Hello, my name is Fiona Honey, but everyone calls me Fifi. This is due to the fact that my first name was accidentally written down also as my middle name.

Currently I am working as a PA for Sega, but contrary to what you may have heard the pay is average. So at the weekends I work as a Bunny girl waitress at a top Soho nightspot. The pay here is good but not something that I would want to make a career out of. But, back on track; by being a Sega PA gives me a chance to play the latest games and talk to some of the game designers and developers. So enough of me lets talk Shenmue.

By now most of you would have played Shenmue, the most amazing game ever. But although I had to say this I did not entirely believe it. Shenmue is missing some very important real-world topics.

Once again a game has a male lead, would it had been so hard for Sega to have a male or female lead for Shenmue. The female could have been the daughter, with Ryo as the son. The game would have played out much the same but it would have attracted more people to gamers…women I mean.

Although us women have it pretty bad, the gay community have it worst. Can you name any gay lead characters? No. However at the offence of alienating any potential Shenmue players, Ryo could be gay. Let's analyse the data. The most obvious feature to pick up on is the way Ryo actually looks. Crisp blue jeans, well-groomed hair, slightly to excited about playing darts again. All this contributes to one of the many gay stereotypes.

However anyone who judges just by stereotyping is being unfair, but Ryo does exhibit other features which questioned his sexuality. In his home town when questioning young boys [!] They reply

'do you want to play with me?' To which Ryo reply's

'Maybe some other time!'

Young boys wanting action from older men? Only in Japan. Lastly how many straight men would work into a bar and ask:

'any of you men sailors?'

Exactly, no one! Unless you were, well interested, and I don't mean boats I mean 'interested' in them.

So there you have it, Ryo is gay. Sega's landmark game truly is a landmark, a minority taking the lead role, for the second time….Oh you mean you don't know that Sonic is also gay? I mean he does collect rings.

Oh well until, next time.

Comments?  Suggestions?  Just wanna chat? Mail me! fifi@dreamcastsource.co.uk

All copyrighted images and names are trademarks of their respective copyright holders.  All original work is copyrighted by Farooq Asif.  Unauthorised reproduction of any material from this site is strictly prohibited.      © 2001 DreamcastSource.co.uk