This video is an absolute CLASSIC. A friend showed it to me several years ago, and it never gets old!

(It's 'gamescom'--all lower case, with an 'm' not an 'n' :-))

I question Laidlaw's commitmen not to make DA2 a "generic fantasy property" given the decision to market the game right from the very start with a very generic-looking, standard, dark-haired, white male fantasy dude, rather than a less common type of fantasy protagonist (for example, a black woman). Marketing is where gamer perception begins, particularly for gamers who are not following Dragon Age super closely, but who will nevertheless play the game (which is the majority of their market).

This comment is far more understandable than what I thought you were attempting to say in your first comment. If you had covered this in your initial comment, rather than writing a comment just as confusing as the original post, then I would have understood you. And now that you've explained in a way that is actually clear--I agree with you.

Secondly, why should anyone hold the author to having answers to questions she asks? I don't think anyone can answer any of those identity questions except for Shale.

I think I agree with some of the post, but the way it was written was disjointed, confusing, and difficult to follow.

But I do know this. I don't agree with commenter CLNPTRL. I think the post actually has some insight, and that commenter CLNPTRL is sort of missing the point about thematic and social criticism of games.

I just want to point out that BioWare explicitly informed everyone going into the demo that they could not talk about what happened inside. Everyone assented to a confidentiality agreement before they could play the demo. If this guy was granted permission from BioWare to talk about it in public, it would be great if this was disclosed in the blog post.

I'm super disappointed at the decision to market 'Hawke' as male. Until I read the interviews, I assumed that we had absolutely no choice, whatsoever, that we had to be forced into playing a male character.

Many of my friends were completely mislead by Mass Effect's marketing as well, and refused to even purchase the game because they believed you could only play a male character.

I think they should make it more widely known that 'Hawke' is actually female, and market her as such, so consumers are drawn to playing the game, and so that BioWare can avoid the problems of misleading advertising.

Is there a female version of 'Hawke' and if so, why aren't they showing her?

Just to build on what others have already said...

I'm not an Alistair fan (in terms of romantic options, that is), however I understand why he appeals so much to women (and men). He's has a lot of depth as a character. He isn't one dimensional. He genuinely cares for the PC and while he does so with some awkwardness, he actually expresses and communicates (eventually) his feelings to the PC, rather than attempting to hide them. Alistair is emotionally mature in that respect. So many men these days fail on that point, and it's extremely rare to see that in videogames, so Alistair really stands out. He also wants a relationship, rather than a fling. That's also unusual as far as male videogame characters go.

I also think that Alistair is not presumptuous when it comes to a romantic or sexual relationship with a female PC. This respect for a woman's feelings and choices is another rare quality when it comes to male characters in games. Consent is really important for to some women to feel safe and to trust men in a sexual relationship, and the fact that Alistair checks in with the female PC is notable, and adds to his appeal for many women. And related to this is the fact that he's not prepared to engage in a sexual relationship until he's ready. Not only that, but he _communicates_ this to his potential sexual partner. Again, this shows emotional maturity. A lot of men would be eager to hop into the sack with a woman without considering the emotional impact of sex on themselves or the future implications that sex would involve. (I consider Zevran a slightly different case, as his attitudes towards sex are not ill-thought out. It's clear he has thought of emotional impact and implications, but he has made an informed choice to experience as much as he can because life is too short, etc.)

I login to Home every few weeks or so, just to check things out and curiosity at how the community is developing. Home is generally a boring place unless you like 3D chat lobbies with heavy marketing. I will say that in my recent experiences there, I haven't encountered too many jerks or griefers.

I don't have much to add beyond what oliemoon, Portly Dyke, Ashley, and Melissa McEwan have already said. I am a queer woman of colour and having read these comment threads, I also think you have straight privilege which you need to examine. I have enjoyed reading your blog so far, and it is disheartening to see you engaging in divisive, unproductive, and somewhat hurtful commentary in your original post and in the comments. I hope that you take the comments of the people I mentioned to heart.