In this episode of Dialogue Tree, Eric Brasure interviews Charles Battersby about his work putting together and moderating the PAX panels on transgender issues in gaming. He discusses a broad range of topics such as the fine line between stereotyping and authenticity, transgender characters as plot twists and crossplay. Battersby will be chairing a similar panel at PAX East later this month.
(Originally broadcast August 13, 2012.)
Contents
01:10 “I’d noticed over the last few decades that there are a lot of transgender videogame characters.”
05:00 “It was important to have a lot of different voices rather than just one small cross-section.”
06:20 “One of the ones that had the greatest impact for me is a game caller Nier.”
08:00 “I’m sure a lot of designers are trying to walk the balance of including transgender characters but not including offensive or negative stereotypes.”
09:30 “Far too often there is the humorous note where they try to have a transgender prostitute as a little gag.”
10:25 “It’s absolutely getting better.”
11:00 “I know I talk about Kainé a lot but she really is a terrific example of a character that just happens to be transgender.”
13:40 “People often think that transgender people are weird and icky.”
15:10 “I almost always play a female character.”
17:40 “Even though my Commander Sheperd is a woman, she is actually a transvestite.”
19:30 “It’s just one step away from what’s already available on the market.”
24:00 “Who are all these people here to see? And it turned out they were there to see us.”
Download the podcast MP3 or play it right here in your browser:
PAX Panel Videos
Press XY: Transgender Issues in Gaming / PAX East 2012
Press XY To Continue Transgender Gaming / PAX Prime 2012
References
- Featured music: Inara George – “Can’t Say No”
- Poison from Final Fight (Wikipedia)
- Nier (Wikipedia)
- Alfred Ashford, Resident Evil: Code Veronica
- PAX Panel Videos are embedded above
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Charles Battersby is always interesting to listen to. We need to come up with some more reasons to interview him.
And I am made to feel sad that I can’t play Nier on a PC!
Riot Fox has a lot to do with Star Trek if you think about it!
You should be very sad you can’t play Nier. THAT’S the game I’m going to be writing a 50,000 word ebook about. It’s one of those games that everyone agrees is extremely Important and Meaningful but that I haven’t seen done its proper justice. I think a close read of it is very gonna be useful.
Alas, I must play Cart Life and Skyrim more.