DOMO embraces same-sex marriage in game
by Shawn Schuster 
Mar 19th 2009 at 6:00PM
Filed under: Culture, Events, in-game, Free-to-play, Dream of Mirror Online, Roleplaying
This marriage system allows couples to embark on a series of challenging quests where they can plan their in-game wedding, complete with dream locale, wedding outfit and even a perfect set of rings. Once married, the couple will be granted unique features which include the ability to summon their significant other to their location, as well as special healing abilities during battle.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Russell Clarke said on 6:13PM 3-19-2009
Ooh, this'll get the {insert holy book}-thumpers going.
There'll be good ole-fashioned computer-burnings, cries to boycott the game, boycott the Interwebs, boycott the boycotters who don't boycott hard enough...I look forward to the spectacle.
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Jay said on 6:21PM 3-19-2009
After looking at DOMO about 6 months ago for a day and deciding that it is the realm of tween and teen girls this is a good thing.
After all why should any teen girl be stopped from marrying her bff?
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Mr. Pickles said on 6:39PM 3-19-2009
I'm glad to see some places opening up to these newer ideas. I'm sick of our (Americans) bureaucratic archaic thinking. I know it's politics and stuff, but really if two people are happy being with each other...who does that harm? Nobody, that's who.
They say that same-sex life styles are "wrong" because the whole male+female concept has the purpose of reproduction. But, if anyone has looked at our world today they'd see: The world is OVER POPULATED ALREADY! (Ex. The lady that got invetrio fertalisation and had 8 kids at once, who already had 6, now has 14 kids...rediculous).
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Russell Clarke said on 7:23PM 3-19-2009
It's not just an American view - it's present across the globe. Hopefully not across the universe, though :)
Vulturion said on 7:22PM 3-19-2009
Hurray !
I don't see 'the media' caring though, since :
a] They'll never have heard of DOMO.
b] The Sims series is much more mainstream, and has had same-sex romance / cohabitation / marriage / adoption for years with far higher graphics, far more intimacy and far more heart-showering slow-mo literally-uplifting cutesiness.
Good for DOMO though, and still keeping my fingers crossed for TOR - know Comapnion romance arcs are in, just not for who yet.
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Russell Clarke said on 7:24PM 3-19-2009
Oh, the media will care if they can get a reaction out of it by feeding the prejudices of their readership.
Remember, "good news is no news."
Vulturion said on 7:36PM 3-19-2009
Hmm ; I don't remember Fable II getting any such coverage, but then I wouldn't go looking in regions where it might materialize.
Considering DOMO ain't so big in the West and anyone curious can try it out for free... I think they'd be over the moon to get media coverage !
Dblade said on 7:31PM 3-19-2009
I think people look at this the wrong way. It's not about catering to a game's gay population, but servicing players who play a main the same sex as a friend or significant other. Usually what happens is they release a marriage quest that kicks ass, and people grumble how its only applicable for a few people. The actual gay population of the MMO is about the same as in rl, probably close to 6% of the players, so its generally not a factor enough to drive change.
If DOMO online had a simple one-time ceremony with none of the perks that it looks like this marriage quest has, you wouldn't see enough demand to change it.
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Russell Clarke said on 7:55PM 3-19-2009
I look forward to the adultery quest, followed by the messy divorce quest.
Who gets the +10 vorpal blade of fluffyness? And half the RMT gold?
Fess said on 7:43PM 3-19-2009
I've encountered many gay people in MMOs, particularly in WoW, and was in a guild ran by a gay man and his partner, for about a year. Not really seeing the point of implementing something like this officially in a game, unless the goal is to draw the sort of loud-mouthed, attention-seeking emo wanna-be tweens that think the entire world needs to know their sexual preference. Then again, judging by the screenshots, that's exactly the sort of target audience it looks to draw.
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Vulturion said on 7:59PM 3-19-2009
Because if the only options are visible or invisible, people prefer visible ?
Russell Clarke said on 8:12PM 3-19-2009
Yep, gay people exist. There's nothing wrong with telling people about it.
People don't have to remind people they are straight because they live in a world where straight is the assumption - although if we're using music culture to pigenhole, aren't those loud-mouthed, attention-seeking Hip Hop twinks always yelling about how straight they are? Obivously with a dose of ridiculous hand shapes to boot.
Jay said on 8:31PM 3-19-2009
The point of allowing this officially in the game is that partnerships are a huge part of DOMO. Forming friendships and marrying impose special skills on players in the game that solo players do not have.
Not just collaborative working but the ability to heal your "wife" plus other perks.
This is not an issue about gay rights in DOMO or any other game or having 11 year old tweens decide they want to play a lesbian... this is allowing any toon to form a marriage with any other toon to get these special advantages normal players do not.
Russell Clarke said on 8:57PM 3-19-2009
Jay, I think that's missing the point of why that partnership in DOMO is referred to as 'marriage'.
That word has connotations (right or wrong) far beyond getting powers and leveling up. It has connotations (right or wrong) of love, sex and having babies.
I am guessing the developers of DOMO know what those connotations were, and they chose to use the word 'marriage'.
Otherwise they would have called it something else. And knowing the Asian MMO developers, it would have probably been "happy happy together goodie fluffy happyness online."
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Dblade said on 9:05PM 3-19-2009
Russel, but there are no sex or babies or even love in the quest. It's all about the ceremony, and also the perks it gives. I've done marriage quests in some games with friends just because it was cool to see and gave a cool reward-the furthest thing from my mind was any romantic meaning.
A lot of people in domo are probably doing it for the teleport to your partner and special healing spell aspect, and doing it with people they are friends. Maybe a few people plan to do it to actually get married in game, but that is a tiny amount, and many of those "marriages" break up even in the game.
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Russell Clarke said on 9:39PM 3-19-2009
I was merely pointing out that they called it marriage for a reason, otherwise they would have called it something else. The connotation is there, even if the exchange of bodily fluids isn't.
I don't know (and nor do you) how the players see that word. It was just an interesting (to me at least) line of thought.
I would still prefer it to be called "happy happy together goodie fluffy happyness online" though ;)
Utakata said on 10:45PM 3-19-2009
Big thumbs up!
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Quinnae said on 12:47AM 3-20-2009
Very nice to see! I think this is a nice little step forward for MMOs, and the screencap Massively provided is so adorable, how could one *not* be in favour of it? ;)
Perhaps someday in other games where marriage is a gameplay aspect we'll see more support for this sort of thing.
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Dude said on 6:18AM 3-20-2009
Time to roll a hot chick!
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Dude said on 6:22AM 3-20-2009
Time to roll a hot chick!
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