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[stuminus3]

I'm not sure if it's like this for everybody of if it's random but I was pleased to see the default player character model in Star Wars Battlefront was a black woman.

 

[UnemployedVillain]

Elma in Xenoblade Chronicles X is amazing. Great character design, great VA and universally respected in the game (as much of it as I've played at least). She's like a friendlier version of the Major from GITS

 

[Dr. Black Jack]

No Splatoon in the OP? The girl Inkling is the main focus of the game and its advertising and the two most popular characters are the Squid Sisters. Really cool to see Nintendo get with the times like that instead of pandering shit like Super Princess Peach.

 

[UnemployedVillain]

No Splatoon in the OP? The girl Inkling is the main focus of the game and its advertising and the two most popular characters are the Squid Sisters. Really cool to see Nintendo get with the times like that instead of pandering shit like Super Princess Peach.

Get with the times? If anything Super Princess Peach was an exception. They've had female representation in their games for years. They just don't shove it in your face and make it a point that they do, like it's something special

 

[cosmicblizzard]

Japan's been pretty great with it this year as they have been for most of the generation. Still got the best villain ever that happens to be female who made a guest appearance this year.

West could still use some improvements, but hey, at least there's Life Is Strange.

It's not normal.

If you can list 1300 single entry video games and/or series with standalone female protagonists in them, I will request a ban of my account.

Perma?

Apparently we need more games where we can beat on women. Ok.

I mean yeah, that is a mark of equality. That Last of Us shied away from female bandits because ND didn't want people to get uncomfortable over Joel's brutal treatment of them kind of says something. Representation is more than just being about positive portrayals. We need to see the ugly sides of humanity both committed by and done to people of all genders.

 

[VibratingDonkey]

I'm not sure if it's like this for everybody of if it's random but I was pleased to see the default player character model in Star Wars Battlefront was a black woman.

Right. Battlefront just went and did it with no fanfare.
I reckon you can add that one to the FIFACOD pile of big ol AAA productions that feature twice the gender now. Maybe ACyndicate belongs in there as well, I dunno. There have been decent female characters in those games before, even a main character, just not a lead in the annual tentpole. Also there's a trans character. And Battlefront deserves particular recognition for including women of color.

 

[mollipen]

I think the importance of Life is Strange isn't just that it has some great female characters, but that it allows for a strong friendship to be shown between two girls without having to make them lesbians in the end.

I mean, I want MORE lesbians in my games, but there's a serious lack of well-developed female friendships where they're just friends.

 

[Morrigan Stark]

I think the importance of Life is Strange isn't just that it has some great female characters, but that it allows for a strong friendship to be shown between two girls without having to make them lesbians in the end.

I mean, I want MORE lesbians in my games, but there's a serious lack of well-developed female friendships where they're just friends.

Good points. Female friendship is almost unheard of in games and never fleshed out the way male friendships/bromances are.

IIRC Trails in the Sky had some moments like that though, which was nice. Good female cast in that game (only played FC yet).

 

[Vegito]

I think we've come a long way in portraying strong female characters in games that arent just oversexualzied sex objects. I love being able to play as a woman in blops3. Tomb Raider is doing a great job with Lara. And as mentioned Life is Strange was a great leap forward. Not just for woman but for the LGBT community as well.

 

[bwakh]

First time ever

 

[4Tran]

It really seems like women are getting more and better representation in video games in the last few years. The charge is primarily led by the indie games, but tons of high profile games have decided to include female avatars and protagonist roles. I think that the next big push would be to have better characterization and art designs.

Japan is a different story. Female characters have always been fairly common, but their roles are still as problematic as ever. Feminism itself is pretty low key in Japan (the word "feminist" means something totally different) and it doesn't seem to have permeated into Japanese pop culture in general. I don't think that Japanese developers get what's going on in the West, and so they don't really know how to respond.

 

[Deleted member 20920]

Good points. Female friendship is almost unheard of in games and never fleshed out the way male friendships/bromances are.

IIRC Trails in the Sky had some moments like that though, which was nice. Good female cast in that game (only played FC yet).

Female Friendships are rare even in movies and TV shows. Most women in media just talk about their love lives and bond over talking about how lousy their men are or something.

It's good that Life Is Strange does something different.

 

[GrantDaNasty]

There was a legitimate effort to improve female representation in games this year, most of which I appreciated, and there were only a tiny few notable exceptions that just had me roll my eyes, especially because people keep telling me "oh no it's much deeper than you think":

Max and Chloe from Life is Strange - I liked these characters, Max I feel might be too "vanilla" for some people's taste, but y'know what, we need to widen the spectrum of character archetypes, and as the embodiment of the player, Max Caulfield worked for me. Chloe is perhaps a bit more cliche, but I liked her as well.

Evie Frye from AC: Syndicate - Evie and Jacob are very obviously meant to portray 2 different archetypes - Evie is the more subtle, cunning thinker, and Jacob is the ruff & tumble, brash but well-meaning fool. Every time I did a mission or objective utilizing stealth, Evie was my go-to, and she is not one to mess with based on how I played her. A kind soul, but not one to shy away from getting her hands dirty "for the greater good".

I haven't played Witcher 3, but have heard people saying good things about Ciri.

Quiet from MGSV - Quiet is lame. Let me just say, I used Quiet a lot because in gameplay terms, she is incredibly helpful, but her character is about as flat as a cardboard cut-out. Also, let me try and quell the flames by saying this as well: EVERY character introduced in MGS V was super-fucking lame. Every single one. There is much better female representation in MGS as a series, for people to cling to Quiet as having any importance or relevance or being worthy of sympathy is any way is kinda pathetic, but hey, everyone has a right to voice their opinion, don't let me stop ya.

 

[AlimNassor]

Witcher 3 did a great job of portraying all kinds of women. Richard Cobbett covered it in his column on RPS.

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/06/08/women-of-the-witcher-3/

No it fucking didn't. Hmm all women are A. sexually objectified objects of desire all hungry for Geralts dick or B. ugly old women. The only woman allowed to be anything more then a damsel was Ciri.

 

[blueteainfusion]

No it fucking didn't. Hmm all women are A. sexually objectified objects of desire all hungry for Geralts dick or B. ugly old women. The only woman allowed to be anything more then a damsel was Ciri.

How can you call Yen only "an objectified object of desire?" Or Cerys? Or Philippa? I wouldn't say The Witcher 3 is the best game out there where it comes to female representation, but saying that Ciri is the only one being "more than a damsel" is a gross exaggeration. All these women drive the plot to certain degree and especially Yennefer is damn crucial.

 

[Messofanego]

Evie Frye from AC: Syndicate - Evie and Jacob are very obviously meant to portray 2 different archetypes - Evie is the more subtle, cunning thinker, and Jacob is the ruff & tumble, brash but well-meaning fool. Every time I did a mission or objective utilizing stealth, Evie was my go-to, and she is not one to mess with based on how I played her. A kind soul, but not one to shy away from getting her hands dirty "for the greater good".

Don't you dare try to catcall Evie Frye, either.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbsHvqTblMA

 

[Kinyou]

You can collect cards nudie cards of all your sexual conquests in Witcher 3. They're like trophies.

You're confusing it with Witcher 1. The series has come a long way since then.

No it fucking didn't. Hmm all women are A. sexually objectified objects of desire all hungry for Geralts dick or B. ugly old women. The only woman allowed to be anything more then a damsel was Ciri.

I feel like that article makes a lot more compelling argument than you do.

 

[viveks86]

I think a lot of the "AAA" developers are finally making an attempt to be more inclusive, so it has been a good year in that sense. Still a long way to go.

 

[Haunted]

I wanted to chime in with some shit examples I've encountered recently, but I think this thread is better served as a celebration of the well written, well designed women we've gotten in games this year.


I think a clear, upward trend is observable here and I firmly believe that it's due to the fact that people are talking so passionately about it, taking developers to task for not thinking about these things and generally make our opinions and demands heard and a big topic in gaming.

Let's continue to do so and further improve things in 2016 and beyond.

 

[jon bones]

2015 felt like a big step forward in better representation of women in gaming. Thanks to the goobergate subreedit for their part in all this.

I'm looking forward to this momentum continuing into 2016 and increasing inclusiveness of all minorities in gaming.

 

[Morrigan Stark]

Female Friendships are rare even in movies and TV shows. Most women in media just talk about their love lives and bond over talking about how lousy their men are or something.

Yeah that's true hence the Bechdel Test. But it's even worse in games I think.

 

[Diebuster]

Huh, had no idea Cibele was a live-action thing. I only saw screens of the MMO portion and thought that was it.

 

[TGO]

Seems the same except theres more lesbain characters I guess?, but that GA video.....That was awkward as fuck, nothing worse then a fixed awards, Reminds me of the MTV VMA's 2009 with Taylor Swift.

 

[Aquillion]

I think the importance of Life is Strange isn't just that it has some great female characters, but that it allows for a strong friendship to be shown between two girls without having to make them lesbians in the end.

I mean, I want MORE lesbians in my games, but there's a serious lack of well-developed female friendships where they're just friends.

It was always something Nippon Ichi was good at; I remember noticing them as an exception all the way back in Rhapsody.

Related: According to that leak, there will hopefully be a PC version of Phantom Brave soon.

 

[Spinifex]

I think the importance of Life is Strange isn't just that it has some great female characters, but that it allows for a strong friendship to be shown between two girls without having to make them lesbians in the end.

I mean, I want MORE lesbians in my games, but there's a serious lack of well-developed female friendships where they're just friends.

I agree with this totally but I ended up shipping Chloe and Max anyway. I'm part of the problem.