I love playing as female characters, FemShep ftw.
Just image COD having a female protag? There would be glorious meltdowns (but they would still buy it).
Good, but please made her talk less while hunting dino robot
Perhaps because the majority of gamer dudes want to play as dudes. They are still trying to sell a game to their core market.
Remember Me: bombed
Heavenly Sword: Underperformed
Mirror's Edge: Underperformed
From a purely business perspective, and that's how these companies think, Sony wasn't wrong thinking that.
Remember Me: bombed
Heavenly Sword: Underperformed
Mirror's Edge: Underperformed
It may be facile reasoning, but that's how many business decisions are made.
Luckily, they have another game a chance.
This is the assumption, but there's no statistical data to prove that a majority of male gamers will overlook a well marketed, critically acclaimed AAA game because the protagonist is female.
This is the assumption, but there's no statistical data to prove that a majority of male gamers will overlook a well marketed, critically acclaimed AAA game because the protagonist is female.
Then you have people like me, who will pay far more attention to a game simply because it has a female protagonist.
Are Tomb Raider and Portal the only successful franchises with female protagonists? Outside of visual novels and adventure games.
How do you know that?
This is the assumption, but there's no statistical data to prove that a majority of male gamers will overlook a well marketed, critically acclaimed AAA game because the protagonist is female.
Then you have people like me, who will pay far more attention to a game simply because it has a female protagonist.
All of these had metacritic scores in the 70s. A male protagonist wouldn't have helped them.
It's not that they're nervous about having a female protagonist, but rather will she appeal to the player. Will she be a character that someone will want to play as? This is where this subject gets touchy.
Remember the whole box art thing for The Last of Us where they wanted Ellie to be in front of Joel and went through that struggle?
Well, it's usually a female with appeal, which is sad to say. It is what it is. We loved Beyond's Jodi. She was a bad ass and didn't have to be sexy. Ellie is a young teen. So, the trend may be leading in that direction, but think of Kat, Nariko, Lara Croft,and Bayonetta have that sexual appeal. The character for Horizon does not. The first thing my husband even said was,"Eww, she's ugly." As sad as it is, that's the sad truth that was the first thing that came out of his mouth. We'll see where it goes from here.
This is literally like saying "Well, The Order flopped, Alice: Madness Returns flopped, MediEvil 2 flopped and Sherlock Holmes Crime and Punishments flopped, we should never make a game set in Victorian London again"
The only data they have and use is sales.
When they see multiple games with female protags bombing, that's all the data they need to make a business decision.
For reference, I'm not saying that is right, just explaining the reasoning.
Tomb Raider does well, for example.
Are Tomb Raider and Portal the only successful franchises with female protagonists? Outside of visual novels and adventure games.
How do you know that?
Tomb Raider did pretty well didn't it? The protagonist's gender isn't an issue at all as long as the character is well written.
If it took focus testing to convince Sony that an attractive white female with a bow in a post-Hunger Games world would be viable within a video game, then we ain't ever going to see a minority female lead in a AAA title Lol.
But again, those "bombs" all received weak review scores.
When a poorly reviewed game with a male protagonist bombs, it's because it wasn't a good game. When a poorly reviewed game with a female protagonist bombs, it's because the protagonist was female.
Are Tomb Raider and Portal the only successful franchises with female protagonists? Outside of visual novels and adventure games.
When the few female protagonist that exists bombs is when publishers have an issue i would think.
Lol in what world is this an ugly person?
Are Tomb Raider and Portal the only successful franchises with female protagonists? Outside of visual novels and adventure games.
I really would love a minority female lead in a AAA title. I can't think of any female lead that wasn't white in a AAA title.
Remember me, perhaps?
In the comic book direct sales market (which sells to 18+ males primarily) - female led books have not done well. At all. It's an incredibly pervasive pattern, and one where there's no real ability to try and beat around the issue. What's helping the female-led titles today is the existence of direct downloads via the internet, which is giving them access to demographics they didn't have previously. Video games have the same type of male-dominated demographics that comics do, and the fears of executives re: female leads and sales aren't irrational in the least.But again, those "bombs" all received weak review scores.
When a poorly reviewed game with a male protagonist bombs, it's because it wasn't a good game. When a poorly reviewed game with a female protagonist bombs, it's because the protagonist was female.
Tomb Raider did pretty well didn't it? The protagonist's gender isn't an issue at all as long as the character is well written.
Easy; pack the cover full of Robo-Dinos, because Robo-Dinos are cool.I still think it will affect sales a bit, but they made the right decision.
Especially the more casual male players who just walk into a store uninformed and look for a game probably won't choose a game where they play as a woman.
Lol in what world is this an ugly person?
Lol in what world is this an ugly person?
Do you want to protect her?
In the comic book direct sales market (which sells to 18+ males primarily) - female led books have not done well. At all. It's an incredibly pervasive pattern, and one where there's no real ability to try and beat around the issue. What's helping the female-led titles today is the existence of direct downloads via the internet, which is giving them access to demographics they didn't have previously. Video games have the same type of male-dominated demographics that comics do, and the fears of executives re: female leads and sales aren't irrational in the least.
Not that, but perhaps prefer an other game over this.Please don't tell me there's a large number of people willing to not get a game just because it's got a female protag, that makes me real sad.
She's perfect.
I'm tired of the generic male lead - so having someone as exciting as her to play will be awesome. I was really a fan of Heavenly Sword, and this one feels like a spiritual successor of that game of sorts.
Maybe it bombed because the game sucked.
It's like saying that since Catwoman was a bad movie, it's impossible to make movies with female leads.