Mass Effect allows lesbian alien sex, men remain vanilla

139 Comments by Alexander Sliwinski Sep 18th 2007 5:53PM
Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360, RPGs

A British Board of Film Classification description page reveals some potential sexual prejudice in Mass Effect, although it's not the type you might expect. According to the description, players using a female character can initiate a sex scene "between her and male human or a female humanoid alien." Male characters, on the other hand, can only initiate sex "between him and a human woman or a humanoid female alien." If we're reading that right, it means the game allows for alien lesbian sex, but not any type of male-on-male sex. Furthermore, all non-alien sex has to be heterosexual.

The same-sex love issue is by now well-tread territory for BioWare -- most fans know by now that Juhani from Knights of the Old Republic is a lesbian and Jade Empire allowed same-sex romance for both genders. So why should it be different in Mass Effect? Does BioWare think that their audience will clamor for girl-on-alien-girl action while recoiling from man-on-man love? And why is lesbian sex only OK if it involves another species? Is this some sort of compromise to avoid a Bully-style controversy?

We'll have to wait until the final version of Mass Effect to see if the BBFC description is accurate, but as it stands now this odd double standard makes us wonder if the game will be a step forward or back for sexual politics.

[Via ProG, GayGamer]

Tags: gender, masseffect, sex, Masseffect,Sex, sexuality

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(Page 1) Reader Comments

Ska Oreo: Sep 18th 2007; 5:55PM

.......

hot.

nerrrrrrd: Sep 18th 2007; 6:36PM

I know I'm turned on.

TRUTH: Sep 18th 2007; 5:57PM

That's Just G@Y!!! lol

Triforceowner: Sep 18th 2007; 5:58PM

That's so gay.

vidGuy: Sep 18th 2007; 5:58PM

I'm sorry, that title's hilarious.

Amos: Sep 18th 2007; 5:59PM

This article's getting really riled up for something you don't know the whole story about. It sounds like there's probably either some specific character instance or some alien species mating or societatal difference in the their made up Universe to account for the option. Why didn't they make an entire backstory to have the option of male on male sex as well? They didn't have to. It's a game. They designed what they felt like. It's Bioware, it's going to be deep. Deal with it.

Final-Fan: Sep 18th 2007; 6:01PM

Or, and this is a total shot in the dark here, it could be because of a finite -- even small -- amount of relationships available to your character? We can't expect them to write some gay guy into the story just to "even things up".

TheWarden: Sep 18th 2007; 6:01PM

Excuse me...

TheWarden: Sep 18th 2007; 6:02PM

Shakes my "...lightsaber up and down really fast!"

Dragod: Sep 18th 2007; 6:03PM

Looks like I'm buying Mass Effect, indefinitely... and playing as a female.

Mr Khan: Sep 18th 2007; 6:08PM

I think this will be as inconsequential as the whole Bully thing

of course, inconsequential for different reasons, Bully just didn't do all that well, people won't be playing Mass Effect for this, and thus it will probably go by relatively unnoticed

upz: Sep 19th 2007; 12:05AM

"...if girls act like guys it's a turn-on."

Speak for yourself, girly man.

Rami Selim: Sep 18th 2007; 6:09PM

I applaud Bioware for sticking to their beliefs. Just because other companies are showing homosexual sex/kissing doesn't mean that they have to as well. That's part of the freedom you get when making a game: choose what you want to include. Even though I'm not a huge RPG fan, this game looks pretty good.

ViciousVariable: Sep 18th 2007; 6:17PM

champ, lesbianism is homosexuality.
unless i'm misunderstanding you - then your entire post makes zero sense.

CGamble20: Sep 18th 2007; 6:24PM

Look I agree homosexuality is wrong...

but there choice not to have male-on-male yet female-on-female completely disproves whatever point you are trying to make.

They are supporting one gender over the other based on this story, but we don't know the WHOLE story so no real assumptions should be made until then.

Triforceowner: Sep 18th 2007; 6:28PM

I think, as mentioned above, it probably has to do with the story. They're not purposely working in the lesbianism, but its just there because it was too inconvenient to remove, or maybe it didn't make sense in the context of a male lead role. It's not like Bioware hasn't had male homosexuals in there games as mentioned in the article.

Jonah Falcon: Sep 18th 2007; 6:30PM

"I applaud Bioware for sticking to their beliefs."

Hey, moron, do you read? There was hot man-on-man sex in Jade Empire.

I'm guessing reading and literacy isn't exactly stressed in your neighborhood, and the sexual deviance there is getting your siblings pregnant - or your goat.

bm: Sep 18th 2007; 7:39PM

You know what I think is the reason?

I think it's precisely because of shitstains like Rami Selim and CGamble20 that it was excluded from the game. I bet their publisher is just too worried about losing money from any stirs caused by bigot retards like them.

That's what I think.

Rubang B (NDF - Heart): Sep 18th 2007; 9:52PM

Girls have boobs, so anything they do is ok, even if it's gross gay stuff that people hate. Double standards. If guys act like girls (the untrue gay stereotype) they are ridiculed, but if girls act like guys it's a turn-on.

bm: Sep 19th 2007; 7:57AM

Whoa, I got downvoted? Lots of homophobe rednecks in the audience today, huh?

NukeAssault: Sep 18th 2007; 6:09PM

I think ill live...

teitoku: Sep 18th 2007; 6:10PM

Wouldn't be at all surprised to learn that the female aliens in mass effect possess big fat boners.

bluefire: Sep 18th 2007; 6:12PM

"...but as it stands now this odd double standard makes us wonder if the game will be a step forward or back for sexual politics."

Are you kidding me?
This is a video game...
..with a set story.

Anticrawl: Sep 18th 2007; 6:13PM

Who cares if they don't want to allow gay males? It's their damn game, let em make it how they want. There is no reason to be shocked. It's like being upset that in some teen movie a girl kisses another girl but there is no guy-guy action, noone complains about that. Once again, their game, their choice.

SuperGayParade: Sep 18th 2007; 6:14PM

OUT-RAGE-OUS! NO WAY NO NEVER. MORATORIUM ON THIS GAME BY THE PARADE.

Korova: Sep 18th 2007; 6:14PM

That's too bad. Variety is the spice of life.

Chris: Sep 18th 2007; 6:14PM

Why hasn't anyone figured this out yet.

They are only talking about nudity. There isn't any nudity involved in two men in a M rated game, so they wouldn't mention it.

You guys who are really craving that can still do it I'm sure.

Misquito: Sep 19th 2007; 12:29AM

I prefer hot sauce. But then again I'm Cajun...

Misquito: Sep 19th 2007; 12:42AM

I prefer hot sauce. But then again I'm Cajun...

Misquito: Sep 19th 2007; 12:42AM

oops, wrong reply button.

SkeetSkiLee: Sep 18th 2007; 6:16PM

awwww... come on!! no male to male action!! i'm so seriously outraged...lol

HyperOnion: Sep 18th 2007; 6:19PM

The "female" alien you can romance is asari, a race that is non-gendered. That just happen to look like hot blue ladies.

Still too bad they didn't have a gay/bi romanceble male crew member. It makes sense in the game world, but plays into the "lesbians=hott/gay men=gross" dynamic so much media is stuck in. Ah well. Hopefully in the sequels.

JuAn CaRlos: Sep 19th 2007; 12:04AM

Media isn't "stuck" on it. Most men don't find man on man action attractive or something they even want to watch. The reasoning isn't even important if most of the audience doesn't want to see it why put it in the game unless it somehow must be in there.

Jonah Falcon: Sep 19th 2007; 1:09AM

Who said anything about "action"? You're not going to see hetero sex either, or the game would get an AO rating.

fourthimpact: Sep 18th 2007; 6:20PM

So if a game doesn't have gay sex in it then it is a step back for "Sexual Politics?" So all the Halo games are a step back and God of War and EVERY OTHER GAME THAT LACKS GAY SEX? The absence of gay sex in a video game hardly means that it is taking a step back for "Sexual Politics."

Shmil: Sep 18th 2007; 7:25PM

you sir miss the point

antichristarcade: Sep 19th 2007; 5:30AM

The only reason this is an issue is because the game is a simulation RPG. You are supposed to create someone that reflects you and play the game by your own choices. If you happen to be gay, you would naturally choose the relationship with the man. Since that doesn't exist, you have to wonder why they excluded it, since you would imagine the developers would want the game to be as immersive as possible. Gay people do play video games...

David: Sep 18th 2007; 6:21PM

This almost certainly isn't a double standard. It just means there is one particular female alien character that is a romantic interest, and guessing from history, you can "win" her as a male or female.

Actually, I guess maybe it is a double standard, because a female player can get a guy who won't get with a male player.

Well, then, explain it by further characterization. The female love interest is bisexual and the male isn't. Simple!

SuperGayParade: Sep 18th 2007; 6:22PM

i live for gay sex

Avatar: Sep 19th 2007; 2:07AM

Dude, nobody cares.

how_much_I_carrot: Sep 19th 2007; 7:31AM

I care and I'd like to see pictures.

bentendo: Sep 18th 2007; 6:23PM

Having read the "Revelation" Mass Effect novel, I give my 2¢:

The Asari race (the blue aliens with flesh-locks) are all female in appearance. Therefore, whether your character is male or female, they could both possibly have sexy-time with a "female alien".

Controversy = put to rest.

Jonah Falcon: Sep 18th 2007; 6:34PM

Pssst. They're not the only alien race that you can have an affair with.

I just don't want to see Shepard having hot, steamy alien sex with a Krogan of any gender. That would be just wrong.

phattie: Sep 18th 2007; 6:24PM

Oh God, cant wait until Jack Thompson hears about this.

steven: Nov 26th 2007; 3:39AM

fat kid on the loose

Dave Silva: Sep 18th 2007; 6:24PM

I want my hot, sweaty man sex and I WANT IT NOW!

Jonah Falcon: Sep 18th 2007; 6:39PM

Pull out your credit card and visit certain websites, then.

Slaziman: Sep 18th 2007; 6:25PM

Another nail in PS3's coffin.

Slaziman: Sep 18th 2007; 6:25PM

Does this mean that male humanoid aliens... can't have sex?!

Evan: Sep 18th 2007; 6:52PM

That race of aliens has no males, they are all the same female-like gender.

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