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SasqWatch
RPS talked to Lead Writer David Gaider from Bioware about sexism and sexuality in games. Here's Gaider's thesis:
Gaider on diversity in games:RPS: So what's the basic thesis of your GDC talk? I know you're discussing sex and sexism, but what conclusion are you ultimately trying to draw?
Gaider: Basically I'm saying that, from the perspective of a writer and a designer who's had to deal with a lot of romance in games - romance and sex - which brings me directly into confrontation issues and sexism and sexuality... Until we had broached that topic, it was kind of a side issue. I guess back in the day, when we were first starting with it, it wasn't something that the industry kept in mind at all. But the fact that we have charged directly into that field, that means... Sexism and sexuality issues are things that I end up having to deal with on a regular basis. I thought I could offer some feedback on that.
More information.RPS: For you personally, is that the next step: to discuss more and create awareness? I mean, clearly, that's what your doing here.
Gaider: That's something that we've always done, at least on the BioWare side. I don't know that it's an agenda of mine, per se. I have an actual game to write. That's not my first concern. But it is a concern. If we're talking about how we need our big-budget games to sell to more people and have a larger audience, to say that that larger audience should only be 18-25 males exclusively... So, what, we're all going to fight over the same demographic? There are actual reasons why having diversity in your games and being inclusive of a larger audience has sound financial backing. If you're talking about that, maybe that's the only way the industry is going to listen. It takes somebody to do it and do it well and prove that this is something that makes financial sense before the industry will accept that maybe it's a thing.