Overwatch New Short Story - Bastet

Originally Posted by Eapoe

As stated to the other person I replied to, it’s a topic about society. Not me and not Blizzard.
I stated I understand homosexuals have all kinds of personality traits, but try to find a famous homosexual or even a person playing a homosexual role on tv that is not shown as the stereotypical flambouyant over the top character.
Here comes Blizz flipping that around. People are naturally going to be taken back by it due to a multitude of reasons. Those reasons range from being sheltered, being homophobic in general, and just seeing what’s shown in media.
If that’s all you took from my post then you obviously stopped reading at some point as I stated maybe Blizz will be considered pioneers for this as they are showing homosexuals differently in media. They did something new.
The issue also comes from the fact that they (Blizz) can still tell a story without labeling any of their characters as straight, gay, lesbian, pan, etc., and having these characters mean something to everyone. It’s even more telling of people as a whole that we demand characters to represent these things.

I'm an genuinely baffled that you think Blizz is in any way turning a stereotype on it's head, it is 2019, not all gay men (on TV, in celeb culture, in general) are camp and feminine. This reeks of either ignorance and an extremely sheltered worldview.

Blizz aren't trying to be pioneers. They're trying to aid the normalisation of people being multicultural and representing LGBT. You make it sound like this is some huge new thing. It's really not.

And yes, Blizz can tell a story without labelling anyone anything, everyone could be some beige, average weight genderless being of dubious sexuality. But they haven't, they've naturally developed some characters and it turns out they decided one was gay.

People as a whole are not demanding people represent anything, people as a whole don't care too much. Some minority of the internet is enraged by people being gay, and some small number of people are happy at the representation of parts of their personality in more popular culture. That's literally it.

Eventually when this happens we'll stop having the raging dickhead portion of MMO-C (and the internet in general) get up in arms, and we'll only have a small number of people slightly more attached to whatever the form of media it happens in that they are slightly more well represented. And until that is the case I'm all for, shoehorned or otherwise, forced or otherwise, further representation of minority races, cultures, sexuality and whatever else have you. This entire conversation is the reason it should continue to happen.

tl'dr stop bitching and be happy, S76 being gay should mean precisely nothing to you except maybe happy that popular culture is trying to emulate the wide variety of human beings that exist IRL.

I'm far more offended at Blizz's matchmaking tools than them making characters gay tbh.

Originally Posted by Eapoe

It’s not trying to alienate, so please pick your words more carefully. The way you worded this seems that I’m trying to put fault somewhere when there is no fault to be had.
The alienating isn’t in the big, broad sense you are discussing but in that of an ambiguous background to 76. Leaving his background open appeals to every demographic as they can decide for themselves what he is, whether that is gay, straight, etc. Labelling him as gay alienates some people from his character.
It’s more of a needlepoint alienation that I’m mentioning, not in a broader sense of every demographic being represented. That’s how you can alienate one while trying to appeal to the majority.

I use the word "alienate" simply because you used it originally.

You absolutely *are* trying to put fault somewhere though. By the very decision to not add any inclusion at all you are simply defaulting to a pretty hetero normative world view.

Blizzard has decided to humanize their characters to a degree with these short stories and cinematics. Part of that involves discussing personal relationships. "Labeling" somebody as gay doesn't alienate anyone who isn't a homophobe. So what if they don't like it? Should we also not include black characters so that we don't alienate racists? Get rid of female characters so misogynists aren't put off?

Making Soldier 76 gay should not alienate anyone. But what it can do is make some people feel like their lifestyle *is* included.

Originally Posted by Redzonetode

So people are upset because Blizz didn't use a stereotype of a homosexual? Is that what your comment boils down to?

That's a problem with those people (or rather, for those people) - it is not Blizzard's problem.

For me, the problem is not that he's gay, not by a long shot. I don't care if a character is gay. I am super supicious that he's now outed as gay when Blizz is in hot water and that it was a forced decision. Also mildly that parts of the fanbase is extremely rabid, but that's also partially my fault for reading the user-comments on the twitter-announcement.

On a related note, I hope to whatever deity will listen that they don't make Reaper lgbt as well, because people have issues. Scary ones.

Originally Posted by Eapoe

In your attempt at sarcasm you hit the nail on the head with your Widowmqker point. Leaving it open means her background is open for anyone to interpret that fits what their lifestyle or want is. In labeling her, Blizz does just that, apply a label and take away something for some people.
As for the rest of your post, just sarcasm for the sake of trying to be witty and failing.

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It’s not trying to alienate, so please pick your words more carefully. The way you worded this seems that I’m trying to put fault somewhere when there is no fault to be had.
The alienating isn’t in the big, broad sense you are discussing but in that of an ambiguous background to 76. Leaving his background open appeals to every demographic as they can decide for themselves what he is, whether that is gay, straight, etc. Labelling him as gay alienates some people from his character.
It’s more of a needlepoint alienation that I’m mentioning, not in a broader sense of every demographic being represented. That’s how you can alienate one while trying to appeal to the majority.

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Pretty much this (your first sentence). Yes, people rage and that’s a shame, but it’s an unfortunate side of everyday life.

If you want to write your own stories - do that. This is the Overwatch creators' stories. There is nothing wrong about being specific about a character being male/female and other personal traits that make them stay out from the rest of the cast.

Originally Posted by Halyon

For me, the problem is not that he's gay, not by a long shot. I don't care if a character is gay. I am super supicious that he's now outed as gay when Blizz is in hot water and that it was a forced decision. Also mildly that parts of the fanbase is extremely rabid, but that's also partially my fault for reading the user-comments on the twitter-announcement.

On a related note, I hope to whatever deity will listen that they don't make Reaper lgbt as well, because people have issues. Scary ones.

Honestly, this right here sums up some of my frustration with the outcry from this. IIRC Blizz had previously stated that there was another gay Overwatch character after the Tracer reveal, and the picture that Soldier and Ana were talking about had shown up previously in the Reflections comic. This isn't something made up on the spot to appease to the LGBTQ community in an attempt to get back into people's good graces after recent issues, this is something that has been planned for awhile (especially given the tie-in event to go with it), it's just with Blizzard's glacial pace of releasing OW Lore it just came out at a time that some would view with suspicion due to other things the company has done recently.

Did OW really needed a story/lore? Most ppl that plays shooters doesn't care about those things

Originally Posted by Daevied

Did OW really needed a story/lore? Most ppl that plays shooters doesn't care about those things

Yeah, but some of us do care, i do find interesting that Reaper have a family, it would be nice to have a family member eventually join the roster. (also the lore make character in game interaction possible and many of those interaction are actually cool)

Also... the best event in OW is the one based on the lore of it.

Originally Posted by Projectmars

Honestly, this right here sums up some of my frustration with the outcry from this. IIRC Blizz had previously stated that there was another gay Overwatch character after the Tracer reveal, and the picture that Soldier and Ana were talking about had shown up previously in the Reflections comic. This isn't something made up on the spot to appease to the LGBTQ community in an attempt to get back into people's good graces after recent issues, this is something that has been planned for awhile (especially given the tie-in event to go with it), it's just with Blizzard's glacial pace of releasing OW Lore it just came out at a time that some would view with suspicion due to other things the company has done recently.

Source please?

Originally Posted by Explicit Teemo Nudes

If you want to write your own stories - do that. This is the Overwatch creators' stories. There is nothing wrong about being specific about a character being male/female and other personal traits that make them stay out from the rest of the cast.

You’re correct, there is absolutely nothing wrong with it; but, as previously stated, you can’t sit there and preach about how having characters being straight alienates 1 group and then ignore the flip side of it. I like that Blizz is going new routes and working on breaking down walls, but that doesn’t mean people aren’t going to get upset. Whether justified or not, it will happen.
My main point is that I enjoy a game more when characters are left more fluid. Blank slate types of characters also have appeal because they are just that, an open sheet of paper that people can relate to because they write themselves into that role.

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Originally Posted by Projectmars

Honestly, this right here sums up some of my frustration with the outcry from this. IIRC Blizz had previously stated that there was another gay Overwatch character after the Tracer reveal, and the picture that Soldier and Ana were talking about had shown up previously in the Reflections comic. This isn't something made up on the spot to appease to the LGBTQ community in an attempt to get back into people's good graces after recent issues, this is something that has been planned for awhile (especially given the tie-in event to go with it), it's just with Blizzard's glacial pace of releasing OW Lore it just came out at a time that some would view with suspicion due to other things the company has done recently.

Problem is, we don’t know that. Even if Blizz comes out and states differently, we have to take them at their word. Any other character could have been gay, they have plenty to choose from. The picture means nothing and can easily be written off as 76 and Ana reminiscing about fallen comrades. Looking at the comic, anyone with a decent memory of those panels can make all kinds of assumptions or story plots.
It’s great if Blizz does do this, but we don’t know.

On a side note, I can see most people think I’m just complaining or trying to justify outrage by players and missing the whole point I’ve been making. So I’ll take my leave and people can just believe what they want.

Why is no one discussion how Winston is definitely attracted to other gorillas, but since they are far less intelligent and self aware that he is basically into pedophilia and bestiality?

These are the questions that keep me up at night.

Originally Posted by Halyon

Source please?

tbh, figured it woulda been easier to locate a direct source, but between it being stuff mentioned a few years back and Blizzard apparently removing the 2016 Q&A panel for Overwatch from Youtube... All I have are a couple of Articles on the subject. May update if i can find a tweet from Chu, but given that I only have about 15 minutes or so left on my lunch break...

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Originally Posted by Eapoe

Problem is, we don’t know that. Even if Blizz comes out and states differently, we have to take them at their word. Any other character could have been gay, they have plenty to choose from. The picture means nothing and can easily be written off as 76 and Ana reminiscing about fallen comrades. Looking at the comic, anyone with a decent memory of those panels can make all kinds of assumptions or story plots.
It’s great if Blizz does do this, but we don’t know.

On a side note, I can see most people think I’m just complaining or trying to justify outrage by players and missing the whole point I’ve been making. So I’ll take my leave and people can just believe what they want.

It seems kinda dumb and tinfoil hattery to me for people's first reaction to be "Oh, Blizzard is in trouble with the fans so of course they're turning a character gay to appease people". I know OW lore is extremely slow, but come on. Is it really that hard to think they had this reveal planned out in advance? (especially given the fact that it's tied to an event that awards a skin.)

Originally Posted by Projectmars

tbh, figured it woulda been easier to locate a direct source, but between it being stuff mentioned a few years back and Blizzard apparently removing the 2016 Q&A panel for Overwatch from Youtube... All I have are a couple of Articles on the subject. May update if i can find a tweet from Chu, but given that I only have about 15 minutes or so left on my lunch break...

Fair enough, and as such this is sufficient for me. The timing of this story/announcement still rubs me the wrong way though. It really does come off as exploitation in the current climate. Does to me at least.

Does anyone still play this game ? I am a big fan of OverWatch, it's my favorite game since 2017. I have fallen in love with this game immediately after I have first tried it. It has something special - the gameplay and game design of OverWatch is totally different to any other games. I really like it, but it still has a lot of problems. The thing that is freaking me out the most is the horrible matchmaking. I am always getting the worst teammates. I couldn't take it anymore, so I decided to use a ow boost and it has solved my problem. This is a really good boosting service, and I am very happy that I have tried it.

Originally Posted by MrZhdens

Does anyone still play this game ?

Holy necro, are you using Internet Explorer?