Poll: Would you not buy a game, if they gender swapped your hero?

[happyninja42]

So, after skimming the thread about FemLink, and Jim's reaction to it, it got me thinking.

Disregarding the topic of "should they even do it", would it actually stop you from buying the game?

Because at the end of the day, that's the big question for a company like Nintendo.

Would gender swapping this traditionally male character, negatively impact sales, or would it boost them?

So, some game line, whatever it might be, doesn't have to be Link, but any classic game line, if they swapped the gender of the main character, would it actually stop you from buying the game as a result?

A Male Samus from Metroid
A Female Mario
A...Female(?) Kirby (actually don't even know if Kirby has a gender)
A Female Link
Etc etc.

Would this make you not buy the game?

 

[Lufia Erim]

Yes. However don't get me wrong, its not because i have to play a female or anything. But if samus suddenly became male or link suddenly became female, it just wouldn't make sense in an established series where it was always the opposite.

Now however, if i was to get a new IP, that was inspired by metroid or Legend of zelda and i had to play as a girl it wouldn't matter. But do not genderbend a character and make it canon.

 

[FakeSympathy]

Honestly, gender swapping can offer different ways on how your character interacts with npcs of the world and how they react to you. I would love to see what would happen if Kratos, Nathan, Master Chief, Link, and all of my favorite protagonists switch gender and how they act

 

[Mcgeezaks]

Probably, there's not a single good reason to genderswap a character in my opinion.

 

[Phasmal]

Eh. I would most likely not play a game where a previously female character was turned male, simply because we already have a huge lack of female characters, and at that point it would feel like the game industry was just fucking with me. I don't think changing a male character to female is the same thing.

But who knows, I would probably get over it and buy it anyway if it was something I was really interested in. I've spent 20 years playing mostly as dudes, not through choice, so I'm sure I'd survive.

 

[Dreiko_v1legacy]

I just want a good game, the gender of a prptagonist doesn't matter. Persona 3 portable was a great game and playing as Hamuko allowed for a different side of the undateable chars for Minato to be seen, which was awesome. Also saving Shinji was epic.


People just have an issue with their games being worsened I think, the gender is irrelevant.

 

[Secondhand Revenant]

Probably. It mostly seems like a change that can be ignored if I don't care for it.

 

[DefunctTheory]

For the most part... probably wouldn't matter, at least not directly. Some of the suggested Gender Swaps would probably make me wary, though - Not because the gender swap is annoying, but because it just seems so lazy. Linkle, for example - Yes, it fits in with the lore fine, but it's just... lazy. Zelda can't get in on the adventuring action? Maybe one of the other female cast members? Maybe a Garuda? New character?

No, it's gotta be Link with a vagina. Come on, we can do better.

A...Female(?) Kirby (actually don't even know if Kirby has a gender)

Kirby's a dude.

 

[Sexual Harassment Panda]

The way I see it is that I very much don't want that done to the characters that I love, but don't give much of a shit if you go and do that to characters I've never heard of... I wouldn't be terribly surprised if many could relate.

 

[Secondhand Revenant]

Yes. However don't get me wrong, its not because i have to play a female or anything. But if samus suddenly became male or link suddenly became female, it just wouldn't make sense in an established series where it was always the opposite.

Now however, if i was to get a new IP, that was inspired by metroid or Legend of zelda and i had to play as a girl it wouldn't matter. But do not genderbend a character and make it canon.

Link is one of the few protagonists for whom it would make perfect sense, given that my "3D only" Zelda collection includes 5 incarnations of Link, and there are at least as many in 2D. Why can't Linkle have the Tri-force of Courage for once?

Yeah when someone seriously says that it wouldn't make sense to gender swap Link I figure they know nothing about the games or think that their personal feelings not wanting it mean it 'doesn't make sense'. Because at most Link is some kind of reincarnation and there's nothing that has suggested such a reincarnation couldn't be a different gender.

 

[KissingSunlight]

Gender of the playable character doesn't matter to me. However, gender swapping a well-liked, established character would be a red flag for me. It would be admitting that the game developers have ran out of ideas for their games. It would be a cheap, gimmicky way to drum up interest in a franchise that should be retired.

If the developers react to any criticisms of the game by accusing people of sexism, then I would be deeply hesitant to buy the game. Call it "The Ghostbusters 2016 Syndrome".

So, my answer would be "Douglas". Gender doesn't matter. Motivations for gender-swap would be suspect.

 

[Silentpony_v1legacy]

I think we're all be hyperbolic here. I mean what, 99.9999999999999999% of games wouldn't change even a little bit if you Rule63 it. I mean what would it really add or take away from...MechWarrior 4: Vengeance if Ian Dresari Crown-Prince of Kentares IV became Lian Dresari, Crown-Princess of Kentares IV? Or if instead of being Legendary Magic Princess Katia in Lost Kingdoms, you're Legendary Magic Prince Karl, what would change? My guess is bugger and all.

Or any racing game! Or any FPS! Or any RPG! Or really just about any game ever, ever. Resident Evil 4 would have still been stupid levels of fun and cheese if Leona saved Ashley. Maybe the Rule34 would be more interesting, but outside of that?

I mean how often does the gender of the player character actually effect either the game-play or the story in a way that couldn't be easily rectified by adding or removing a 's' from the dialogue? Twice? Ever?

 

[DoPo]

Erm..."Douglas", I guess?

I would definitely NOT buy a game for this reason. I don't really see why I would - "oh the main character is now a different gender". Great...and? Does that make the game better automatically? No, no it doesn't

I would also definitely NOT NOT-buy the game based on this. Why would I avoid a game solely because the main character is a different gender? Doesn't really make sense to me.

I'd be up for it if the swap makes sense and the game is good. If it's "lol, Mario is now Maria" or "lol Lara Croft is now Laurel"[footnote]erm, even though I think the last Mario game I've played is Super Mario Bros. As for Tomb Raider - I've never even played one.[/footnote] that doesn't really seem like a compelling enough reason. However, as I said, if it makes sense, then I won't mind - for example, if you play as Lara Croft's brother or something[footnote]again, if I was even into Tomb Raider. And...yeah, I don't know if Lara has any make siblings or even immediate relatives (is her father even a thing?). Maybe the MC can be her cousin or something.[/footnote]

 

[DrownedAmmet]

Not sure how to answer the poll because while gender of the playable character is important to me (well, me and my niece who I game a lot with), it's not the only factor I'd buy a game for

I wouldn't consider making Link female a case of genderbending though because it is clear that each iteration is a different person. The new game looks amazing, and while I would prefer a female Link or the option to choose, I'm gonna buy a Wii U solely for that game anyway

But I'm also gonna ***** about in on social media

 

[DefunctTheory]

I mean what would it really add or take away from...MechWarrior 4: Vengeance if Ian Dresari Crown-Prince of Kentares IV became Lian Dresari, Crown-Princess of Kentares IV?

There would be a lot wrong with that, actually. Mostly because the Federated Suns, and The Federated Commonwealth that followed, didn't have princesses - Female royalty in charge of a house are still called Prince.

Get on my lore level.

 

[Saelune]

Not outright no, but it would bother me, and make me wonder what other needless choices they made. Unless its actually part of the plot. "Take that Mario, thanks to my magical whatsitdoodle, you are now Maria of the Maria Sisters!"

 

[Sonmi]

As long as the game is still good, I'll still play it.

I don't see any convincing argument to gender-swap though, if anything, I think it's a pretty tokenistic move, and counter-productive due to the backlash that could possibly be caused by it.