A fairer protagonist?

[thebobmaster_v1legacy]

Earlier today, I bought a PS2 game called "Nightshade". In it, you play a female ninja, or kunoichi, named Hibana. The reason I bring this up is it made me realize how few games have you play exclusively as female characters. Quite a few games have a female option, but how many require you to play a female?

Off the top of my head, all I can think of are Tomb Raider, Metroid, and Syphon Filter. And even then, the last one's main character is male, but the sequels have parts requiring you to play female side characters.

Why is it so rare for females to be the sole, or even main, protagonist? And why is it that a female protagonist is so rare?

On a side note, buy Nightshade. It is a hidden gem.

 

[tzimize]

Well. Obvious answer is obvious. Most people like to play something they can relate to or want to be. Traditionally gaming has been a man/boy-dominated pasttime, hence most main characters are male.

Personally I wouldnt mind more female protagonists. Despite some glaring flaws I enjoyed the hell out of Heavenly sword for example. And I often make my main character in RPGs female. DA:O and Mass Effect to name a few.

 

[thebobmaster_v1legacy]

Well. Obvious answer is obvious. Most people like to play something they can relate to or want to be. Traditionally gaming has been a man/boy-dominated pasttime, hence most main characters are male.

Personally I wouldnt mind more female protagonists. Despite some glaring flaws I enjoyed the hell out of Heavenly sword for example. And I often make my main character in RPGs female. DA:O and Mass Effect to name a few.

I forgot about Heavenly Sword. That bumps up the number of games I can think of with female main characters up to...4.

 

[HassEsser]

. . .I often make my main character in RPGs female. DA:O and Mass Effect to name a few.

Same here, I played male in Fallout 3 for my first play-through, then on my, like, 80 subsequent play-throughs they were all female.

 

[doggie135]

Add Beyond Good & Evil's Jade, and The Longest Journey's April to your list :3
Both are also hidden gems, by the way.

Funnily enough, critics noted the strong points of both games to be the characters.
I wouldn't say however that males are always generic characters. The human-pig character Pey'j from Beyond Good & Evil is one of my favourite game characters in all history, and he's a male.

 

[thebobmaster_v1legacy]

That thud was me slapping my head for forgetting Mirror's Edge. That's 5 games with female protagonists so far. Nightshade, Metroid, Tomb Raider, Heavenly Sword, and Mirror's Edge.

And another surprising thing is that there are a ton of games that have a female option in it, like RPGs, as well as Tenchu and Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain. There are more games that give you the option than that have the gender set at female.

Edit: Now seven. Adding Dreamfall and Beyond Good and Evil.

 

[Zhukov]

Beyond Good & Evil
Mirror's Edge
The Longest Journey

But yeah, they're relatively rare. As for why... well, everyone knows that only people with penises play video games and, furthermore, everyone knows that those guys are only interested in playing as big manly men. Right?

...

Of course, the saddest part is that, while I'm being blatantly disingenuous, there's actually some truth to that. Gaming, at least the kind that most of us escapists are into, is still a male-dominated thing and males in general have shown that they do indeed prefer to buy games with male protagonists.

'Tis a shame really. I would like to see more female protagonists, if only for the sake of having a bit of bloody variety.

 

[thebobmaster_v1legacy]

Make that 8. I just remember Ruby from "Wet". Remember? That Taratino based game from last year? No? Deleting the rest of the post due to being a big mistake.

 

[Robert Ewing]

Despite what statistics say, it's much easier to cast a male as the protagonist in games for a number of reasons.

More males play games, so they will relate to a male character, the genre of game may be popular with males, but not females.

All totally bs reasons, but I honestly don't think it matters, if the gender of the protagonist makes sense in the role he/she plays, then so what?

 

[Axolotl]

There are quite a few games with female main characters, Portal, Beyond Good and Evil, Silent Hill 3, Final Fantasy 13, Mirror's Edge, Bayonetta and No One Lives Forever and there are plenty more. Yes male protaganists are far more common but it's not that rare to have them be female.

 

[maninahat]

Also: Wet, Portal, various Silent Hill and Resident Evils, At least two of the Final Fantasy games. EDIT NINJA'D on all counts.

But yes, not just more female characters, but more VARIED female characters. Ever played a female character who wasn't an 18-26 supermodel? How about someone with a bit of age and experience for once.

 

[theheroofaction]

Don't forget to add portal to that list.

As for the question, well, I think it's just devs writing what they know.

 

[thebobmaster_v1legacy]

14 now, adding in Portal, FFXIII, FF X-2, Silent Hill 3, and Bayonetta.

But I suppose the bigger issue is not just the lack of female characters, but lack of variation in them. I mean, half the female main characters we've thought of are very blatantly sexualized, like Ruby from "Wet" and especially Bayonetta.

 

[Thaluikhain]

It's easy for gamers to relate to 8ft tall maladjusted space marines from the future.

But, women, PoC or homosexuals? How could anybody hope to understand them? Just doesn't work.

 

[ChupathingyX]

And on a related note, Hibana is a good example of how to design a female character to be feminine without being sexual. Here's a picture of her.

Spoiler

Still looks pretty sexualised;

*Stance
*Tight costume that clearly shows curves.
*Lacy clothing that exposes a good amount of skin.

Personally, I think Ginchiyo Tachibana from Samurai Warriors 3 would be a better example...

 

[thebobmaster_v1legacy]

Yours is a better example. But at least with Hibana, her outfit is tight for a reason (ninja. Wouldn't want to get her clothes caught on corners and such). But you have a point about the lace. Still, at least the lace only shows arms and legs, and not the...curvier portions. Compare her to, say, Kasumi from Dead or Alive.

 

[rohansoldier]

Borderlands has one female character you can play as. Other than that all my ideas have already been said.

 

[thebobmaster_v1legacy]

Borderlands has one female character you can play as. Other than that all my ideas have already been said.

Like I said, there are plenty of games with female options. This thread is more to discuss the relative lack of female main protagonists.

 

[DementedSheep]

Make that 8. I just remember Ruby from "Wet". Remember? That Taratino based game from last year? No?

And on a related note, Hibana is a good example of how to design a female character to be feminine without being sexual. Here's a picture of her.

....You're kidiing right?

Edit: I suppose I should actually contribute to the thread.
Obviously there is a huge difference in that ratio of female to male protagonists but it?s not that rare to find a female protagonist.
To add to the list.
Jen: Primal
Alice: Alice in wonderland
Kate: Hydrophobia.

 

[Hookman]

I'm going to quote something I saw on facebook a while ago, its about female characters in the FPS genre.

Its harder to concentrate on shooting guys when there's a pair of pixellated breasts at the bottom of the screen

Ah, here comes the flaming! I'm stepping out, I may be some time.