Twitch streamer H.Bomberguy raked in more than $340,000 in donations for a beleaguered children’s charity during a marathon weekend stream. He did so by combining two of Twitch‘s most reliable forces: star power and charity.
US: Video game boosts sex health IQ and attitudes in minority teens
A video game to promote health and reduce risky behavior in teens improves sexual health knowledge and attitudes among minority youth, according to a new study. The findings validate the value of the video game as a tool to engage and educate teens at risk for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, said the researchers.
South Park: The Fractured But Whole is harder if you play as a black or transgender character
Atari partners with LGBT Media to make more inclusive games
Australia: Atari launches new LGBT game ahead of worldwide release
An original mobile LGBTI game inspired by pride marches around the world was recently launched by Atari in Australia ahead of its worldwide launch. Pridefest sees players work through missions as the mayor of a city that has lost all of its fun and colour overnight.
Atari chief executive Fred Chesnais said the game was inspired by the LGBTI community and aims to bring their colourful atmosphere and inclusive spirit to a game for the first time: “Pridefest provides the first LGBT-focused game that represents a passionate cause...Pridefest is designed to emulate that sense of joy and fanfare year-round through a social-sim mobile game."
“Our vision for Pridefest is that it can also become a means for isolated LGBT individuals lacking a supportive LGBT network to come together in a safe, welcoming, and fun atmosphere.”
Chesnais said the gaming landscape has changed in recent years around LGBT representation: “GaymerX [queer gaming convention] is in its third year now and growing, which speaks volumes to the number of gamers out there that are interested in playing games that include characters or themes specifically relevant and relatable to the LGBT community.”
The Importance of Having Gay Video Game Characters
In a video for PBS Digital’s Game/Show, Jamin Warren discusses the power of having explicitly gay characters in video games. Gaming franchises like Fable and the Sims have long-offered players the ability to create unique characters with customizable sexualities. But, as Warren explains, there's something to be said for queer characters whose sexualities are set in stone.
In particular Warren singles out BioWare’s Dragon Age: Inquisition and Dorian, its resident gay magic user, for crafting a story in which Dorian’s sexuality is integral to the character’s personality, but not burdensome to the game’s plot. Read More