Equity and Representation in Video Games: An Analysis of Attitudes Toward Queer In-Game Romance and Sexuality Across Diverse Populations

Despite studies showing that women play video games at close to, if not the same rates as men, there still lies a sexist belief that games are only for men, and no one else. In 2004, the Developers Software Association reported that games catered primarily to men’s sexuality, using advertising attempts to lure in players by catering to that sexuality and portraying women in their games to appeal to them. In recent years, with the release of massively popular role-playing games (RPGs) such as Baldur’s Gate 3 and Dragon Age: The Veilguard, gamers have complained that games are now “too woke” for them to enjoy with the incorporation of queer romances, catering less to a heterosexual male audience. Using data gathered via a survey, this research draws on social role theory and cultivation theory to understand how various demographic populations feel about queer representations of romance and sexuality in RPGs. This research explores the intersections of race, gender, sexuality, and other identities within its frameworks and how developers and advertisers have further marginalized women, LGBTQIA+ people, people of color, and those with disabilities by failing to represent them in the demographics of previous games.