• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Female Protagonists in games. Do you care?

Brashnir

Member
Dreohboy said:
I haven't played more than 15 minutes of any Grand Theft Auto game because I think their main characters are too non-me.

Can you play games with characters who are entirely non-human, such as Pac-Man, Super Meat Boy, Yoshi, Donkey Kong, or Sonic?

Basically I'm trying to gauge if the disconnect comes from an uncanny-valley-of-alter-ego, or if you just can't handle playing any character who doesn't resemble yourself.
 

Dreohboy

Junior Member
stupei said:
I didn't mean to suggest that I feel one way about it or the other. I was just clarifying what Davidion seemed to be saying since you were over simplifying his statements to somehow mean "men are inherently dull," which I don't think was the intended implication.

I'm a woman. When I play games, watch TV, read books, go see a movie, etc. I am frequently experiencing the story through the perspective of a character that is nothing like me. Women learn how to do this. It's not hard. It's not even playing make believe, it's just empathizing with people who are not exactly like you. It's cool that you're male and have the luxury of the majority of stories that exist being told from the point of view of your gender so you're never obligated to learn this skill. If that means you're going to choose to avoid games that would require you to exercise a muscle you've never bothered to develop, that's your right, but obviously it's not something I can personally relate to since that would negate the majority of most forms of entertainment.

Not to excuse the way that I view things (which I admit might come across as sexist), but I do that every day. Have so for a LONG time.

As I stated earlier, I'm in my early 40s...living in the United States. The muscle you've mentioned I have developed...but as it applies to race, not to gender.

I understand what you're saying though. And yes, I'd probably feel just as strongly as some of you against someone that were to say "i would be inclined to not play a title if the main protagonist were a black male". BUT, I'd understand the point of view. Wouldn't necessarily like it, but I'd understand it and I wouldn't tell the other person he shouldn't feel that way. I'd probably do what others have done in this thread and attempt to find out WHY the person feels the way he/she does.

I'm so bad. I know.
 

Dreohboy

Junior Member
Brashnir said:
Can you play games with characters who are entirely non-human, such as Pac-Man, Super Meat Boy, Yoshi, Donkey Kong, or Sonic?

Basically I'm trying to gauge if the disconnect comes from an uncanny-valley-of-alter-ego, or if you just can't handle playing any character who doesn't resemble yourself.

Well...I've played Everquest, Wow (very briefly) and LOTRO (mmos the lot).

I've had one human character in LOTRO since the game was released. He's a brown skinned male. I've never created/played a non human male. Even when I use to RPG D&D...never created an elf or dwarf character. Always a human male.

Hmmm.... I may have deeper issues than can be solved on GAF.:lol
 

Brashnir

Member
Dreohboy said:
Well...I've played Everquest, Wow (very briefly) and LOTRO (mmos the lot).

I've had one human character in LOTRO since the game was released. He's a brown skinned male. I've never created/played a non human male. Even when I use to RPG D&D...never created an elf or dwarf character. Always a human male.

Hmmm.... I may have deeper issues than can be solved on GAF.:lol

What about extremely un-human characters like Pac-Man or the marble from Marble Madness?
 

Dreohboy

Junior Member
Brashnir said:
What about extremely un-human characters like Pac-Man or the marble from Marble Madness?

...don't play those types of games much. Not a platformer or shorter game kinda gamer. Only played about 10 minutes of Portal and I got it on my STEAM list of games.

I've played Mario 64..... (really trying to think back to where I put in a lot of time with a game that didn't have a realistic male lead)..... Well, the original Tomb Raider...

Not really though, no. I would say that 60% of my gaming through the years has been sports titles. Tons of Madden, tons of NBA Live...

Wow...I think I do try to put myself into games a lot more than I thought. Perhaps that is unhealthy.
 
Top Bottom