One of the more controversial topics with BioWare’s Dragon Age series has been the option to engage in a relationship with characters of the same sex as your avatar, something that has now become an option for both genders in Mass Effect 3. In order to clarify just where the developer stands on the issue, studio heads Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk stated it was all a matter of providing choice to the player.
“We got feedback from players that they wanted more choice,” Muzyka told Kotaku in a recent interview. “We respond to that feedback and try to make our games better based on what our players are asking for.”
BioWare is merely the creator of role-playing games, where one of the genre’s key functions is to provide players options to play whatever character they please, according to Zeschuk and Muzyka. The two also asserted that this should not just be limited to weapons, race, hair style, or class, but include subjects such as sexual orientation as well.
“It’s surprising that people think it’s that big a deal,” Zeschuk said. “If you’re creating this kind of content, it’s very natural to provide all the options. So that’s always kind of funny.”
The Dragon Age and Mass Effect series are just a few among a small list of games that allow the player options when pursuing any in-game relationship, straight or gay. In Mass Effect 2, female protagonists were allowed to make choices to engage in a homosexual commitment with other characters, but Mass Effect 3 will be the first time in the series that male leads will be allowed to do the same.
“We let players take on a role and really immerse themselves on how they feel they want to be playing the game,” said Muzyka. “Be true to that. Be true to your ideal of a game of choice.”
“If there’s a political bent to it, it’s very Libertarian,” Zeshuck stated. “It’s like… yeah, we make the choices available. You decide what you want to do. We’re not pushing any particular direction with most of our stuff.”
Mass Effect 3 is rated M for Mature and slated to release next Tuesday, March 6 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC.
[Kotaku]
