Forums » Smalltalk » Why Bioware Deserves My Money

An interesting response from Bioware when a 'straight male gamer' complains about the relationship options in the recent Dragon Age: II.
Link: http://phyrra.net/2011/03/why-bioware-enforces-they-deserve-my-money.html

(No spoilers please if you talk about DA:II, I'm still playing it. )

Bioware have been pretty good at handling this in their games.

I'm a straight male gamer but I don't really have a problem with the male characters in this game or any of the others hitting on my character. If anything, it helps give insight into what it's like to recieve unwanted attention. It would be nice if those complaining about it would consider that perspective.

Also, I second the request for no spoilers, still playing it too.

A very good game if I may add.

This amuses me that people get so upset by these little things that they actually write to complain to company. I may not be a male player and I may not be wholly straight, but my boyfriend lives for these games (it is actually quite sad the time and effort he puts into Bioware games ) and he has played both straight male and female characters, as well as some who respond to those male advances. If that were not part of the game, you would have an equally annoyed non-straight gamer complaining to the company. Besides, if you don't do things that the character who is hitting on you condones or even just likes, you lose rep with them and guess what? They don't like you any more. *shakes fist*

You do raise a good point, the characters in the party don't start hitting on the player unless you do a lot for them first. It usually takes an interest in their life (ie doing side quests about them) and choosing the flirty dialogue options before they'll do anything.

Bioware put a lot of effort into building the worlds their games take place in, there's always so much to see and do. I have a real weakness for their Mass Effect games, to the point that I can't even write this without wanting to play it.

Yeah, I'm an addict.

I'm only addicted to DA:II so far as making the character... Because, not surprisingly I love making characters. And when I get around to continuing to play through, I am intentionally making advances on my male party members. Beware Fenris!

I don't play this particular game, but oh boy does that fellow raise my neck hair. I've some pretty strong opinions on the matter.

Mostly, it sounds like the Straight Male Gamer is uncomfortable that a fictional character hits on his fictional character. To me that just speaks of both sexual insecurity and severe intolerance of anyone but 'ME, ME AND ONLY ME' (his point of view). A narcissistic individual who thinks his way is the only one and no other way shall do. I can't stand those type of people. They're the kind who wouldn't hesitate to take the rights away from others, but scream bloody murder if theirs are taken away, even if it's only in their head. I wish he'd get over himself and accept that there are more people in the world than just him and the Straight Male Gamer.

I am very, VERY pleased to see BioWare's response to that. Very. Tolerance is difficult to come by in this world, but oh so very necessary.

Couldn't agree more. I'm tired of people thinking that their rights are more important than anyone else's.

In most cases they don't even have different rights. They're exactly the same. But some people feel they deserve better, and they act like it!

I think it's partly human nature to feel that way. And a lot of folks don't get lessons in tolerance from their parents and don't know how to accept others for being different and realizing they are no less or better than anyone else. Some people struggle with low self-esteem and use it as a tool to feel better.

There are many reasons why people act the way they do. As much as the fellow annoys me, I also realize he must have his reasons for thinking that way. I just wish we could convince people like him to change their perspective in life.

That was an awesome read. I went ahead and tweeted that link, too. Companies that promote tolerance like that ought to be supported!

I adore the response that Bioware gave. A few of my friends have been passing the link around Facebook. It's wonderful to see besides all those don't buy DA:II it's crap, comments. Though I suppose that's a whole different discussion.
I'm really glad they went ahead and responded to this persons 'complaint.'

Did the jerkoff ever respond? I'd love to hear that. This post was originally just a lot of incoherent swearing until I re-wrote it like five times.

In Mr. Straight Male Manguy's defense, somebody shouldn't have to put up with unwanted attention in a video game, no matter who they are or what their orientation is. Of course, I'd personally advocate for leaving all that romancey nonsense out entirely.

Either way, the true absurdity here is that people are treating video game romances like serious business and getting their knickers all in a bunch--both Mr. Straight Male Manguy and the opposition. It's a blasted video game. And anyway--my two cents--if a gaming company truly wanted to actually, effectively turn the gaming industry around in regards to who it caters to, they'd stop perpetually objectifying a considerable portion of their fan base and start designing more, interesting female characters that are not based entirely or mostly on sex appeal. That's the biggest (and most annoying) issue we have right now, not whose pixels yours will get flirted at by.

Without having actually played the game, it really seems like the sort of thing you could put in a toggle for.

To my knowledge, you have to take the action in starting the flirtation. So I think the unwanted attention is a bit bunk. You can choose to explore the companions backstory which may give you options to flirt with them but you don't have to. Just by talking to them it can unlock the option to click a heart but you're not required to.
-Like Kim said!

That's pretty much how it works with all the Bioware games. You have to pick the flirtatious dialogue choices before anything happens. Granted, in some of those previous games it's possible to accidently take that path but this time around, the heart icon Dylan mentioned is pretty clear.

I hope that icon actually comes up more than once, I regret not taking that option with Merril

I don't like that you can't talk to them just walking out and about. > I'm trying to decide if I went to get it on with Anders or Fenris.

As would I. However given that they decided to include romance, their execution was light-years ahead of anything else in the industry.


Video games are made by people. Just as our words and deeds can be sexist, so can the things we make. This is similar to the argument, "It's just the internet, who cares?" - the internet is made of people. Morality doesn't go away, no matter how many degrees of separation there are between agents.


Although I haven't played the game, I'll go out a limb here and say I doubt any of the female characters in DA2 are treated as objects, and I'm sure the developers agree with your sentiment. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if they won an award or two for their treatment of gender issues.


One of the great things about being human is the ability to care about more than one thing at a time. Sexism and male/hetero/caucasian privilege are systemic problems. They need to be fought everywhere, all the time. And as stated above, DA2 is already doing this right.

Agreed! I liked that about the first game. It's kind of annoying to have to go to wherever they live/hang out now, especially if you get there and find they don't have anything to say at the moment.

Oh, GOD, that is annoying. I keep on trying to talk to Anders and he's all 'yup, we have important work to do.' And I'm all >: Dammit Anders, I just want to have your sweet, sweet mage babies.