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  1. #1
    Fluffy Kitten Stoy's Avatar
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    Overwatch New Short Story - Bastet

    Overwatch New Short Story - Bastet
    PlayOverwatch just tweeted out a new short story focusing on Ana. You can read it here!



  2. #2
    "I've got you in my sights" has gotten a whole new meaning.

    I wonder if Winston can offer Soldier a banana...

  3. #3

  4. #4
    Herald of the Titans Vintersol's Avatar
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    Seems they do everything to pull some Fortnite players back. *scnr*
    It's high noon.
    Personality: INTJ

  5. #5
    Banned Illiterate's Avatar
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    They have to stick the gay in everything

  6. #6
    Blizzard trying to shoehorn something into a game that never came across as something that should have been.
    “Guess all that stuff they pumped into me must have been good for something” takes on a whole new twist. When should we expect this voice line change?
    Why can’t we just have characters backgrounds remain ambiguous. We have characters, why can’t they be different things for different people? 76 could have been a gay character for some, hetero for others, a furry chaser or hentai lover for others. Why does everything need a label?

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by Eapoe View Post
    We have characters, why can’t they be different things for different people? 76 could have been a gay character for some, hetero for others, a furry chaser or hentai lover for others. Why does everything need a label?
    The reason Soldier is labelled now is for character development, Blizzard wanted to show that Ana/Soldier/Reaper have had to end relationships because of the duty they performed through Overwatch/their careers. They also demonstrated partially why Soldier and Ana get along and are friends, they obviously feel some bond to each other through their perceived mutual failings to keep these relationships intact.

    The sad thing is, if Soldier was talking about a woman rather than a man named Vincent then no one would have batted an eyelid. But due to Soldier being shown to be gay (or perhaps bi), everyone threw a shit-fit. Everyone throwing a shit-fit also served to demonstrate that such minority labels are necessary in popular culture because it's obviously not yet normalised.

    Sure it could have remained ambiguous by naming no names, or showing no pictures, but Blizzard felt that since the development of these characters required discussion of past relationships, why not have Soldier pine over a man? Some proportion of human beings are gay, Blizzard decided Soldier falls under this particular label. I see no issue with this. Based on Jeff's response to the drama I can only assume Blizzard will continue erring on the side of minority labels for characters when character development allows for it so long as the internet keeps throwing a shit-fit whenever they do so.

    tl'dr, story required discussion of past relationships, decided Soldier previously had a relationship with a man, internet went mad, demonstrated why we need characters in pop culture to represent minority labels, will probably keep doing so until people stop being asses.

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by Kharadin View Post
    The reason Soldier is labelled now is for character development, Blizzard wanted to show that Ana/Soldier/Reaper have had to end relationships because of the duty they performed through Overwatch/their careers. They also demonstrated partially why Soldier and Ana get along and are friends, they obviously feel some bond to each other through their perceived mutual failings to keep these relationships intact.

    The sad thing is, if Soldier was talking about a woman rather than a man named Vincent then no one would have batted an eyelid. But due to Soldier being shown to be gay (or perhaps bi), everyone threw a shit-fit. Everyone throwing a shit-fit also served to demonstrate that such minority labels are necessary in popular culture because it's obviously not yet normalised.

    Sure it could have remained ambiguous by naming no names, or showing no pictures, but Blizzard felt that since the development of these characters required discussion of past relationships, why not have Soldier pine over a man? Some proportion of human beings are gay, Blizzard decided Soldier falls under this particular label. I see no issue with this. Based on Jeff's response to the drama I can only assume Blizzard will continue erring on the side of minority labels for characters when character development allows for it so long as the internet keeps throwing a shit-fit whenever they do so.

    tl'dr, story required discussion of past relationships, decided Soldier previously had a relationship with a man, internet went mad, demonstrated why we need characters in pop culture to represent minority labels, will probably keep doing so until people stop being asses.
    Blizz still could have shown these things and left it ambiguous and thereby appealing to everyone.
    People are also throwing shitstorms due to stereotyping. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure there are homosexual men that act like 76; however, in our culture homosexuals are shown to be very flambouyant, have certain vocal patterns, and even if not overly flambouyant they still have mannerisms that are easy to perceive.
    76 has been built up to be this very macho mans man, and that suddenly got turned upside down because Blizz wanted to do something new. Kudos to them, but it doesn’t change the fact that 76 doesn’t fit the mold people are used to.
    Society has even demonstrated that if a homosexual acts remotely like 76 they are doing it to hide who they are which goes against everything about his story and wouldn’t be something he openly discusses.
    Now, people can flip those points around and state “good on ya Blizz,” and maybe Blizz can be seen as a pioneer for showing homosexuals in a whole new light. Maybe in time people will, but given society’s steeetypical views of homosexuals it’s not surprising to see people upset about the announcement.
    I’m not defending homophobia, but between current views of homosexuals and the way they are perceived, players also have a feeling of being lied to by Blizz, and that’s a shame.

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Eapoe View Post
    Blizz still could have shown these things and left it ambiguous and thereby appealing to everyone.
    People are also throwing shitstorms due to stereotyping. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure there are homosexual men that act like 76; however, in our culture homosexuals are shown to be very flambouyant, have certain vocal patterns, and even if not overly flambouyant they still have mannerisms that are easy to perceive.
    76 has been built up to be this very macho mans man, and that suddenly got turned upside down because Blizz wanted to do something new. Kudos to them, but it doesn’t change the fact that 76 doesn’t fit the mold people are used to.
    Society has even demonstrated that if a homosexual acts remotely like 76 they are doing it to hide who they are which goes against everything about his story and wouldn’t be something he openly discusses.
    Now, people can flip those points around and state “good on ya Blizz,” and maybe Blizz can be seen as a pioneer for showing homosexuals in a whole new light. Maybe in time people will, but given society’s steeetypical views of homosexuals it’s not surprising to see people upset about the announcement.
    I’m not defending homophobia, but between current views of homosexuals and the way they are perceived, players also have a feeling of being lied to by Blizz, and that’s a shame.
    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.
    Last edited by Redzonetode; 2019-01-13 at 04:43 PM.

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by Redzonetode View Post
    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 - it is not Blizzard's problem.
    It’s a problem with society and an explanation that people being upset is more than just “he’s a homosexual!”
    I also stated some day people may look back on this as Blizzbeing a pioneer in breaking down walls and deconstructing stereotypes; however, just as an example, find a real homosexual male in the spotlight that acts like 76. It’s very hard to do if not almost impossible.
    Also, I never once blamed Blizz, so not sure where you got that from. My original post was stating they could have told these background stories ambiguously to keep appealing to everyone. Loved ones veiled in shadow, usage of pronouns, things like that. This keeps characters open to all kinds of interpretation and having appeal to everyone, not just one demographic.

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by Eapoe View Post
    Blizz still could have shown these things and left it ambiguous and thereby appealing to everyone.
    People are also throwing shitstorms due to stereotyping. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure there are homosexual men that act like 76; however, in our culture homosexuals are shown to be very flambouyant, have certain vocal patterns, and even if not overly flambouyant they still have mannerisms that are easy to perceive.
    76 has been built up to be this very macho mans man, and that suddenly got turned upside down because Blizz wanted to do something new. Kudos to them, but it doesn’t change the fact that 76 doesn’t fit the mold people are used to.
    Society has even demonstrated that if a homosexual acts remotely like 76 they are doing it to hide who they are which goes against everything about his story and wouldn’t be something he openly discusses.
    Now, people can flip those points around and state “good on ya Blizz,” and maybe Blizz can be seen as a pioneer for showing homosexuals in a whole new light. Maybe in time people will, but given society’s steeetypical views of homosexuals it’s not surprising to see people upset about the announcement.
    I’m not defending homophobia, but between current views of homosexuals and the way they are perceived, players also have a feeling of being lied to by Blizz, and that’s a shame.
    They could have, but they haven't, I don't see why it matters.
    Yes, stereotypes exist, also people who don't conform to stereotypes exist. Is it upsetting that 76 doesn't conform? I don't understand this point.
    So being homosexual and manly isn't allowed? This makes even less sense, there definitely exists a stereotype of overtly masculine homosexual men.

    Showing homosexuals in a new light? You realise that gay people are people, and exist within the spectrum of all human personality and behavioral traits, right? Unless you're incredibly sheltered to actually believe all homosexuals are flamboyant, feminine, flowers is incredibly naive.

    Like, I don't know if you're trying to play devil's advocate and argue from the point of view of the cringey internet angst machine but all I'm seeing here is "I have decided gay people conform to this stereotype and I'm upset that Blizzard haven't also". I don't even know where to start if the latter is the case.

    But anyway, like I said, all the angst brewed up by this is just proof that Blizzard and other popular culture content creators are right to, and should continue to, increase representation of minority labels within their franchises. They've developed the character of 76 and provided some representation for gay men in Overwatch, there's literally nothing wrong with this.

  12. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by Kharadin View Post
    They could have, but they haven't, I don't see why it matters.
    Yes, stereotypes exist, also people who don't conform to stereotypes exist. Is it upsetting that 76 doesn't conform? I don't understand this point.
    So being homosexual and manly isn't allowed? This makes even less sense, there definitely exists a stereotype of overtly masculine homosexual men.

    Showing homosexuals in a new light? You realise that gay people are people, and exist within the spectrum of all human personality and behavioral traits, right? Unless you're incredibly sheltered to actually believe all homosexuals are flamboyant, feminine, flowers is incredibly naive.

    Like, I don't know if you're trying to play devil's advocate and argue from the point of view of the cringey internet angst machine but all I'm seeing here is "I have decided gay people conform to this stereotype and I'm upset that Blizzard haven't also". I don't even know where to start if the latter is the case.

    But anyway, like I said, all the angst brewed up by this is just proof that Blizzard and other popular culture content creators are right to, and should continue to, increase representation of minority labels within their franchises. They've developed the character of 76 and provided some representation for gay men in Overwatch, there's literally nothing wrong with this.
    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.

  13. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by Eapoe View Post
    76 has been built up to be this very macho mans man, and that suddenly got turned upside down because Blizz wanted to do something new. Kudos to them, but it doesn’t change the fact that 76 doesn’t fit the mold people are used to.
    That's kind of the point. OV might be very clearly pushing LGBT agenda into the game, but if anything they are doing it right. If Zaria turned out lesbian or something it would be actually offensive to gay people, just working on a "beef lesbian" stereotype. Same if a flamboyant guy showed up and immediately was labelled as gay. Soldier doesn't look like a stereotypical gay. Showing that he actually is homosexual sends a better message than "gay people exist, look at how funny they are". I mean, they can be funny, but not all of them. Soldiers example is there to show that his different orientation doesn't mean he needs to look or act different than everyone else.

  14. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by Okacz View Post
    That's kind of the point. OV might be very clearly pushing LGBT agenda into the game, but if anything they are doing it right. If Zaria turned out lesbian or something it would be actually offensive to gay people, just working on a "beef lesbian" stereotype. Same if a flamboyant guy showed up and immediately was labelled as gay. Soldier doesn't look like a stereotypical gay. Showing that he actually is homosexual sends a better message than "gay people exist, look at how funny they are". I mean, they can be funny, but not all of them. Soldiers example is there to show that his different orientation doesn't mean he needs to look or act different than everyone else.
    Yes, I understand that. It’s a good thing in its own way. The issue I tried to convey, at the start, is that i would like it better if characters were left ambiguous. What Blizz is doing is admirable, but in trying to not alienate 1 demographic they are then alienating another.
    The topic then became about a statement about society. In a attempt to neither try to blame or praise Blizz or the playerbase I made comments about our society and how homosexuals are portrayed in media. 76 flipped the script. Some players who might have nothing against homosexuals suddenly feel lied to by a company because it has showed this mans man as a homosexual. People feel betrayed. Just like in real life some people handle it better than others.

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by Eapoe View Post
    Yes, I understand that. It’s a good thing in its own way. The issue I tried to convey, at the start, is that i would like it better if characters were left ambiguous. What Blizz is doing is admirable, but in trying to not alienate 1 demographic they are then alienating another.
    The topic then became about a statement about society. In a attempt to neither try to blame or praise Blizz or the playerbase I made comments about our society and how homosexuals are portrayed in media. 76 flipped the script. Some players who might have nothing against homosexuals suddenly feel lied to by a company because it has showed this mans man as a homosexual. People feel betrayed. Just like in real life some people handle it better than others.
    It's not about alienating. If it was, no ones relationships and orientation would be revealed, ever. Bam, no one is alienated here. Blizzard is willingly trying to push forward the idea that many of their characters are, well, different from the norm (Tracer being a lesbian, Soldier being gay, Symmertra being autistic, Mei being annoying), but aren't in any way worse than the others. Yeah, part of Overwatch story is that it's trying to combat bigotry, racism and such.

    And it's hard being betrayed by the reveal that Soldier 76 is gay, I mean what, did some women already prepared for a wedding with him or something?

  16. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by Okacz View Post
    It's not about alienating. If it was, no ones relationships and orientation would be revealed, ever. Bam, no one is alienated here. Blizzard is willingly trying to push forward the idea that many of their characters are, well, different from the norm (Tracer being a lesbian, Soldier being gay, Symmertra being autistic, Mei being annoying), but aren't in any way worse than the others. Yeah, part of Overwatch story is that it's trying to combat bigotry, racism and such.

    And it's hard being betrayed by the reveal that Soldier 76 is gay, I mean what, did some women already prepared for a wedding with him or something?
    Reverse alienation also applies. You can’t be so hypocritical to state “gays feel alienated, so let’s make this character gay and alienate others!” Being alienated always applies, whether majority or minority. It’s just that homosexuals have been alienated so much more in the past the opposite side of the spectrum is either glossed over or made out to be no big deal.
    The being betrayed part comes back to social mediums and how they have always represented homosexuals. Very few outlets in media have ever portrayed a homosexual in a certain light, and none have ever shown to an extent such as 76. The closest we have to that is R. Lee Ermy in Saving Silverman: a borderline psychotic mans man who was every bit machismo as you can get, later to be revealed gay at the end of the movie. The problem is it is played for laughs. The next closest is maybe Brokeback Mountain. 2 men conceived to be straight but revealed to be a “lie” except when around the other one.
    Overwatch is the first to have a gay man done in this role for a lot of people, so yes, there is a sense of betrayal. Your immediate jump to women also shows issues with society. There are plenty of males who probably feel lied to by Blizz as this portrayal is “everything to be a man” now revealed to be a homosexual, something media and their life has not prepared them for. It’s actually prepared them for the opposite, that homosexuals just do not act this way. So, just like in real life, if a person comes out to their friends or family as gay, lesbian, pan, or any other gender or sexual identification, some don’t handle it well. Unfortunately, the psyche is difficult and some even feel betrayed or let down.
    Whether people want to admit it or not, this also applies to characters in movies, tv shows, and video games. People make connections all the time to people they idolize, admire, and/or aspire to be like. Before someone goes “get a life” or “get medical help,” remember we have entire sub cultures dedicated to cosplay, entire nations cried at the death of Princess Diana and JFK (2 people many people never even met).

  17. #17
    Quote Originally Posted by Eapoe View Post
    Blizzard trying to shoehorn something into a game that never came across as something that should have been.
    “Guess all that stuff they pumped into me must have been good for something” takes on a whole new twist. When should we expect this voice line change?
    Why can’t we just have characters backgrounds remain ambiguous. We have characters, why can’t they be different things for different people? 76 could have been a gay character for some, hetero for others, a furry chaser or hentai lover for others. Why does everything need a label?
    I completely agree. When talking about Widowmaker they should've just said "partner" so I could wonder to myself is she's actually a lesbian or not.
    Also; why do we need to know the sex of Winston? He's just a gorilla after all.
    Why are they adding different skins to all the heroes? I want to make up in my own mind what different outfits they are wearing and that is really difficult when they are not all wearing their original outfits.

    So I suggest all skins, emotes, victory poses, sprays, voice lines and background stories are completely removed from the game so I can create my own and really enjoy the game.

  18. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by Explicit Teemo Nudes View Post
    I completely agree. When talking about Widowmaker they should've just said "partner" so I could wonder to myself is she's actually a lesbian or not.
    Also; why do we need to know the sex of Winston? He's just a gorilla after all.
    Why are they adding different skins to all the heroes? I want to make up in my own mind what different outfits they are wearing and that is really difficult when they are not all wearing their original outfits.

    So I suggest all skins, emotes, victory poses, sprays, voice lines and background stories are completely removed from the game so I can create my own and really enjoy the game.
    Why do we need to know about any characters sex ever. Nobody complains when a male character gets with a female one but everytime there a gay realtionship queue the outrage.
    Violence Jack Respects Women!

  19. #19
    Quote Originally Posted by Eapoe View Post
    Yes, I understand that. It’s a good thing in its own way. The issue I tried to convey, at the start, is that i would like it better if characters were left ambiguous. What Blizz is doing is admirable, but in trying to not alienate 1 demographic they are then alienating another.
    The topic then became about a statement about society. In a attempt to neither try to blame or praise Blizz or the playerbase I made comments about our society and how homosexuals are portrayed in media. 76 flipped the script. Some players who might have nothing against homosexuals suddenly feel lied to by a company because it has showed this mans man as a homosexual. People feel betrayed. Just like in real life some people handle it better than others.
    Which demographic are they trying to alienate though? Some Overwatch characters will be straight, some will be gay. It largely doesn't matter. It's just a reflection of society as a whole where some people are straight, some people are gay. How can something that includes multiple lifestyles be alienating one particular lifestyle?

  20. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by Explicit Teemo Nudes View Post
    I completely agree. When talking about Widowmaker they should've just said "partner" so I could wonder to myself is she's actually a lesbian or not.
    Also; why do we need to know the sex of Winston? He's just a gorilla after all.
    Why are they adding different skins to all the heroes? I want to make up in my own mind what different outfits they are wearing and that is really difficult when they are not all wearing their original outfits.

    So I suggest all skins, emotes, victory poses, sprays, voice lines and background stories are completely removed from the game so I can create my own and really enjoy the game.
    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.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by jellmoo View Post
    Which demographic are they trying to alienate though? Some Overwatch characters will be straight, some will be gay. It largely doesn't matter. It's just a reflection of society as a whole where some people are straight, some people are gay. How can something that includes multiple lifestyles be alienating one particular lifestyle?

    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.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by foofoocuddlypoopz View Post
    Why do we need to know about any characters sex ever. Nobody complains when a male character gets with a female one but everytime there a gay realtionship queue the outrage.

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

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