By now, various video game studios and publishers have been rolling out their plans to celebrate Pride Month. TheLEGO Grouphad previously already announced that it will be releasing its first ever LGBTQ+ set and, more recently,Microsoftrevealed a brand new, unique Xbox controller featuring a design clearly inspired by the various LGBTQ+ flags. No doubt this would become a very popular item among members of the community, as well as supporters, but it sounds like the controller isn’t actually going to be sold to the public.
According toMicrosoft’s own website, the controller will only be shared with key influencers and select media in the U.S. and internationally. So far, this has been met with bafflement as many admit that they would happily buy the controller, especially if a portion of sales when to LGBTQ+ charities, which makes a lot more sense.
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It also arguably goes against the whole message of inclusivity that Pride is meant to promote and celebrate since the majority of people are effectively being denied the controller. Plus, with scalping being especially prominent nowadays with things like collectible Pokemon cards andXbox Series X consoles, it wouldn’t be surprising to see some of these limited controllers popping up on eBay for exorbitant prices.
This is admittedly not the only thing Microsoft is doing for Pride. It states that it is donating $150,000 to nonprofit organizations like ACLU Foundation and The Trevor Project and is selling various other Pride merchandise, such as t-shirts and bags, which also feature Microsoft’s own iconography like the Xbox logo and Master Chief’s helmet.
In terms of games, Xbox and PC exclusiveTell Me Whywill be free to downloadfor the entirety of June. A narrative title fromLife is Strangedeveloper Dontnod Entertainment, it tells the story of twins Tyler and Alyson who return to their hometown to uncover the truth behind their mother’s death. It quickly caught media attention for openly confirming it would feature a transgender character as one of the main cast and was praised for handling the subject competently.
Aside from that, bothForza Horizon 4andForza Motorsport 7will automatically gift players a free rainbow livery for the 2017 Ford Focus RS once they log in. And a Pride themed Unity nameplate is available inHalo: The Master Chief Collectionfor players who log into the game during June.
