The Leftorium

[SubtleMockery]

Does anyone else hate that there are no left handed characters in video games? Or that, in rpgs where you're "completely customizable" you can't equip stuff to your left hand?

As far as I've seen, Link and Sephiroth are the only non-accidental left handed characters in video games. And Link just got switched to righty in Twilight princess. Boo-urns. Boo-urns indeed.

Does this bug the crap out of anyone else?

 

[tiredinnuendo]

The object of video games is to experience our fantasies.

No one dreams of being a communist lefty.

- J

 

[Necrohydra]

Or that, in rpgs where you're "completely customizable" you can't equip stuff to your left hand?

Doesn't customizable mean customizable anymore? I admittedly am right-handed, but it shouldn't matter what hand I wield a weapon in. It should be up to user preference! Heck, if it can be done, you should be able to use your feet and mouth, too!

 

[SubtleMockery]

Damn straight.

Also, if anyone can think of any other lefty characters, I'd love to hear it.

 

[LordOmnit]

Actually in most games where you can equip things to various body parts (head, torso, waist, legs, feet, arms, hands, etc.) you can equip weapons to the left hand too. Admittedly this isn't making your character left-handed, but I honestly don't imagine that it is an important factor (like asking why you can't choose a character that has poor eyesight or is unable to taste that one particular substance (the name of the substance escapes me right now, but there is a genetic factor that allows- or in its absence doesn't- the tasting of a particular chemical with no known purpose other than that)).

 

[broadband]

well i never though that because im right handed but is a good point, at least in a game with detailed customization like the godfather should have something like that, specially when you are capable of change any minimun detail

 

[Worr Monger]

If I played an FPS game with a left handed character... I'd have to turn my monitor on it's side so that I could play correctly.

.... and not smear anything.

 

[SubtleMockery]

Actually in most games where you can equip things to various body parts (head, torso, waist, legs, feet, arms, hands, etc.) you can equip weapons to the left hand too. Admittedly this isn't making your character left-handed, but I honestly don't imagine that it is an important factor (like asking why you can't choose a character that has poor eyesight or is unable to taste that one particular substance (the name of the substance escapes me right now, but there is a genetic factor that allows- or in its absence doesn't- the tasting of a particular chemical with no known purpose other than that)).

Yes, you can sometimes equip things to the left hand, but it's always the "off-hand" or "shield" hand.

Why is it any less important than being able to be black, or female, or male, or purple? I'm left handed, I differ from most people, I wish to be able to emulate myself into a video game world. It's not important in that, it doesn't change a character's personality. But in rpgs that are supposed to be about immersion, it's jarring to see always right handed people that are supposed to be "me".

 

[Joe]

If I remember correctly, and it's been a while, in the Call of Cthulhu tabletop game, your character has a dominant hand. It's not video, but hey, use the wonders of your IMAAAAGINATION

 

[SubtleMockery]

Well, yeah. In pen and paper rpgs, you can be any dominant hand you want, because it's up to you. Always liked that about D&D. All my characters were left-handed.

 

[Dectilon]

I can't say it annoys me exactly, but for rpgs it is something that should be there : )

I mean, it might even be harder to fight someone who is lefthanded, if they have only practiced against right-handed opponents : )

 

[LordOmnit]

Yes, you can sometimes equip things to the left hand, but it's always the "off-hand" or "shield" hand.
Why is it any less important than being able to be black, or female, or male, or purple? I'm left handed, I differ from most people, I wish to be able to emulate myself into a video game world. It's not important in that, it doesn't change a character's personality. But in rpgs that are supposed to be about immersion, it's jarring to see always right handed people that are supposed to be "me".

Normally I'd just dismiss this as something like I said before, but let me elaborate on this:
If we took the population of persons in the world who would play a game that has high customization and allows to choose dominant (or no dominant) hand as some number g presumably larger than the entire population of people who are left-handed (represented by L) but still vastly smaller than 100% minus L, then it is possible that you are the only person in the entire community of people who would play said in-depth game (two notes here: 1) nobody else who would play said game say you are left-handed; I don't care 2) this excludes sports games by default, since that is highly relevant to many sports and sports games are not particularly immersive (outside of how immersive any game can be expected to be)). Conversely it is possible that the entire L could be contained within g and result in a substantial portion of people in g. But, assuming that g is a large enough sample to reflect the incidental traits of the larger human population, then "most" people would not be left-handed and this would be an incidental trait itself in g, not necessary to factor in by itself.
Yes- as a factor of immersion- this does bring that down for the portion of L within g which is (as I said before) incidental, because I can't imagine that all the people in the party of L / g would be concerned with that particular factor.
But, as for the necessity of it as an immersion factor, the video game industry can- essentailly- ignore that small demographic of people (L - who doesn't care + any random righties who care) / g since it is incidental, at best.
Although if they did want to claim to be (as close as one can get to) to fully customizable, then they would need to include that sort of thing.

 

[tendo82]

Unless its used to narrative effect, I think we can all agree that for most of us left or right hands plays little to no role in our enjoyment of a game. But maybe because I'm a "righty" I just don't get it.

 

[neems]

I do believe there are several shooters that have the option to show the player as being left handed. Off the top of my head, the only one I can think of is Counter Strike Source; it may be a common feature in Valve games.

 

[SubtleMockery]

Truthfully, it never affected my gameplay all that much. I can still headshot muthas quite efficiently and I rather enjoy Rock Band and Guitar Hero (which can be switched for lefties). It was just one of those things that always kinda...bugged me. Not enough to ask the industry to change it, just enough to find out if there's anyone else that felt the same.
It seems insubstantial because right handed people don't think about it, but imagine not being able to be a black character because, "well not that many black people play these games anyway".

I've also always wondered, where do you draw the line in trying to include every demographic possible into your medium before you create come sort of Disney Channel freak person who combines every ethnicity and disability known to man.

 

[LordOmnit]

I've also always wondered, where do you draw the line in trying to include every demographic possible into your medium before you create come sort of Disney Channel freak person who combines every ethnicity and disability known to man.

'Clive Barker's "Cliver Barker's: Jericho" by Clive Barker' apparently. Only to the opposite extreme I guess and disabilities (besides a disembodied spirit) not withstanding.

 

[LordOmnit]

Although it seems that video games are skewed towards righties anyways, since the more coarse controls are aimed at the left hand (moving around for most games, especially consoles), whereas something that requires accuracy, quick movements, and is overall more important is based for the right hand (aim, firing, decision-making, talking, etc.).