Souley Coulibaly

Within the history of video games, the diversity amongst narratives became more common as the industry stride towards next-generation products. Even the most masculine games that included violence and explicit content started to include LGBT content. One example is the narrative of Gay Tony in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. According to Brianna Dym, Jed Brubaker, and Casey Fiesler “the queer authorship practices we examine sit in contrast to a broader gaming culture. Minority gamers face hardships ranging from bullying that targets women and queer people to cooperative online gaming spaces reinforcing sexist narratives. Gaming also becomes a way for players to enact not only masculinity, but also a specific brand of masculinity that is defined by what it is not–queer or feminine. As such, the stereotypical gamer may perceive any moves to introduce queer or feminine elements into gamer culture as a threat to the state of video games. This tension marks a clear divide in gaming culture between a hypermasculine narrative at risk of being displaced and the struggle of minority players to find themselves in games”. Within my own gaming experience online via multiplayer I witnessed firsthand the tension that unmonitored verbal interactions created. When players grew frustrated from gameplay it would lead to them disrespecting each other with derogatory terms. Most of them were on the receiving ends of these comments whether they were women or members of the LGBT community. Unfortunately, there’s a limited amount of enforcement game developers could do because most of the multiplayer interactions are live online.

            In contrast, I honor the freedom of sexuality that Grand Theft Auto 5 offers gamers in the multiplayer online mode. The access to various options of character gender types lets players utilize women and queer character attire to express themselves however they see fit. This form of access lets users enjoy the gaming experience without limitations to the narratives they choose to adopt online. Based on Brianna Dym, Jed Brubaker, and Casey Fiesler’s article on gaming “This tension marks a clear divide in gaming culture between a hypermasculine narrative at risk of being displaced and the struggle of minority players to find themselves in games. However, finding oneself in a game can be important for players. For example, designing and naming an avatar can create a safe space for players to explore gender. Prior work in game studies posited that the relationship between player and the main character is so strong that players are participating in “transgender play” when a male player controls a female character and vice versa, though players often have many different understandings of their relationship with the controlled character”. With that being said, it’s essential to acknowledge the effects of gender-based narrative that can affect the overall gameplay experience for users. The more freedom that game developers offer with avatars, characters, and sexualities; the fewer limitations you impose on the fun of a diverse community.

Work Cited

Dym, B., Brubaker, J., & Fiesler, C. (2018). “Theyre All Trans Sharon”: Authoring Gender in Video Game Fan Fiction. Game Studies.