100°

BioWare Writer Talks Gay Romances and Sexual Diversity in Gaming

"I remember hearing about when they made that decision to put it in and I was floored," Gaider told Video Game Sophistry. "I mean, I'm gay myself, so I felt it kind of odd when I heard about it, how shocked I was because I just never thought that part of my life had a role to play in work. Like I said, it just wasn't done. I didn't even really consider the idea, so when they made that decision it was like, 'Oh, really?'"

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gamespot.com
GreetingsfromCanada3301d ago

That's great but you don't need announcements for bland non-protagonists.

Halo2ODST23300d ago

Okay article, but you're preaching to the choir, most people on N4G don't care about articles like this because they ALREADY support equality.

breakpad3300d ago (Edited 3300d ago )

if i was Bioware i would fire Gaider instantly ....forcing flashing sexuality , gayality and all other similar -alities in a product like games where you make your own descisions and creating your own fantastical interaction with the world.. is a form of fascism ...

comebackkid98913300d ago

Handicapped transexual senior citizen muslim protagonists FTW!

Tonykid3300d ago

I never really understand this agree/disagree thing. What is there to agree or disagree in my comment?

Halo2ODST23300d ago

The disagree option means that you have called 343i out on their bullcrap, being negative about sony or ms, the agree option is for when the person is saying something that the majority of fanboys agree with, understand? disagree = negativity, agree = what the fanboys support.

antias3300d ago

Best games with gay characters are the GTA games.

Kane223300d ago

no its not.every gta game i ever played stereotyped the hell out of gay people.

antias3300d ago

Gay Tony is my nigga bruh.

poppinslops3300d ago

Wait... so is his name pronounced 'Guy-dar' or 'gay-dar'?
Cause, you know... irony.

Regardless, Dorian Pavus was a great character... Anyone brave enough to sport such a ridiculous moustache is instantly worthy of my respect (except for Hitler... and Chaplin).

And Specialist Traynor from Mass Effect 3 had one Hell of a shower scene with Fem-Shep... I dunno if that's Gaider's work or not, but whoever animated that scene took their time.

I'm not sure where the Asari fit on the boy/girl/gay/straight scale and I don't much care... Blue is the warmest colour.

TheCommentator3300d ago

It is great that Bioware was willing to take risks with a high profile game like Mass Effect. More studios should offer choice when considering relationships in gaming, even if it is just an option at the beginning of a linear game.

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100°

Former Dragon Age lead writer David Gaider pours scorn on EA's AI dreams.

"They want you to believe the devs under them are super stoked to work generative AI into their processes," continued Gaider, "but I assure you what they took as excitement was really a veiled wail of despair not unlike the time that team was informed of their new 'really cool' live service mandate.".

LordoftheCritics30d ago

Publishers see gaming as another stock market.

isarai30d ago

I think anyone with some common sense knew this, im glad i don't support their games anymore, what a sh!t company.

Psychonaut8529d ago

Friends don’t let friends buy EA or Ubisoft.

Chocoburger29d ago

I said this yesterday. AI isn't what we want when it comes to crafting artistry. Alas, these soulless corporate morons don't care about their work, only about cutting corners as much as possible.

180°

If working overtime on AAA games is the only way to succeed, 'then the industry deserves to die'

Summerfall Studios co-founder David Gaider speaks in favor of industry unionization and his studio's four day work week.

Dwarf Fortress co-creator Tarn Adams blasted execs behind layoffs as "greedy, greedy people."

H977d ago

Well with people it depends on which studio are we talking about, Rockstar can hold a live execution and someone will say "I also got executed in my job it's alright"

thorstein77d ago

I can't stand that excuse. Greed is greed. It earns hundreds of billions in revenue.

Eonjay76d ago

This whole tantrum the writer seems to be on is pointless. It mean Helldivers 2 is pushing 10 million sold. Its not some huge AAA production and yet... it is very successful. Same can be said for a game like Palworld. We have lot of example of non AAA games moving a lot of copies and getting interest. Like look at the Survivors games.

So you don't even need to be AAA to be a success in the first place. So the worthiness of the industry was never in the hands of the AAA to begin with. Sure we can all agree that forced overtime is not a good thing. But that isn't good in any industry. Like look at the health industry....

thorstein76d ago

@Eonjay

He's quoting people in the industry. There may be some ranting near the end but it mirrors the sentiments of those people making great games.

And I think that's the point. The big boys need to die off. At one point EA could fit in one room. Same with Activision.

The essential idea is that greed is what is costing people their jobs, not work ethic, not any buzz words, just greed.

But you're right about AAA. There are great games out now.

GhostScholar77d ago

Yeah we should all just get part time jobs with no insurance or benefits……that’ll teach the man to stop demanding and expecting hard work from its employees

DarXyde77d ago

Don't think anyone is not expecting hard work from employees. But things like mandatory overtime are absolutely ridiculous.

Also, I don't know why you say "insurance or benefits" because insurance is a type of benefit, but ok. Either way, tethering insurance (typically health/vision/dental) to employment is asinine. Very recent history where workers on strike lost health coverage for their families during a strike.

senorfartcushion76d ago (Edited 76d ago )

It's weak men who try to help enforce old rules

sushimama77d ago

Sometimes developers want to work overtime because they are passionate about what they're creating. No one should be forced to do it, but it shouldn't be frowned upon. Keep crunch going for those that want to do it, but don't ostrasize others in the dev team for choosing not to.

GhostScholar77d ago (Edited 77d ago )

I’m so tired of this argument. I hate to break it to you people who still live in your parents house, but in the real world people work overtime. I’m a coatings technician and I work 70 hours a week to take care of my family. I’m so sick of companies getting ridiculed for expecting hard work from their employees. When I hired in to my company they made it clear there would be overtime and I agreed to it so it is what it is. The attitudes of people born in the last 25 years is everything that is wrong with our country. How about instead of getting paid nothing to be an advocate for laziness and government support of everyone who has “depression” you actually do something productive.

PS

If you’re so appalled at these companies then stop buying their games.

andy8577d ago

True it's your choice but you shouldn't have to. Back in the day you could work a 40 hour week and provide for your family. Now a lot of the time both people are having to work and still struggling. 70 hours working, commuting and then sleeping, people must hardly see the family they're providing for. Work to live not live to work. It doesn't sound much of a life.

thorstein77d ago

Your company is exploiting you. You're missing 30 hours from your family. They'd rather see you than what you earn.

Your company should be paying you more. I've got bad news, they won't, not when you'll do the job of two people for the price of one.

You're also ignoring all the people who do work hard but don't get compensated fairly for it. You're also ignoring how corporate profits have soared since the 1970s but salaries have stayed flat whilst pensions, Christmas bonuses, hour long paid lunch, two weeks+ paid vacation have all disappeared. You work longer for less.

It's not laziness. If a company wants to pay the minimum, then they get the minimum.

You just don't know what you're worth.

solideagle77d ago

if you are getting paid for that overtime, sure but free overtime is just Evil. I can do 1 hour of free overtime but 40 hours vs 70 hours is bit too much!

senorfartcushion76d ago

I work far less hours in order to take care of mine. Are you sure you're not doing something wrong?

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 76d ago
Profchaos77d ago (Edited 77d ago )

The entire industry just seems like a problem is been eating itself since lockdown ended globally thinking that this infinite growth was forever and making investments on the back of that.

Now everyone's back to their normal lives games are still popular but since people can get outside they still obviously decline.

During lockdown globally people were playing live service titles constantly as a form of socialising now that's not as needed and despite still being popular they are declining yet every publisher is banking heavily on them. I don't play live service games much but during lockdown like everyone else I played warzone with friends every weekend for hours on end as a social activity

I'll be honest this last few months I've spent far more time playing earthbound on NSO for the first time than my ps5 which I haven't really touched since Spiderman 2 and re4 VR late last year. To me this generation feels like an everlasting dry spell broken by the occasional good game but followed by another long stretch of nothing.

Point is these live service games seemingly take more resources and manpower to develop they rely on crunch and exhausting employees to breaking point with a traditional game that ends or slows down at launch but a live service game that's where it only ramps Up

CrimsonWing6977d ago

Wake up. Lots of businesses and corporate jobs deal with overtime especially when it comes to deadlines. Shut up with this bullsh*t.

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70°

Dragon Age: Inquisition Retro Review – A Nostalgic Leap Short Of Legendary

Dragon Age: Inquisition, developed by BioWare, is the third installment in the cherished Dragon Age series. It represents a major evolution from its predecessor, Dragon Age II, incorporating elements that were well-loved in the original Dragon Age: Origins but also introducing new features that stand on their own. While Inquisition improves upon Dragon Age II in many respects, it falls short of the exceptional standards set by Origins.

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pslegends.com