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Female Protagonists in games. Do you care?

D

Dreohboy

Junior Member
Just a thought.

With the reboot of the Tomb Raider franchise it's made me think how important is it that the lead character be a female if it's not because she's a hottie?

I don't think it's sexist because I'd prefer to play a male protagonist. It's just a personal preference.

It may be a bit sexist. I'll admit to that.

But Tomb Raider having a female lead is one reason I may pass on the title. I know. Shallow.

Just thinking out loud.
 
Ploid 3.0

Ploid 3.0

Member
Oh boy you're in trouble. Have you worked on a ICO game before? Are you that guy? Gaf has been waiting to tear you apart if so.
 
D

Dreohboy

Junior Member
Ploid 3.0 said:
Oh boy you're in trouble. Have you worked on a ICO game before? Are you that guy? Gaf has been waiting to tear you apart if so.
Click to expand...

I'm not...but I wanted to spur the conversation.

I just got the latest Game Informer in my mail and the first thing I thought was...she's kinda hot.

Then I thought...wait....
action game...exploration...shouldn't my first thought be ....BAD ASS or something?

Sure, it says something about me that my first thought was sex related. Bad guy me.

This post was more me thinking out loud than anything. Sorry to the female posters that my opinion may offend.
 
S

Snuggles

erotic butter maelstrom
Just out of curiousity, what is it about playing as a female hero that turns you off? I can understand wanting to play as your gender, but skipping a game just because of it? Seems a bit much.

Personally, I like it. I see it as I'm playing as a character, not myself, so I enjoy playing as a strong, ass-kicking woman like Commander Shepard or Bayonetta. In fact, I actually prefer playing as a female when given the choice. I'll gladly take a lady over another vanilla buzz cut dude with no personality.
 
B

Buttonbasher

Member
Mass Effect is a more interesting story with a female protagonist as opposed to male.

I said it.

There are countless stories of Male Space Marines saving the galaxy but when it's a strong female character it's more interesting, in my opinion.
 
S

Sober

Member
Female representation is games is sorta important I guess, in the academic sense.

In a practical sense, I'm pretty sure most gamers are ambivalent/don't give a crap. Just hope the game is good.
 
M

mollipen

Member
In any game where the sex of the main character is not an important factor, it should be user-selectable.

If you ever pass up a game because it has a female main character, that's all kinds of ridiculous. Should I pass up a lot of the great games out there because it is impossible for me to identify with a steroid-upped bald space marine?

Dreohboy said:
hen I thought...wait....
action game...exploration...shouldn't my first thought be ....BAD ASS or something?
Click to expand...

UGH.
 
D

Desi

Member
I am not affected either way so if I am able to tell my game characters apart that is always a plus.
 
R

revolverjgw

Member
I don't find the stock "hot female" character model used in every game very appealing, nor the three strong 'n sultry voice actors that voice every one of them. Elena from Uncharted is freakin' great though, I'd love to see more of that kind of character, or even play as one.
 
D

Dr.Palutena

Member
I'd have to say I'd never pass up on playing a video game based on the gender, race etc. of the protagonist. That being said in a game in which i can't choose what/who I am, I'd prefer it if the character not be a stereotype. Beyond that I really don't care.
 
D

Dreohboy

Junior Member
Snuggler said:
Just out of curiousity, what is it about playing as a female hero that turns you off? I can understand wanting to play as your gender, but skipping a game just because of it? Seems a bit much.

Personally, I like it. I see it as I'm playing as a character, not myself, so I enjoy playing as a strong, ass-kicking woman like Commander Shepard or Bayonetta. In fact, I actually prefer playing as a female when given the choice. I'll gladly take a lady over another vanilla buzz cut dude with no personality.
Click to expand...

That's where we differ. True, if it's a great game it's not guaranteed that I'll skip it simply because the lead is female.

But I don't play video games to watch ass. When I play them I identify myself as the lead. Not as me watching a story unfold that I'm watching. I identify with a male lead more than a female lead. If the male were a specific race...specific height...specific build similar to mine...I'd also identify with that protagonist more.

Nothing more nothing less.


Oh....just wanted to add that before Uncharted 2, the original Tomb Raider that I played on my old PC back in 1997 was my favorite video game of all time. Third person adventure/exploration hadn't been done like that before and it just worked for me. I didn't focus on the character being female at all back then.

Not sure what's changed in my old age. Oh well.
 
D

dimb

Bjergsen is the greatest midlane in the world
I like games with female protagonists better when I can get the camera stuck on the wall.

And they are wearing a skirt.
 
F

fernoca

Member
Dreohboy said:
Then I thought...wait....
action game...exploration...shouldn't my first thought be ....BAD ASS or something?
Click to expand...
Ugh, so many facepalms. :/

Plus she doesn't even look "hot" and she's even covered in dirt, mud and blood (and with bruises).

But, still..geeze. :lol
 
P

Prime crotch

Banned
Yes. I'm currently playing and really liking Resonance of Fate, but the female main character is troubling because of her portrayal. The main characters are practically the same, so she can do everything the other two dudes can, yet she's always second guessing herself, and her companions treat her like if she's not as capable.
 
S

Snuggles

erotic butter maelstrom
That's where we differ. True, if it's a great game it's not guaranteed that I'll skip it simply because the lead is female.

But I don't play video games to watch ass. When I play them I identify myself as the lead. Not as me watching a story unfold that I'm watching. I identify with a male lead more than a female lead. If the male were a specific race...specific height...specific build similar to mine...I'd also identify with that protagonist more.
Click to expand...


We definitely differ, there, but that makes sense. I think that for me, I like to use games as a means of escapism, to jump in a little virtual world where I can play as a character that's something totally different than what I am in real life. Maybe that's part of what draws me towards female characters.
 
F

fresquito

Member
Some of the games I've enjoyed most I have been controlling a fat plumber. I don't really care what the main character is as long as the game is good.
 
S

Sword Familiar

178% of NeoGAF posters don't understand statistics
Guevara said:
I never even think about it.
Click to expand...

Seriously, this. I can see that some of you may want to BE the protagonist, so to speak, and would prefer it to be the same sex as you for that reason or whatever, but for me it really doesn't matter. As long as the game delivers, I'm fine either way.
 
GhaleonQ

GhaleonQ

Member
As in real-life, I care less about demographic representation than ideological and situational. If there's something best expressed in a situation by a female, go for it. If not, I couldn't care less.

I'd rather play any person who's debating whether getting off of meth would lead to a better life, a Lutheran grappling with an irreligious world, or a composer struggling to write a piece that best represents the Russo-Japanese War than a woman trying to solve the mystery of the ancient tomb and maybe she shoots dudes along the way.
 
R

Rahxephon91

Banned
I rather have a female main character, but that's just me. I like looking at nicely drawn female characters. I don't need them to be oversexualized or anything though.
 
F

faceless007

Member
I don't particularly care but some of my favorite games have a female protagonist.

Beyond Good & Evil
Mirror's Edge
Portal
The Longest Journey & Dreamfall

Survival horror games tend to like having female protagonists. Fatal Frame series, Haunting Ground, Clock Tower, Silent Hill 3, Phantasmagoria. Don't know what to make of that.
 
D

DY_nasty

NeoGAF's official "was this shooting justified" consultant
Dreohboy said:
Then I thought...wait....
action game...exploration...shouldn't my first thought be ....BAD ASS or something?

Sure, it says something about me that my first thought was sex related.
Click to expand...
yep
Rahxephon91 said:
I rather have a female main character, but that's just me. I like looking at nicely drawn female characters. I don't need them to be oversexualized or anything though.
Click to expand...
You're not alone.
 
A

Azure J

Member
It doesn't make a difference to me so long as the character is either interesting (narratively) or creative enough (in design & utility) to carry out the role of the lead in whatever the game may be. This means that they could be batshit insane/OTT & hyper sexualized, or subdued and tactful, as long as they "fit" within the type of game they headline. (All IMO of course. :p) And just to be clear, this goes both ways on the gender debate.
 
B

Boney

Banned
I'm guessing you haven't played this.

Bayonetta_27-10-09_eslaultima-550x559.jpg


GhaleonQ said:
As in real-life, I care less about demographic representation than ideological and situational. If there's something best expressed in a situation by a female, go for it. If not, I couldn't care less.

I'd rather play any person who's debating whether getting off of meth would lead to a better life, a Lutheran grappling with an irreligious world, or a composer struggling to write a piece that best represents the Russo-Japanese War than a woman trying to solve the mystery of the ancient tomb and maybe she shoots dudes along the way.
Click to expand...
But that's not his point. He's only talking about the sex of the character. Marcus Fenix is a buy, Jade is a pass.
 
C

Coxswain

Member
Buttonbasher said:
Mass Effect is a more interesting story with a female protagonist as opposed to male.

I said it.

There are countless stories of Male Space Marines saving the galaxy but when it's a strong female character it's more interesting, in my opinion.
Click to expand...
Yep. Pretty much every kind of traditional video game protagonist role is inherently more interesting when the role is filled by a woman. Even if you don't change a single other thing about it, all the connotations and implicit aspects of the character and her backstory are changed around completely.
This wouldn't be the case if women had equal or near-equal representation like this in games, but until that happens, I'm much more likely to be interested in and give a shit about a game with a female protagonist.


(PS Fuck all the "hurr hurr I like to look at ass" people)
 
R

Rpgmonkey

Member
I never put much thought into it.

Most games don't make me feel like the protagonists's sex is extremely important to their perspective of things and how they go through most of the various situations presented in the game, so it never mattered to me.
 
F

fernoca

Member
Kinda reminds me of:
10fryqb.jpg


Also, not everyone that plays games with female characters, is "to watch ass". Heck, I rather have Chris Redfield dancing around wearing just a speedo and with real-physics too. :lol :lol
 
P

Papercuts

fired zero bullets in the orphanage.
One of the main things about the Tomb Raider reboot that catches my attention is the fact that Lara isn't just an oversexualized symbol, her design is a lot more down to earth and realistic.
 
Z

ZealousD

Makes world leading predictions like "The sun will rise tomorrow"
Buttonbasher said:
Mass Effect is a more interesting story with a female protagonist as opposed to male.

I said it.
Click to expand...

In games where you can customize your own character, I prefer to do a self-insertion hero fantasy, and so I play as male. It may be a little juvenile, but I already play tons of games with pre-crafted characters.
 
C

careksims

Member
Rahxephon91 said:
I rather have a female main character, but that's just me. I like looking at nicely drawn female characters. I don't need them to be oversexualized or anything though.
Click to expand...

Amen, brotha, but I do like them sexy too. FemShep forever.
 
M

MCD

Junior Member
As long as she is strong and they don't whore her out with shit-ton of fanservice right from the very start, sure.

The newest look for Lara Croft is just perfect.
 
S

Sharkington

Banned
I almost always play a female character if given the choice. Having that option is always a huge plus, and by extension, I don't generally have a problem with any games that force me to play as a female.

That said, I'd take a male character like Nathan Drake over one of those gross Itagaki fetish dolls any day of the week.
 
S

StuBurns

Banned
I don't think it makes any difference at all. Bayo is awesome, I loved the TR's when I was younger, FFX-2 is better than FFX, I don't care.
 
Zomba13

Zomba13

Member
I honestly do not care what gender the main character is. Women can do anything just like men and I'd have just as much fun with a game if the playable character was a man or women.
When it's an RPG or a game where you make your character then 9 times out of 10 I'll be a male because I'm a guy and I like my main personalised character to be like me. If it's an MMO or another playthrough of a game I make some female characters (got a bunch of female heroes on Champions Online and WoW).

I don't think having a female lead makes a game better or more interesting. It's all about the character development of the lead character, of course a well written female character will be more interesting than a bland male character but a well written male character is just as good and of course better than a bland female.
 
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