liquid_hokaji said:
I also just want to add one thing. Instead of so much attention toward what games are missing why do we not also give some attention to what games provide -- a vibrant community and sub culture.
For example, my wife is in to Metal music and this is genre dominated by white male fans and performers (not to mention racism and sexism is present in some areas). Yet, she considers herself to be a hard core Metal head because ultimately her appreciation for the music and the community supersedes any need to be represented. I feel the same about games. People do not need to see themselves reflected in the games they are playing for them to be emotionally engaged with it. Not to mention that being a gamer you are connected to a range of people of diverse background yet you want to engage with them because you share an appreciation for games.
Identifying the dismal ratio of unattractive to attractive women in games is something to be aware of, but not something I would call an 'issue' in games.
But Jim has given attention to what we have. What we have is a lack of female protagonists, and the roles these females take part in. Sad fact of the matter is that's the truth. Guys may lack in roles, but they certainly don't lack for number.
Personally, I feel it's alienating. That's what I get out of this "sub culture," and "vibrant community" who an obnoxious few want to keep it alienating.
Ever ask your wife if she'd want to play as any of the women in the game? If she wants to play as a woman from time to time? What's her opinion? Then again, asking this might lead her down the path some of us have taken where we take issue with the lack we have so much abundance of.
Never underestimate the power of incusiveness. We may not need such close relatability, but guys almost always get that fundamental relatability of gender so it's easy for them to play as a woman now and then, and generally be comfortable in the skin of the protagonist. It's more important than most think to even have a basic relatability. Women rarely get it, and when they do these women generally have shallow lives that do little to stray from point a to point b in the game's plot. There's almost never a love interest, almost never any options. It's harder to relate to tem as they generally don't have lives, but there's that basic relatability, and the chance that the writing has a woman's point of view.
It's easy to talk positively about what you have that's good when you have it, and have a steady supply of it, but what about those that don't get it often, and have to worry about the supply they'll get?
