractive through the masses (white homeopathic men).
For more on what transsexuality means in the game, here's how Bloodborne helped a writer transition and choose a new name.
