EA receives thousands of anti-gay mail about Mass Effect 3 and SWTOR - Polidicks

[QUOTE=Craig Willmore;35441409]At least it wasn't like DA2, where somehow your entire team is bisexual.[/QUOTE] Everyone is bisexual in fantasy. Unless you're hardened barbarian, then it's all ladies. Ladies and ale!

Today's magic words : Damage Control.

[QUOTE=mac338;35441327]"Sound the gay alarm!"[/QUOTE] [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3j4t185wl-0[/media] ?

[QUOTE]Brown also dismissed the suggestion that EA was somehow pressured into including LGBT characters in its games, although he acknowledged that a number of forum posts criticizing the company's stance have been deleted for violating its content rules. "We have met with LBGT groups and sponsored industry forums to discuss content and harassment of players in online forums," he added. "In short, we do put options for same-sex relationships in our games; we don't tolerate hate speech on our forums."[/QUOTE] Worst company in America right here folks.

[QUOTE=J!NX;35441313]Then I would announce that for every gay hate letter I get in the mail, I'm going to send 1$ to gay rights groups. Aka, "Family value groups" will contribute to gay rights.[/QUOTE] Oh man, that would be amazing; it'd cause so many heads to explode. If they send the letters, they fund gay rights groups, but if they don't their concerns are left unvoiced. It's the best way to clean up the gene pool that has ever been seen, though we'd also need to clean up the brain-stains on the walls of the trailers.

[QUOTE=ironman17;35444929]Oh man, that would be amazing; it'd cause so many heads to explode. If they send the letters, they fund gay rights groups, but if they don't their concerns are left unvoiced. It's the best way to clean up the gene pool that has ever been seen, though we'd also need to clean up the brain-stains on the walls of the trailers.[/QUOTE] Lisa Lampanelli did that to the WBC [url]http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/23/lisa-lampanelli-vs-westboro-baptist-church_n_865291.html[/url] Even if they send the letters they'd just be filtered and counted, so really, in the end, they loose no matter what they do.

fake and gay

[QUOTE=Raidyr;35444686]Worst company in America right here folks.[/QUOTE] I'm sorry, when all you can point to as reason that a company isn't the worst is that they're not knuckle-dragging bigots, it's not a good sign. There's a difference from seeing that reasonably speaking, EA is hardly the worst company in America, and just being an apologist for them. Either way, Battlefield 3 is full of things many LGBT people would find offensive. An almost disproportionate amount of taunts and shouts are blatantly homophobic, like "Yeah! Killed that Cocksucker!" Kotaku is usually unabashedly shitty journalism, but this article is pretty good: [url]http://kotaku.com/5876445/the-unquestioned-homophobia-in-battlefield-3[/url] They may not tolerate hate-speech on their forums, but they certainly tolerate it being prominently featured in their flagship title. EA are hardly paragons of human rights just because they can be favorably compared to bigots.

It's glad to know that even if they're apparently one of the worst companies in terms of customer service, they're in the right place morally.

"It's not about protecting children, it's political harassment," is perhaps the most honest thing I've ever heard EA say. Plus, you can't put it any more plainly than that.

Of all things to complain, gay relationships? I thought it was a pretty progressive move for LGBT movement. I guess some gamers just can't stomach homosexuality yet.

Mass Effect 3's new ending; Shepard Bums/Scissors (depending on gender) the Reapers to death.

That in the civilized West, people who oppose the civil rights of minorities still have a voice in the media is abhorrent to me. This is the second decade of the third millenium, of the twenty-first century. Much of the Western world has embraced progress. But in the USA, people who are looking forward are instead forced to put up with the fact that arbitrary denial of scientific theory with no evidence supporting that denial and rhetoric from hate groups are actually considered legitimate political viewpoints, representative of a large portion of the country's population. It's like maybe a little more than half of Americans now have grown up and moved forward and the rest are mentally retarded.

[QUOTE=archangel125;35446678]That in the civilized West, people who oppose the civil rights of minorities still have a voice in the media is abhorrent to me. This is the second decade of the third millenium, of the twenty-first century. Much of the Western world has embraced progress. But in the USA, people who are looking forward are instead forced to put up with the fact that arbitrary denial of scientific theory with no evidence supporting that denial and rhetoric from hate groups are actually considered legitimate political viewpoints, representative of a large portion of the country's population. It's like maybe a little more than half of Americans now have grown up and moved forward and the rest are mentally retarded.[/QUOTE] Even when you don't take into consideration the religious aspect of things, why do people care? I've never understood the vast amount of energy and effort that goes into hating two people just because they love each other.

I'm still being surprised of the narrow mindedness of people. What would you possibly achieve by boycotting their games? I can imagine a lot of SWTOR players being happy they don't have to play along side those people. Same goes for ME3 multiplayers.

[QUOTE=Raidyr;35446722]Even when you don't take into consideration the religious aspect of things, why do people care? I've never understood the vast amount of energy and effort that goes into hating two people just because they love each other.[/QUOTE] Republicans - Well, a whole lot of Americans - have always needed an enemy. They're still caught up in images of the star-spangled banner, of America being the good guys in the world and everyone America fights being an enemy of freedom. Americans like those described above need an enemy. They can't grasp or can't handle the idea of a world in which the US government could be the bad guy, in which the USA is a bully on the world stage. And if the US has no immediate and fresh foreign enemies, they look for enemies domestically. Like gays. Then they spin themselves a fantastic tale of how the gays are conspiring to take away the freedom of straight couples and that they've got some sort of communist agenda and that they want to rape our kids. These are literally people living outside of reality - They've got little grasp of it. Clinically speaking, they're insane or at least mentally disturbed.

[release][url=http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2012-04-04-ea-defends-itself-against-thousands-of-anti-gay-letters][img]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/12875849/jotain/logo-ig.png[/img][/url] [B]EA is standing up for same sex relationships in games despite outrage from some [/B] EA has been inundated in recent weeks with what GamesIndustry International understands to be "several thousand" letters and emails protesting the inclusion of same sex or LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) content in its video games, most notably Mass Effect 3 and Star Wars: The Old Republic. When asked, EA confirmed that this has indeed been occurring, and unsurprisingly, EA has no plans to censor any of its games. "Every one of EA's games includes ESRB content descriptors so it's hard to believe anyone is surprised by the content. This isn't about protecting children, it's about political harassment," Jeff Brown, VP of corporate communications told us. The letters have been directed to EA's executive team, creative heads, its board of directors and just about anyone at a high level. Many of them threaten to boycott EA's titles if the publisher refuses to remove same-sex relationship content. [img]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/12875849/lgbtwhateverea/mass-effect-naked-men.jpg[/img] The letters also infer that EA was pressured by LGBT groups to include homosexual content in its games, and that this content is somehow forced upon children, exposing them to LGBT themes. Of course, those of you reading this already know how ludicrous this is. The games are not for children, nor do they force LGBT content on a player - it's merely an option for gamers who wish to replicate their real-life sexual orientation. Some of the letters also complain that EA is deliberately deleting posts against LGBT issues on its official forum, which is true when the comments happen to violate discussion rules on hate speech. "EA has not been pressured by any groups to include LGBT characters in our games. However, we have met with LBGT groups and sponsored industry forums to discuss content and harassment of players in online forums. In short, we do put options for same-sex relationships in our games; we don't tolerate hate speech on our forums," Brown added. [url=http://dl.dropbox.com/u/12875849/lgbtwhateverea/eastarwarspostcard.jpg][img]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/12875849/lgbtwhateverea/330x220.jpg[/img][/url] Just one example of the letters We had suspected that perhaps Focus on the Family, led by James Dobson, was somehow involved, but as it turns out, many of the letters have been coming from Florida, and it's rather apparent based on this call to action for Star Wars that the Florida Family Association is directing a campaign against EA because of the same-sex relationship content. The Family Research Council, led by Tony Perkins, is also involved. "In a new Star Wars game, the biggest threat to the empire may be homosexual activists!" said Perkins. [img]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/12875849/lgbtwhateverea/starwarstheoldrepublictwodudes.jpg[/img] We asked Matt Kane, Associate Director of Entertainment Media at GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) about campaigns such as the one Florida Family Association and Family Research Council have been spearheading. "Anti-LGBT campaigns are falling into a pretty consistent pattern these days, in which messages of hate directed at our allies are met with an overwhelming outpouring of support for our allies in response," Kane noted. "Following Starbucks' announcing public support for marriage equality, 25,000 people signed a "Dump Starbucks" campaign, which in turn inspired more than 600,000 people to sign on to a "Thank Starbucks" campaign. He continued, "The group 'One Million Moms' tried to have Ellen Degeneres fired from her role as a spokesperson for JC Penny, but the public expressions of support JC Penny received following the Stand Up for Ellen campaign were so numerous that 'One Million Moms' announced they would be 'moving on to other things.' Trying to rally Americans around messages rooted in hate is a losing proposition." Michael Cole-Schwartz, Director of Communications at Human Rights Campaign (HRC), added that "those of us who work toward LGBT equality are pleased with the fair-minded stance EA's taken. EA should be commended for their inclusive approach that reflects the diversity of our communities." HRC is currently organizing a petition "so that EA hears from the majority of fair-minded Americans who welcome their lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender family and friends." The petition is not live yet, but the goal is to get people to show their support to EA for inclusive games. "It's important that companies know these protests represent a fringe interest," Cole-Schwartz added. Speaking to the larger issue at hand for the industry and LGBT content in video games, Kane remarked, "A lot of game makers are realizing that in order to create a believable universe it has to be a universe that is very diverse, and in some ways it sort of reflects the make-up of the culture we live in as well. I think it's very logical that you'll start to see more LGBT characters appearing in games." [img]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/12875849/lgbtwhateverea/lesbian2masseffect.jpg[/img] "This is also not only a reflection of the culture, but also in part of their consumer base - at least a segment of their consumer base. Certainly Star Wars is a good example. EA listened to the people who were intending to purchase the game and saw that there was a real desire to see same-sex relationships included within the romantic options." Cole-Schwartz believes that EA's progressive stance is a sign of the times and other publishers should take notice. "As in all media, there remains work to do in order for more people to feel represented and included. This is true for video games and for LGBT people. EA's step in this instance is indicative of a continuing cultural shift toward greater inclusion," he said. [/release] [editline]6th April 2012[/editline] Changed images to not leech from Gamesindustry, though did not change their names. starwarstheoldrepublictwodudes.jpg

I'm all for gay rights but Bioware needs to stop making male characters that are obsessed with your cock when you play another male character. They don't have to take out homosexual relationships, just stop making characters come onto you everytime you talk to them. Anders in DA2 was god damn annoying.

A former facebook friend of mine won't play the game wholly because of the gay guy. Pretty ri-goddamn-diculous behavior.

EA wins the worst company in America, they're in more shit with fans for Origin now than ever, their stocks are dropping, and the gaming journalist websites plagued with EA advertisements want me to believe they're the victim now? Nice damage control. Think I'm paranoid, do you? Why else would it say "EA" instead of "Bioware" when it talks exclusively about Bioware games? Shit, SWTOR doesn't even have gay romances in it yet, and Mass Effect has had gay sex since 2006 (yeah, yeah, liara is monogenderd, i know, fuck you). They want people to believe they won the worst company in America because of homophobes They're trying to turn the hate they've been getting back into sympathy. Look at the comments in the articles that are just now suddenly popping up defending EA and you'll see it's working. [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwD2GgWKIrs]We all know EA has those websites on a leash anyway.[/url] Stay suspiciously aware. Don't believe their lies.

[QUOTE=PvtCupcakes;35448700]I'm all for gay rights but Bioware needs to stop making male characters that are obsessed with your cock when you play another male character. They don't have to take out homosexual relationships, just stop making characters come onto you everytime you talk to them. Anders in DA2 was god damn annoying.[/QUOTE] i've heard this argument before but I certainly don't hear straight gamers complaining all that much about female characters hitting on their male characters. hmm... [editline]5th April 2012[/editline] [QUOTE=Jack Noir;35449694]EA wins the worst company in America, they're in more shit with fans for Origin now than ever, their stocks are dropping, and the gaming journalist websites plagued with EA advertisements want me to believe they're the victim now? Nice damage control. Think I'm paranoid, do you? Why else would it say "EA" instead of "Bioware" when it talks exclusively about Bioware games? Shit, SWTOR doesn't even have gay romances in it yet, and Mass Effect has had gay sex since 2006 (yeah, yeah, liara is monogenderd, i know, fuck you). They want people to believe they won the worst company in America because of homophobes They're trying to turn the hate they've been getting back into sympathy. Look at the comments in the articles that are just now suddenly popping up defending EA and you'll see it's working. [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwD2GgWKIrs]We all know EA has those websites on a leash anyway.[/url] Stay suspiciously aware. Don't believe their lies.[/QUOTE] yes but how does the illuminati fit into all of this?

[QUOTE=Jack Noir;35449694]EA wins the worst company in America, they're in more shit with fans for Origin now than ever, their stocks are dropping, and the gaming journalist websites plagued with EA advertisements want me to believe they're the victim now? Nice damage control. Think I'm paranoid, do you? Why else would it say "EA" instead of "Bioware" when it talks exclusively about Bioware games? Shit, SWTOR doesn't even have gay romances in it yet, and Mass Effect has had gay sex since 2006 (yeah, yeah, liara is monogenderd, i know, fuck you). They want people to believe they won the worst company in America because of homophobes They're trying to turn the hate they've been getting back into sympathy. Look at the comments in the articles that are just now suddenly popping up defending EA and you'll see it's working. [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwD2GgWKIrs]We all know EA has those websites on a leash anyway.[/url] Stay suspiciously aware. Don't believe their lies.[/QUOTE] Maybe you should take off your tinfoil hat, the aliens won't get you, I promise.

I'll make a gay American-Muslim cowboy character. Shitstorm approaches.... Anyway, the game doesn't force you to have a romantic relationship with a guy. It's about choice. Except the fucking ending.

[QUOTE=SigmaLambda;35449794]i've heard this argument before but I certainly don't hear straight gamers complaining all that much about female characters hitting on their male characters. hmm... [editline]5th April 2012[/editline] yes but how does the illuminati fit into all of this?[/QUOTE] yeah but I hear gay gamers complaining about the females coming onto them at every turn. your move

[QUOTE=SigmaLambda;35449794]yes but how does the illuminati fit into all of this?[/QUOTE] [QUOTE=hoodoo456;35449837]Maybe you should take off your tinfoil hat, the aliens won't get you, I promise.[/QUOTE] Don't believe me? It's all in the numbers. [url=http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2012/04/05/ea-in-full-damage-control-mode-points-to-anti-gay-hate-mail/]Number one[/url]--that's terror. [url=http://i.imgur.com/7qIKo.jpg]Number two[/url]--that's terror.

There are legitimate reasons to not like EA, you don't have to seek out bullshit ones... Florida Family Association... If that's not the most ridiculous 'association' I've ever heard of to give people an ego I don't know what is

ATTENTION FACEPUNCH: [img]http://i.imgur.com/UmLsc.jpg[/img] Don't believe EA's lies Source: [url]http://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/rugjh/just_a_headsup_from_an_anonymous_journalist_you/[/url]

Why even include relationships at all in the ME series? I'm pretty sure that if I was supposed to save the galaxy from giant robot space squids, the absolute least of my priorities would be trying to get some alien head.

[QUOTE=tier56;35453525]Why even include relationships at all in the ME series? I'm pretty sure that if I was supposed to save the galaxy from giant robot space squids, the absolute least of my priorities would be trying to get some alien head.[/QUOTE] Shepherd watched too much Startrek as a kid, he now thinks that is a required step.

EA should make a game where right from the start you're forced into a same-sex relationship, and then have to make out 5 times during the whole game in a marvellous assortment of positions. It'd be hilarious to see the reactions from these asshats.