Why not use video games to make a statement or create a setting for healthy discussion regarding pertinent social issues? They're an all-encompassing media format with players from every creed.
I'm a strong believer in 'video games as an art form' as much as they are a source of entertainment. One things the medium has to start utilizing (well, mind you) is the incorporation of issues that resonate with the player base.
Bioware's done that really well with their recent batch of games (genocide, terrorism, segegration/racism/sexism, homophobia/homosexuality) and it's a shame
they won't continue to demonstrate those ideals in this.
And I'm not hating on SWToR for this issue, I just think it's a shame that someone deceided that it was inappropriate or wrong enough to warrant exclusion.
Here's the thing though Bioware does that stuff with their own IP's which is fine, this isn't their IP, that's the bottomline. Maybe they just don't feel Star Wars as a property should be used as a platform to create healthy discussion of these issues?
To SB fans, please stop making our demographic look bad.Stop invading threads that have nothing to do with sandboxes.
People are mad about no SGR because it's been a mainstay of Biowsre games for over a decade. It's just weird for them not to include them.
They don't have to include it in every game they make though. I can't believe that for a game that isn't released yet people are already crying for added features.
Its sad that bioware has chosen not to include same sex relationships in SWTOR. i notice somone say that WoW didnt so why should we be annoyed here?
The simple matter is that SWTOR is story driven, and is about developing a character and a sense of self, why should sexuality be part of this? Afterall the will probably feature Xenophobia, infact thats a huge part of some sith culture, so why not have issues regarding same sex?
2 stories but I wouldn't go as far as to call them story of the week material. There were plenty of others who thought that it was great infomation we got from Gamescom, your writer just had an opinion like we all do, only means he was dissapointed and others not.
It just means that we all have different expectations and can get disappointed with an update. I really liked the pvp stuff we were showed at Gamescom and great Q&A sessions awell, was not disappointed at all.
As for SGR I am neither for or against it in TOR, but I understand why it not. Its a Teen rating game as far as I know, and Star Wars dont have a precedent with SGR.
All in all not something I will lay sleepless over, I am just happy we will be getting our hands on the game soon, along with a ton of other great games! Cant wait!!
People are mad about no SGR because it's been a mainstay of Biowsre games for over a decade. It's just weird for them not to include them.
And it always feels wierd that it's in their games in the first place. I want to play the game, not have a bloody romance in the damn thing, thats all I need, to suddenly have the wife see me getting romantically involved with a game character, claim (rightly) I've lost hte plot and want to divorce me due to insanity, whats wrong with just wanting to play a straight forward RPG these days, some ppl just want a little bit too much realism.
Oh bioware is gonna talk about world pvp during there q and a sunday. So we should know more about that. That said bioware has 3 more european shows to go this year.
sure im a tor lover and a fanboi but if u dont like tor fine i dont like gw 2 so what it happens.
That said the gay romance thing to me isnt anywhere near as big a deal as people are making it out to be its a romance choice in a game with a fictional character.
This isnt like bioware banning all gay players from there game now that that id have an issue wiht as it would be discrminatory and wrong. Not having a gay romance arc at launch isnt a huge deal
OH and if i ever see someone comparing a gay romance arc in a game to the civil rights movement as i did on the tor forums i may just lose my mind really people get a grip this isnt no where near the same thing no way no how nada
Why exactly is homosexuality a "mature" concept, while heterosexuality is not?
Important facts: 1. Free to Play games are poorly made. 2. Casuals are not all idiots, but idiots call themselves casuals. 3. Great solo and group content are not mutually exclusive, but they suffer when one is shoved into the mold of the other. The same is true of PvP and PvE. 4. Community is more important than you think.
Beg to differ with ya Suzie. I think crap flinging, angst ridden, knee jerking, forum monkeys were the story of the week. Huttball and the whole no same sex romance (in the champaign room) issues were just background we could use to justify our rioting.
Same as it ever was.
{mod edit}
The arguments this article covers boils down to two things.
1. Huttball: "OMG! Why is Bioware giving us more gameplay options!?"
{mod edit} The few dozen forum-goers that have really showed opposition to this represent less than .001% of the expected playerbase of the game. Not a controversy at all if you ask me.
"There is as yet insufficient data for a meaningful answer."
The same sex relationship issue seems to have been blown completely out of proportion as far as Im concerned. I almost feel sorry for Bioware. This is not the first game that had romance yet no same sex romance, and it wont be the last.
Some games are beginning to include that sort of thing now, including Skyrim, so those pinning for this type of thing included in their rpgs should probably relax just a little bit. You cant expect every game to have it but some do. Is that not enough for the time being?
Ive been playing games since around 1986. Ive maintained that interest since that time. Ive subscribed to magazines like Nintendo Power and Game Informer, and Ive always been very fond of the hobby. But of all the things I never imagined Id hear, the non inclusion of homosexual romance in games being an actual issue would be at the absolute top of the list. The world is changing I guess. In a very....insane kind of way.
Beg to differ with ya Suzie. I think crap flinging, angst ridden, knee jerking, forum monkeys were the story of the week. Huttball and the whole no same sex romance (in the champaign room) issues were just background we could use to justify our rioting.
Same as it ever was.
Quoted for indisputable truth.
Shouldn't the writers on a major web-publication be above this idiocy?
The arguments this article covers boils down to two things.
1. Huttball: "OMG! Why is Bioware giving us more gameplay options!?"
2. Same-Sex Romance: "OMG I have no fulfillment in my own life so I need to get it through a vidoe game!"
Special Note on #2. The few dozen forum-goers that have really showed opposition to this represent less than .001% of the expected playerbase of the game. Not a controversy at all if you ask me.
Most people that oppose this sort of thing won't ever say a word, because they know that they do, they'll be attacked and lambasted where they stand. People don't want to say anything, even though they disagree, because they don't feel like dealing with all the backwash for standing up and voicing their opinion and who can rightly blame them. The ONLY reason this was even brought up over here to this site in the first place is because of another gay gamer who made it a point to tell a staffer here about it and get her to post it. I rest my case. The only people I see who are outraged at the decision are the gays, and they are in that .001 percentage you state. The rest of the general public who are not gay, are fine with Bioware's decision.
Banegrivm Leader of the 1st Fist of Light www.1stfistoflight.com
They can just release SGR in an optional download pack down the road for every sex/class, it being an optional add-on would hopefully be a good compromise for those of strong feelings.
However, keep in mind it would be quite a bit of extra story work for Bioware for sure (if they did it right).
Should the "option" have been included from the get go?
Well, I think it would have been nice to include it considering the time it's been in development and what's expected of Bioware. Also, considering that most of the population for the game will be of a younger crowd and things like SGR are more accepted now than it was in the past. I think it's important being "aware" rather than "unaware" of this kind of relationship, to help prevent hate crimes.
Having a simple option would not hurt anyone(besides Bioware for all the extra work lol), you wouldn't have to choose to do SGR if you didn't want to. Perhaps it could be something you do in character creation even.
It's an integral part of your character's makeup after all, your sexual orientation.
Bioware wants to immerse you in your own story, having SGR as an option for those who desire it would just further enhance the immersion for them.
A last thought :
They have already mentioned flashpoints are separate stories from your personal story, so if SGR is implemented likely it should only affect your personal story, to appease everyone and also cut down on development.
The same sex relationship issue seems to have been blown completely out of proportion as far as Im concerned. I almost feel sorry for Bioware. This is not the first game that had romance yet no same sex romance, and it wont be the last.
Some games are beginning to include that sort of thing now, including Skyrim, so those pinning for this type of thing included in their rpgs should probably relax just a little bit. You cant expect every game to have it but some do. Is that not enough for the time being?
Ive been playing games since around 1986. Ive maintained that interest since that time. Ive subscribed to magazines like Nintendo Power and Game Informer, and Ive always been very fond of the hobby. But of all the things I never imagined Id hear, the non inclusion of homosexual romance in games being an actual issue would be at the absolute top of the list. The world is changing I guess. In a very....insane kind of way.
You haven't checked out the official forums then. It's more insane there.
The same sex relationship issue seems to have been blown completely out of proportion as far as Im concerned. I almost feel sorry for Bioware. This is not the first game that had romance yet no same sex romance, and it wont be the last.
Some games are beginning to include that sort of thing now, including Skyrim, so those pinning for this type of thing included in their rpgs should probably relax just a little bit. You cant expect every game to have it but some do. Is that not enough for the time being?
Ive been playing games since around 1986. Ive maintained that interest since that time. Ive subscribed to magazines like Nintendo Power and Game Informer, and Ive always been very fond of the hobby. But of all the things I never imagined Id hear, the non inclusion of homosexual romance in games being an actual issue would be at the absolute top of the list. The world is changing I guess. In a very....insane kind of way.
You haven't checked out the official forums then. It's more insane there.
Not to mention hateful. I for one don't care for the whole gay thing and so I don't want to see it in my games. However I've seen alot of hate towards people that feel like I do. I can't say if I've seen any hate from people who feel like I do, although I would not be surprised if there were given this is the internet and knowing how forums tend to go. To be honest the best thing Bioware could do would be to just stop letting those threads continue. Given how the previous threads seem to degenerate, I am really dismayed these threads keep cropping up here too.
Banegrivm Leader of the 1st Fist of Light www.1stfistoflight.com
I think you'll find that the root of the cotroversy doesn't stem from SWTOR or even the KOTOR series but from Bioware's image as represented by their other games... Mainly the Dragon Age series and Mass Effect series. They opened the 'same sex relationships' can of worms in these other games and now people just kinda expect it from Bioware. I can fully understand why they don't want it in SWTOR as they are trying to make it a more 'family frendly' type of game than their other games of late. I personally don't have an issue with it but people need to understand that these other games were rated 'M' and Bioware is going more for an 'E' or 'T' rating with SWTOR.
What MMORPG game has ever supported NPC romances? Why does it really matter that only a limited set are in TOR? How many romance options does WOW give you? None? Interesting....
People are starting to take sex and romance in their RPGs way too seriously. I enjoy the character development component of the "story", but don't really care if there is only interesting dialogue and no concept of really romance or sex.
My take was why do some players feel the need for a Romance Arc in an MMO? Other than to provide story hinge to award you "dark side" points for having said relationship... =P RAs seem out of place to me.
Still BioWare were the ones who started making this a "feature" in single player RPGs. And it seems they've made some content, in SWTOR, for the heterosexual crowd. So the only reason why I can think of for why it might not be here, is how the game ratings are defined.
In which case its hardly BioWare's fault - i.e. If they want a "T" (Teen) rating they have to follow guidelines set by other people. And EA might be insisting on targeting a "T" rating (so again this is not being left up to BioWare). Its just not what some of the faithful expect, and / or want.
Its sad that bioware has chosen not to include same sex relationships in SWTOR. i notice somone say that WoW didnt so why should we be annoyed here?
The simple matter is that SWTOR is story driven, and is about developing a character and a sense of self, why should sexuality be part of this? Afterall the will probably feature Xenophobia, infact thats a huge part of some sith culture, so why not have issues regarding same sex?
Because they decided not to? What else really needs to be said about this? The problem isn't asking the above question it's asking the above question over and over again. It is what it is take it or leave it. We're talking a fantasy environment here, there's no need to cover the serious issues of reality in it.
To SB fans, please stop making our demographic look bad.Stop invading threads that have nothing to do with sandboxes.
I don't plan on playing SWTOR but I sure do like reading the forums about it! GW2 threads are mostly all just happy and wonderful bleh, but SWTOR is getting people mad! I think it's wonderful. Not that people are unhappy, but that the game is having such an impact. Face it. Developers are going to be hearing this and at the very least future games will try to appease the desires of these masses.
Now just for fun, all of the pro-SGR people stand over here, and the anti-SGR folks over there. The people that like huttball can stand here, and the huttball haters over there. Now everybody pick up a stick and rush the center while you scream "FREEEDOMMMMMmmm!!!" Wait, let me grab my camera...
All of my posts are either intelligent, thought provoking, funny, satirical, sarcastic or intentionally disrespectful. Take your pick.
I get banned in the forums for games I love, so lets see if I do better in the forums for games I hate.
I enjoy the serenity of not caring what your opinion is.
I think you'll find that the root of the cotroversy doesn't stem from SWTOR or even the KOTOR series but from Bioware's image as represented by their other games... Mainly the Dragon Age series and Mass Effect series. They opened the 'same sex relationships' can of worms in these other games and now people just kinda expect it from Bioware. I can fully understand why they don't want it in SWTOR as they are trying to make it a more 'family frendly' type of game than their other games of late. I personally don't have an issue with it but people need to understand that these other games were rated 'M' and Bioware is going more for an 'E' or 'T' rating with SWTOR.
Bren
Yes sir. You're 100% correct. A lot of it is due to the precedence of same sex relationships Bioware has displayed in their past games. Just like you said.
More so, while its not in any way confirmed, and its a simple speculation only, Bioware has to clear what they're doing with Swtor with Lucas Arts. Star Wars is not an IP that Bioware controls or owns. So they do have to clear content with Lucas Arts. And it may very well be that Lucas Arts does not approve. Whether there was precedence for this in a few Star Wars books, its not been shown in any of the comics, cartoons, movies, etc.
However Mass Effect and Dragon Age are IPs that are owned solely by Bioware. Created by them. They could do whatever they pleased with it. My point is, they dont really have a totally free hand when it comes to Swtor. So whether or not same sex relationships were in their past games, it doesnt matter, because this is not a Bioware IP.
But again, you are completely correct. The precedence of same sex relationships in past games is a major factor in this outcry.
The story of the week is simply chosen by virtue of the amount of discussion it generated on the forums. No more. No less. I don't have a horse in this race in any way, shape or form nor do I have "an agenda".
Originally posted by LauZaIM
This site went to absolute sh*t. Who is hiring these people to write this crap? Why is MMORPG being reduced to "The Inquirer"; spinning irrelevant issues into something "big" by including popular "products"? This isn't good journalism or thoughtful in any way, it's straight up trolling the community by create something out of nothing just to get hits.
I'm done here, I'm never coming back to this site, it has been completely ruined by dumba*ses.
Been to the Bioware site lately? The SWTOR forums have several 200+ page discussions on this very topic. We brought it to the attention of our community because it's a significant topic of discussion here and on the Bioware/SWTOR site.
On a completely unrelated side note: WHY is it that when you edit, a bunch of extra spaces are inserted into your post? Blech...
Yes, the news is that these are big stories, when they really shouldn't be. The game will be ready when its ready, regardless of what they showed in a convention. And same-sex henchment romance will no doubt come in a patch, until then, anyone who is gay will have to role-play a straight person (like they kind of have had to do for most games, if romantic relationships were dealt with at all), or not do the romance storylines. Relationally games are far behind other media, and it has taken years for characters to be allowed to be realistically gay in other popular media, so this isn't really that surprising.
Comments
Here's the thing though Bioware does that stuff with their own IP's which is fine, this isn't their IP, that's the bottomline. Maybe they just don't feel Star Wars as a property should be used as a platform to create healthy discussion of these issues?
To SB fans, please stop making our demographic look bad.Stop invading threads that have nothing to do with sandboxes.
SW:TOR Graphics Evolution and Comparison
SW:TOR Compare MMO Quests, Combat and More...
They don't have to include it in every game they make though. I can't believe that for a game that isn't released yet people are already crying for added features.
Nah, I think it's more a factor of SWTOR generating hits, combining that factor with hot button issues like same sex relations generates even more.
To SB fans, please stop making our demographic look bad.Stop invading threads that have nothing to do with sandboxes.
SW:TOR Graphics Evolution and Comparison
SW:TOR Compare MMO Quests, Combat and More...
Its sad that bioware has chosen not to include same sex relationships in SWTOR. i notice somone say that WoW didnt so why should we be annoyed here?
The simple matter is that SWTOR is story driven, and is about developing a character and a sense of self, why should sexuality be part of this? Afterall the will probably feature Xenophobia, infact thats a huge part of some sith culture, so why not have issues regarding same sex?
2 stories but I wouldn't go as far as to call them story of the week material. There were plenty of others who thought that it was great infomation we got from Gamescom, your writer just had an opinion like we all do, only means he was dissapointed and others not.
It just means that we all have different expectations and can get disappointed with an update. I really liked the pvp stuff we were showed at Gamescom and great Q&A sessions awell, was not disappointed at all.
As for SGR I am neither for or against it in TOR, but I understand why it not. Its a Teen rating game as far as I know, and Star Wars dont have a precedent with SGR.
All in all not something I will lay sleepless over, I am just happy we will be getting our hands on the game soon, along with a ton of other great games! Cant wait!!
And it always feels wierd that it's in their games in the first place. I want to play the game, not have a bloody romance in the damn thing, thats all I need, to suddenly have the wife see me getting romantically involved with a game character, claim (rightly) I've lost hte plot and want to divorce me due to insanity, whats wrong with just wanting to play a straight forward RPG these days, some ppl just want a little bit too much realism.
Oh bioware is gonna talk about world pvp during there q and a sunday. So we should know more about that. That said bioware has 3 more european shows to go this year.
sure im a tor lover and a fanboi but if u dont like tor fine i dont like gw 2 so what it happens.
That said the gay romance thing to me isnt anywhere near as big a deal as people are making it out to be its a romance choice in a game with a fictional character.
This isnt like bioware banning all gay players from there game now that that id have an issue wiht as it would be discrminatory and wrong. Not having a gay romance arc at launch isnt a huge deal
OH and if i ever see someone comparing a gay romance arc in a game to the civil rights movement as i did on the tor forums i may just lose my mind really people get a grip this isnt no where near the same thing no way no how nada
{mod edit}
Why exactly is homosexuality a "mature" concept, while heterosexuality is not?
Important facts:
1. Free to Play games are poorly made.
2. Casuals are not all idiots, but idiots call themselves casuals.
3. Great solo and group content are not mutually exclusive, but they suffer when one is shoved into the mold of the other. The same is true of PvP and PvE.
4. Community is more important than you think.
{mod edit}
The arguments this article covers boils down to two things.
1. Huttball: "OMG! Why is Bioware giving us more gameplay options!?"
{mod edit} The few dozen forum-goers that have really showed opposition to this represent less than .001% of the expected playerbase of the game. Not a controversy at all if you ask me.
"There is as yet insufficient data for a meaningful answer."
I hope they make the masks and helmets visible and unvisible option. I prefer to see my character's face.
Guild Wars 2's 50 minutes game play video:
http://n4g.com/news/592585/guild-wars-2-50-minutes-of-pure-gameplay
Everything We Know about GW2:
http://www.mmorpg.com/discussion2.cfm/thread/287180/page/1
The same sex relationship issue seems to have been blown completely out of proportion as far as Im concerned. I almost feel sorry for Bioware. This is not the first game that had romance yet no same sex romance, and it wont be the last.
Some games are beginning to include that sort of thing now, including Skyrim, so those pinning for this type of thing included in their rpgs should probably relax just a little bit. You cant expect every game to have it but some do. Is that not enough for the time being?
Ive been playing games since around 1986. Ive maintained that interest since that time. Ive subscribed to magazines like Nintendo Power and Game Informer, and Ive always been very fond of the hobby. But of all the things I never imagined Id hear, the non inclusion of homosexual romance in games being an actual issue would be at the absolute top of the list. The world is changing I guess. In a very....insane kind of way.
Most people that oppose this sort of thing won't ever say a word, because they know that they do, they'll be attacked and lambasted where they stand. People don't want to say anything, even though they disagree, because they don't feel like dealing with all the backwash for standing up and voicing their opinion and who can rightly blame them. The ONLY reason this was even brought up over here to this site in the first place is because of another gay gamer who made it a point to tell a staffer here about it and get her to post it. I rest my case. The only people I see who are outraged at the decision are the gays, and they are in that .001 percentage you state. The rest of the general public who are not gay, are fine with Bioware's decision.
Banegrivm
Leader of the 1st Fist of Light
www.1stfistoflight.com
In my opinion :
They can just release SGR in an optional download pack down the road for every sex/class, it being an optional add-on would hopefully be a good compromise for those of strong feelings.
However, keep in mind it would be quite a bit of extra story work for Bioware for sure (if they did it right).
Should the "option" have been included from the get go?
Well, I think it would have been nice to include it considering the time it's been in development and what's expected of Bioware. Also, considering that most of the population for the game will be of a younger crowd and things like SGR are more accepted now than it was in the past. I think it's important being "aware" rather than "unaware" of this kind of relationship, to help prevent hate crimes.
Having a simple option would not hurt anyone(besides Bioware for all the extra work lol), you wouldn't have to choose to do SGR if you didn't want to. Perhaps it could be something you do in character creation even.
It's an integral part of your character's makeup after all, your sexual orientation.
Bioware wants to immerse you in your own story, having SGR as an option for those who desire it would just further enhance the immersion for them.
A last thought :
They have already mentioned flashpoints are separate stories from your personal story, so if SGR is implemented likely it should only affect your personal story, to appease everyone and also cut down on development.
Take the Magic: The Gathering 'What Color Are You?' Quiz.
You haven't checked out the official forums then. It's more insane there.
Not to mention hateful. I for one don't care for the whole gay thing and so I don't want to see it in my games. However I've seen alot of hate towards people that feel like I do. I can't say if I've seen any hate from people who feel like I do, although I would not be surprised if there were given this is the internet and knowing how forums tend to go. To be honest the best thing Bioware could do would be to just stop letting those threads continue. Given how the previous threads seem to degenerate, I am really dismayed these threads keep cropping up here too.
Banegrivm
Leader of the 1st Fist of Light
www.1stfistoflight.com
I think you'll find that the root of the cotroversy doesn't stem from SWTOR or even the KOTOR series but from Bioware's image as represented by their other games... Mainly the Dragon Age series and Mass Effect series. They opened the 'same sex relationships' can of worms in these other games and now people just kinda expect it from Bioware. I can fully understand why they don't want it in SWTOR as they are trying to make it a more 'family frendly' type of game than their other games of late. I personally don't have an issue with it but people need to understand that these other games were rated 'M' and Bioware is going more for an 'E' or 'T' rating with SWTOR.
Bren
while(horse==dead)
{
beat();
}
WOW, just WOW.
I simply cant believe any of this is any sort of real issue.
They plainly stated they would have a release date once the final Beta testing started in September.
The rest of these so called contoversies are simply garbage.
You all appear to me like Cartman pacing outside the game store waiting for the WII.
Please do not go freeze yourself in ice for the next 2 months it won't work.
Have a sense of humor, no need to get ALL MODDY !
A Simpson's quote shouldn't be worth a warning. You are lucky anyone is bothering to read this rag.
My take was why do some players feel the need for a Romance Arc in an MMO? Other than to provide story hinge to award you "dark side" points for having said relationship... =P RAs seem out of place to me.
Still BioWare were the ones who started making this a "feature" in single player RPGs. And it seems they've made some content, in SWTOR, for the heterosexual crowd. So the only reason why I can think of for why it might not be here, is how the game ratings are defined.
In which case its hardly BioWare's fault - i.e. If they want a "T" (Teen) rating they have to follow guidelines set by other people. And EA might be insisting on targeting a "T" rating (so again this is not being left up to BioWare). Its just not what some of the faithful expect, and / or want.
Because they decided not to? What else really needs to be said about this? The problem isn't asking the above question it's asking the above question over and over again. It is what it is take it or leave it. We're talking a fantasy environment here, there's no need to cover the serious issues of reality in it.
To SB fans, please stop making our demographic look bad.Stop invading threads that have nothing to do with sandboxes.
SW:TOR Graphics Evolution and Comparison
SW:TOR Compare MMO Quests, Combat and More...
Really? They said that?
OK, that's really all I want to know anyway! :-D Thanks for letting me know.
I don't plan on playing SWTOR but I sure do like reading the forums about it! GW2 threads are mostly all just happy and wonderful bleh, but SWTOR is getting people mad! I think it's wonderful. Not that people are unhappy, but that the game is having such an impact. Face it. Developers are going to be hearing this and at the very least future games will try to appease the desires of these masses.
Now just for fun, all of the pro-SGR people stand over here, and the anti-SGR folks over there. The people that like huttball can stand here, and the huttball haters over there. Now everybody pick up a stick and rush the center while you scream "FREEEDOMMMMMmmm!!!" Wait, let me grab my camera...
All of my posts are either intelligent, thought provoking, funny, satirical, sarcastic or intentionally disrespectful. Take your pick.
I get banned in the forums for games I love, so lets see if I do better in the forums for games I hate.
I enjoy the serenity of not caring what your opinion is.
I don't hate much, but I hate Apple© with a passion. If Steve Jobs was alive, I would punch him in the face.
Yes sir. You're 100% correct. A lot of it is due to the precedence of same sex relationships Bioware has displayed in their past games. Just like you said.
More so, while its not in any way confirmed, and its a simple speculation only, Bioware has to clear what they're doing with Swtor with Lucas Arts. Star Wars is not an IP that Bioware controls or owns. So they do have to clear content with Lucas Arts. And it may very well be that Lucas Arts does not approve. Whether there was precedence for this in a few Star Wars books, its not been shown in any of the comics, cartoons, movies, etc.
However Mass Effect and Dragon Age are IPs that are owned solely by Bioware. Created by them. They could do whatever they pleased with it. My point is, they dont really have a totally free hand when it comes to Swtor. So whether or not same sex relationships were in their past games, it doesnt matter, because this is not a Bioware IP.
But again, you are completely correct. The precedence of same sex relationships in past games is a major factor in this outcry.
You apparently won't be able to marry droids either. WIthout droidality I simply won't buy.
Keogh,
The story of the week is simply chosen by virtue of the amount of discussion it generated on the forums. No more. No less. I don't have a horse in this race in any way, shape or form nor do I have "an agenda".
Been to the Bioware site lately? The SWTOR forums have several 200+ page discussions on this very topic. We brought it to the attention of our community because it's a significant topic of discussion here and on the Bioware/SWTOR site.
On a completely unrelated side note: WHY is it that when you edit, a bunch of extra spaces are inserted into your post? Blech...
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Yes, the news is that these are big stories, when they really shouldn't be. The game will be ready when its ready, regardless of what they showed in a convention. And same-sex henchment romance will no doubt come in a patch, until then, anyone who is gay will have to role-play a straight person (like they kind of have had to do for most games, if romantic relationships were dealt with at all), or not do the romance storylines. Relationally games are far behind other media, and it has taken years for characters to be allowed to be realistically gay in other popular media, so this isn't really that surprising.
But hey, we need something to talk about, right?