'This raises the bar': Microsoft introduces first lead trans character in a major video game
1Reported today on The Guardian Technology
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'This raises the bar': Microsoft introduces first lead trans character in a major video game
Tell Me Why, the latest narrative adventure from French studio Dontnod, stars a trans man – a decision the team says it didn’t take lightly
At Microsoft’s X019 event in London on Thursday, the company revealed a range of major new titles for the Xbox and PC. But in an industry which has often struggled with representation and diversity of lead characters, one announcement stood out.
The latest narrative adventure game from the acclaimed French studio Dontnod will have a transgender man as its lead character – a first for a major game release.
Named Tell Me Why, and launching in spring 2020, the game follows identical twins Alyson and Tyler Ronan, who grew up in a small community in Alaska and are reunited after a key event drove them apart 10 years ago. Through the game, the player has to understand what drove the characters from each other, investigating their shared memories while exploring the town and talking to local inhabitants.
“The twins are connected by strong supernatural bond, which allows them to share their thoughts and feelings,” explains the game director, Florent Guillaume. “They also have the ability to interact with past memories – to recall and relive them. There are questions of perspective – the two characters see things and remember things differently and you get to choose which you believe, and that shapes the story.”
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According to Guillaume, the character Tyler wasn’t always going to be a trans man. “We wanted these characters who were born identical to have lived very different lives, and it was while exploring this path that we came up with the idea of having a trans character.
“We loved the concept and were determined not to shy away from it. We did a lot of research, we reached out to the community, we wanted to understand their journeys; we consulted with the charity Glaad, which often works with media companies on LGBT+ representation. We were very naive at first, and they enlightened us a lot, they helped us review the script and the characters and to reach out to people.”
“Tyler is a fully realised, endearing character, whose story is not reduced to simplistic trans tropes,” said Nick Adams, director of transgender representation at Glaad. “Creating a playable lead trans character – and taking such care to get it right – raises the bar for future LGBTQ inclusion in gaming.”
Glaad also helped with the casting of Tyler, who is played by the trans actor August Aiden Black, and the game was tested by trans players – though Dontnod would not confirm whether the development team included any trans staff.
“The story is emotional and intimate – we wanted it to touch them,” Guillaume says. “There is a lot of responsibility. We wanted to represent the community accurately. This is not a game about their trans journey, but it is certainly a facet of the game.”
As publisher, Microsoft also supported the game’s trans story. “We’re really committed to the idea of gaming for everyone,” says Joseph Staten, creative director on the Microsoft publishing team. “We need to bring in diverse experiences. It’s been really important to do this right, to do it thoughtfully.
“Tyler had to be authentic, but also just a courageous, strong, wonderful character. Together with his sister this is an interesting new set of video game characters. This comes from the top: we want Xbox to be a place everyone can play, but we need to demonstrate that in meaningful ways. ”
Guillaume sees Tell Me Why as indicative of a growing understanding that video game player-characters need to be more representative. “I think the industry has reached a level of maturity where we can go deeper into diverse stories and experiences,” he says. “Video games have a special ability to connect you with the characters, to allow you to live as someone you couldn’t otherwise be. Through games, we can give players a bridge to the characters – to connect with them, to be comfortable with them.”
• Tell Me Why is set to be released over three separately downloadable chapters on Xbox and PC from spring 2020