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Tell Me Why Is Free So Players Can Support Trans And Queer Communities Directly

Developer Dontnod hopes players will use the money they may have spent on Tell Me Why to instead directly support trans and queer communities directly.

110 Comments

Episodic adventure game Tell Me Why is free on Xbox platforms, Windows 10, and Steam for the entire month of June to celebrate Pride Month, and developer Dontnod has a few recommendations on where players can instead spend the money they may have spent on Dontnod's game to more directly help transgender and queer communities.

In a blog post, the developers made clear their reasons for making Tell Me Why free.

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Now Playing: Tell Me Why Cinematic Trailer | Xbox Games Showcase 2020

"Our intention in making Tell Me Why free for June 2021 is both to allow even more people to access the game and to encourage our players to spend their money in places that will directly affect trans and queer communities," the post reads.

The developers go on to list a number of ways players can support LGBTQIA+ communities, ranging from donating to a charity, giving aid to a trans or queer person in need directly, or financially supporting games and interactive fiction from trans or queer creators, such as Happy Ray Games' Ikenfell. Dontnod points out that even for those who can't support with money, they can still be an advocate for trans and queer rights by promoting works by trans and queer creators and by learning about contributions made by LGBTQIA+ people throughout world history.

One of Tell Me Why's main characters, Tyler Ronan, is trans, and is voiced by trans voice actor August Black. The game was the first major title to feature a main, playable trans character. Dontnod worked closely with the LGBTQIA+ media group GLAAD to ensure the depiction of the game's trans and queer characters were respectful and and authentic.

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n0matter

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That acronym is starting to get awfully long...I feel like as a white straight dude I'm in the minority now.

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zyxe

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zyxe  Moderator

I think it's awesome that a company is putting its money where its mouth is while not forcing you to do anything you don't want to.

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soulmuncher666

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Edited By soulmuncher666

Let us all donate to trans and queer communities. Because they apparently need charity. Cuz they can't work. Due to being queer or something.

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phattsao

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Is there a game for those of us that think that these communities already get way too much "support" considering they make up a tiny percentage of the US population?

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deactivated-64a3ced8b46b8

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@phattsao: Yeah, the 99.999999% of other games that isn't this one.

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mogan

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mogan  Moderator

@phattsao: Literally any game not being given away specifically as an incentive to support minorities, I'd imagine.

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BeefoTheBold

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@mogan:

Yep. It's not rocket science. This particular developer wants to do something nice for that particular community. That's their right and their choice. Nobody is holding a gun to anyone's head forcing them to participate if they don't want to.

Bunch of babies in the comments section who can't handle it and are offended by something that doesn't impact them at all.

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master9000

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@phattsao: yeah, its called all media released before 2015.

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lonewolf1044

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I really do not know what to think as it based on an individual morals, those who are gay, trans are still humans should be treated as such. This I can say will ruffle some feathers and I am on the fence because it also depends on ones religion and beliefs. As for the game I will give it an shot as it is free.

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Sound_Demon

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@lonewolf1044: It doesn't depend on religion and belief lol... It depends on what basic biology is.

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Toonami4Life

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Edited By Toonami4Life

Ugh, a sappy artsy episodic story game...sorry I meant cheap interactive movie, no thanks.

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sladakrobot

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@toonami4life: The attention to detail in emotional expressions of characters,very well chosen voice actors,the setting is crafted with so much thoughts,every building-store-ship-car is detailed,the forest etc etc.

Saying this game is a cheap interactive movie doesnt make it justice.

Push this Lbgtq...thing out of your thoughts and give this game a go,you will be surprised

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Toonami4Life

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@sladakrobot: It's not my type of game, pure and simple. If you like that kind of thing...more power to you. Also as far as LGBTQ stuff...I'm Bi so it has little to no effect on my thoughts of this game.

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faithxvoid

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I liked watching my girlfriend play Life is Strange and Vampyr was decent. Not gonna turn down this for free. Thanks!

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Daidochus

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Gamespot has mastered the art of baiting I see LOL.

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traptedmind

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Why exactly do queer and trans need money? I think Tim Cook is doing just fine for himself...

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uninspiredcup

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@traptedmind: Because they are still persecuted and dismissed.

Not that hard to figure out.

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traptedmind

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@uninspiredcup: Proof?

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werebearr

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@traptedmind: People being murdered in the middle east for being gay. Parents kicking you out because you're gay. Families disinherit you because you're gay. Go watch a gay pride in Russia to see what we are talking about...

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addicted2088

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Edited By addicted2088

@werebearr: Yet none of this money will really go to LGBTQ+ people in those countries, and these companies who talk about fighting for them will not even talk about this stuff in those countries or change their social media pictures etc over there.

It's amazing how people think paying money to charities and these organizations that say they are fighting to improve things in society actually works.

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zyxe

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zyxe  Moderator

@addicted2088: It also happens to people in the US. It happens everywhere, just to varying severity.

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uninspiredcup

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@traptedmind: 3 seconds google search. Have a go yourself. Who knows what can get in 10 seconds.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_rights_in_Iran

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Akriel_Boulve

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@uninspiredcup: Maybe we should DEFUND some of these LGBT/Feminist groups then because they support Islam which if you weren't aware the reason they are attacked and literally thrown off buildings is because of their Theocratic state and Shariah law that governs them. I find it hilarious when LGBT people wear Palestinian flags unironically over the latest scuffle in the Middle East, because Hamas would put them to the sword without a moments thought. Maybe rethink priorities. Also notice that you have to reach all the way to Iran to find real problems faced by LGBT people. Kind of telling, no?

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uninspiredcup

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Edited By uninspiredcup

@Akriel_Boulve:

> Give me evidence

> Spends 3 seconds getting evidence

MAYBE WE SHOULD DEFUND THEM BECAUSE ISLAM! ALL GAY PEOPLE THINK ALIKE, RIGHT?

YOU HAD TO GO TO IRAN, GAYS THERE DON'T COUNT LIKE THE GAYS NEARBY!

HAHA GOTCHA.

It's pretty clear these posts basically just dislike LGBT etc... and are brainstorming any shit they can to dismiss them.

You know, exactly like what was described?

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Akriel_Boulve

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@uninspiredcup: So you think SUPPORTING groups that are actively ANTI-LGBT+ is somehow detrimental to the LGBT+ community? And that it shows disdain for the LGBT+ community to even discuss it?

Maybe you need a few more braincells to understand that the point is that you had to go to the Middle East to find examples of actual anti-LGBT discrimination on a scale that we should care about. That means that we in the west DO NOT have an issue with LGBT by and large. Kind of debunks the whole argument you are making now doesn't it?

Your name is quite fitting as your arguments are certainly uninspired, cup.

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uninspiredcup

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@Akriel_Boulve: I'm glad that upset you.

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Akriel_Boulve

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@uninspiredcup: That's actually quite funny that that is all that you can come back with and don't even realize your own self contradictory stance.

I pointed out how we don't have a problem here and if anything I do have a problem with how they treat people in the middle east, but I have a greater problem with people here who are members of those communities that would be put to death if they traveled to the places, like Hamas run Palestinian zones, unironically putting on shirts and chanting slogans in support of Palestine.

That's like a Jewish person wearing a swastika armband and saying they stand with Nazi Germany. It makes no sense at all when you stop and think about it.

It's more sad than upsetting really, and the fact that you don't get that speaks volumes to your intelligence.

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NilsDoen

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NilsDoen  Online

I think all games should be free for all subscribers to the HBQTLB+ mailing list

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CJ_Topspin

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...I don't get it. Is being Trans a feature? Is that like selecting "elf" or "dwarf"?

We don't know because we have no idea what this game is about. And why not just organically introduce the character as you would any other character - independent of being trans. Kind of like how Schitts Creek didn't make a big deal about its pansexual, gay or bi characters....they just were. And the story was incredible.

As soon as you start preaching people stop listening. I think that it is awesome that more communities are represented in video games. Just stop doing it in a way that screams for attention...it does more harm than good.

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Carpetfluff

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@cj_topspin: The game has been out for months so we very much do know what it's about. As someone who did play it on Gamepass without having any idea what it was about beforehand, it didn't feel preachy to me. Still, I guess you can just pass judgement on something you know nothing about and move on, huh?

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CJ_Topspin

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@Carpetfluff: Sorry I should have been more specific. I was was more referring to the article and than the game.

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Akriel_Boulve

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Edited By Akriel_Boulve

@Carpetfluff: It was thrust in front of us by Gamespot as LOOK IT'S LGTB+ NOTICE IT!!!...so yeah I think OP has a legit point.

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mogan

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mogan  Moderator

@Akriel_Boulve: And yet there are plenty of other headlines that don't get as many comments. People go looking for the thing they want to be mad about and then act like it was forced on them.

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Akriel_Boulve

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@mogan: I didn't "go looking" for anything, it came up in my feed and was a banner item. Forgive me for coming to a website about videogames and being annoyed that politics keep getting shoved up front and center time and time again.

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mogan

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Edited By mogan  Moderator

@Akriel_Boulve: It's a news story about a video game being given away for free. You're making it a big political statement, and you're choosing to be angry about something that does not need to impact you in any way. You could have ignored it as easily as any other article here.

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Akriel_Boulve

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Edited By Akriel_Boulve

@mogan: That's not what the article was about though and you know it. The article is to promote charity donations to a cause, it's even in the title, and clearly laid out in the substance of the article. It's a virtue signal graft.

First off I'm not "angry", I'm annoyed that Gamespot continues to pander and cover politics rather than games. This sort of thing DOES impact people like me though because I have to wade through this dreck and it clearly brings down the quality of the writing here as more and more pieces keep getting written pandering to political topics.

I also could also have just ignored Gamespot altogether, and I just might. This is how you end up destroying places like this, you push out people who have been here for over a decade and alienate the consumer base by trying to attract people that are both smaller in number, and as a demographic are less interested in gaming (just look at the sale numbers for the game they're putting up for free).

So yeah good job essentially telling people to just leave when they have legit concerns and grievances with the direction Gamespot is going. It's worked so well in the past as a market strategy that they even have a slogan for it. "Get woke go broke".

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CJ_Topspin

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@mogan: Probably because there are a ton of us in stereotypically "marginalized" communities that can't stand "support them" articles because it just comes across as cringe and self aggrandizing. Kind of like when someone says my kids are "well spoken" or over-congratulates them for getting a "B".

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Akriel_Boulve

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@cj_topspin: Precisely this

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Uncle_Rell

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Who cares what they support. It looks awful

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Oldgun

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Thanks but no thanks.

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Dark_sageX

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I watched the trailer and have absolutely no idea what this is. The fact that they are not showing game play footage tells me that this isn't something worth my time.

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Gaming-Planet

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Edited By Gaming-Planet

This will bring reviewer bombers onto steam.

Never tried the game and I have no opinion of the game right now. Will give it a try since it's free. I did like Life is Strange but the sequels after that I did not like or find interesting. What I will say is that these days LGBTQ portrayal are more of a marketing gimmick than anything in general. It's really sad, really. More could be put into the character's development or writing a better storyline. When you pander to something you only limit yourself with what you want to write. I hope this one doesn't have the same problem.

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