Soldier 76
Added 2019-01-08 15:15:41 +0000 UTC(previous reward)
Did you see the news about Soldier 76? He is gay - officially stated by the developers.
Isn't it great, that there are more and more gay/bi males in videogames who are not a stereotype?! I read a few articles about Soldier 76 "coming out", where some people complain while others really appreciate it.
What is your opinion?
Comments
Within these years I create art I learned, that no matter what you do some people will always complain and I hardly see any difference to the reveal of LGBT characters. It fits into a society, that considers "feeling offended" as some kind of sport. Do it regularly to stay fit. xD
Greeneyedwolfking
2019-02-12 13:28:38 +0000 UTCI was very happy and surprised with the revelation! I'm glad they putting more characters that are the face of the game as LGBT. I do feel a bit of it kinda sounds like "queer bait". But I disagree that they did it just for that, the comic from x-mas from 2017 already showed he looking at that picture of him with a guy, so, that's that. And he was not just "Here, he is gay" like people saying a lot on youtube. You actually have to read the comic they released to get the information, and I think the way they put it there was very beautiful, when Ana ask if he still would go after his old boyfriend and he says like "No, I chose to be a Soldier to keep him and people like him safe." For me, that was very powerfull, and people are just skipping that part. And the thing is, people are mad because they just assume everyone is straight, if the picture was a woman, no one would have said anything, this for me just shows that people still have a looot fo grow. I'm really happy with his reveletion of being gay, and how he represent a strong man of the army that gave up his desires to protect the ones he love. This just make him more awesome to me. <3
Joseph
2019-02-11 01:24:17 +0000 UTCI think the way how the comic deals about Jacks sexuality is well made, because it is just a quick note about his former relationship and not some kind of drama situation where a gay guy shouts at someone. The main topic of the comic is actually the problem how a job influences private life. A soldier, a cop, a doctor, a singer... A lot of people do not have a regular working week and finding a loving partner is tough for them.
Greeneyedwolfking
2019-01-09 19:09:38 +0000 UTCActually I experienced the portrayal of LGBT people in media from the 1990s until today and in the past most gay men where shown as stereotype faggots, dancing at parades, throwing glitter and so on. For many people - young and old - this was the only impression spread by TV of homosexual men, they got to see. Everybody thought that's how a gay man looks like, acts and talks. In our present time many people have the chance to see diverse personalties of LGBT people with respect and not like a colourful attraction in a zoo. I would have been very grateful if I have had the chance in my childhood to see a cool guy in a game who is a soldier and kicks some evil guys asses, with a nice personality and just a humble note "yeah he is gay, who cares, because he is cool". It would have been a strong symbol, that sexuality does not determine who you are.
Greeneyedwolfking
2019-01-09 18:58:40 +0000 UTCVery handsome man! As for the topic, as long as being gay doesn't become the character's sole defining quality, I'm okay with it. In other cases, it gets annoying fast when everything about the character revolves around them either being an ethnic minority or a Feminist, or queer, etc. I feel makes them not real characters but rather the embodiment of ideas. When it comes down to having no representation and POOR representation, I chose the former. Queer baiting in movies, games and any media is insulting, in my opinion (Trini in Power Rangers, Dumbledore in Fantastic Beasts, gay LeFou in 2017's Beauty and the Beast, for example).
Vernedi
2019-01-09 07:39:53 +0000 UTCI think it's a very good idea. Not only to see a gay man in a video game, it wouldn’t be anything strange and it break with stereotypes. Also in my opinion Blizzard has a "risk" and has not gone bu the easy way as it would have been with other character. I think that Thetis want to transmit an idea, being gay is the least, we know the character, his way of being and who he is. Nothing changes because of sexual orientation. It will continue to be for me another character that I will use in Overwatch as well as Tracer or anyone with whom I like to play.
Carlos González
2019-01-08 19:02:18 +0000 UTCI have a real life example. I very talented German football player outet himself as being gay after his career, because he feared to lose his job, to be disgraced by fans if he does while playing in a league. I guess the same counts for Blizzard. They wanted to establish their new game first without risks and now they feel kinda safe to talk about in game details. Probably people would have complained too if Blizzard announced characters details right at the release.
Greeneyedwolfking
2019-01-08 16:12:16 +0000 UTCWell, it's kinda usual that one part of a fanbase is pissed while the other one is happy. xD
Greeneyedwolfking
2019-01-08 16:06:02 +0000 UTCOf course this late statement can be considered as a way to advertize so that Overwatch is again in some news. It is all about attention. Actually I saw an image of an early, old comic, where Jacks boyfriend is supposed to be visible on a photograph and I think that tiny, blurred person could be everything: male, female, trans... So Blizzard might have "created" his sexuality afterwards. So the way this has been made public has an aftertaste. I appreciate the presence of LGBT people in media, but I am not always content with they way they are included. But presence is still better than absence and I hope these "by the way person x is homosexual, bi whatever" tactics are only a step leading to a harmonic and natural presentation of LGBT people without a focus on sexuality.
Greeneyedwolfking
2019-01-08 16:01:07 +0000 UTCI’m proud that blizzard released this news! It’s unfortunate that the game is now receiving some backlash from its player base, but maybe they were expecting that and so they decided to delay this reveal until after the game was well-established? I don’t know their reasons for soldier’s character development timeline, but I’m nonetheless happy to see representation in the media I enjoy. It could have been executed better, sure, but in this day and age it’s unfortunately a “risk” to come out and I’m sure the developers/writers/publicists were aware of that
Ry
2019-01-08 15:44:18 +0000 UTC"In the near future it is expected a large amount of precipitation in the form of arts with the participation of Soldier 76, ask you not to leave your house!" Well, seriously, there is nothing wrong - just someone were broken by the idea that their "wet dreams" now just never will come true. xD
AFWright
2019-01-08 15:39:58 +0000 UTCEven though I’m part of LGBT, I don’t really care about video game characters being gay or whatever. It adds nothing to the game for me, since I’m mostly playing for the gameplay, unless it’s a story driven game. Either way the way Blizzard confirmed Soldiers sexuality was just weird and out of place and badly timed. If they did really care about LGBT characters and making people feel included, then they would’ve confirmed all of the characters sexualities in the beginning, and not 3 years into the games release.
Holfdir
2019-01-08 15:17:58 +0000 UTC
