Category: Animation

Pride Month is here! It’s a time for the LGBTQIA+ community to celebrate. But it’s also a time for reflection: reflection of how far the community has come and how far it still has to go. Never forget that it was inspired by the Stonewall riots of 1969 when many fought against the oppression LGBTQIA+ people faced. That fight is, unfortunately, still not over.

But society is moving forward and representation is at its highest levels. TV shows, films, books, and video games are all mediums where LGBTQIA+ characters can shine. Strong creative voices push the community into the light to let people know they aren’t going anywhere. In the video games industry, in particular, thanks to the efforts of LGBTQIA+ members and allies alike, queer stories are being told.

So let’s celebrate the rich diversity we have and the bright future it represents. Here is a list of our favourite games with LGBTQIA+ characters and stories, and let me tell you, it wasn’t easy whittling it down. There are so many fantastic examples that narrowing it to just a few was nearly impossible! But here we go…

The Dragon Age and Mass Effect series

Okay, it’s the first entry and I’m already cheating. But these two series – in fact, anything made by BioWare – have had queer motifs since the start. In both, the player character has multiple romantic interests they can pursue, both male and female, and open to male or female player characters.

Dragon Age always had the option available and Mass Effect added male-male romantic interactions in the third entry. Both series portrayed queer relationships as completely normal, creating worlds where the notion of queer identity was a given. Even as far back as Jade Empire, BioWare has been putting gay relationships on the map.

Krem from Dragon Age: Inquisition is also said to be one of gaming’s first transgender male characters.

Grand Theft Auto

Grand Theft Auto is never one for subtlety, but the character of Gay Tony is one of their most nuanced characters to date. As the deuteragonist of GTAIV: The Ballad of Gay Tony, you see a lot of depth to Tony beyond his sexuality. You see his highs, his lows, and his rock bottoms. He’s a shady nightclub owner and as much of a criminal as you can expect from Grand Theft Auto. He also just happens to be gay.

It’s refreshing to see an early example where a character is defined by something other than their sexuality. Yes, he’s called “Gay Tony”, but the game goes to lengths to show you who, what, and why Tony is beyond that moniker.

Assassin’s Creed

Assassin’s Creed has always embraced queer characters, even as far back as the first entry. But with the latest entry, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, developer Ubisoft has given the player agency to pursue it themselves.

You can play as either of the siblings Alexios or Kassandra and can, through the course of the game, pursue opposite-sex or same-sex relationships. It’s something Ubisoft has stressed will carry on in the next game in the series, Valhalla. Having this option is a great way to validate sexual orientations of all kinds and provide an inclusive platform where people can be who they are, which puts it above games that aren’t interested in exploring that option.

The Life is Strange series

Life is Strange is an example where the characters’ queer identity plays more of a role in the story. As an open-ended, choose-your-own-path episodic game, it was up to you to follow that storyline, but the main character of the first game, Max, is bisexual. The protagonist of the follow-up, Chloe, is a lesbian.

This continued with the sequel, as it explored more queer relationships and identities. It hit a chord with many as its younger cast gave teenage fans a space to explore and think about their own identity. People also liked its human, ‘real’ approach to the topic of whirlwind teenage romances.

Gone Home

I won’t spoil this one as the main crux of the story is a mystery that needs solving. You play Katie, a young woman who returns home to find the house abandoned. As you wander around the house, you piece together what happened.

Before I go into it more, beware spoilers. If you want to experience the game for yourself (which I recommend), don’t read on. In Gone Home, you explore your home and unravel the mystery of your missing sister, Samantha. It turns out she had started a relationship with a female friend from school and their parents were less than accepting. In the end, you discover Samantha has run away to be with her partner.

It’s a hugely affecting story and speaks to the pain so many LGBTQIA+ members go through. It’s a message of self-acceptance but isn’t without its bitter-sweet note. The game was applauded for its approach to LGBTQIA+ issues and was an example of a game remaining compelling even when all you were doing was rooting around in the kitchen cupboards.

The Last of Us

While the first game merely hinted at it, the prologue DLC Left Behind confirmed Ellie is queer. And now in the second entry in the series, The Last of Us Part II, Ellie is the main character and the story involves her romantic relationship with partner Dina.

The trailer from E3 2018 even showed us an intimate moment between the two of them, a huge leap for queer representation. Stories like this normalise queer nature because it is just that – normal. The game hasn’t been released yet, so we don’t necessarily know where the story goes, but it has given LGBTQIA+ people another strong character they can get behind. It pushes forward the goals of the community as we seek greater representation.

And the rest!

If only I could go on about every game with LGBTQIA+ characters and motifs. These last few years have seen an explosion of representation and that doesn’t look like it’ll stop anytime soon.

We could have mentioned Fable, which has the BioWare school of ‘be-who-you-want’ representation. Or Stardew Valley which gives you a bevvy of eligible bachelors and bachelorettes you can explore and marry. Other indie games like Dream Daddy or Night in the Woods. And The Sims! Riot has also added a variety of pride flags to League of Legends, so many people can proudly display the flag they most associate with.

All of these are examples of games that have done so much for queer representation. They are the trailblazers. They have given us worlds where we can find people just like us. Where queer people can feel a sense of belonging. To some, they might just be video games but, to others, they are a lifeline. They are home. What matters most is developers keep fighting to include that representation. Not every “letter” in the community has a character they can look to and feel pride in, which is why we must carry on with this representation. The more games – AAA, indie, or in between – that stand by the community, the closer we can get to true acceptance.

At REALTIME, we’re flying the pride flag with, well, pride! To all our LGBTQIA+ members of staff, clients, and readers, we’re with you for this month and every month to come.

2020 will see the highly anticipated arrival of the next generation of video game consoles. Game enthusiasts across the globe are waiting with bated breath for the next sliver of information from the likes of Microsoft and Sony. This autumn we will see what the future of gaming holds. Or so we think.

In truth, many are anticipating the future of gaming to come from less likely suspects. As I said in a previous blog, quoti,.7ng Google, “the future of gaming is not a box; it’s a place”. The battlefield for the next generation of the console war will be in the cloud. And Google won’t be the only newcomer.

Amazon, Apple, and Facebook have all already heavily invested in gaming and 2020 might be the year they unveil their efforts.

Head in the clouds

The cloud isn’t new, both as a concept within gaming and in a wider sense. But its usage in gaming is about to see a significant increase from familiar faces in the industry and new ones from outside it. We’ve already mentioned Google who launched its Stadia service towards the end of 2019. Despite its rocky start, Google still seems committed to growing its library of games and the number of devices which can take advantage of it. And no doubt Microsoft’s xCloud will be a cornerstone of its next-generation plans along with its console the Xbox Series X.

But they won’t be the only competitors on the field. Amazon is already knee-deep in the world of games, now owning massively popular game streaming service Twitch. They are also working on a number of their own games and their website sums up their intentions: Amazon is all in on games.

What will prove to be a huge boon for them are their already established AWS servers. Many games already use these as the backbone of their own online servers, so it stands to reason Amazon will want to further the gains on their own cloud server investment. This strong foundation could even put them above Google; the strength of their servers might eclipse Google and solve the latency issues many report with Stadia. But as average internet speeds increase across the world, could their rivalry become the new Sony vs Microsoft?

A new challenger approaches

They won’t be the only ones in the fight though. Both Apple and Facebook have made their gaming intentions clear. In fact, all of the above companies draw in a significant amount of revenue through gaming. Apple’s comes from the App Store, with them taking 30 cents for every dollar. But now they have added Apple Arcade to their repertoire; a subscription service that offers cross-device compatibility akin to Stadia.

For just £4.99 a month, you can access a library of over 100 games made for mobile devices. While Apple aren’t yet looking to replace your home console like Google is, they are carving a niche for themselves which could serve as a jumping-off point in the future. Their service eliminates advertisements and shady microtransactions that plague other App Store games. They have created a wholesome closed environment which is – so far – one of a kind.

Then there’s Facebook, who acquired Oculus VR. They already had a storied history with gaming; for many, it was the gaming platform of choice if you had a penchant for virtual farming. But the purchase of Oculus signalled a serious move into the gaming world, with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg setting the lofty goal of putting a billion headset in gamers’ hands.

The war to come

Google. Amazon. Apple. Facebook. Currently, these four companies stand as some of the biggest in the world. If they wanted, they could accumulate the money to dominate the market. In their own way, each has already invested in new technology and gaming studios to bring something exclusive to each of their services.

And each is backing something slightly different. Will the future of gaming be entirely in the cloud? Will a subscription service become the new norm? Or will VR finally reach the mass market? No doubt the solution will be a mix of everything, but the involvement of these companies will only serve to diversify the market and bring about newer, greater innovations for gamers across the globe.

People are ramping up for the PS5 and Xbox Series X, but these four companies are lurking in the shadows and may be about to bring about the true future of gaming.

At REALTIME, we’re ready for whatever the future holds. We know that no matter what, your games will always need first-class trailers that set the world on fire. If you want to talk about your upcoming project, get in touch with me at [email protected].

Valve shocked the gaming world last November when they announced the next entry in the Half-Life series was on its way – 13 years after the release of the last one. And just a few short months later, we have it. Half-Life: Alyx came out towards the end of March and was instantly met with fantastic reviews.

A new Half-Life game has been on the cards for over a decade – since the release of Half-Life: Episode 2. To put that into perspective, it was the year the first iPhone released and the ‘smartphone’ was a crazy concept. In the end, VR was the spark Valve needed to get their creative juices flowing once more, and now we have a game that might well have re-invigorated the VR craze. But will it have any long-term effects or is virtual reality still a flash in the pan?

The rise and rise of VR

Half-Life: Alyx is a monumental release for the VR scene. Very few fully fledged games exist for the medium, at least by the metric of game enthusiasts willing to invest in the technology. This is in spite of the many VR games that received wide praise, be it for their quirky charm, like with Job Simulator, or because they were so addictively challenging, as is the case with Beat Saber.

You can even play some full titles in VR – Bethesda made new versions of both Skyrim and Fallout 4, and Capcom touted Resident Evil 7 as a full VR title from the start. These are all reasons enough to own a VR system (if it’s a luxury you can afford) and set the stage for Half-Life: Alyx. All of them are easy recommendations if you were on the lookout for something new. Without them paving the way, would this game exist? If they weren’t there as proof of VR as a concept, would Valve have taken the plunge? Not likely.

Yet the gaming scene has cried out for something meatier, built solely for the medium. Half-Life: Alyx is different. Valve believe in the technology and wanted their own killer app to prove this is more than a concept.

They even have their own VR hardware: the Valve Index. Now they’ve shown the industry that creating a full game for VR is a viable option. With such a big developer leading the charge, we could be on the cusp of a golden age of VR games, especially if PlayStation continues PSVR support on the PS5.

A bright future

This could be the watershed moment most technology goes through. At the start, you have the light games that explore the gimmick and over time you get deeper experiences that embed the gimmick into the core gameplay. Just look at the Wii – various waggle-happy minigame collections like Wii Sports eventually morphed into classics like Super Mario Galaxy. The iPhone had a similar journey, too.

Some might see Half-Life: Alyx as the peak of VR gaming – the natural conclusion to the trend. But it is just the start. Due this year is Iron Man VR, a PlayStation-exclusive superhero romp that puts you in one of cinema’s most famous suits. And you have the return of a classic FPS brand with Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond. It isn’t merely a rushed game with a dormant brand name stuck on it; it has been given to one of EA’s most reliable developers and FPS veterans Respawn Entertainment. The shooting action is sure to be on point.

Even the award-winning mobile gaming series The Room is getting a VR-exclusive entry, proving there is a lot of interest in this format still. Even though its biggest negative has always been the price, it doesn’t seem to be stopping publishers’ belief that this is something worth investing in.

The rich choice of games might be what finally breaks the dam. Those who wouldn’t invest in VR because of the lack of games won’t have an excuse anymore. The user base might be on the brink of blowing up which is exciting for early adopters and the industry at large.

This bout of VR popularity has finally made the dream a reality. VR technology exists and looks amazing, and if we keep pushing, it can reach amazing new heights. What the industry needs are more developers like Valve who are willing to push the boundary and keep VR relevant – to keep that dream alive.

At REALTIME, we’re excited by the prospect of VR and would love nothing more than to see it thrive. It’s part of our love of games. If you have an upcoming project – VR or otherwise – that you would like to discuss, feel free to get in touch at [email protected].

For the vast majority of the modern world’s population, you’d be hard pressed to think of a singular event that has had such a dramatic impact on the way we live our lives as much as COVID-19. Everything that we hold dear – our freedom, family, friendships, working lives, and even our actual lives – have been placed under threat by a pandemic that has become the most pressing and biggest challenge of our time. 

Everyone will have their own stories as to the toll it has taken on them and there is no shortage of rolling news coverage that continues to add to the anxiety. Like most industries, COVID-19 has cast an incredibly long shadow over 2020. It’s important that the games industry remains positive in its outlook. For some segments of the industry it’s business as usual, with many well funded developers, publishers, and suppliers able to work remotely from home. But it’s also caused huge upset for many, with marketing roadmaps thrown into disarray and pretty much all of the conferences cancelled. GDC’s cancellation was a particularly hard blow which has seen many companies unable to pitch their wares and secure much needed funding.

The state of play

Since its inception, the games industry has grown from a humble cottage industry to one that is estimated as being worth $160bn. It has grown up in an era of unprecedented globalisation and technological advances delivering increasingly complex games and experiences. To fuel its growth and ensure its success during this time, it has needed to become reliant on specialist partners, many of whom are often dotted around the world, far away from the main developer’s studio. Localisation, asset creation, programming, audio, motion-capture, and animation are just some of the individual production elements that can be worked on from the other side of the planet. 

Had the pandemic happened thirty-odd years ago when the industry was in its infancy, it could arguably have done a lot more damage. Although games then were far more simplistic, often created in more self-contained environments, they were still reliant on more ‘traditional’ infrastructure to get them into the hands of the players. Duplication factories, printers, packaging, and all before you figure out their physical distribution to shops – traditional infrastructure that has been poleaxed in the wake of the current outbreak. 

Where are we now?

Thankfully, the modern games industry has moved on. Compared to many other entertainment industries such as sport, theatre, or music, the games industry finds itself in a relatively comfortable position. This is thanks, in part, to the digital distribution networks that now exist, at a point when games are enjoying a level of mainstream success far beyond what the industry of thirty years ago could even dream of. 

Games now vie with films, TV, and books as the main sources of entertainment in a world of lockdown and isolation. With the right hardware, the latest blockbuster game is just a few clicks away and can offer as great an opportunity to explore seemingly unlimited worlds and stories. This can only be a positive for the industry – especially for the developers and publishers who have a hit game on their hands at a time when players have more time than usual. But that doesn’t mean there haven’t been roadblocks for the industry.

A mountain to climb

Some developers are well-equipped to thrive, but the vast majority of developers needed to act fast in order to prevent COVID-19 from impacting on their own productions. The fact that the games industry is so well connected and reliant on a global supply chain has proven to have both benefits and drawbacks. 

With many suppliers based in China, some of the bigger western developers in mid-production were rightly concerned about the potential implications. However, they were also arguably made aware of the potential problems that might lie ahead sooner. Until a few short months ago, words like ‘pandemics’ and ‘lockdowns’ seemed to be the preserve of dystopian sci-fi movies; certainly not something that could ACTUALLY happen in the 21st century. 

But with partners and clients not returning to their studios following the traditional two-week Chinese New Year break, it became apparent quite quickly that we were entering a new reality. Receiving such information and hearing of experiences first-hand enabled the industry to take early measures in mitigating any risks. Many of the tools often taken for granted became a real life-line. 

Video conferencing and remote working software allow them to continue with their creative endeavours. According to an XDS report, 94% of suppliers to the games industry have made allowances for their teams to work from home (XDS Special Report). Indeed, REALTIME has also successfully transitioned to this way of working and is thriving in the face of adversity.

Standing strong

It remains to be seen what lies ahead. But it shouldn’t come as a huge surprise that social distancing has led to an increase in the demand for video games, with leading online platforms and games enjoying a huge surge in popularity. While, obviously, no one in the industry wants to profit from the situation, it’s one that should help serve the future growth prospects of the industry well. Far from being tabloid fodder for corrupting a generation, this is an opportunity for games to be seen quite rightly as a positive force for good; an entertainment form that allows people to stay connected while practising social distancing.

These are very much uncharted times and it’s important that the games industry remains positive, despite the gravity of the situation for those who are really struggling right now… There will still be many challenges ahead, but perhaps now is a time to reflect on how far the games industry has come. And maybe, just maybe, the industry will be recognised for playing some small part in keeping people connected at a time when they REALLY need to be apart. 

This unprecedented situation has affected us all in some way or another, REALTIME included. But together we can come out of this stronger than before. If you need a reliable, adaptable partner to work with on your next project, get in touch with me at [email protected].