It’s not a big request from gamers to have more sexist pronoun options in a video game, especially in role-playing games. A producer at Square Enix thinks that helping players feel welcome by including non-binary pronouns is such a small request that it’s a no-brainer for it to be part of the new game. mine.
The game in question is a lovely farm simulator Harvestellawhich RPG giant Square Enix just released yesterday on PC and Switch. Similar to Stardew Valleycharacters in Harvestella are given the responsibility of taking care of crops, befriending their neighbors, and weathering natural disasters in the form of environmental disasters. HarvestellaAs Eurogamer pointed out today, there’s a character generator feature that gives players the option to choose male, female, or non-binary pronouns.
In one interview with Eurogamer, producer Daisuke Taka said he thinks it’s “completely normal” for games to include non-binary options for players. While gender-neutral pronouns are like a small part of the overall agricultural model, Taka said it’s important for players to choose their gender identity because the game is meant to be “for everybody.”
“The main character of Harvestella is the player,” said Taka Eurogamer. “We think it’s important for players to create their own character, choosing different factors, including gender, appearance, voice, and name. We feel this is important for players to be unrestricted and free to express themselves however they want and as a result they become more engaged with their characters. “
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Read more: Transgender inclusion means more than just adding potential gender options Hogwarts Legacy
Recently, video game characters regardless of gender have been caught in the favorite peanut collection of the gaming community. Look no further than a minority of voices in Guilty Gear Strive fight to the community with the concept when Bridget and Testament appear as transgender and non-binary respectively. Fees were so compromised that a troglodyte impersonated a customer service representative and Bridget .’s fake email about gender.
In recent times, Square Enix has been making strides in ensuring some of its games are more inclusive. In one July 2021 interview with Gamer, Final Fantasy VII Remake Co-director Motomu Toriyama said LGBTQ+ inclusion is an important issue for both gamers and developers.
“In Final Fantasy VII RemakeWe rebuilt the original game using the latest technology, but we felt that it shouldn’t stop at the technical side and we needed to update the content of the story being presented to suit the sensibility. modern feel,” said Toriyama Gamer. That same month, the company debuting a non-binary character mascotMina, for Pride of that Year.
However, the JRPG giants don’t always get it right. For example, someone might want to remind Final Fantasy XVI producer Naoki Yoshida that, contrary to his central view that people of color go about you old Final Fantasy will violates the “narrative boundaries” of the upcoming game’s medieval European settingBlack and brown folk is not a “new game plus” feature on planet Earth.
I’m more interested in the vibe I’m feeling from Harvestella guy. “Showing people that don’t match the gender has become much more common, so we thought it was important to reflect this in the game and show that all players are welcome. come to Harvestella,” Taka said.
