A while back I mentioned the upcoming video game Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony, inquiring whether it was remotely possible for the title character to not embody a blatant stereotype. Well, the trailer for the game is finally here, and now I'm not even sure if Gay Tony is even gay at all. One thing's for sure though–there is a guy who "somehow" lost his pants.
I'm not very into video games, so I have no idea if this is something worth getting excited over. Is anyone pumped? Because I'll just be in the corner playing Tetris on my ol' school Game Boy.
– Dewitt
Afraid I can’t help you out on this one. I don’t even have a Gameboy, and the most recent game machines we have are a Nintendo Super NES, and a Sega Genesis. When I’m in a game mood, I usually content myself with the computerized Hearts, Cribbage, or one of the versions of Solitaire I have.
Yes. We gamers get excited about stuff like this. It’s like our Rihanna photo shoots.
Yeah I think some of the reviewers at Gaygamer.net actually got to check the game out, and it doesn’t seem to be loaded with bad gay stereotypes
I love GTA games. My favorite being San Andreas, and I will definitely be checking this one out..
The player doesn’t actually play Gay Tony -but his (straight) bodyguard.
From what can be seen in the trailer and other resources, however, Gay Tony is shown as a rather positive stereotype, a non-flamboyant successful businessman -and no more or less corrupt and/or criminal than the rest of Liberty City’s inhabitants.
This isn’t an independent game, but another extensive add-on to the GTA4 world, but still the impact and importance of how “gay” is presented as a normal thing in such a popular game world, and that the player interacts positively with (and takes commands from) an openly gay character is a huge step forward in an otherwise very heteronormative/homophobic game culture.