Brink : No Girls Allowed

[dbmountain]

Brink's developer has gone over this issue many times stating the technical limitations and time restraints that are preventing them from having female characters. But hey, people always have to find something to complain about... You can't even see your characters when you are playing the game so it doesn't even really matter. The whole customization thing is just a gimmick, the gameplay is what truly counts anyways.

 

[loodmoney]

so
fucking
what

Okay, it would be better if you were able to play as a girl. But is it seriously that big a deal? Most of my characters in Oblivion are male, but if I was forced to pick female characters instead I wouldn't care in the slightest, because it doesn't affect the gameplay at all. Do you have to name your character after yourself as well, and make them look exactly the same as you? Yes, it would have been nice to have a choice. No, it is not a big deal. No, there is not any reason to get worked up about it. No, there is not any reason to make a thread about it.

Because if nobody brings it up, nothing changes. We just get the same old sexist bullshit. Indeed if it really isn't a big deal to you, then you really shouldn't object when someone for whom it is a big deal asks that something be done about it.

 

[dbmountain]

so
fucking
what

Okay, it would be better if you were able to play as a girl. But is it seriously that big a deal? Most of my characters in Oblivion are male, but if I was forced to pick female characters instead I wouldn't care in the slightest, because it doesn't affect the gameplay at all. Do you have to name your character after yourself as well, and make them look exactly the same as you? Yes, it would have been nice to have a choice. No, it is not a big deal. No, there is not any reason to get worked up about it. No, there is not any reason to make a thread about it.

Because if nobody brings it up, nothing changes. We just get the same old sexist bullshit. Indeed if it really isn't a big deal to you, then you really shouldn't object when someone for whom it is a big deal asks that something be done about it.

The fact that women aren't featured in the game has nothing to do with sexism.

 

[captainwalrus]

I don't really have a problem with the devs deciding not to add a female gender customization option. It kind of reifies the whole male domination, female underrepresentation thing, but if they really felt they had no time to make an in-depth two gender system, then that's fine. Whatever. Good game > Half-assed game.

But I have problems with people in this thread saying it's a good idea because nobody wants to see large, muscular women. Seriously ya'll, wtf? Do all female characters have to be lithe and sexy? Yeah, I probably won't think a large, muscular female character would be sexy. It's not my personal preference. But then again, I don't play games to jack off to my avatar.

 

[loodmoney]

Spoiler: snip

so
fucking
what

Okay, it would be better if you were able to play as a girl. But is it seriously that big a deal? Most of my characters in Oblivion are male, but if I was forced to pick female characters instead I wouldn't care in the slightest, because it doesn't affect the gameplay at all. Do you have to name your character after yourself as well, and make them look exactly the same as you? Yes, it would have been nice to have a choice. No, it is not a big deal. No, there is not any reason to get worked up about it. No, there is not any reason to make a thread about it.

Because if nobody brings it up, nothing changes. We just get the same old sexist bullshit. Indeed if it really isn't a big deal to you, then you really shouldn't object when someone for whom it is a big deal asks that something be done about it.

The fact that women aren't featured in the game has nothing to do with sexism.

Why not? I'd say that the fact that it is another example of exclusion in a medium that systematically under-represents women does have at least something to do with sexism.

 

[squeekenator]

Spoiler: snip

so
fucking
what

Okay, it would be better if you were able to play as a girl. But is it seriously that big a deal? Most of my characters in Oblivion are male, but if I was forced to pick female characters instead I wouldn't care in the slightest, because it doesn't affect the gameplay at all. Do you have to name your character after yourself as well, and make them look exactly the same as you? Yes, it would have been nice to have a choice. No, it is not a big deal. No, there is not any reason to get worked up about it. No, there is not any reason to make a thread about it.

Because if nobody brings it up, nothing changes. We just get the same old sexist bullshit. Indeed if it really isn't a big deal to you, then you really shouldn't object when someone for whom it is a big deal asks that something be done about it.

The fact that women aren't featured in the game has nothing to do with sexism.

Why not? I'd say that the fact that it is another example of exclusion in a medium that systematically under-represents women does have at least something to do with sexism.

le sigh

There is no mystical sexist oppressive bullshit going on. Y'know why men are considered the default in video games? Because the games are made by men. Men make the games, men consider men the default option because they're men, male is the default character in games. There's nothing sexist or oppressive about it, it's just basic logic and a bunch of overly sensitive whiners getting their panties in a bunch about nothing. If women want more female main characters then they can make more games, and when the inevitable sexist whiny minority of men have a problem with that I'll think they're idiots too. End of story.

 

[Canid117]

Did Halo have female charecters in IT'S multiplayer? What about Section 8? I don't know why Brink is the upset. Of course, it is a little more jaring since there isn't power armor for everyone. Despite Spartans in Multiplayer looking male, it doesn't take much to imigine one as a girl.

Reach has women and the Section 8 power armor could accommodate a woman though I did chuckle a bit when I overheard a soldier in the campaign ask another guy "Hey have you noticed how there are never any women in our units?" I am kind of sad that I didn't stick around to listen to the other guys response. On an unrelated note Section 8 may have my new favorite power armor design. At least aesthetically speaking. The Tribes armors have much better jumpjets.

 

[NathLines]

I'm waiting for the day a really, really good RPG comes out in which you can only play as a female. Then I will sit back and whatch the crowds rage.

Until you notice that the goal of the RPG is to be the best cook and cleaner in the world.

Thank you. Now I'm imagining a woman cooking and cleaning while epic, orchestral music plays in the background. Game of the year.

 

[Thimblefoot]

Don't care, even if I were to get the game, I would be choosing a male character.

 

[thahat]

Does Halo have female charecters in ITS multiplayer? What about Section 8? I don't know why Brink is the upset. Of course, it is a little more jaring since there isn't power armor for everyone. Despite Spartans in Multiplayer looking male, it doesn't take much to imigine one as a girl.

Brink is the upset because, aside from forcing your character to be male, it has a very robust character customization aspect. The fact that it put so much focus into character customization, yet forced your character to be a guy, makes the issue (which is still present in other shooters mind you) more obvious.

Imagine if Bioware came out with a new RPG with their standard level of customization, but decided that your character had to be a girl, how do you think people would react? It's the same issue here.

i guess they would react withe the following reaction: lololololololol tits.
and not make much of a fuss. i dont even see the fuss here, i mean, seriusly people, its just a balance of stuff vs. time and money. making so nice a system, twice, would just cost too much of said time and money. and like someone before has said: better make one damn good one, then 2 half assed ones.

 

[Vrach]

Mmmm, yah, I've noticed this right when the game first came out. To say you have character customization and not have the female option is quite stupid for a game imo.

 

[squeekenator]

There is no mystical sexist oppressive bullshit going on. Y'know why men are considered the default in video games? Because the games are made by men. Men make the games, men consider men the default option because they're men, male is the default character in games.

That would fit the general definition of "sexist bullshit."

So would wanting to play a woman in every game, by your logic. Because women defaulting to thinking about women is evil, sexist and oppressive, amirite?

 

[Trolldor]

It's utterly sexist to assume that every game needs female characters.
It is incredibly sexist to assume that the only reason they didn't include female characters is because they chortled at the idea of a woman outside the kitchen.
It is utterly sexist to claim that the only reason they didn't use female characters was due to some sort of prejudice.

Put up or shut up. Instead of having fat rants about presumptions actually go and establish, actually find evidence that they didn't include women because they don't like them.

 

[TriggerHappyAngel]

Wow, people actually care about this kind of stuff?

- I miss the old days where games were solely judged by their gameplay.

Spoiler

Brink's gameplay is freakin' awesome!

 

[squeekenator]

There is no mystical sexist oppressive bullshit going on. Y'know why men are considered the default in video games? Because the games are made by men. Men make the games, men consider men the default option because they're men, male is the default character in games.

That would fit the general definition of "sexist bullshit."

So would wanting to play a woman in every game, by your logic. Because women defaulting to thinking about women is evil, sexist and oppressive, amirite?

If, in some hypothetical far-future world, the game industry only portrays female protagonists, of course that would be sexist. We don't live in that hypothetical far-future world, we live in a world where the default is male (and not just in games). The goal is not to become a society where the default is female, the goal is to not have a default.

Way to completely ignore the issue. Men make male main characters. Women make female main characters. This is because people do consider themselves, to some degree, to be the default, if only subconsciously. That isn't sexist, and even if it is it's entirely meaningless and has no impact on anything ever. Bitching about it serves no purpose other than to irritate others. If, in soem hypothetical far-future world, the game industry only portrayed female protagonists it would be because the designers were female. There's nothing wrong with that.

 

[Farseer Lolotea]

The goal is not to become a society where the default is female, the goal is to not have a default.

You said this more clearly than I could have. Thank you.

Long story short? This game is missing a major, and very basic, aspect of one of its selling points.