Up Multimedia just updated My Ex-Boyfriend the Space Tyrant – Already one of the very few gay-oriented computer games currently available, version 1.5 adds a bunch of options aimed at enabling players with a disability to join in the fun. Woop woop!
Up Multimedia has also responded to the recent Nintendo same-sex censorship controversy by withdrawing references to popular Nintendo titles from the game.
Specific improvements to My Ex-Boyfriend the Space Tyrant include introducing a unique high contrast mode for players with vision impairment and a subtitling system for sound effects for players with a hearing impairment.
“Gay people with a disability can sometimes feel like they’re trapped in a second closet,” says developer Luke Miller. “Making our game accessible to people with different requirements has always been a goal of ours and we are pleased to take some steps towards it.”
“Even with the limited resources of an indie company, it was surprisingly easy to meet many of the suggestions provided by the Game Accessibility Guidelines at http://gameaccessibilityguidelines.com/. We’re hoping our efforts here will inspire other developers to include gamers with disabilities in the fun.”
Additionally, the new version of My Ex-Boyfriend the Space Tyrant removed references to Nintendo’s Zelda: Ocarina in Time that had been part of the pop-culture-laden game. This comes after reports last week that Nintendo have controversially patched their game Tomodachi Collection: New Life to remove a “bug” that allowed same-sex characters to get married (and also get pregnant). The glitch was a game breaking bug, but the way they handled it has left much to be desired in the gay community
“What is particularly disheartening about Nintendo’s actions is that it shows that the near absence of gay and lesbian characters in video games is not always an oversight but often the result of deliberate decision-making by developers to exclude people like us from computer games. And we can, and we will, withdraw our support when we see that happening.”
My Ex-Boyfriend the Space Tyrant is available now for Windows/Mac/Linux for $22US(same price worldwide) at http://www.um.com.au/spaceout/ and will have a booth at GaymerX.