<
https://theconversation.com/the-gaming-audience-is-queerer-than-ever-so-how-are-game-creators-responding-199598>
"Mainstream games are embracing openly queer characters – and so are many of
their players and fans.
The Last of Us, the prestige HBO adaptation of the critically lauded game,
has been celebrated (and review-bombed) for delivering a strong narrative
featuring prominent LGBTQIA+ cast and characters.
In
Left Behind, the seventh episode, the show transported us to the time the
younger protagonist, Ellie, spent with her childhood friend and love interest,
Riley. We also saw in the third episode,
Long, Long Time, how Bill and his
longtime partner Frank navigated their final moments together.
Since
The Last of Us aired, it saw more than 22 million US domestic views
within 12 days of its opening. The data suggests that there is a very large TV
audience with a healthy appetite for authentic and purposeful LGBTQIA+
representation.
The interesting thing is that much of this queer representation in
The Last of
Us TV adaptation is lifted directly from the plot of the video game, asking
whether there is a similar appetite for LGBTQIA+ representation and stories in
the gaming world.
This in turn raises the question: is the gaming audience becoming more
inclusive?"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
