Poll: Would you not buy a game, if they gender swapped your hero?

[happyninja42]

Gender of the playable character doesn't matter to me. However, gender swapping a well-liked, established character would be a red flag for me. It would be admitting that the game developers have ran out of ideas for their games. It would be a cheap, gimmicky way to drum up interest in a franchise that should be retired.

If the developers react to any criticisms of the game by accusing people of sexism, then I would be deeply hesitant to buy the game. Call it "The Ghostbusters 2016 Syndrome".

So, my answer would be "Douglas". Gender doesn't matter. Motivations for gender-swap would be suspect.

Douglas is my way of having an entry for the inevitable response of "No option in your poll for my answer". So, Douglass is my catchall term for that. xD Inspired from Strongbad, and how apparently punching StrongSad in the stomach makes him say "Douglas". Don't remember why, but it always amused me. xD

For the most part... probably wouldn't matter, at least not directly. Some of the suggested Gender Swaps would probably make me wary,p

Those were just examples, that wasn't meant to be an exclusive list or anything. Just off the top of my head examples of "beloved" characters that theoretically might get a gender swap, or have had their gender openly discussed by gamers.

though - Not because the gender swap is annoying, but because it just seems so lazy. Linkle, for example - Yes, it fits in with the lore fine, but it's just... lazy.

Interestingly enough, that's pretty much what Jim said in his video. That given the already lazy writing of the game, what is the big deal about switching out the gender? It's not like the other games have been pillars of creative work, each a shining beacon in their own right as a testament to creativity.

Zelda can't get in on the adventuring action?

I'm all for this, and would in fact prefer it, simply on the grounds that the entire fucking game line is HER NAME and yet she's never actually the protagonist. It's like going to see a Spiderman movie, and instead it's about some other hero. Sure it might be fun, but you came to see Spiderman damnit!

Maybe one of the other female cast members? Maybe a Garuda? New character?

No, it's gotta be Link with a vagina. Come on, we can do better.

Considering they are afraid to do anything other than more Link games, with Link firmly in the limelight, assuming we can't ever convince them to take a risk on a new game line IP (or even just a spinoff, and it seems they are ever more afraid to try anything new), then yeah, we're going to have to get a gender swap. If all Hyrule games (barring Hyrule Warriors which is unique) have to have Link as the hero, because Nintendo just will NOT make anyone else be the main character in that franchise, then that means we're always playing Link. So, if the consumer base wants to play in Hyrule as a woman, well, then we have to have a gender swapped Link. Personally I'd love to see new IP's, and see those IP's do well, but I'm not so sure the gaming developers out there are as optimistic as I am about where they spend their millions. And given Nintendo's track record of just rehashing the same 3 IP's for 30+ years, I'm not too hopeful they will take a huge risk on something new. History seems to show that they haven't so far, why would they start now?

A...Female(?) Kirby (actually don't even know if Kirby has a gender)

Kirby's a dude.

Wouldn't know it by looking at him, what with his complete lack of any sexual organs of either gender. xD

 

[Silentpony_v1legacy]

There would be a lot wrong with that, actually. Mostly because the Federated Suns, and The Federated Commonwealth that followed, didn't have princesses - Female royalty in charge of a house are still called Prince.

Get on my lore level.

What's up bro? You wanna' bro down bro?!

 

[DefunctTheory]

Spoiler

There would be a lot wrong with that, actually. Mostly because the Federated Suns, and The Federated Commonwealth that followed, didn't have princesses - Female royalty in charge of a house are still called Prince.

Get on my lore level.

What's up bro? You wanna' bro down bro?!

Oh, you don't want to go Bro-on-Bro with me, SilentPony. I am the Alpha Bro.

 

[FalloutJack]

You know, since Link is a succession of characters and not one single person, I would say there's absolutely no reason the main character cant' be female EXCEPT that people will confuse the MC for Zelda even more than they did before. So, only for that one reason, really.

It would ba little problematic on the Mario brothers. People would expect the moustaches, and if they still had 'em, Italian women might take offense.

Given the fact that the original Metroid game had people thinking Samus WAS a guy up until the end, publishing a game where they keep to that kind of formula and then revealing a male character would be pretty funny.

There are all Nintendo, though, and I have been mostly on Steam and Sony for the past few years. So, let's talk Playstation heroes...

Ash Williams - Evil Dead: Not Mass Effect, but Evil Dead, as in Bruce Campbell. We can't flip that one because nobody even male has that man's moxie, so where do you find a female actor to fit that groove? The same goes for Duke Nukem, Serious Sam, and the like.

Persona Characters - Persona Series: It's been done in P3P and you can play as Aigis in the FES expansion. The MC of Eternal Punishment IS female while the game it originally spouts from (Innocent Sin) features male character that she had a relationship with, and the two are close to the same game, but done a little differently. I wouldn't care if there was another Persona or otherwise Shin Megami Tensei game with a female lead.

ICO and Shadow of the Colossus: These games are far too good for gender to even matter.

Devil May Cry Series: First off, not that newer game. But second...I could live with a female lead on this one. Why? My girlfriend and I concocted a character by the name of Artemis Knight, a little like Dante AND Vergil, and her primary weapon is Yamato. All it takes is a little imagination.

Asura's Wrath: If you told me there was a game coming out that was as epic as Asura's Wrath, but it featured Kali as the main character instead? I would be behind it 100%.

 

[Dreiko_v1legacy]

Yes. However don't get me wrong, its not because i have to play a female or anything. But if samus suddenly became male or link suddenly became female, it just wouldn't make sense in an established series where it was always the opposite.

Now however, if i was to get a new IP, that was inspired by metroid or Legend of zelda and i had to play as a girl it wouldn't matter. But do not genderbend a character and make it canon.

Link is one of the few protagonists for whom it would make perfect sense, given that my "3D only" Zelda collection includes 5 incarnations of Link, and there are at least as many in 2D. Why can't Linkle have the Tri-force of Courage for once?

I hate Linkle. She's an example of how not to do it. I agree with Lufia. Make an original character instead of gender swapping. I don't want her to have blond hair and a green outfit and to be another goody two shoes. Yeah, a spinoff adventure would be best.

Changing Samus' sex would be pretty lame. I'm not interested in 3D Metroid anyway. I want it to be third person and manual aim and I want the suit to be updated.

Wait, I think I am missing something but isn't Linkle a young sister to Link or something, rather than a genderswapped Link, hence being a separate char?

I coulda sworn all the kerfuffle about her was due to being a new char and not just THE Link of a main new game, which incidentally sounds just what you don't want btw lol.

 

[Dreiko_v1legacy]

I can definitely see it in the design, though she looks even more like the Elf in dragon's crown, but like, what else is a female Link gonna be like, the look is iconic, they're not gonna move away from it just cause she's female now. Also I just think she kinda looks adorable since I loved the Elf in DC so there's that too. lol

Is the issue here that bein the little sister or looking cute has less inherent power than the big brother or other such nonsense? I think little sisters are fine.

You know, since Link is a succession of characters and not one single person, I would say there's absolutely no reason the main character cant' be female EXCEPT that people will confuse the MC for Zelda even more than they did before. So, only for that one reason, really.

It would ba little problematic on the Mario brothers. People would expect the moustaches, and if they still had 'em, Italian women might take offense.

Given the fact that the original Metroid game had people thinking Samus WAS a guy up until the end, publishing a game where they keep to that kind of formula and then revealing a male character would be pretty funny.

There are all Nintendo, though, and I have been mostly on Steam and Sony for the past few years. So, let's talk Playstation heroes...


Asura's Wrath: If you told me there was a game coming out that was as epic as Asura's Wrath, but it featured Kali as the main chacter instead? I would be behind it 100%.

How about this; the human girl who was voiced by Rie Kugimiya (even when she grunts unintelligibly you can tell its her lol) didn't actually die from the explosion but rather absorbed some of Asura's rage power which is why he never goes anger beast again, and is now on a quest to remind Asura of his past by breaking into his new dimension he creates....by of course punching a hole in it.

I'd play that.

 

[FalloutJack]

You know, since Link is a succession of characters and not one single person, I would say there's absolutely no reason the main character cant' be female EXCEPT that people will confuse the MC for Zelda even more than they did before. So, only for that one reason, really.

It would ba little problematic on the Mario brothers. People would expect the moustaches, and if they still had 'em, Italian women might take offense.

Given the fact that the original Metroid game had people thinking Samus WAS a guy up until the end, publishing a game where they keep to that kind of formula and then revealing a male character would be pretty funny.

There are all Nintendo, though, and I have been mostly on Steam and Sony for the past few years. So, let's talk Playstation heroes...


Asura's Wrath: If you told me there was a game coming out that was as epic as Asura's Wrath, but it featured Kali as the main chacter instead? I would be behind it 100%.

How about this; the human girl who was voiced by Rie Kugimiya (even when she grunts unintelligibly you can tell its her lol) didn't actually die from the explosion but rather absorbed some of Asura's rage power which is why he never goes anger beast again, and is now on a quest to remind of Asura of his past by breaking into his new dimension he creates....by of course punching a hole in it.

I'd play that.

You know, that'd make a good bit of story, actually. I think that would really work out.

 

[Silentpony_v1legacy]

SNIP

But my original point is still valid. Little to nothing would change in the overwhelming majority of games.

 

[DefunctTheory]

SNIP

Spoiler

But my original point is still valid. Little to nothing would change in the overwhelming majority of games.

Its even more valid then when you started - Even the title doesn't change!

 

[aegix drakan_v1legacy]

Is there a fun, good reason for it?

Is the gameplay and plot still good?

If yes yes and yes, then I'll still buy it.

 

[Outcast107]

Depends. Are the characters one gender in the game before and all of a sudden change sex in the next game? probably not.

If the character a son/daughter of the nervous character, (Like Samus had a son and we are playing him. Or Kratos had a daughter and we play as her) sure. I don't like gender bending all that much and I feel like its a cheap shot to get "points" with a certain crowd.

 

[TheMysteriousGX]

I don't see the problem with it. Seriously, to change Doomguy into Doomgal they'd just need to model a couple forearms and swap some pronouns, so why not? It'd make some people happy and make hilarious people mad. Two good reasons right there.

Plus, the Triforce is better balanced with one dude, one gal, and one choice than with two dudes and a gal. Unless you think one gal is worth two dudes, you misandrist!


EDIT: Man, how would you even gender-swap Kirby? The guy's already kawii-as-fuck, pulling a Ms Pac-Man ain't gonna cut it. 'Course, I dunno how you tell the gender of just about anybody in that series. Is it just titles and pronouns.

NOTEDIT:

"Linkle: Female version of the hero Link. Created to be like a little sister to Link." (Hyrule Warriors Official Game Guide (Prima Games), pg. 246)"

You know they aren't actually related, right? She's a niave kid from a cucco farm in the middle of Nowheresville, Hyrule. Linkle thinks she's the reincarnation of the legendary hero, hence the well-established-by-folklore get-up, plus she's got a compass that glows in hero-y circumstances. It's a case of mistaken identity. Or is it? I mean, she does get up to some impressive heroics out of her drive and sense of duty. Kinda like another person who wears a lot of green for no real reason.

 

[Dreiko_v1legacy]

I don't see the problem with it. Seriously, to change Doomguy into Doomgal they'd just need to model a couple forearms and swap some pronouns, so why not? It'd make some people happy and make hilarious people mad. Two good reasons right there.

Plus, the Triforce is better balanced with one dude, one gal, and one choice than with two dudes and a gal. Unless you think one gal is worth two dudes, you misandrist!

"Linkle: Female version of the hero Link. Created to be like a little sister to Link." (Hyrule Warriors Official Game Guide (Prima Games), pg. 246)"

You know they aren't actually related, right? She's a niave kid from a cucco farm in the middle of Nowheresville, Hyrule. Linkle thinks she's the reincarnation of the legendary hero, hence the well-established-by-folklore get-up, plus she's got a compass that glows in hero-y circumstances. It's a case of mistaken identity. Or is it? I mean, she does get up to some impressive heroics out of her drive and sense of duty. Kinda like another person who wears a lot of green for no real reason.

Hell make Ganon female too.


The Legend of Zelda: Two Girls one Triforce

 

[the December King]

No thank you.

I'm not interested in this in my escapism. make more characters, make some gender-swapping, go nuts if that's what folks want.

But it's not what I want.

 

[MythicMatt]

If it was for just no reason at all, and had little bearing on the plot, it'd be a little out of place.

But should any of the writers actually think about the hows and whys of changing something like that, or make it the plot, I'd probably end up getting it whenever I can.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

Well Douglas, the game I play feature a myriad of playable characters of multiple races, genders, creeds and species! [sub]very expensive[/sub], HYUK-HYUK!

---

Serious answer, I don't care WHO I play as so long as the game itself is engaging and fun to me. If I find out TODAY that everybody in Tokyo Mirage Session Pound-sign Feh is being swapped over to every member of Malice Mizer and Moi Dix Mois I literally wouldn't care because at the end of the day it's still a game about J-pop stars dungeon crawling in Tokyo with Phantom Gackt. I would actually consider getting an Xbone S a bit more seriously if Gears 4 swapped out to an all female cast...well no I wouldn't but it would give me more pause than the fact that Gears 4 features humans rather than grizzled hunks of sentient beef.

 

[2HF]

If a man was flipped to a woman (Female Garrett, female Gordon, female GTA protag, Link whatever) I would buy the hell out of that.

If Samus, Lara, Chell, became men I would avoid that like the plague.

We have countless (literally I doubt anyone has an accurate count of games with male protagonists) games with men as the leads. Precious few with female leads.

Sign me the hell up.