Poll: Why are game characters never given the ability to be left handed?

[snakeakaossi]

I am not much of a shooter fan, but I remember the first Soldier of Fortune having a button that made you switch hands. Alas, it was in the long gone days when FPS's were mostly PC exclusive, you had a function under every key of the keyboard and you had to type in cheats in consoles that also monitored the engine.

I feel old just typing that.

Edit: removed redundancy

 

[JLML]

I'm left-handed, but use computers like a right-handed, thus it doesn't bother me at all. The only thing making me REALLY annoyed is the fact that they made Link right-handed for Twilight Princess. With no option to change it. Seriously, Link's *always* left-handed (I get that they've probably come up with some canon-ish reason for it being this way, but still) and then you don't even have the OPTION for it. At all. Because "a majority of the players are right-handed" they did it that way. I consider it discrimination against a minority to do such a thing with that game... But that's just the Zelda fanboy in me speaking.

Anyway, I don't mind in most games, but when it's first person/third person games on the Wii or stuff with similar controls, where it actually makes a significant difference, I think the option should ALWAYS be there.

 

[IndianaJonny]

I can see it really screwing up the animations, to be honest. Take two right (or left) handed combatants - the shield arm of each fighter faces the sword arm of their opponent, and combat animations look natural. But if a left handed fighter and a right handed fighter are in combat, both opponents shield arms are opposite each other, as are the sword arms. To use existing animations would look totally unnatural, and obviously developers have decided the cost of motion-capturing and rendering the new animations that would be needed is not worth the expense.

But many fighting games recognise the advantage left-handers have in such situations, they're used to fighting right-handers while the reverse isn't the case. Hence, pretty much all boxing games include the 'Southpaw' option because of it's strategic importance. If anyone were to release a 'Fencing' title then the same would also be true (swashbuckling Raphael from Soul Calibur is left-handed).

I guess it boils down to how authentic the game is willing/trying to be, but it's not beyond fighting games to incorporate such preferences.

 

[P-mac]

As a lefty, I can honestly say that although I've noticed the minuscule amount of left-handed shooters/characters, I haven't really cared that much. Changing between hands on a shooter shouldn't be necessary, but if it's a game where which hand you use weapons or attacks with matter, such as an RPG or fighter should be an option.

 

[Alfador_VII]

Counter Strike used to only have left-handed weapon models, due to several of the authors being left handed.

It was only in a later beta they added a right-handed option. By the retail version it was right-handed by default, same with CS:S.

Link's an interesting one, he was left handed as soon as the games went 3D, prior to that, he always had his shield on the side facing out of the screen, and the sprite just got mirrored

Then for the Wii version of Twilight Princess, they switched Link to right-handed because of the motion controls, which actually caused them to mirror the whole game world as compared with the Gamecube one.

And Link will still be right-handed in Skyward Sword.

 

[KingofallCosmos]

I think it was Mass Effect 2 where I encountered it last. Also, Link is left-handed right?

 

[Jatyu]

Wii Sports lets you, nigh forces you to choose.

 

[irani_che]

in counterstrike you can make the character left handed
my left handed friend then put his mouse on his left side and changed the buttons round for a more natural feling game
you can do this with other FPSs?

 

[Goofguy]

It doesn't really bother me, either way. For the sake of realism in shooters though, this would be dependent on the weapon you are using. Most rifles have the ejection port for spent casings on the right side. Nobody likes taking hot spent casings to the face when shooting as a lefty.

 

[alimination602]

I remember Link from Zelda is left handed. Thats about it...

 

[matt_newgrove]

Well every game or mod created with the original half-life engine has allowed you to change hands as far as i know...

 

[PhiMed]

Well, the gun aiming, I can understand. But the swords? In medieval times you either learned to be right-handed or got murderized. So there's that.

 

[PhiMed]

I remember Link from Zelda is left handed. Thats about it...

True, but the Wii version has it in his right hand to more accurately reflect the wiimote swings. Oddly enough, the Gamecube version (which looks identical in almost every other respect) has him rolling southpaw.
Edit: This post referring, of course, to Twilight Princess.

 

[Dexiro]

Demon Souls is another game where you can be left handed.

 

[rokkolpo]

I'm a lefty and I don't care one bit.

It would be interesting though.
As long as it isn't that much of a hassle, why not?

 

[alimination602]

Yeah he was left handed in the originals then they changed it to right handed for Twilight Princess to make it easier for the majority of gamers.

I remember Link from Zelda is left handed. Thats about it...

True, but the Wii version has it in his right hand to more accurately reflect the wiimote swings. Oddly enough, the Gamecube version (which looks identical in almost every other respect) has him rolling southpaw.
Edit: This post referring, of course, to Twilight Princess.