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VIDEOGAMES: God of War: Ragnarok Showcases Body and Racial Diversity

God of War: Ragnarok

With fresh gameplay shown at the PlayStation Showcase, God of War: Ragnarok is showing some much needed diversity. Of course, some corners of the internet aren’t happy about it. The game will follow the 2018 PS4 title set in the world of Norse mythology. As the second and final part of the story, Ragnarok is set to include some of the more commonly known gods from mythology like Odin and Freya. That also includes Thor. Now, contrary to popular belief, Thor is not a buff and impossibly good looking Avenger. Thor is the god of thunder. He has great strength. … Read more

TV: Queer Series Gameboys Will Delight LGBTQ+ Gamers

Gameboys

Queer YouTube and Netflix series Gameboys has been nominated for an International Emmy award. Originally launched on 22 May 2020 at the height of the pandemic, the Filipino series was shot remotely from the actors’ homes and proved a huge online success. The full series was then added to Netflix. It has now been nominated at the 2021 International Emmies for kids in the live action category. Gameboys follows two live stream gamers who meet online and fall in love, their only interactions being gaming, messages and Zoom calls. It’s the first Filipino series to ride the Asian “Boys Love” trend that’s popular … Read more

VIDEOGAMES: Iconic Hellraiser Villain Pinhead Comes In Queer Horror Fave Dead by Daylight

Dead by Night - Pinhead

Pinhead has finally “come” to queer favourite horror game Dead by Daylight. The iconic Hellraiser villain, also known as also known as The Hell Priest, is a Cenobite in the Order of the Gash. has been added as part of the game’s new chapter that’s available now. However, an update has already removed voice lines from the character that many players found amusing. Pinhead has an ability that allows him to teleport across the map to survivors attempting to open his Lament Configuration box, at which point he’ll shout out “I came”. Full Story from Pink News

VIDEOGAMES: LGBT+ Creator’s Character With Vitiligo Is Added To Fortnite

Dalia Fortnite Skin Vitiglio

LGBT+ concept artist Dahja Cat is celebrating as their LGBT+ character skin with vitiligo will officially be added to Fortnite. Alongside its core Battle Royale mode, Fortnite Create Mode allows creators to produce custom content on their own Player Islands like maps and skins. And with the Fortnite Support-A-Creator programme, creators can even get paid when players purchase their creations using the in-game currency. Dahja Cat’s newly designed skin Joy has now been picked up by Epic for official inclusion in the game and will be added to the Item Shop very soon. Full Story from Pink News

VIDEOGAMES: LGBTQ+ Game “Life is Strange: True Colors” to Include “Crowd Choice Mode”

True Colors Video Game

Life is Strange: True Colors will include a special crowd choice mode for streamers, it has been announced. The series is known for its choice-based narrative, so what better way to play on Twitch than with community involvement? The crowd choice function will allow Twitch streamers to offer their audience the chance to vote on major story moments. The Crowd Choice Extension for Twitch can be used by connecting your Square Enix members account to the game, and then selecting Crowd Choice from the “Live Stream” menu in the game. There are two further options. Full Democracy means viewer votes will decide the … Read more

STUDY: Video Games Must Do Better With LGBTQ+ representation

Video Games - Deposit Photos

A damning new study has highlighted the lack of diversity in video games and how Twitch streamers perpetuate toxic masculinity. The study, titled “The Double-Edged Sword of Online Gaming”, explores how gaming can both help and hinder male gamers, with poor representation countered by community. It comes from The Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media and Promundo-US. The study found that male characters outnumber female by four-to-one, and white characters outnumber characters of colour three-to-one. Those white characters are significantly more likely to display violence compared with characters of colour (51.7 per cent of characters compared with 33.6 per cent). Full Story from … Read more

VIDEOGAMES: Gameplay trailer for Life is Strange: True Colors Introduces Bi Character’s Love Interests

Life is Strange: True Colors

First gameplay has been shared of Life is Strange: True Colors in a new video. The video sees lead character Alex Chen perusing the Haven Spring’s Record Store and encountering two characters: Steph Gingrich and Ryan Lucan. Alex is bisexual and both Steph and Ryan are potential romantic interests. Players of Before the Storm will already be familiar with Steph. Here she runs the local radio station – the way she flirts with Alex who shyly responds is adorable. There’s also DLC planned specifically for players to learn more about Steph’s past. Ryan, meanwhile, is a sweet and unassuming “tree … Read more

REVIEW: Boyfriend Dungeon Videogame

Boyfriend Dungeon Videogame

Beyond the stalking controversy, Boyfriend Dungeon is all about the rush of young queer love. Dating in Boyfriend Dungeon is much like real life. There are good times of fun and flirting and emotional connection. And then there are low points. It’s not long after the game’s release and already there is much discourse around the theme of stalking in the game. Yes, there is a character in the game who stalks the player and offers unwanted advances. He also misgenders a non-binary character at one point. He’s called Eric and he’s an arsehole. Even with the content warning at … Read more

STUDY: Apex Legends is Most Diverse Video Game

Apex Legends - Seer

Apex Legends is the most diverse game, according to a new study. The study, by gaming company Diamond Lobby, analysed the diversity of video game characters across gender and race. The top finding is that almost 80 per cent of preset characters in games are male, while 54 per cent of main characters are white. The study looked at over 100 games from 2017 – 2021, beginning with the 10 highest selling titles from each year and then adding in major releases from the biggest publishers. Games with fully customisable characters were then removed (such as Animal Crossing: New Horizons) … Read more

VIDEO GAMES: “Halo” Announcer Goes All-In On Trans Rights

Halo

Jeff Steitzer, the 70-year-old voice announcer for the super popular Halo video game series, was asked to say “trans rights” in a Cameo video. But instead of simply saying two words, Steitzer went well beyond. He gave a full-throated endorsement of transgender civil rights and had an incredibly sweet message for the person who requested the video. Cameo, the site that allows fans to connect with celebrities who make a video for them doing whatever is asked, has been flooded with requests for stars to say “trans rights” or “gay rights.” Full Story From LGBTQ+ Nation