Bayonetta

It's kind of obvious (for me anyway) that Bayonetta would be the first woman on this list. She's a tall, voluptuous, long-legged British beauty that unfortunately might be described as slutty in the eyes of a less accepting individual, but is her sexuality necessary for her character? Well I believe so for this historical reason. According to this well researched video I found on YouTube, witches of old gained their power through a pact made with an incubus and then copulating with them. Sounds like sexuality would've paid quite a big part there; Platinum just had a little fun is all and sexed her up a bit more than what history would have done naturally.

Dead or Alive Xtreme

Another obvious one, but because the public outcry was much more audible. This game is described by the developers as "A celebration of the female body," but we all know that's bupkis. I am willing to give them the benefit of the doubt for transparency's sake, but is the sexuality necessary for this spinoff series? Well, not really. I am willing to admit that the devs have every right to make the game however they want, but focusing almost entirely on T&A with very little gameplay makes it kind of lackluster, especially since this is supposed to be a game, which by definition is, "a form of play or sport, especially a competitive one played according to rules and decided by skill, strength, or luck." All titillation and no play makes DoAX a dull series. I guess not all games can be iconic from the gameplay alone.

Senran Kagura

Not nearly as known as the first two on this list, but it still caused quite the uproar. This series is the definition of "jiggle physics." What is the usual goal of this series you may ask? To play as one of many busty female ninjas (of questionably legal age), and beat the crap out of one or more busty female ninjas while shredding their clothes off in the process. How did this game come about, and for the 3DS as well, you might also ask? Because the creator decided that "one of the things people most wanted to see in 3D were breasts." Can't get more transparent than that now can you? Now the sexuality isn't needed for this series in the slightest, but considering that the game only came about by the revelation of "breasts in 3D," something tells me it wouldn't have sold well otherwise.

Metroid

Now this is a tough one. This series has always had a polarizing view on the femininity of the main character Samus. She's a badass bounty hunter throughout the entirety of the game, but beat the game 100% or within a certain amount of time and you get to see her in her zero-suit or a full on bikini. With the way the game is presented, Samus had never needed to be sexualized, but you are rewarded with a half-naked pose of her if you do exceptionally well? I'm not saying it's not welcome, I'm just saying it's confusing. Samus is sexy, but because of her skill and athleticism, not her tits.

Metal Gear Solid

I'm not against male characters being sexualized; it just needs to be done right. Big Boss from Snake Eater, Peace Walker, and Phantom Pain is a good example of this. He's rugged, strong, intelligent, athletic, and quite the survivalist. Now technically this isn't sexualization of the male form, but he is seen as what some would call a "man's man." The kind of guy you'd want to have as a hunting partner, a drinking buddy, or just someone to accompany you to a strip club (not necessarily in that order). He's basically the ideal outdoorsman; the kind of guy that many men strive to be but rarely achieve. He is kind of a representation of an unobtainable goal, much like how many female characters are presented in games. But just because that specific goal is unobtainable, that shouldn't stop you from trying to get close.

DMC Devil May Cry

And then you have Dante. I am truly baffled at how this guy is portrayed as sexy. To me, his (modern) design gives off an aura of narcissism that just rubs me the wrong way. I get that he is supposed to be a "bad boy" and I know that a lot of women like that type in fiction, but making him look like a stereotypical douchebag with a hairstyle to match is not the best way to go. His only redeeming quality is that his personality is somewhat approachable. It still doesn't fix his hair, but it is a step in the right direction. I guess what people find sexy about him is that nude scene he had at the beginning of the game. I would take a stab that this rebranding is basically gender-swapped Bayonetta, only not nearly as lewd.

God of War

Much like how Bayonetta is sexy because she was purposefully designed to be feminine, Kratos is the masculine equivalent of that. Muscular, shirtless, and strong like it's nobody's business, Kratos is very much eye candy for a female (or gay male) audience just as much as Bayonetta is for a male (or gay female) one. Except compared to her, no-one seems to care about how Kratos is half-naked but will jump down the throat of anyone trying to defend Bayonetta's promiscuous appearance. There are double standards at work here that keep getting ignored and it infuriates me to no end. If men can be sexualized but women can't, then why even fight for equality or freedom of expression? Just let the devs make what they want and if you don't like it, don't play it.

Any Game by Illusion

Now these are just straight up interactive pornography, so the nudity and sex would need to be necessary just to get it to sell. And before you say that those games could sell without it, then think about this: Would porn itself even be considered porn if the prerequisites to make it so were absent? Yeah, that's what I thought. And considering that prostitution (and agriculture) is the oldest known profession in the world, this would basically be the "victimless crime" version of it.

If by now you're confused and wondering where I'm going with all of this, allow me to explain: EVERY SINGLE ONE of these tropes mentioned exists in other forms of media like pornography, stag films, erotica novels, hentai, and even in the news from time to time. But the fact that everyone is getting so bent out of shape because of something that is technically more friendly than violence and gore is appearing in an interactive format is making me facepalm to no end. So to them, and the people that complain about "unrealistic beauty standards," allow me to give my 2 cents on the matter. 99.9% of video games are fictional, and aren't made by the person playing it. As such, they rarely ever match the player's definition of beauty or sexuality perfectly. Just chill out and enjoy what was made before you have an aneurysm. So until then, I'll be seeing you.

So why would anybody be against a certain community being represented in a videogame? It's hard to actually discuss this topic without slurs being thrown around like "homophobic" or "transphobic." Which may or may not be true for whoever is against the inclusion of LGBT characters, but just like everything else, there is validity in both arguments. So I suppose this is where I play devil's advocate.

While there isn't anything inherently wrong with LGBT characters in games, it's why developers include them and how. Do you have friends that are apart of the LGBT community? Do they have any other personality traits besides what genitalia they prefer? Not everyone answered yes to the first question, but those who did should have answered yes to the second one as well.

Problem #1 with including LGBT characters in videogames: developers have shown they are beyond incompetent in doing so. Whether it's a problem with preconceived notions or the lack of care, developers seem to think that gay and/or transgendered people exist solely to tell the world what their sexual orientation is and what gender they identify as. There have been a many games over the years that have included LGBT characters, but only a handful of those games have done them any justice.

For example, Mass Effect 3; a game nobody likes for different reasons. Mass Effect is an RPG series, so no one should bat an eye when the player is able to romance members of the same sex. The problem doesn't arise until you meet Steve Cortez, professional homosexual. Or at least that's how Bioware was trying to pitch him to the player. Not even five dialogue choices into meeting this man and he's already telling you his entire homosexual background including the fact that he had a husband. There was nothing wrong with him telling the player off hand that he had a husband, but it becomes so tiring when he will constantly remind the player that he is gay for the entirety of Mass Effect 3.

That is not natural for any human being to act, even if they're gay. It wouldn't have been natural if he were straight and had to constantly remind the player about how he had a wife and how much he just loves female genitalia either.

Bioware are probably the worst offenders when it comes to how not to include LGBT characters in games. Even Dragon Age wasn't safe from that. Anybody who has played the Dragon Age series since its original outing knows of the heavily retconned race, the Qunari. Throughout Dragon Age: Inquisition, the player is constantly reminded by characters of the Qunari race that it is incredibly honorable for them to be transgendered. Again, there isn't anything wrong with that if you had asked a Qunari details about their culture, but Bioware keep going out of their way to tell the player about how honorable and brave it is to be transgendered. Are we playing a fantasy RPG or a social justice RPG?

So which developers have done LGBT characters justice? That's a short list, but let's focus mainly on Naughty Dog and Obsidian Entertainment. The Last of Us, for example, was one of the best games to feature LGBT characters. About halfway through the game, the player encounters Bill, a former ally of Joel who happens to be gay, but never once is it forced down your throat that he is gay. Bill was an interesting character that showed the possible psychological effects on a survivor living in a post-apocalyptic world. When Bill temporarily joins you on your travels, he mentions that he once had a "partner." At this point, that doesn't really mean much because "partner" could just mean that he allied himself with someone who helped him out, but you later find out that he truly was in a relationship with his partner when you find him dead with a note hinting at their previous romance. And that's it. Bill was a well written character that happened to be gay. Thank you, Naughty Dog.

Fallout: New Vegas, arguably Obsidian's most popular game, also had LGBT characters. Most notably, Arcade Gannon; a possible companion for the player. Arcade has quite an interesting backstory and family history that isn't told to the player unless they go through optional dialogue paths to find out, and one of the things you learn about this companion is that he's gay. Of course, like any good character, he doesn't just shout this out of nowhere. You have to get to know him first before he tells you, and he isn't exactly afraid to either. He's fairly open about it when you ask him, but he's smart enough (well written enough) not to randomly tell you while you're both getting shot at by Super Mutants. Thank you, Obsidian.

Now what does it mean to include LGBT characters "properly?" It's simple because it's no different than making any other fictional character seem real. Create a realistically written character that happens to be apart of the LGBT community. People in the LGBT community are no different than any other human being. Their personalities don't solely revolve around the fact that they prefer different genitalia than heterosexuals and/or their gender identities happens to be different than CIS gendered people. Just like how the personalities of people not apart of the LGBT community don't revolve solely around their CIS gendered heterosexualaity.

Problem #2 with including LGBT characters in videogames: developers will sometimes only include LGBT characters for their own personal gain. Some say you should separate the art from the artist, but that can be a difficult task when ideals that the developer doesn't even necessarily believe in are shoved down your throat. It's one thing to take a stand on an issue that you genuinely believe in, but it's another to falsely take a stand for your own personal benefit.

This problems also causes a divide in morality. Developers that contribute to problem #1 at least have their hearts in the right place. Typically they genuinely feel like the LGBT community is underrepresented in video games so they go out of their way to try and fix that. They usually end up making things worse, but they do it with good intentions. Developers contributing to problem #2, on the other hand, only care about themselves and how they look. Allow me to explain. It's obvious that in recent years being politically correct whilst having progressive ideals and morals has become trendy. This trend persists into different mediums as well. Possibly the latest medium for this trend to arrive in are video games. Now on social media and in news outlets, the more progressive you act, the better the person you are (according to them). It's an odd fad that many people still fall for.

Often times it's fairly obvious to see that certain developers don't really care about the LGBT community. The inclusion of those types of characters in games made by these types of developers only exist so the developer can say, "Hey, look at me! Aren't I so progressive!? I'm way ahead of the times compared to these Neanderthals. Buy my next game!"

Like I said, not all developers are like this, but there are so many that are that it becomes hard to tell. You could take a glance at their social media accounts and see what they're whining about now, but that's unfair to them because, like I said, some developers truly do care about LGBT rights and inclusion. The developers contributing to problem #2 have now made it harder to include LGBT characters without gamers becoming upset because of their own selfish vanity.

Now let's wrap this up with a nice bow before I upset anyone else. Of course, in a perfect world, it would be nice to include people of all gender and sexual identities, but due to the nature of human fallibility, we can't live in that world. Developers that continue to contribute to the two aforementioned problems will never see the regular inclusion of LGBT characters in videogames because they've turned the very thought of including those types of characters sour in many gamers' minds. Are there some people that just irrationally hate the thought of anything LGBT related in video games? Of course, but you need not worry about them because all they can do is complain on anonymous image boards. Yet that still isn't the problem that needs to be addressed. There will always be bigotry and hatred in the world, but the developers that include LGBT characters incorrectly or for all the wrong reasons are only making it harder for everybody else.