Interviews

Stereotypes, brawls, and not taking things seriously: An interview with Handsome Woman Productions about Ultimate Gay Fighter

Ultimately confusing

Stereotypes, brawls, and not taking things seriously: An interview with Handsome Woman Productions about Ultimate Gay Fighter
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iOS
| Ultimate Gay Fighter

Ultimate Gay Fighter isn't your typical fighting game. It stars a cast of flamboyant characters, each based on a stereotype or cliché, battling it out to win the Gay Fight championship.

It's a thorny area, so I caught up with Handsome Woman Productions founder Michael Patrick to find out what he thinks about some of the accusations that have been put to the game since its announcement.

Pocket Gamer: First up, could you tell me what Ultimate Gay Fighter is?

Michael Patrick: Ultimate Gay Fighter is a satirical comedy fighting game that features all gay characters and repressive villains.

In 2007 the first annual Gay Fight competition was held to find America’s most ruthless LGBT fighter. The contestants were narrowed down to the ten strongest, and the tournament took place in the fighters's hometowns and local hangouts. The victor was muscle-queen porn star Josh Maxxx, however, three days after he won, he vanished.

Now, ten new fighters are competing to win the title of Gay Fight champion. Little do the fighters know, there is something very ominous about the competition itself.

"The League of Oppressive Self-Righteous Zealots (or LOSRZ) have created the tournament for two reasons: make the LGBT community destroy itself and brainwash the winner to carry out the League’s nefarious plans.

What made you decide to make the game?

I’m a kid of the 90s, so I was brought up on fighting games. My friends and I in the neighbourhood would rally at someone’s house who had a gaming console and we'd play for hours.

I've thought those games were fantastical and really funny since I was a kid. My friends and I would talk about how it would be amazing if we took the same format as one of those games, but applied it to gays. I love my community dearly and when I love something, I can poke some fun at it.

Could you explain why you've decided to use stereotypes as the characters in the game?

I think all satires are based on some kind of stereotyping, either making fun of them or recognizing them as absurd. The game is a comedy.

Do you think it's fair to say that if any of these characters appeared in a so-called mainstream fighting game that people would take offence?

Lots of very stereotypical characters have appeared in mainstream games.

The way the women are drawn, the way different races are depicted, and the way gay characters are portrayed. I think anyone could be offended by anything. I think it’s a no win situation.

If my game was just regular people, working out their problems amicably and at the end of the 45 second round, it just flashed "Oh, by the way, these people are gay", I think that to me would be offensive. Different strokes, right?

Do you think a fighting game is the best way for Video Games to tackle the LGBT experience?

Absolutely not. That's not the point of the game. The LGBT experience isn't one big experience, it's individualistic. It’s like anything in life, it's something that is an individual's truth.

The game is a parody and is meant to be taken lightly. If you want to know the "LGBT experience" (whatever that is) then get out there and meet some gays. It’s a great time.

There has been criticism of the game since its announcement that in painting its characters in such broad brush strokes, it's in fact pandering to a hetero-white-male concept of sexuality, how do you respond to that?

Again, this game is a satire. It's not supposed to, and nor does it, reflect how everyday gay men or women behave and act. Also, it's a fighting game. How deep should we have gone with these characters?

I don't think these characters are white-based, but culturally-based. When you laugh in the face of stereotypes, you immediately diminish their power.

I think it's very clear from the game's trailer that everything about the game is not meant to be taken seriously.

What is your ultimate aim with the game?

For people to laugh and enjoy my small novelty game, and just have fun with it. To have something to play and take your mind off your troubles for a minute.


While Patrick does attempt to clear up some of the misgivings I have about the game, I think Ultimate Gay Fighter is still a little uncomfortable, and will remain so for some.

Yes, it's a 'novelty game', and yes it isn't meant to be taken seriously, but there's still an air of reinforcement about the game that doesn't quite sit right.

The proof will, of course, be in the pudding, and we've yet to play the game, so I'll reserve judgement until then.

But Ultimate Gay Fighter is certainly shaping up to be one of the most controversial releases of next year.

Harry Slater
Harry Slater
Harry used to be really good at Snake on the Nokia 5110. Apparently though, digital snake wrangling isn't a proper job, so now he writes words about games instead.