Diablo 3: "Gay" Male Wizard Controversy

Earlier this week, Blizzard finally added the in-game model of the male Wizard, and nerd-rage resulted. Fans have been ripping up the forums and throwing adjectives like "wimpy," "effeminate," "transvestite," and have even compared his animation to a "belly dance."

What's got the fanboys so riled up? Does the game version differ radically from the concept art? This article compares the artwork and takes a look at the other character models to point out that their poses aren't really so different from the male Wizard's.

[Maticus]

Of for... Lol is all I can say.

[Xulfxulf]

yeah, it's funny how the character art, which no one said a word about when playing him at last year's Blizzcon, suddenly is too wimpy to tolerate.

[Leord]

Oh yeah, I thought he was available.

Silly fans :)

[Raf1k1]

I can see what people are upset about but Blizzard seems to be giving both genders of each class the same stance. The animation worked for the female wizard but didn't translate too well into the male wizard.

It's nothing I'd lose sleep over though.

[Tempist]

Here's a novel idea; Give up on Diablo 3.

It's the same cycle every 4-6 months.

1) Diablo information come out. Game play and or screen shos.
2) Fans read it and complain about this or that. Totally nit picking.
3) The nit picking continues until Blizzard says something on it or changes it.
4) Fans keep quite.
5) GoTo 1.

For a game that should have and completely could have come out 2 years ago, I don't understand why people are still clinging to Blizzard. I don't understand how you feel you can be led on for years only to have something you're ultimately going to whine about day 1 release or be sold a full game in three parts.

You're all suckers.

[corneliuscrust]

still have it installed, in fact.

Diablo 3 looks like a joke IMO. I keep trying to get interested in the game. But it seems like one thing after another, theyve been eliminating the little things that made diablo 1 and 2 so great.

[thewhoopimen]

I think the fans are being weird about this... They want a muscle bound masculine wizard? If you think about it, Wizards are supposed the nerds and geeks of the fanatsy world, wearing flowing robes and practicing waving wands or staves instead of actually fighting or doing weights... In fact, they do all these experimentation on spells and chemical components... so they should even be a little bit tribal, bohemian or even hippy-ish if you think about it.

They have to break the stereotypical male warrior mold... That's what a wizard is.

[Arnon]

Here's an interesting concept. Maybe the reason why people are waiting for such a game, is because they know it's a good franchise and already know what to expect from the core experience of the game, thus making them eager to wait longer. It's not like they're waiting with nothing to play. Who would've thought that Diablo 2 still has a massive community with 50,000-100,000 different players each day?

I wonder how long you've been waiting for Gran Turismo 5 and Final Fantasy versus XIII. If it's been 5 years or more, then you're being suckered. Sorry. (this is of course, going by your logic)

Here's a novel idea: Stick to the topic next time.

On-topic:

He doesn't really look gay. He's a mage. It's a person who has no physical combat whatsoever, and always looks flashy and effeminate in all the games they're released in. Guild Wars, Final Fantasy, Aion, etc. Is this suddenly being discovered?

Furthermore, I don't really see why it matters in the first place. If you don't like the character, then don't play as it. Blizzard will see the trend later down the road, and will probably release a patch that will allow you to change his overall appearance.

[Raz]

Uh oh, the Diablo wizard's been outed too, eh?

Actually, now that I think about it, you can't really specify gender preferences for any of the characters. They're all virgins - not one sexual encounter in the whole series!

If we're going to complain about anything, I think it should be the complete lack of characters getting laid in-game to prove/disprove fictional, fabricated ideas about who they'd rather have in the sack.

/end sarcasm

[Xulfxulf]

Some of the anti wizard comments are in the "methinks he doth protest too much" area. If you're so offended that a video game character isn't exactly covered in stubble and crushing beer cans with his forehead, you might have some issues of your own?

[Cogo]

In most cases, I do believe people who are homophobes are because they are hiding something within themselves...

[pixelsword]

I think racism is a mix of jealousy and some level of unresolved homosexual attraction.

The whole thing I hear about cops in New York doing things with their batons, for example...

[King Klear]

I haven't seen such a great title as "Gay Wizard Controversy" in a long, long time =)

[moondragon]

lol, here we go again.

[c0de]

Seriously...this is ridiculous. Honestly, I think the D3 concept art team was going for that magicians are weak in body, but strong in mind kind of look.

[Terrice]

Indeed, not all wizards need to be buff.

[Leord]

When someone says "Wizard", do you think of Conan Barbarian with a gigantic club/wand, or more like a nerdy school boy with a spellbook?

O.o

[Cueil]

A seasoned adventurer will always build up a decent physical appearance... that's just the nature of the beast

[Bandreus]

D3 do sparks some bizarre controversies lol

[Terrice]

First the art controversy...

[Dorjan]

I think that hat is what does it... :rofl:

[Leord]

He is suppose to be a teenager, right? So, he wouldn't look super-buff anyway.

[Xulfxulf]

Personally, he looked just as I expected. Like a male version of the previously revealed female wizard; slender, young, pretty, asian. But he's a bit "boy-band" compared to his more arrogant concept art.

He could be argued against from the game fiction, where the character is supposed to be very headstrong. But none of the haters are making that argument. They're just reacting like homophobic 12 year olds. For the most part.

[UIOP]

Who plays male characters anyway..? <.< >.>
(jk)

[Terrice]

Haha, it's nice to see the fans have their priorities straight.

[AEtherbane]

Why is this contraversial? there are gay people in real life you know?

[REALgamer]

You lie!

Next you'll be saying girls exist in real life too!

=P

[Eamon]

"God created Adam and Eve. Not Adam and Steve"

This quote always makes me LOL.

[djaparatic]

hahahaha this is funny... how dumb are people to actually discuss this thing and then call it a controversy XD

[kraze07]

Off topic, this is the most civilized discussion I've seen on N4G in a very long time.

[pixelsword]

(hears matches being struck and child-like giggles in the darkness)

[lightningsax]

(looks around at 8am)

You know, you're right!

(looks at watch)

Ah, wait for the young'uns to return from school. This will change.

[washingmachine]

he does have a campness about him lol,but its all good

[hellraiserpop]

Just make his jaws more prominent (in game), and rough up his face a bit. He looks like someone I'd find in Final Fantasy at the moment.

[McLuvn]

Nitpicking FTL

[Skizelli]

While I don't really care for this particular look (mainly because it's too male blood elf-esque), I don't exactly hate it, either. When I think of a male wizard, I think of a weathered old man with a white beard. They should have played with this approach instead in my opinion.

[Xulfxulf]

The only old man in Diablo 3 is Deckard Cain. Well, actually the Barbarian is old in D3, since he's the same individual who was a hero in d2, set 20 years earlier.

The sorcerer in D1 and the Sorceress in D2 were both young characters. It's a very active, fast-paced, energy-intensive style of magery in Diablo. Old, lore-intensive mages wouldn't fit. They'd lack the stamina. Gandalf would blow out of his mana in 3 spells and then need a sit-down.

[Wii360BeatsPS3]

99% of gamers are gay anyway so it doesn't matter. Me I'm in the 1% that are straight

[Wii360BeatsPS3]

says the man with a gay wizard in his avatar

[Lionsguard]

I honestly don't see the big deal..

[Cueil]

he's suppose to be a rebel... that attacked and put the head mage in a coma... he's only 19... if I was 19 and I put a mage in a coma like that I'd stand more like the guy in the concept art... not looking like I lost a contact

[magicwalnuts]

Blizzard obviously sucks at making games if they take so long to make them and mess with the art style and make their wizards look wimpy. I mean its not like Diablo 2, Warcraft 3, and WoW took forever to come out, and those games obviously sucked right? I seriously wonder what the hell alot of gamers are thinking.

[Cueil]

This is my problem... this kid here... he dabbled in forbidden magics... he attacked the head mage and put him in a coma... and he's in a position that shows submission... I have no problems with his body structure or anything of that nature, but the concept art does fit the story much better.

[swice]

Oh cry me a freaking river....Fanboys; Really? Let them finish the fukcing game already

[GSpartan777]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with the characters concept art? What it has to be something gothic emo wrist slashing dude to be Diablo 3? Get a life, seriously.

[mushroomwig]

People really will complain over anything these days. -__-

[BabyColada]

This is just sad. The gaming industry tries to become a respected form of entertainment alongside film and one of the few things holding it back are the legions of prepubescent idiots that feel the need to complain about this. He looks fine. And I wonder: if he was gay would that really be such an issue? Well, obviously it is because there are people who would lose sleep over things like this when there are way more important things in the world to cry over. My words fall on deaf ears so I'll stop ranting but please people, I beg of you: grow up.

[Sonyslave3]

he look like FF character mad gay son.

[chidori666]

nice concept art of this wizard..

this game will break "taboos" ;)

[supakat]

i really don't understand what the point is. Everyone stop complaining about the char details. When we do get to play this are you going to be worried about how young your wizard looks or the hordes of daemons coming to kill you....I am thinking the damn daemons cause i only look around my char to see what i need to kill(till end game when i wanted a set for the glow). Oh and when did the meaning of concept mean its going to happen! In all reality they should have opened the site 6mths b4 release cause I'm tired of waiting.