Love 2.0 Part 2

Part 2 - Sexual Orientation in Digital Games and the Workplace

When looking for sources on how Lionhead's games create emotional connections with players and deal with sensitive issues where other games developers avoid them, I found this extract from an article on Asylum.com[1] about sexual orientation in games, particularly Fable II

"While openly gay characters have existed throughout video game history, Kevin VanOrd, Associate Editor at CNet's Gamespot believes select developers, such as Lionhead and Rockstar, are equipped to handle a project of such magnitude with required "wit and fearlessness." According to Lionhead, they're up to the task."To advance we need our audience to start becoming more emotionally involved with our characters," says Josh Atkins, senior design director of Fable III.[4] "Love and sex are fundamental parts of humanity and are fundamental parts of empathy." While the "Fable" franchise has taken a lighthearted approach to sex in its series, Atkins hopes the franchise will build on the players' emotional responses, allowing them to feel "a bit more connected" to their partners in future "Fable" titles."[1]

Whether Atkins is talking about Project Natal is an interesting thought at least, but it doesn't surprise me to hear that they will be trying to push the emotional involvement to new levels with each instalment of the series. Personally I think using Project Natal to engange players in an extremely personal, interactive digital relationship of some kind would be damaging for those who enjoy it, and hugely unpopular, not to mention controversial to everyone else - which I presume will be a larger percentage.

While looking for more information on the topic of sexual orientation in Lionhead games, I found a case where an employee tried to sue Microsoft for damages after claiming he was bullied at work for being openly gay. "Gay video game designer Jamie Durrant, 38, is suing Microsoft for £45,000 in 'hurt feelings' and lost pay, claiming discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation."[2] I found this very surprising after learning of how equality plays a huge part in the operation of the Lionhead studio. I was even more intrigued to read claims that it was since Microsoft bought out Lionhead that "the atmosphere began to grow uneasy".[2] Durrant worked for Lionhead for 11 years before the companies converged, and began receiving abusive emails and nicknames around January of last year.

After contacting their human resources department Durrant was promised only an strict update to the workplace policies and an email memo to staff reminding them how to behave in a diverse workplace, neither of which happened. The most surprising part of all this is that Durrant also claims he was offered counciling, to which his response was "They're making out that I'm the one with the problem."[2]

The situation has since been settled in court, and an update from Microsoft released -
"We are pleased to have reached an amicable resolution to this matter with Mr. Durrant. The terms of the settlement are confidential, but we can confirm that Mr. Durrant will not continue his employment at Lionhead as part of the agreement."[3]

I am very surprised that this happened at all, but I suppose that any company merging such a large amount of employees together is bound to create some conflict. I am certainly sad to hear that Durrant could not or did not wish to continue his employment. It seems that this has tainted Lionhead's equality concerned workplace atmosphere, at least in my review of it, and makes me reconsider the effects of Microsoft's influence.

[1] http://www.asylum.com/2009/12/07/gay-video-game-characters-coming-out-of-the-closet/, Dec 2009
[2] http://kotaku.com/5182524/microsoft-sued-over-gay-bashing, Jan 2010
[3] http://kotaku.com/5197724/microsoft-lionhead-settle-gay-discrimination-claim, Jan 2010
[4] Fable III, 2010, Lionhead Studios/Microsoft Game Studios, Xbox 360