Women and Gaming

[funguy2121]

Maybe it(')s because it(')s unrealistic( how many chicks are in the military(?) (E)quality is a new concept invented by liberal douchebags(.) (C)hicks are only used for sex appeal because of the known links between sex and violence.

The only game I ever played with a good female character was Silent Hill 3, because it was believable.

(Proofreading indicated by parenthesis.)

This is not the most informed viewpoint I've encountered. To answer you question, there are thousands of women in the military, and though the official policy is to avoid putting them in harm's way, they see combat every day. A medic is going to see combat, especially in a hornet's nest such as Iraq or Afghanistan. So no, it is not unrealistic, especially considering how many sci-fi and fantasy games are out there.

"Equality is a new concept invented by liberal douchebags." Welcome, stranger! I'd like to be the first to welcome you to the twenty-first century! You may not like it, as many of our women are not content to cook and clean and spread disease as prostitutes.

Please es-splain the "known links" between sex and violence. I don't recall the new Wii Rape game but I'm sure it'll be under many a family's Christmas tree this year.

And how was Silent Hill believable? Was it Pyramid Head?

 

[TPiddy]

I think it simply goes like this.

As long as developers will be mainly males, they will make the protagonists look and act the way they like because so far it works, and games sell. Since games sell (a lot) there must be something they're doing right with YOU the public.

Women too can become developers and design characters the way they like. It's a free industry.
But I woudln't say it is a need in itself.
Hell, we don't even absolutely NEED games at all do we? It's entertainment for cryin' out loud.

Yeah, it definitely does NOT go like this. The product is always developed for it's audience... not it's developers. Marketing, art direction and story telling are decided by a team of editors, usually with the target demographic in mind.... it has very little to do with the developer's personal tastes or gender.

 

[lvl9000_woot]

What about the main character from Portal? She was female and people love that game. She didn't have a "huge rack" and was dressed appropriately.

She was also not a character any more than a snail is. Player avatar would be more accurate.

Then by your logic, so was Samus in Metriod Prime.

Samus has backstory, voice actress and her writing can be found in inventory menus. She has a name. She's a silent protagonist.

Unless I missed something, the player character in Portal has none of these. You don't even see her without "looking in a mirror". There's no part where you don't control her actions or look at things from her perspecive.
She is obviously intended to be only the player.

Chell does have a backstory http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal_(video_game)#Characters

It's true she doesn't have a voice actress but players do acknowledge the fact she is a female character.


Back on topic, I do agree that women aren't being properly represented in the gaming industry but it doesn't bother me.

That's not a lot is it?

Regardless of what you call her, she has absolutely no personality by the nature of the character's role, so she can hardly be called a good character either. Plus her looks seem rather irrelevant considering how you hardly even see her unless you really try to.

Wether she is a good character or has personality is irrelevant. The whole point I was trying to make was that she is a character in a game and can answer the question "Can we have stronger lead characters who aren't just eye candy?" with a 'yes'.

Oh and of course Chell isn't going to have as much character development as Samus; Metroid has been aroud since the 80's where as Portal obviously hasn't.

 

[funguy2121]

I think it simply goes like this.

As long as developers will be mainly males, they will make the protagonists look and act the way they like because so far it works, and games sell. Since games sell (a lot) there must be something they're doing right with YOU the public.

Women too can become developers and design characters the way they like. It's a free industry.
But I woudln't say it is a need in itself.
Hell, we don't even absolutely NEED games at all do we? It's entertainment for cryin' out loud.

Yeah, it definitely does NOT go like this. The product is always developed for it's audience... not it's developers. Marketing, art direction and story telling are decided by a team of editors, usually with the target demographic in mind.... it has very little to do with the developer's personal tastes or gender.

Suda 51. I don't think he designed the characters of Killer 7 or No More Heroes around what he though would sell; he designed them around concepts he thought was cool. Sure, he's an auter (dammit I can't spell today!) designer, but by your logic, innovation would not exist in this medium because the suits would be making all the decisions. Granted, they are making far too many decisions (for more, see new Prince of Persia).

 

[Axeli]

Wether she is a good character or has personality is irrelevant. The whole point I was trying to make was that she is a character in a game and can answer the question "Can we have stronger lead characters who aren't just eye candy?" with a 'yes'.

Oh and of course Chell isn't going to have as much character development as Samus; Metroid has been aroud since the 80's where as Portal obviously hasn't.

And my point was that she hardly has enough personality to be branded a strong character. It's a trait of personality.

 

[LogicNProportion]

The pilot you help out of the crashed Cobra Gunship in the original Mordern Warfare when you're playing as Sgt Jackson; right before the nuke goes off, was a woman.

...

I know it's not the same thing, and I already feel ashamed! XD

But seriously, I agree that we could use some new female characters that aren't just eye candy in a mediocre single player. (I'm looking at you, Wet.)

What we need is another Samus Aran. ^^

EDIT: I would also like to point out that even though their characters often have...interestingly...drawn proportions, most JRPG's have a very good set in their casts, when it comes to female characters. Etna from Disgaea is still a favorite character of all tiem for me, and I believe Tifa Lockhart from FFVII fame was awarded something or another about feminine rights in Japan. Don't get me wrong, it doesn't erase the thousands of pages of these two doing...less respectable...things, but all I'm saying is that women are not completely invisible in gaming.

 

[lvl9000_woot]

Wether she is a good character or has personality is irrelevant. The whole point I was trying to make was that she is a character in a game and can answer the question "Can we have stronger lead characters who aren't just eye candy?" with a 'yes'.

Oh and of course Chell isn't going to have as much character development as Samus; Metroid has been aroud since the 80's where as Portal obviously hasn't.

And my point was that she hardly has enough personality to be branded a strong character. It's a trait of personality.

Sure she's strong, she took down GLaDOS all by herself.

 

[Axeli]

Wether she is a good character or has personality is irrelevant. The whole point I was trying to make was that she is a character in a game and can answer the question "Can we have stronger lead characters who aren't just eye candy?" with a 'yes'.

Oh and of course Chell isn't going to have as much character development as Samus; Metroid has been aroud since the 80's where as Portal obviously hasn't.

And my point was that she hardly has enough personality to be branded a strong character. It's a trait of personality.

Sure she's strong, she took down GLaDOS all by herself.

Such is the power of the Portal Gun. The child's strength is not her own.

...
Oh god, I just realized I'm literally quoting a Disney villain.

 

[lvl9000_woot]

Wether she is a good character or has personality is irrelevant. The whole point I was trying to make was that she is a character in a game and can answer the question "Can we have stronger lead characters who aren't just eye candy?" with a 'yes'.

Oh and of course Chell isn't going to have as much character development as Samus; Metroid has been aroud since the 80's where as Portal obviously hasn't.

And my point was that she hardly has enough personality to be branded a strong character. It's a trait of personality.

Sure she's strong, she took down GLaDOS all by herself.

Such is the power of the Portal Gun. The child's strength is not her own.

...
Oh god, I just realized I'm literally quoting a Disney villain.

Are you telling me Samus' power suits didn't help her at all?

 

[funguy2121]

Please you two, remember that you're arguing about video games and that one day soon you would very much like to get laid.

 

[lvl9000_woot]

Please you two, remember that you're arguing about video games and that one day soon you would very much like to get laid.

Been there, done that(several times). Thanks

 

[funguy2121]

Are you suggesting that you're done with it?

 

[lvl9000_woot]

Are you suggesting that you're done with it?

Not yet...

 

[Axeli]

Wether she is a good character or has personality is irrelevant. The whole point I was trying to make was that she is a character in a game and can answer the question "Can we have stronger lead characters who aren't just eye candy?" with a 'yes'.

Oh and of course Chell isn't going to have as much character development as Samus; Metroid has been aroud since the 80's where as Portal obviously hasn't.

And my point was that she hardly has enough personality to be branded a strong character. It's a trait of personality.

Sure she's strong, she took down GLaDOS all by herself.

Such is the power of the Portal Gun. The child's strength is not her own.

...
Oh god, I just realized I'm literally quoting a Disney villain.

Are you telling me Samus' power suits didn't help her at all?

Nope, in fact I note myself often that she wouldn't survive without it, given she has often much trouble even with it. But it's obvious she's tough being willing to investigate such death-worlds in the first place for a living. Let alone staying to kill every last metroid[footnote]except the cute little one[/footnote]/space pirate instead of leaving when the odds are against her.

 

[lvl9000_woot]

Nope, in fact I note myself often that she wouldn't survive without it, given she has often much trouble even with it. But it's obvious she's tough being willing to investigate such death-worlds in the first place for a living.

Again, Samus has been around much longer. If they took the same amount of time to develop Chell, she could be just as strong.

 

[Axeli]

Nope, in fact I note myself often that she wouldn't survive without it, given she has often much trouble even with it. But it's obvious she's tough being willing to investigate such death-worlds in the first place for a living.

Again, Samus has been around much longer. If they took the same amount of time to develop Chell, she could be just as strong.

That's hypothetical. Unless such a game is made where we can see some of her motives, it's just that.

 

[lvl9000_woot]

Nope, in fact I note myself often that she wouldn't survive without it, given she has often much trouble even with it. But it's obvious she's tough being willing to investigate such death-worlds in the first place for a living.

Again, Samus has been around much longer. If they took the same amount of time to develop Chell, she could be just as strong.

That's hypothetical. Unless such a game is made where we can see some of her motives, it's just that.

Anyway, she's strong enough for me and she's not eye candy. I've stated my opinion in response to the original topic and I will now say "good day to you sir".

 

[Axeli]

Nope, in fact I note myself often that she wouldn't survive without it, given she has often much trouble even with it. But it's obvious she's tough being willing to investigate such death-worlds in the first place for a living.

Again, Samus has been around much longer. If they took the same amount of time to develop Chell, she could be just as strong.

That's hypothetical. Unless such a game is made where we can see some of her motives, it's just that.

Anyway, she's strong enough for me and she's not eye candy. I've stated my opinion in response to the original topic and I will now say "good day to you sir".

Fair enough.