Rumor: Activision Doesn't Think Female Leads Can Sell Games

[maxben]

I've kept a steady answer whenever someone asks me what gender I want to play. I play women. Because if I have to look at an ass throughout the whole game it might as well be a nice one.

Seriously, I'm pretty sure nobody will care what gender the lead is so long as it's a good story and good gameplay. Saying that gamers don't want women is just... moronic, really.

I grew up in the age of Buffy and Xena, no wonder I still find it hot/awesome to see a woman kicking ass.
So when I play videogames, I much prefer seeing that.
I can imagine that if you grew up in the 80s with more badass male characters you would want to be a badass male character.

 

[The_Emperor]

Activisions PR rep = 9001 MEGATON NUCLEAR FACEPALM

Yeah pick your market but don't pigeonhole your customer base into misogyny

Female leads sell, as said above, Tomb Raider anyone? one of the top sellers for ps1?

fair enough your average fratboy stereotype would be "bummed to play a chick master chief" but there are other markets.

get into the niche Activistion stop being a 1 trick pony, your magical money printers in Azeroth aren't going to last forever.

 

[Cabisco]

Though I do dislike activision for a whole host of reasons, this I just don't think is true. I dunno, it just sounds more like someone trying to suckapunch activision rather than say truthful evil things about them.

Got to say it, I'm calling bullshit on this one.

 

[Rayansaki]

I would probably buy COD: Black Ops if it had a female lead, even though I have no interest in the game right now. Variety is good, and games with female leads stand out from all the generic male lead games.

 

[dochmbi]

Sure if you don't innovate and just remake the same thing over and over again, that'll work fine for a while as long as people buy it, but if you don't innovate, you risk becoming obsolete in an ever-changing marketplace.

 

[Mr.Squishy]

Dear Activision

Hire Joss Whedon.
I'm not saying the man is perfect, but many people seem to like his strong female leads. Check out his works and tell me they weren't successful and popular when released(and in a lot of cases, to this day as well). In short - Imagine casting the likes of Buffy in a game lead role. Joss Whedon is already popular, and skilled as well. Who knows, maybe a game with a female lead could appeal to a wider audience, so long as she wasn't a cardboard cutout (which joss avoids a lot of the time).

Or maybe I'm talking out my ass here.

 

[squid5580]

Oh come on. You are seriously going to use FF13 as the benchmark for female leads that sell shitloads of games. We all know FF13 would have sold regardless who was the lead character.

 

[Snotnarok]

Activision is really filled with idiots honestly. My interest has been sharply declining in their games since they're all the new games coming out are basically cookie cutter versions of their older games.

 

[LeonLethality]

What about the Final Fantasy games?

What?

you mean they were guys?

Even Tidus?

They were guys... every single.. oh wait

Spoiler: Found one.

You forgot Terra <.<

OT: As summed up by many people before, Metroid, Final Fantasy, Dead or Alive, Tomb Raider, et cetera..

 

[Macgyvercas]

I know bloody well I've been ninja'd on this, but I have to say it.

*ahem* Activision! If female leads don't sell games, then explain Tomb Raider. Yeah, that's what I thought.

 

[jamesworkshop]

Somehow I think this rumor is highly unlikly with one of the longest running franchises having the same female lead in every game for over a decade, had 2 movies based upon, and used to advertise sports drinks and cars

 

[Naheal]

You forgot Terra <.<

OT: As summed up by many people before, Metroid, Final Fantasy, Dead or Alive, Tomb Raider, et cetera..

Oh, right, Terra. For some reason, whenever I think of 6, I think of Locke...

 

[Soviet Heavy]

They have a don't have a policy of telling game developers what to do, yet they withhold royalties from Infinity Ward until Modern Warfare 3 was to be finished?

Hypocrisy much?

 

[LeonLethality]

You forgot Terra <.<

OT: As summed up by many people before, Metroid, Final Fantasy, Dead or Alive, Tomb Raider, et cetera..

Oh, right, Terra. For some reason, whenever I think of 6, I think of Locke...

I think of both of them and Edgar. I kind of think those three were the main lead characters with no single one being the main character.

 

[Flying-Emu]

I would love to see a studio develop one such title (that's actually good) to see what happens.

Been there, done that.

*snip

Don't forget the original videogame heroine: Samus Aran!

 

[Trucken]

I would love to see a GTA with a female lead. I usually play as a female in Saints Row 2, but the cutscenes and conversations never acknowledge the gender of the character, so it doesn't affect the story at all. But with the story written around a female protagonist I think it could be very interesting. That is, if they refrain from making every male character trying to hit on/rape her. And don't make her a ***** that thinks the solution to everything is a bullet in the face.

 

[ecoho]

um first off arnt there more female night elves in wow then any other toon? and id like to add a game that did amazingly well in the states that had almost no male cast i am of course taling of final fanisy 10 2

 

[Fatal-X]

A GTA/CoD style game with a female as the main character? I guess that I need to agree with Activision. That would look kinda stupid and wouldn't sell well.

 

[Sixties Spidey]

Yeah, this is par for the course when their boss is a sexist fuck.