lightskintwin
Banned
Exactly. If Nintendo created a female Link, give her a new name and identity and not some consolation prize of being gender swapped for one game from a iconic male character.
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GameSpot: No Playable Female Character in new Zelda [UP: Additional Comments in OP]
- Thread starter maxcriden
- Start date
Exactly. If Nintendo created a female Link, give her a new name and identity and not some consolation prize of being gender swapped for one game from a iconic male character.
OriginalNameGuy
Member
Seeing as it was a rumor and never a promised feature I can't say the developers did anything wrong. No one pre ordered with the guarantee of a female link.
I'm just saying it's a lot harder to actually experience sexism as a man..
Mithos
Member
Then tune in to the current Treehouse livestream.
Shirtless Link, and three women ogling and commenting on how hot etc et al he is shirtless.
If someone did this with a female character O BOY.
wait till i tell you tons of rpgs have characters with personalities whose gender can be picked by the player and it doesn't affect jack shit
theangrypirate
Member
Oh please. Get over yourself. Men are every bit as capable of seeing sexism as women. We may not be victims of sexism as often but don't think men can't understand or empathize with women. Our opinions may even add to the discussion by *GASP* offer a differing perspective than a woman. God this thread is depressing.
So what? Can men not make valid observations of sexism?
Hey, I'm complaining about sexism and I'm a woman! What argument will you use to dismiss me?
I wish I were ignorant enough to not see sexism everywhere.
stufte
Member
Not really. It may not happen as often, but it's pretty easy to pick up on. Men aren't stupid you know...
That's.... that's what I was saying? For someone so upset about me not addressing your points, you aren't great at reading my posts.
decoyplatypus
Member
See, this is exactly what I'm talking about. I'm not going to talk you out of your view that Link is essentially male. But can you really not see that Link is different from most of those characters in some pretty material ways?
This is not a good argument because Link from one game is not the same Link from another. And it's not some weird time issue, it's explicitly stated that they are not the same individual.
They painted themselves in a bit of a corner with having Link look the same game after game after game, but there is no reason Link cannot be a female, a child, an old man, a goblin, or anything else.
old manatee
Banned
They knew what they were doing with those lanyards.
FunkyPajamas
Member
Have Zelda carry the triforce of Courage and be the main character, give Link the Wisdom one then make him a sage/shaman type guy.
Hell, just have both Zelda and Link be female; it's not like women aren't corageous.
Or even make it a player choice, it wouldn't even affect the story. I don't think there's a Zelda game where making the main character be female would mean a rewrite of the story.
Such a lame excuse.
Hell, just have both Zelda and Link be female; it's not like women aren't corageous.
Or even make it a player choice, it wouldn't even affect the story. I don't think there's a Zelda game where making the main character be female would mean a rewrite of the story.
Such a lame excuse.
Got me. I have only played Ocarina of Time
Is it only those two though? Why, then I could spin it around and say that he mostly doesn't.
WOW really? Nintendo had one year with every single big game come out with a female option for a character, this post makes no sense, Zelda games never had any other playbale character outside of a version of Link.
Even Hyrule Warriors had more females
I disagree and it'd be cool to hear some examples of why you feel this way. Please change my view on this.
Boy Wander
Member
I've just been watching a gaming livestream by a company who are supposedly sexist, yet for the past 4 hours, women have pretty much been front and centre. Some of you overthink this shit.
WrenchNinja
Member
Don't worry, the romance is superficial at best.Got me. I have only played Ocarina of Time
Is it only those two though? Why, then I could spin it around and say that he mostly doesn't.
I'm sorry, I got your argument mixed up with another. My own fault for feeling belligerent.
stufte
Member
No worries!
What a great loss.
it's okay because reasons, happens everywhere
There is also no reason he shoud be any of those things.
balgajo
Member
Let's wait!
HammerFace
Banned
Because Aloy reincarnates right?
lightskintwin
Banned
For the record, a company not allowing an option to change a 30 year old iconic male character to female isn't SEXISM.
Exactly my point.
If the creators want to make Link a male, it's fine. If they want to make Link a female, also fine. If they want to make a create-a-character, great.
Link isn't a set character like some people think he is.
Tales influenced world events and history does not make the TALES THEMSELVES sexist. It's the same line of thought so many people here rebelled against when certain game journalists tried to decry video game violence this E3 due to the recent shootings.
Entertainment is influenced by culture, because the creators live in that culture. Just like making a game about shooting doesn't mean you're automatically a violent sociopath, making a game with a male protagonist doesn't automatically make you a woman-hating misogynist.
NinjamicWZ
Banned
I get what they're saying. Character, mechanic and concept driven design.
Triforce of Wisdom might lend itself to something designed more around interacting wholly with magic, elements etc and avoiding or diverting conflict. Same way I would have liked a different Bioshock Infinite where Elizabeth manipulates time and space, or deploys songbird for some syngeristic golem tasks, vs the shooter we got or some hypothetical same-shooter starring Elizabeth.
Triforce of Wisdom might lend itself to something designed more around interacting wholly with magic, elements etc and avoiding or diverting conflict. Same way I would have liked a different Bioshock Infinite where Elizabeth manipulates time and space, or deploys songbird for some syngeristic golem tasks, vs the shooter we got or some hypothetical same-shooter starring Elizabeth.
autoduelist
Member
You don't need multiple voice actors, etc. It's always easier to have a defined main character [regardless of gender] than one with choice.
Well stated.
Mithos
Member
I don't agree, Link will always be the Hylian boy, HOWEVER the reincarnation of the "heros spirit" could reincarnate into all of those things you listed, but it would not be Link, because Link is a Hylian Boy.
Red Liquorice
Member
I think Link is somewhat of a different case. The character is more like a legendary folk hero than an actual person who's narrative continues throughout the series (like Nathan Drake, Chris Redfield etc). Link is a blank slate character, other than being a run through of the classic simple village boy saves the world trope, he has no personality and no backstory - everything is reset every single game.
If Linkle exists in Hyrule Warriors there is a presidence set for having a 'sort of' female version of the character. A large part of the Zelda franchise audience welcomed that character and hoped to see it brought in for future mainline games. I don't think a straight comparison can be drawn to more narrative characters - Natalie Drake and Christina Redfield appearing in the next games wouldn't be the same thing at all (not that I would particularly care if they did that).
It's maybe more like the arguement about Jane Bond - the character somewhat exists outside of normal space-time narrative, so gender changes aren't really having an effect on some massive overarching character and story - the character and story are reset and fluid any way.
IronicSonic
Member
A perfectly valid question
In fact I'd like to see the Santa Monica Studio's answer just for fun
God, I hope I don't regret diving into this thread.
Here's my view, the creators of the character view him as male. In their minds he will always be male. They feel that if they want a game based in this universe to have a female protagonist they already have a female character that they would use in Zelda. For this game they didn't want Zelda as the main character, so they stuck with Link. There is no sexist conspiracy here. Just a group of game developers going with their vision of their game. You don't have to agree with their vision but don't try to paint it as something other than what it is.
Link is not a blank slate character. Only someone being ignorant on purpose or who hasn't played the games would say this. He is a part of a legend about a boy or young man who reappears time and time again to save the land from evil.
As rex also mentioned, Link is part of the Zelda brand and to discard him for a new character is not the smart move from a business standpoint. Why isn't Peach the definite lead character in Mario games? Because she's not Mario, the popular, well-known, iconic character that sells games. Linkle, Zelda or Sheik in the lead role simply isn't as big of a draw.
I also believe that it's been established that this Link is one from a past game, possibly the Hero of Time (that went missing from one of the Ocarina of Time branches?). This lends yet another layer of proof that Link is not some blank slate. He is a boy/guy/man through generations of Hyrule. This is FACT until Nintendo decides to change it up.
Regardless, none of the female Link stuff was promised, hinted or anything from Nintendo. It was pure fan speculation and wishing. Be disappointed in yourselves for getting our hopes up and believing in a whole lot of nothing.
As rex also mentioned, Link is part of the Zelda brand and to discard him for a new character is not the smart move from a business standpoint. Why isn't Peach the definite lead character in Mario games? Because she's not Mario, the popular, well-known, iconic character that sells games. Linkle, Zelda or Sheik in the lead role simply isn't as big of a draw.
I also believe that it's been established that this Link is one from a past game, possibly the Hero of Time (that went missing from one of the Ocarina of Time branches?). This lends yet another layer of proof that Link is not some blank slate. He is a boy/guy/man through generations of Hyrule. This is FACT until Nintendo decides to change it up.
Regardless, none of the female Link stuff was promised, hinted or anything from Nintendo. It was pure fan speculation and wishing. Be disappointed in yourselves for getting our hopes up and believing in a whole lot of nothing.
Mihael Mello Keehl
Banned
The fact that he has not changed is proof that Link is the same way.
If he was any different he wouldve been changed long ago.
Honest question: Would it really be that difficult to make a female link skin and give the option? What more does Link do than generic noises? Last Legend of Zelda I played was Wind Waker, haven't played since is why I ask.
Dialogue would change in certain parts, and yes there is more work that would have to be put in, but I am hard pressed it would be significant in the grand scheme of things.
The reasoning is awful regardless.
Wouldn't mind this at all actually...think Gillian is a bit too old, but I'd be all for it if she got the role...Emily Blunt was another name thrown around and she would fit really well.
Dialogue would change in certain parts, and yes there is more work that would have to be put in, but I am hard pressed it would be significant in the grand scheme of things.
The reasoning is awful regardless.
Wouldn't mind this at all actually...think Gillian is a bit too old, but I'd be all for it if she got the role...Emily Blunt was another name thrown around and she would fit really well.
Now this is an interesting thought.
Would this nameless female become the heroine instead of Link? Would Link still exist in this hypothetical game? I'm curious.
Poodle Cannon
Member
I guess I don't understand the people being upset that he's still male as that has been the case in every Zelda game I've played. The other possibilities were all based off rumor, obviously.
What I do think would be neato, is a spinoff like other people have mentioned. Maybe an alternate version of OOT with Sheik and her own story within that universe. There are a lot of possibilities.
What I do think would be neato, is a spinoff like other people have mentioned. Maybe an alternate version of OOT with Sheik and her own story within that universe. There are a lot of possibilities.