When will game developers realize there are female players too?

[Necrofudge]

Personally I don't care if I have to play by a female character. I'm perfectly ok with playing by samus and Joanna Dark.

But I think the choice of gender could be nice with certain genres. With others though, (MMOs for example)it could set the stage for those creepy situations where a 40something guy pretends to be a girl your age. The world is full of them, and I don't like the idea of giving them extra opportunities.

 

[Flying-Emu]

Because you made it seem like it was universally accepted that Samus were a female, yet back in that day and age, it was rather shocking and controversial. Imagine the screams if Master Chief from Halo would had been revealed by the end of the third game that it was infact, a Woman.

If not universally accepted, widely accepted, since the games continue to move plenty of units. It may not have been accepted back THEN, but there ARE companies that have female protagonists and still have great sales in the male-dominated market.

 

[darkman80723]

Hey quit complaining at least there are SOME games out there where women are the lead....JRPG's aside there are little or no games where the protagonist is homosexual, and I mean out-and-out no question about it flamer...still doesnt keep me from enjoying a game that is well written, fun, challenging, and most importantly entertaining. And yeah, I have no problem playing a woman character or the majority of big brutey, testosterone freaks in games. all the same to me.

 

[Femalegamer]

I just read that Bethesda is working on two new games, bet they will allow us to play as a male or female character.

 

[CloggedDonkey]

I actually don't mind playing as a female (about ninety percent of my Fallout 3 characters where female, as they just have a more interesting story), and, although males are the majority of heroes, there are games with female main characters.

Spoiler: A short list

Perfect Dark (which, if not for cutscenes, you would never know that you're a female character)
Tomb Raider (though, that is more "Staring Lara Croft's Breasts")
Most MMOs (and some of them are, actually, women)
Mirrors Edge (Which, much like Perfect Dark, you couldn't tell you where a woman unless you looked closely)
Don't ask how I know, but there are H-games that are actually female friendly (however, they are ONLY female friendly and focus on males how male friendly H-games focus on females)

I think it has to do with the fact that it's easier to see a male in a game like Call of Duty or Gears of War. Most people want a muscle-bound Arnold Schwarzenegger type character to be in shooters and brawlers, and people want females to be in the games like Mirrors Edge, where you don't have to fight. I think this comes from the fact that most men (the majority) don't want to see men getting the shit beat out of them by women and women (most none gamers, who have a LOT of sway in the gaming industry for some reason, anyway) don't like being seen as people who shoot things and beat the shit out of people.

 

[Aura Guardian]

Jade in Beyond Good and Evil (Adventure)

YES!!!!! Seriously, she's an amazing character.

 

[Not G. Ivingname]

Snip

When Dead or Alive: Xtreme Beach Volleyball 2 stops selling so well.

 

[Jimmybobjr]

"When will game developers realize there are female players too?"
When female players are any good.

 

[the_bearpelt]

I don't really mind playing male characters, honestly. I think the reason why is because most female characters in video games are horrendous. THey're either whores, incredibly irritating and useless, or they're incredibly "badass" but still annoying and preachy. Or, god forbid, some unhol combination of two or three.

 

[Yingyangathena]

I don't really mind playing male characters, honestly. I think the reason why is because most female characters in video games are horrendous. THey're either whores, incredibly irritating and useless, or they're incredibly "badass" but still annoying and preachy. Or, god forbid, some unhol combination of two or three.

I totally agree with this, and that is why I usually play as the male when given a choice between the two genders.

 

[SofaKingCool]

I'm not sure I understand exactly why there is a problem in the first place...The very fact that a game is a good game or if a game is just the kind of game you like should be the reason you buy that game. I mean who honestly goes up to great games like the Halo games or The Gears games or Mario for goodness sake and says. "Hmmmm I don't feel like buying this because the main character doesn't share my gender." Honestly, if you like the genre or style of game then get it for that reason, don't let asthetic details keep you from a game you may enjoy. If you don't like the game play of a game then don't get it for that reason, don't make it a gender issue.

 

[SofaKingCool]

Don't be a sexist asshat.

 

[SofaKingCool]

Also for people who are just being sexist in this forum, it makes people dislike you and no one wants to have you post.(trying to give my previous post a meaning since it didnt get tagged to the person i directed it towards.)

 

[skeliton112]

TF2 has one. I refuse to believe the pyro is a male. Don't ask why.

 

[MasterV]

Reality is nothing of this has anything to do with the gender of protagonists since males clear accept both because both male and female character can have qualitys that men like
is not logical to suggest that women can only accept female leads why should a game with a male lead be completly unable to appeal to a female audience you could quite easily create a game with zero females and still appeal to a female audience

Well, my friend it's actually easy for devs to create likeable male and female protagonists. Why? Because they are males themselves. They don't think the same way a female does. And I agree that it's not necessarily a female lead that will attract a female player, it's more the story than the protagonist. Which is why I commented on the OP's view about what she is asking being a bit unrealistic and unfeasible.

The truth of the matter is that developers are either/and:
a)Guys like me and you who may or may not masturbate to their female creations and thus create them with a few more..."assets" then strictly necessary.

b)They like the age-old template of boy saves girl. Not necessarily bad, mind you. They are guys after all, I can sympathize with them wanting to save the girl, as can you.

c)They probably read/watch a lot of manga/anime (especially if they're Japanese), which ends up in the girl being a love interest and a romantic complement to the story's brutish/boorish protagonist.

Now, I'm not saying that female leads will lead gaming to a brave new era. Nor that it is necessary from my poin of view. Far from it. It'll just lead to female leads who are viewed more like actual characters and not just fap material, which can only be a good thing, no?

 

[jamesworkshop]

Reality is nothing of this has anything to do with the gender of protagonists since males clear accept both because both male and female character can have qualitys that men like
is not logical to suggest that women can only accept female leads why should a game with a male lead be completly unable to appeal to a female audience you could quite easily create a game with zero females and still appeal to a female audience

Well, my friend it's actually easy for devs to create likeable male and female protagonists. Why? Because they are males themselves. They don't think the same way a female does. And I agree that it's not necessarily a female lead that will attract a female player, it's more the story than the protagonist. Which is why I commented on the OP's view about what she is asking being a bit unrealistic and unfeasible.

The truth of the matter is that developers are either/and:
a)Guys like me and you who may or may not masturbate to their female creations and thus create them with a few more..."assets" then strictly necessary.

b)They like the age-old template of boy saves girl. Not necessarily bad, mind you. They are guys after all, I can sympathize with them wanting to save the girl, as can you.

c)They probably read/watch a lot of manga/anime (especially if they're Japanese), which ends up in the girl being a love interest and a romantic complement to the story's brutish/boorish protagonist.

Now, I'm not saying that female leads will lead gaming to a brave new era. Nor that it is necessary from my poin of view. Far from it. It'll just lead to female leads who are viewed more like actual characters and not just fap material, which can only be a good thing, no?

Sure realistic female character are a struggle to make but it shouldn't be viewed as being outside the realms of possibility when it's clear that most female character have never been created with the intention of being liked by female players, people are simply asking for more female MC's instead of better female MC's

Very few games are about boy saves girl, videogame characters are universally badasses even if they happen to be a scientists they will still fight off alien invasions with a crowbar, not really the issue because females are made to be protagonists but that doesn't make them more interesting to women because most female protagonists are created for the enjoyment of a male audience hence most are shallow sex objects.

It's not a lack of women it's the lack of quality and variety available thats the real problem Female characters are perfectly acceptable as shallow sex objects since we men clearly like them and they can easily coexist with female characters that are not designed from the male gaze but games rarely do that because most developers are targeting males primarlly.
Because of that asking for more female MC's is simply going to increase the number of games with sexy asskickers like Tomb raider rather than something like Dreamfall instead.


What people really want is for the videogame industry to make female demographic games however my view is that to do so does not require a female MC's for the same reasons that so far developers have had no trouble creating male or female lead games that appeal to men.

 

[Stickwell]

You mean like Gears of War 3 where there are two female main characters?
Halo Reach which also has one?
Tomb Raider.
Metroid.
Portal.
Mass Effect.
Dragon Age.
Fallout.
Tenchu.
Borderlands.
Mirrors Edge.
Perfect Dark.
Bayonetta.

Quite a few of these are Triple A titles.

I don't see why there has to be a female character for you to enjoy the game anyway. Portal is one of mine and a lot of peoples favourite games and a significant amount of them are males with no complaint.

Granted RPG's should always have a gender option because they are based upon role-play where people frequently like to play as themselves in a fantasy setting, but beyond that you are playing as a character not an avatar of yourself.

By that logic you shouldn't like books written in the first person with a male narrator either. Or television programmes or films where the protagonist is male as you cannot relate to them.

I personally have no issue whatsoever playing as a female character, and not because of the "If I have to stare at a pixellated ass..." argument either.

Bravo... Bravo.

 

[Azure Sky]

Now, I'm not saying that female leads will lead gaming to a brave new era. Nor that it is necessary from my poin of view. Far from it. It'll just lead to female leads who are viewed more like actual characters and not just fap material, which can only be a good thing, no?

This is basically my take on the whole situation.

Defiantly a good thing to happen, but the world won't end it it doesn't.

 

[mkg]

Men invented games. It's all we have, the only thing in our lives that the majority of women A) don't want to be a part of and B) won't take in the divorce settlement.

ZING!