Who’d have thought it would be Star Wars that upsets the religious right? An in-gam relationship option in The Old Republic which allows gamers to join same-sex couples has enraged a religious group in Florida. The Florida Family Association, a far-right advocacy group that’s upset about all the gaming world’s best titles, is deeply disturbed by TOR’s wide range of player customization.
In a bizarre email that mentions ‘Darth RuPaula,’ who we assume is some kind of cross-dressing Sith Lord, the group spoke out against The Old Republic, claiming that it ‘panders to the demands of gay activists’ by including the feature. It’s a little strange that the group waited until now to take action, given that there’s plenty of the same in Bioware’s other big game, Mass Effect 3.
The group’s press release rambles on through a series of cliches and bizarre claims that we’re come to expect from the far religious right, few of them convincing. However, as comical and unusual as it may seem, these kind of groups have a surprising amount of influence in the gaming world. Does anyone remember when Jack Thompson took aim at Grand Theft Auto and almost won.
We’re guessing that the group’s rage isn’t very widely held, given the massive amount of people that are playing The Old Republic and the even greater amounts joining up on a daily basis. With over a million gamers just after its launch, not only is it the quickest-growing MMORPG in history, but it’s potentially one of the fastest-selling games of any kind for the PC.
With those kind of results, we think BioWare can handle the occasional wacky email from a fringe religious ‘family’ group. Given that the game’s relationship options have otherwise been praised by gaming industry critics for their open-ended nature and amount of choice – two essential parts of a MMORPG, by the way – we think they can also rest easy about any critical repercussions.
Whether you play as Darth RuPaula or someone a little less fabulous, it’s good to know that The Old Republic is stirring up controversy well outside the gaming world. Press like this can be great for a game’s player counts, and if the controversy attracts more gamers to The Old Republic, then it’s definitely for the better.
