Will Grand Theft Auto ever have a female protagonist?

[chuckman1]

Lately I've been getting back in to the GTA series which is one of my favorites. I own most of the big ones but Episodes From Liberty City and the PSP ones (my PSP was jacked). After watching the GTA 5 trailers I was wondering if there will ever be a female main character in Grand Theft Auto. Or even in one of the dlcs.

What do you think? Could the series work from a female perspective?

I'd be interested to see it but I doubt it will ever happen. Most game developers are afraid to make a female main character. Plus for most women it may make a bit less sense to heal from prostitutes; among other things that are staples of Grand Theft Auto.

In Saints Row 2 and 3 you have the option to play a female but it didn't change the story at all.

 

[Vern5]

I would jump for the opportunity to play as a female protagonist in a GTA game and I'm not even a big fan of GTA.

It might not happen for a variety of gender-based reasons. Women are usually portrayed as not as willing to engage in vice, especially violent vice, as men. Also, a female protagonist who does all the same things as Belic or CJ would probably come off as shockingly tough or butch to the usual audience of male gamers, thus making her theoretically unappealing.

 

[Brad Shepard]

people just kinda assumed GTA5 would have a female lead, and when it did not happen, people got mad, i dont understand it.

 

[Tyelcapilu]

I could see a butch woman do just fine, like Sergeant Calhoun from Wreck-It Ralph. The change in pace from normal protagonists imo would be appealing, not unappealing.
There are also such things as male prostitutes and lesbian women.

 

[Cabisco]

people just kinda assumed GTA5 would have a female lead, and when it did not happen, people got mad, i dont understand it.

They did? I must of missed that :/

As for a female lead in GTA I couldn't care less to be honest, I'd trust Rockstar to make a great compelling character like they always seem to but I have no desire to see a female lead at all, I don't think the product would be better for it or worse off because it doesn't. But if they decide to do it I'm fine with that so long as it's not done for the sake of it and it's well thought out which I assume in the case of Rockstar it would be.

If people are actually getting angry over the lack of a female character I don't understand the problem personally.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

I'd love to see Rockstar pull that one but it would depend heavily on what kind of organized crime they're tackling. The Italian Mafia has no place and very little regard towards female members, if The Godfather, Goodfellas and The Sopranos are anything to go by (the only female "made (wo)man" we see in The Sopranos lasts two eps and gets clipped with severe prejudice against her sex). The whole ghetto culture thing they had going on in San Andreas is also incredibly sexist. Most female characters in San Andreas are either mistresses (Maria from III), porn stars (Mercedes from Vide) or booty calls (CJ's girls in San Andreas). Same-ish with IV and onwards. As power figures we had Asuka in III (arguably shared with her bro through heritage) and the Poulet lady from Vice, who I think took some heat for being a stereotype.

Taking into consideration the mob cultures sampled by GTA, ladies receive very little prominence in organized crime, and going up the proverbial ladder. I'd like to see them make it happen, but I can't think of any mob org. right now where women get as many opportunities as men do. It's a pretty chauvinistic underworld.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

I'd love to see Rockstar pull that one but it would depend heavily on what kind of organized crime they're tackling. The Italian Mafia has no place and very little regard towards female members, if The Godfather, Goodfellas and The Sopranos are anything to go by (the only female "made (wo)man" we see in The Sopranos lasts two eps and gets clipped with severe prejudice against her sex). The whole ghetto culture thing they had going on in San Andreas is also incredibly sexist. Most female characters in San Andreas are either mistresses (Maria from III), porn stars (Mercedes from Vide) or booty calls (CJ's girls in San Andreas). Same-ish with IV and onwards. As power figures we had Asuka in III (arguably shared with her bro through heritage) and the Poulet lady from Vice, who I think took some heat for being a stereotype.

Taking into consideration the mob cultures sampled by GTA, ladies receive very little prominence in organized crime, and going up the proverbial ladder. I'd like to see them make it happen, but I can't think of any mob org. right now where women get as many opportunities as men do. It's a pretty chauvinistic underworld.

How many characters in the GTA games were actually part of the crime families? Apart from CJ, didn't the protagonist just do certain jobs for whatever crime families?

Tommy was with the Forellis (until Sonny crossed him anyway). But the point is, the Italian mafia doesn't take female soldatos, or capos, or any of that. Best case scenario, you're related to the boss and enjoy certain privileges. Same thing with most organized crime, I think, it's a man's world most of the time. But I'm not an authority by any means, I'm just voicing my impressions on the subject based on a mix of movies, literature and vox populi.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

I'd love to see Rockstar pull that one but it would depend heavily on what kind of organized crime they're tackling. The Italian Mafia has no place and very little regard towards female members, if The Godfather, Goodfellas and The Sopranos are anything to go by (the only female "made (wo)man" we see in The Sopranos lasts two eps and gets clipped with severe prejudice against her sex). The whole ghetto culture thing they had going on in San Andreas is also incredibly sexist. Most female characters in San Andreas are either mistresses (Maria from III), porn stars (Mercedes from Vide) or booty calls (CJ's girls in San Andreas). Same-ish with IV and onwards. As power figures we had Asuka in III (arguably shared with her bro through heritage) and the Poulet lady from Vice, who I think took some heat for being a stereotype.

Taking into consideration the mob cultures sampled by GTA, ladies receive very little prominence in organized crime, and going up the proverbial ladder. I'd like to see them make it happen, but I can't think of any mob org. right now where women get as many opportunities as men do. It's a pretty chauvinistic underworld.

How many characters in the GTA games were actually part of the crime families? Apart from CJ, didn't the protagonist just do certain jobs for whatever crime families?

Tommy was with the Forellis (until Sonny crossed him anyway). But the point is, the Italian mafia doesn't take female soldatos, or capos, or any of that. Best case scenario, you're related to the boss and enjoy certain privileges. Same thing with most organized crime, I think, it's a man's world most of the time. But I'm not an authority by any means, I'm just voicing my impressions on the subject based on a mix of movies, literature and vox populi.

They've already done the Italian Mafia though. Notice how Rockstar doesn't re-tread old ground?

GTA III from what I remember was mainly about the Yakuza and Drug Cartels (it's been years since I played it)

Vice City was...the Mafia and 80's ethnic gangs from what I recall?

San Andreas was typical suburban American street gangs from the 90's. Heavily influenced by the Bloods and Crips wasn't it?

IV and it's expansions had the Russian Mob, family of Irish criminals, Bikers and Club owners trying to double cross eachother.

I just don't see a crime family deputizing a female member fresh off the streets the way GTA always did, let alone escalating the power hierarchy of a whole city's criminal underworld. It's a chauvinistic world, and GTA emulates it, give or take some humor.

 

[Daft Time]

Or even in one of the dlcs.

If it ever happens - and I hope it will - it will only happen in an expansion. Too much of GTA's audience is the stupid "dude bro!" group who'd think it's "gay" to play as a "chick". Rockstar are still a company, and potentially losing such a large number of sales is something they will never do for a main release. It's a shame, but so very true.

I think it'd work great if they did. A female protagonist in a game about vice gives a unique perspective that we so rarely in any media, let alone games. It's an area dominated by men and where the outside world can barely even picture a woman fulfilling the same roles as you see from any of the other GTA leads. I think there is a ton of potential for a decent writer to create an interesting story.

 

[Nomanslander]

No, the game industry is too wrapped up with formulas and statistics, and it's still lead to believe that female protagonist will not do so well in the market as a male. Sexist by reasons of marketability.

GTA is a huge franchise... easily recognizable. So it'll do everything and anything possible to ensure as many sales as possible. Plus, generally the GTA protagonist is a racial stereotype of some degenerate psychopath (GTA3: creepy quite dude, Vice City: hitman italian mobster, San Andreas: black gangsta, GTA4: former USSR ex-military). So even if they decided to make the lead a female the character they might come up with won't exactly be very flattering.

Scantly dressed trailer trash prostitute with the storyline seeking vengeance against her pimp - anyone?

 

[PanYue]

Saints Row did well enough for me to not want a female GTA protagonist. I get they can be seen as 2 really different games and the stories wouldn't even be close to being the same from both series. But i had fun with a female protagonist in GTA even if the story was the same for both genders so I guess I found myself not feeling any need to have one again. Wouldn't mind one, but I don't feel the need to criticize a game for not having one.

 

[MrPeanut]

GTA4: former USSR ex-military

Just to point out um...Niko is actually Serbian.

 

[nexus]

It is not "sexist" that there are no female protagonists in GTA. Rockstar games have been known for having very strong female characters in their games, trying to survive and excel in a "man's world". Albeit, just not as the leads.

Honestly, I wouldn't even take GTA seriously, while it is more "realistic" than say.. Saints Row, it's hardly a realistic portrayal of society, and all the cast is usually an ensemble of caricatured stereotypes, that you grow fond of anyway.

 

[Callate]

I think they'd probably have to work on having a single semi-likable female character first.

 

[elvor0]

I'd love to see them do it, it'd be great anyway because it's a Rockstar game, but I know their writers would be able to make a great character to fill the roles, which'd be great representation for women in gaming, especially with the serious direction Rockstar have taken with women in gaming. Plus I'd totally have the hots for her, though for now default FemShep holds that position because she's hard as nails and has planet sized bollocks.

 

[Maxtro]

I'd play a GTA game if she or someone based on her was the main character.

BTW, this has to be one of her possible outfits

 

[PoweD]

I'd love to see Rockstar pull that one but it would depend heavily on what kind of organized crime they're tackling. The Italian Mafia has no place and very little regard towards female members, if The Godfather, Goodfellas and The Sopranos are anything to go by (the only female "made (wo)man" we see in The Sopranos lasts two eps and gets clipped with severe prejudice against her sex). The whole ghetto culture thing they had going on in San Andreas is also incredibly sexist. Most female characters in San Andreas are either mistresses (Maria from III), porn stars (Mercedes from Vide) or booty calls (CJ's girls in San Andreas). Same-ish with IV and onwards. As power figures we had Asuka in III (arguably shared with her bro through heritage) and the Poulet lady from Vice, who I think took some heat for being a stereotype.

Taking into consideration the mob cultures sampled by GTA, ladies receive very little prominence in organized crime, and going up the proverbial ladder. I'd like to see them make it happen, but I can't think of any mob org. right now where women get as many opportunities as men do. It's a pretty chauvinistic underworld.

How many characters in the GTA games were actually part of the crime families? Apart from CJ, didn't the protagonist just do certain jobs for whatever crime families?

Tommy was with the Forellis (until Sonny crossed him anyway). But the point is, the Italian mafia doesn't take female soldatos, or capos, or any of that. Best case scenario, you're related to the boss and enjoy certain privileges. Same thing with most organized crime, I think, it's a man's world most of the time. But I'm not an authority by any means, I'm just voicing my impressions on the subject based on a mix of movies, literature and vox populi.

They've already done the Italian Mafia though. Notice how Rockstar doesn't re-tread old ground?

GTA III from what I remember was mainly about the Yakuza and Drug Cartels (it's been years since I played it)

Vice City was...the Mafia and 80's ethnic gangs from what I recall?

San Andreas was typical suburban American street gangs from the 90's. Heavily influenced by the Bloods and Crips wasn't it?

IV and it's expansions had the Russian Mob, family of Irish criminals, Bikers and Club owners trying to double cross eachother.

They actually do re-tread old ground.
GTA III did have Italian mafia, just like Vice City, San Andreas and IV. All of them had the Italian mafia in some big part of the plot.