In another in a series of pieces discussing largely unanswerable questions, this piece will examine the relevance of the ‘canon’ to an interactive form such as Mass Effect. The background to this discussion is the overall controversy regarding sex in videogames, and why it is such a difficult subject to handle well, that began in particular regarding Mass Effect a few years ago. More recently, speculation surfaced and inspired a heated debate regarding the possibility of expanding same-sex relationships with previously-established characters in Mass Effect 3. The debate, while very likely motivated by personal aversions to non-heterosexuality in general, revolved around canonical and continuity objections. My question here is, can an interactive medium have a non-interactive canon? Who is to say what the truth is, in a medium where nothing is true, and everything is permitted?
I'm getting a lot of mental mileage out of this topic, and I'm spreading the thoughts out in various outlets. This blog post is one version of the thinking. I will be developing it further in a paper I'm presenting in July at an academic conference, and I had a chat to Mark Serrels over at Kotaku AU for a slightly more approachable take (albeit with slightly different concentration). There is a lot more to be said about Mass Effect, romance, fiction and simulation and I hope to be involved in saying. For now, let's begin with this discussion of canon. 
The media furor surrounding Mass Effect's sex scene has long since died down, and I am not writing this to stir that particular pot. Rather, it occurs to me that a game like Mass Effect might be described as an effective remedy to some of the stereotypical problems with sex on screen. Namely, those ideas that men are always the instigator of sex, that women are merely objects for the men on screen and the men in the audience, with their passivity and one-dimensionality and inevitable surrender. I am not suggesting that all women in film or television are like this, what I am suggesting is that women in videogames can be quite directly the opposite. In Mass Effect, there are a number of opportunities for addressing this stereotype quite directly, without actually subverting the ostensible science-fiction drama.
Some familiarity with Mass Effect is assumed here, but hopefully not so much that this article will not make sense to a non-player. The player occupies a character called Shepard. Shepard can be made either male or female, and cosmetically customized with sophisticated tools. As part of a 30+ hour game experience, Shepard can engage in a romance sub-plot which is the main focus here, but is not the main focus of the game. Instead, Shepard is an elite soldier that is tasked with nothing short of saving the galaxy.
The media furor surrounding Mass Effect's sex scene has long since died down, and I am not writing this to stir that particular pot. Rather, it occurs to me that a game like Mass Effect might be described as an effective remedy to some of the stereotypical problems with sex on screen. Namely, those ideas that men are always the instigator of sex, that women are merely objects for the men on screen and the men in the audience, with their passivity and one-dimensionality and inevitable surrender. I am not suggesting that all women in film or television are like this, what I am suggesting is that women in videogames can be quite directly the opposite. In Mass Effect, there are a number of opportunities for addressing this stereotype quite directly, without actually subverting the ostensible science-fiction drama.
Mass Effect, Contingency and Canon
In another in a series of pieces discussing largely unanswerable questions, this piece will examine the relevance of the ‘canon’ to an interactive form such as Mass Effect. The background to this discussion is the overall controversy regarding sex in videogames, and why it is such a difficult subject to handle well, that began in particular regarding Mass Effect a few years ago. More recently, speculation surfaced and inspired a heated debate regarding the possibility of expanding same-sex relationships with previously-established characters in Mass Effect 3. The debate, while very likely motivated by personal aversions to non-heterosexuality in general, revolved around canonical and continuity objections. My question here is, can an interactive medium have a non-interactive canon? Who is to say what the truth is, in a medium where nothing is true, and everything is permitted?
I'm getting a lot of mental mileage out of this topic, and I'm spreading the thoughts out in various outlets. This blog post is one version of the thinking. I will be developing it further in a paper I'm presenting in July at an academic conference, and I had a chat to Mark Serrels over at Kotaku AU for a slightly more approachable take (albeit with slightly different concentration). There is a lot more to be said about Mass Effect, romance, fiction and simulation and I hope to be involved in saying. For now, let's begin with this discussion of canon.