'Mass Effect 3' Gay Sex Controversy: EA Defends Itself Against Anti-Gay Campaign

Of late, BioWare and EA have come under heavy fire for incorporating gay romance options into several of their popular action Role-Playing Games (RPG). The company has drawn much flak for offering homosexual subplot scenes in the game, as well as promising to include optional gay romantic subplots in the upcoming "Star Wars: The Old Republic".

Despite the flak the company has received, a majority of the concerns raised by conservatives is largely exaggerated. Not only are the romantic scenes completely optional within the game, EA has clearly rated the game PG-13 to set the gamer expectations loud and clear.

Moreover, the so-called romantic scenes reveal no more graphic than what's found on popular TV shows.

Watch the couple of video clips from Mass Effect 3 below and decide for yourself:

As one of the more insightful critics, Tom Bissell, points out in his exclusive piece on Mass Effect 3 in Grantland Today, much of the over-hyped gay-sex controversy is unwarranted.

"Giving the player choices doesn't mean you have to give the player stupid choices. Over the course of the Mass Effect games, I've emotionally misled at least three members of my crew, cheated on two more, and seduced both of my female aides-de-camp. Why have I been allowed to play a game called Mass Effect: Shepard Gone Wild? I have no idea," opines Tom Bissell.

"Neither real-life nor video-game commanders should be allowed to seduce their subordinates; it's beyond blockheaded even to give the gamer the option of doing so, especially when it shatters the gritty, war-is-hell vibe the game so desperately attempts to evoke. This aspect of the Mass Effect franchise feels like lonely-gamer pandering at its worst," he asserts, hinting at how EA has messed up with the primary objectives and focus of the game.

In a severe backlash against homosexual relationships portrayed in the game cinematic, several thousand letters have hit EA through an anti-gay letter-writing campaign by the conservatives, according to reports from Games Industry International.

The letters have been reportedly sent to a group of senior leaders at EA, accompanying a threat to boycott EA games unless it changes its policy. However, the company seems adamant with its intention to continue including LGBT characters as optional subplots within the game.

EA has labeled this so-called anti-gay campaign as "political harassment" and not intent to protect children's interests.

"Every one of EA's games includes ESRB content descriptors so it's hard to believe anyone is surprised by the content. This isn't about protecting children, it's about political harassment," defends EA's Chief Spokesperson, Jeff Brown, justifying its creative work.

Many of the letters are identified to have come from the Florida Family association. The same organisation allegedly posted a call for action against Star Wars: The Old Republic's LGBT content, claiming that extremists forced EA to add such content.

"In a new Star Wars game, the biggest threat to the empire may be homosexual activists!" said Tony Perkins, head of Family Research Council.

Nevertheless, EA has denied all such claims of supporting extremist causes or yielding to external forces to include LGBT content in its game.

"EA has not been pressured by any groups to include LGBT characters in our games. However, we have met with LBGT groups and sponsored industry forums to discuss content and harassment of players in online forums. In short, we do put options for same-sex relationships in our games; we don't tolerate hate speech on our forums," adds Brown, according to Games Industry International.

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