Francois

Rockstar games likes to court controversy (there is no bad publicity.) Their most recent game was Grand Theft Auto. A game where you run and drive around a city jacking cars, shooting people, picking up prostitutes. There is a bigger narrative, or you can do side missions if you jack a specific car.

Here is a shot from the original GTA, which had a God perspective (top down map.) It was a bit of a cult hit, but the city itself was not very detailed and the gameplay a little repetitive.

There was a second GTA, but it didn't change the gameplay too much, the third GTA set in Liberty City (based on New York.) Expansions include Vice City (based on Miami) and San Andreas (3 cities in California.) The sex scene "Hot Coffee Mod" made a big stir in the media. (I believe we talked about that in class.)

Here is Liberty City

I know you guys have probably all heard about this, but boys are kissing boys in Rockstar's new game "Bully"

Bullworth Academy

In their latest game you play a kid in a school who runs around doing what kids do in school. You can choose to go to class, stay up late (this has consequences), and you have to navigate the cliques (greasers, jocks, nerds), and as the title suggest: fight. Eventually you go out of the school and interact with the townies.

One thing not advertised in the press releases is that your character can get some girl lovin (kissing only), but also some boy lovin. Here is one VIDEO and another SITE

As many of the media reports I read have stated, this isn't an essential part of gameplay, and the fact that Rockstar Games put this in as an option is a progressive move. Of course the publicity that it has generated has probably kept the game in people's minds (leading to more sales) and gay gamers may be more likely to buy. Fundamentalist Christian parents however may be less inclined to buy. If this trend continues and the homosexual option becomes the norm (The sims has this option as well,) then any game that doesn't have such options will have to justify itself. I hope that this trend continues and games stay on the right side of the culture wars. (Or at least the side that I am on.)