Why do games still struggle with trance?

When he came for trance and non-binary performance, the gaming industry is on the move. Change is happening, especially in the indie scene, but it is a long process that creates a landscape of unpredictability. New publications that have the opportunity to challenge the status quo often fail, as seen in the initial feedback on Cyberpunk 2077: Fans were divided on whether the inclusion of a trans hero exceeds the subtle transphobia in the game.

Even other so-called best efforts, such as Dragon Age: Inquisition and The last of us 2, rely on fetishism and trauma. This turns into a tired tapestry of clichés and misunderstandings, aided by the lack of LGBTQIA + conversations. If developers take the time to talk to a diverse combination of LGBTQ + gamers, it’s better to appreciate the nuance needed to create well-rounded weird characters. Instead, trauma recovery – especially trans trauma – is often a focal point, a problem that can be eradicated if more trans trauma is brought to the table.

The LGBTQ + gaming scene is “getting worse,” Phoebe Zeitler, a trans gamer, told WIRED.

The representation is currently divided; There are a few omissions for each hit, and the hits often come from independent game developers who create new stories, rather than traditionally risk-averse AAA publishers. Games have always struggled to properly represent LGBTQ + characters, with previous generations using trance inclusion as a joke, as in the Grand Theft Auto series. Unfortunately, this precedent with dubious images has worsened.

Learning from big budget mistakes

One example of this, when potentially well-intentioned inclusion is lacking, is 2020 Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and its introduction of a third-sex option in character customization tools. When Activision adds the nonbinary / trans option to the game, it seems to be making progress – gamers across the LGBTQ + spectrum will finally feel properly included.

Unfortunately, what Activision did was introduce a “classified” feature, as opposed to a specifically non-binary / trans. Despite actively promoting the feature as a gender-free alternative, the reality was that Activision avoided committing entirely to trance, instead taking the easy “other” option. This turned a potentially progressive position into a sour experience.

Having a “classified” option may feel appropriate given the game’s military missions, edited files, and covert, hidden plot. However, as soon as you realize that the male and female options remain the same, the “classified” suddenly takes on an ominous tone. This reinforces, albeit unintentionally, the idea that non-binary and transgender characters (and their players) are “others”, somehow out of the norm.

When Activision announced this option, the news was met with both praise and contempt from fans. Those who supported the decision could not understand the question, asking why anyone would be offended by the option at all. Meanwhile, those opposed to this move lagged behind the well-known cry of “historical accuracy” as a cover for their own homophobia or transphobia.

But Call of Duty he is hardly alone. Also known is September 2020 Cyberpunk 2077, a game that promised a lot, but almost collapsed and burned within weeks of its release. Although the bugs strengthened her fate, the game tried to offer some form of trance performance by customizing her character. Players could choose typical options such as hair, makeup and gender, but they were also allowed to choose their character’s genitals, regardless of the gender they chose, by separating appropriately sex from biological sex.