But even the most realistic looking video games I don't see them as "real human beings", as almost all video games have never achieved much more than the illusion they are computer/remote controlled androids. I mean it may bleed red blood... but it isn't a real person.
The idea that I would not care about fighting males yet suddenly care about fighting females:
-Could that be because I am more likely to humanise and connect with a female "artificial"?
-or is it just my dick getting in the way? i.e. worried about killing a female simply because it is an opportunity for sex, pure female objectification.
See video games characters to spite how much they try to act "real" always fail and are little more than allegories for real life, which is fine, you are able to stay quite distanced, they are just objects. Just elaborate chess pieces in an elaborate game.
But could it be that slap some tits on there and our instinct to kill is overtaken by our instinct to screw?
I don't think so. I think if Gears 3 does have prominently sexual female characters in multiplayer then they will be killed just as quickly by the opposing team (no difference), but her team-mates will be far more protective of her and try to avenge her death more vigorously. that's assuming the majority of gamers are still male.
See, I heard the reason women have generally not been permitted in the military is not that they don't make good warriors, but that fellow males soldiers are too protective of them. I'm not saying a Marines/Soldiers doesn't get angry when their brother in arms gets killed by the enemy... it's just losing women they take it far worse.
Women can handle being in war, it's the men who can't handle women in war.