The Needles: Lose the Dude
Why are lead characters in videogames almost always women?
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Why are lead characters in videogames almost always women?
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The Needles: Lose the Dude
- Thread starter Andy Chalk
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Satire or not I think there is a lot to be said for the shallowness and meat-headedness of a lot of games... And a lot of the male leads *are* designed to be hunks and hotties. When I play online, I usually prefer the female avatars... I just want to get away from a lot of the machismo BS from reality. Granted I've played COD:MW2, and loved it, but that's because so many of the characters *weren't* simply super-badasses in super-armor with super-steroids and other unrealistic garbage.
Satire or not, I think the game industry should push for more creative ideas with regards to what genders and what characters they make. Having big bulky space marine(esque) guys in Gears of War 2 have a few emotional moments doesn't drown out the fact that they're big bulky space marine(esque) abominations that look rediculous...
Satire or not, I think the game industry should push for more creative ideas with regards to what genders and what characters they make. Having big bulky space marine(esque) guys in Gears of War 2 have a few emotional moments doesn't drown out the fact that they're big bulky space marine(esque) abominations that look rediculous...
"They want to say yes, I am trying to solve my mentor's murder and save the world from a diabolical plot by uncovering the ancient and magical treasure of Ra, and I'm doing it with testicles! My hint meter is full, my chromosome is X and by God, I will not rest until my Big Fish Game Club card is full!"
Well...one of them certainly is. But the women gamers have two of those
Well...one of them certainly is. But the women gamers have two of those
Its not something I have noticed alot, but...I dont think they are the main characters. Certainly not in alot of the games I am playing (Gender choice aside)
Though, I dont think female leads are bad, I think we can relate to them just as much as we do male characters...as, they often seem to show male characteristics
Though, I dont think female leads are bad, I think we can relate to them just as much as we do male characters...as, they often seem to show male characteristics
Satire or not, I have to agree with other posts...what is your point?
I find that both male and female characters are the typical Hollywood stereotypes...males are muscled hunks...females are "hotties".
I don't care if my protagonist is a man or a woman, as long as I get a good game. Really, what more can we ask?
I find that both male and female characters are the typical Hollywood stereotypes...males are muscled hunks...females are "hotties".
I don't care if my protagonist is a man or a woman, as long as I get a good game. Really, what more can we ask?
That really felt like it switches messages half way through. Are you mocking women who want to be included? Or are you mocking people who don't think it matters?
Instead of speculationg i will do the thing:
Dear Mr. Chalke,
this was a really interesting and mindbending article and for a moment i was confused if i was reading a BizzarroWorld Article, if you were serious (where my confusion would be justified cause i don't look into sozialGames very much or at all) or if it where something different alltogether.
It would be nice if you could clearify my confusion.
Sincerely, your reader,
Felixader
Dear Mr. Chalke,
this was a really interesting and mindbending article and for a moment i was confused if i was reading a BizzarroWorld Article, if you were serious (where my confusion would be justified cause i don't look into sozialGames very much or at all) or if it where something different alltogether.
It would be nice if you could clearify my confusion.
Sincerely, your reader,
Felixader
I believe the message is that video game companies create characters and settings for what they think their core demographic is.
Where shooters are almost always guys, puzzles tend to be female characters (think Portal).
This stereotyping is wrong on a lot of levels and I would love to see more change.
Bring me more female action stars (female Sheppard should have been the lead rather than male Sheppard), and I wouldn't mind more puzzle games being played by an Indiana Jones-type character.
Where shooters are almost always guys, puzzles tend to be female characters (think Portal).
This stereotyping is wrong on a lot of levels and I would love to see more change.
Bring me more female action stars (female Sheppard should have been the lead rather than male Sheppard), and I wouldn't mind more puzzle games being played by an Indiana Jones-type character.
Satire, sure, but it got me thinking. I guess my confusion comes from why it matters. I could care less about what bits Our Hero has got as long as he or she is interesting and likable. How much do you think I, as a certified lady-type person, actually relate to Lara Croft? We both wear bras, sure, but that's about the beginning and the end of the similarities between Ms Croft and yours truly. If you relate to and admire a character it should be because they have qualities you admire and want to aspire to, not because their chromosomes match your own. Sharing the same netherbits with a character does not automatically mean you understand everything they're going through, nor should having an X to someone's Y mean you'll never grasp what they're feeling.
Yes, the leads in "casual" games are predominantly female, and I suppose that's because that's the most vocal market that's playing them. If you cruise through the Big Fish Games forums for any given game, it's probably about a 70% Panty Party. I'm not saying these games aren't "for" male gamers, I'm saying the biggest, LOUDEST, and, most importantly, visibly active part of that audience is made up of the wimmins. I'm not exactly sure why. I always figured it was because guys were off doing guy stuff, like lifting ham and talking about bosoms in gravelly voices.
Look at it this way; for years, before "casual" gaming really hit its stride, we womenfolk had VERY few female leads. And that was fine, you know; I played my Harvest Moon or my Mario or whatever and it never bothered me that there were THINGS in that character's trousers I would never understand. It wasn't until recently ("recently" here being the last, eh, ten years or so?) that we saw a massive upsurge in female heroines in mainstream gaming, or at least the added capability to play as one. I liked it because running around as Jill Valentine was cool. I suspect some guys liked it because they liked watching Jill Valentin's metronome butt ticking back and forth in those tight pants of hers.
I guess my question is; what qualities do people imagine a male lead could have that you're being deprived of, and a female lead cannot have? I'm not saying this to be prickly, I'm just curious. If you look at "boy" movies, the ones aimed at younger kids, they teach toughness and camaraderie and resilience. Conversely, young chicks get heroines who teach them about kindness and gentleness and respect. Shouldn't all those traits be good things to have regardless of gender? Maybe it's time we stopped obsessing over whether our characters are male or female, and started thinking about what a real "hero" should be.
Yes, the leads in "casual" games are predominantly female, and I suppose that's because that's the most vocal market that's playing them. If you cruise through the Big Fish Games forums for any given game, it's probably about a 70% Panty Party. I'm not saying these games aren't "for" male gamers, I'm saying the biggest, LOUDEST, and, most importantly, visibly active part of that audience is made up of the wimmins. I'm not exactly sure why. I always figured it was because guys were off doing guy stuff, like lifting ham and talking about bosoms in gravelly voices.
Look at it this way; for years, before "casual" gaming really hit its stride, we womenfolk had VERY few female leads. And that was fine, you know; I played my Harvest Moon or my Mario or whatever and it never bothered me that there were THINGS in that character's trousers I would never understand. It wasn't until recently ("recently" here being the last, eh, ten years or so?) that we saw a massive upsurge in female heroines in mainstream gaming, or at least the added capability to play as one. I liked it because running around as Jill Valentine was cool. I suspect some guys liked it because they liked watching Jill Valentin's metronome butt ticking back and forth in those tight pants of hers.
I guess my question is; what qualities do people imagine a male lead could have that you're being deprived of, and a female lead cannot have? I'm not saying this to be prickly, I'm just curious. If you look at "boy" movies, the ones aimed at younger kids, they teach toughness and camaraderie and resilience. Conversely, young chicks get heroines who teach them about kindness and gentleness and respect. Shouldn't all those traits be good things to have regardless of gender? Maybe it's time we stopped obsessing over whether our characters are male or female, and started thinking about what a real "hero" should be.