The problem is more like every restaurant in the neighborhood cooks nothing but spaghetti, and while it's very good spaghetti, you're going to get tired of it. But the moment you ask the cook to make something other than spaghetti, all of his fans blast you for trying to dictate what he makes, and say that if you don't like it, then go to another restaurant (ignoring the fact that they only cook spaghetti too, natch).Sutter Cane said:
Jimquisition: Creative Freedom, Strings Attached
- Thread starter Jimothy Sterling
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First off, Yes, yes, and yes... in that order.Makabriel said:
Videogames are an interactive medium. The character acts with my will. That said a videogame protagonist is easier to relate to because they start to share the player's morals, goals, and decisions. You are taking the trip to the end of the game with them, and as them in some levels.
You just don't do that in most books (aside form pick your own adventure, but that's still pretty limited), in movies, in TV shows, and so forth. You have absolutely no real say in what happens in those mediums. It's a different experience.
More importantly, movies, books, Television, and so forth cater to both genders pretty equally. Waaaaaaaaay more than videogames.
Books have the romance novels people liked to bash me over the head with as an equivalent to videogames as a whole among other strong female presenses, movies have the Resident Evil series which had a powerful female protagonist, as well as chick flicks (A surprising amount written by men, or directed by men), TV has Lost Girl, and other shows with women worth watching.
Those mediums are far more prone to have an actual team where men, and women work together as equals. As none are playable, the importance of the characters gets more balanced as there's less emphasis on one single person.
And, I'd say, more often than videogames, these mediums are more mature, and are more reliant on writing.
TV, Movies, and Books don't really need my focus. Videogames need to catch up in representation, and diversity.
P.S.
I'm not sure I ever heard of any medium outside of videogames where the protagonist's gender was forcibly changed, or their ability to have a love interest was dampened, if not removed from the plot. Videogames seem to have problems all their own, and a good many more aimed at female representation, and female gamers.
But who is judging what is "poor?" Why is the developer at fault for doing what they wanted to in one case (BioWare) but defended in another (Puppeteer)?uanime5 said:
So, Jim Sterling is the Kwisatz Hederach? Comparisons with Baron Harkonen notwithstanding.
There would be fewer complaints about not being able to play as an alternate gender/color/race/creed/national origin &c. if there were other equivalent games that provided that ability. Is it true, as Jim says, that the game industry as a whole in consensus is denying developers the right to make female protagonists if they so choose? That would indeed be censorship in the extreme and possibly even fodder for some kind of class action lawsuit, methinks. Yeah, let's make this really ugly. Get the lawyers in on it.
There would be fewer complaints about not being able to play as an alternate gender/color/race/creed/national origin &c. if there were other equivalent games that provided that ability. Is it true, as Jim says, that the game industry as a whole in consensus is denying developers the right to make female protagonists if they so choose? That would indeed be censorship in the extreme and possibly even fodder for some kind of class action lawsuit, methinks. Yeah, let's make this really ugly. Get the lawyers in on it.
The only problem I have is that it seems you put gender above personality. You say you relate more to female characters, but wouldn't you relate more to a person who is more like you, regardless of gender? Gender is a defining point, but it's not what completely defines a person. It's just one part.Rebel_Raven said:
All the whinging in the world won't increase the number of female playable characters in video games. The only thing that will is the increase in indie games or the change in buying habits of gamers.
The fact is that publishers see a real difference between sales of AAA games with female leads and those with male leads. There could be multiple reasons for this discrepancy but it is real, to the publishers at least. Until that changes expect AAA games to be as male dominated, at least in terms of lead characters, for the foreseeable future.
As the Dead Island bust showed, publishers don't care how many hundreds of people complain and argue on an gaming forum, they care about the sales and will do what they think will get them those sales, whether that is pandering and fan service or not.
The fact is that publishers see a real difference between sales of AAA games with female leads and those with male leads. There could be multiple reasons for this discrepancy but it is real, to the publishers at least. Until that changes expect AAA games to be as male dominated, at least in terms of lead characters, for the foreseeable future.
As the Dead Island bust showed, publishers don't care how many hundreds of people complain and argue on an gaming forum, they care about the sales and will do what they think will get them those sales, whether that is pandering and fan service or not.
Much the issue is that a couple of years ago, this kind of question wouldn't have been asked unless there was something unconventional about it. We had something of a respect for at least some of the creative process and wouldn't, say, question someone about making a sci-fi or fantasy game and not something so overplayed like a western, especially because you in no way felt you were owed one. So the question was out of left field, and then came of as if making a game with a male lead was some kind of faux pas that needed justification. The subtext behind "why must it be a boy" was "why given all the hooplah online about girls wanting girl characters did you chose to ignore them." While I might have phrased it differently, I think it was the only answer to give: no rationalizations, just a stern reminder that he is not there to appeal to you specifically and if if you are harsh on something that doesn't appeal to you for that reason alone, you aren't being fair to the game or to him. I wanted a female character in GTA since San Andreas and didn't get it this time. I'll hope for better in GTA 6 (or the expansion DLC we're sure to get).
Well, that's because for the large part, protagonist personalities are pretty limited. Very rarely do they get away from typical stuff. If it's my choice between bland guy and bland girl, 'm gunna go after bland girl, all other things equal.Korten12 said:
I go after female protagonists because they sometimes have unique personalities, and points of view from the average male protagonist.
Now if a guy has a largely better personality, and writing, I'll prolly go that way. I'd still expect that sooner or later there's a female equivalent, though. It's simply no fair if guys get all the interesting personalities, isn't it?
I admit being a little sad that GTA5 doesn't have a female character option (though not that sad. on a scale of 1 to 10, my excitement for GTA5 is probably a 5, at best). I prefer being able to play a female because I identify as female. I'm a trans woman but I'm not out, and playing a female in a video game allows me to temporarily forget that I feel like a stranger in my own body and be a woman. That said, I won't be less likely to buy a game if I can't play as a woman. It makes me happy if I can, but it isn't a mark against the game if I can't. It's particularly understandable for heavily story driven games