Makeb - Gay Planet... or Microcosm of GLBT Rights Today?

A few of us have recently gotten back into TOR... and there has been discussion of Makeb, the new "gay planet" being released.

Here's an interesting read I thought I'd share: Makeb Hits LGBT Community

Video of Makeb (note complete absence of any mention of anything same-gender):
Video Preview

So... they are charging us... it's segregated... AND it's just "flirting with NPC's." Seriously?

I don't know if BioWare is getting death threats from extremist groups or if they are just trying too hard to be PC. Either way, I'm not impressed, and quite-frankly offended.

I can't help but recall that moron Pastor in rural North Carolina who advocated fencing-in a patch of land where "if you give 'em just a little food and water, all the gays and lesbians will die out."

Granted, i know that's not BioWare's intention, it's just sad that they feel they have to confine it to an exclusive location.

I guess we'll see how this evolves over time in the game. But i doubt I'm going to shell out cash or go out of my way only to put a label on my character.

S-

LOL if they made us all live in our own county or state we would quickly become the economic powerhouse

It sort of makes you feel like BW is swinging the "carrot in front of our faces" to just make us keep waiting. Our community has a history of being make to wait for a lot of things so it's just the status quo continued. Thanks for sharing the links, renegadejtx. The article was a good one. I guess flirting with npcs is the easiest thing to do and makes it look like they are trying to make good on their promise but like the article said, we are having to pay for the privilege and you can't even access that until you are at max level so it's most disappointing to say the least and quite offensive because it's just more of the same. I often wish I didn't enjoy playing the game so much so I could just tell them where they could stick it and be done with it but I am addicted so guess I'm going with more of the same. :whistle:

I had not realized they worked on "Mass Effect" too.

So I think that, sooner or later, SGR's will be commonplace.

Are we getting the back row on the bus to?

Quote by Narciso

I had not realized they worked on "Mass Effect" too.

So I think that, sooner or later, SGR's will be commonplace.

Bioware worked on ME but not this branch of it, this studio has no record in this sort of thing, they are located in Texas.

Bioware has a pretty good track record on inclusion. Lucasfilm, on the other hand, does not. It's also, as a licensing company, notoriously bitchy about what does and doesn't belong in a Star Wars story.

Quote by DoctorDisaster

Bioware has a pretty good track record on inclusion. Lucasfilm, on the other hand, does not. It's also, as a licensing company, notoriously bitchy about what does and doesn't belong in a Star Wars story.

Lucasfilm may not have a history of inclusiveness but Disney is more LGBT friendly (for such a family-oriented franchise) and has been for some time. Let's see if the puppet masters can be bothered to light a fire under BW.

Very true! I just meant that at launch, Bioware may have been hampered by dealing with Lucasfilm. When the license changed hands, gay-inclusive content very quickly appeared in the game. That narrative doesn't really scream "blame Bioware" to me. I wouldn't be surprised if there's more to come.

Engadget: EA addresses LGBT issues in gaming in first ever 'Full Spectrum' event

Quote by Keioel

LOL if they made us all live in our own county or state we would quickly become the economic powerhouse

And one of the largest countries in the world.

Quote by pnuttbuttah

Engadget: EA addresses LGBT issues in gaming in first ever 'Full Spectrum' event

The comments I read on that article sadden me. How can people be so willfully ignorant and derisive and then pat each other on the the back thinking they're clever? We're just talking about having the option for SGR's. If it's just an option how is that ramming our whiny liberal agenda down their throats if it's 100% optional??? I even remember EA saying you'd be able to disable the SGR option in the preferences menu so it would never come up in game. It's totally a microcosm for LGBT rights, and much like civil rights and women's suffrage it's not going to be left up to the majority. Granted EA is a business and they're probably terrified to make another misstep but how many players will actually ragequit their games if SGR's are implemented? Especially if, like society, more and more companies face pressure to do the decent thing or lose a growing and vital demographic for good. Are all straight male and female gamers going to hang up their controllers and gaming mouses and break out monopoly, go ride a bike or play take up paintball? I don't think so, they're the whiners, not us, and they're all talk and EA needs to realize that.

(this concludes today's rant) B)