The real significance of female protagonists

[Matthew Jabour]

So Ubisoft had another controversy recently, this time about how their video game protagonists being all men and their lame-ass excuse shortly after. This prompted the usual backlash, followed by the usual counter-backlash about how there didn't need to be any female protagonists in that game in the first place. You can almost set your watch to these tides of opinions.

But I feel an important detail was missing from the debates, an absent point that needed to be made; this particular game did not actively need a woman as a protagonist, but the games industry, as a whole, would be better off for it.

You see, as with any industry in its infancy, video games have an image problem. Even beyond the Fox News featherbrains, many see video games as an industry for teenage males, a concept that physically manifests itself with developers making games only for that same demographic. As a result, the main characters of many games are white men, with companies having to fight uphill to put out the odd exception, such as Remember Me.

Now, when four player co-op is present, the game would probably function fine with any assortment of male and female characters, but most developers usually put in at least one girl, being free to do so because the main character rule no longer applies and suggesting that the developer is savvy to the fact that women do, in fact, exist. Ubisoft, however, has just suggested the opposite: that the number of women who play games is so low, it isn't worth shelling out to make a new character model. While the inclusion of a female character would not automatically improve the game, exclusion of any female characters whatsoever clearly makes a statement, the same kind of statement the Tea Party periodically puts out when they feel they haven't alienated enough people yet. And since Ubisoft, one of the new biggest software companies out there, is making this statement, it puts the whole industry in a bad light. To put it another way, you certainly COULD wear a tie-die tshirt to a company meeting, but don't be surprised if they deny you that raise you wanted.

So put on a tie, Ubisoft! Do you really want to let Nintendo outshine you in the PR field?

 

[Dalek Caan]

I might get crap for trying to defend Ubisoft, or any of the other Devs that don't have playable female role, but what I think might be happening is that even though women are now playing a larger role in creating games most of the people writing and doing art for games are men. So because of this they will naturally or will feel more comfortable making a game about a dude. I think this might be because a guy better understands men than he does women. I know that whenever I am thinking up little short stories in my head I mostly think of my central character being a man because I have a better understanding of how they think. It's unfortunate that there probably are Devs out there who don't like the thought of having people play as their opposite gender but I doubt that in this day and age most of them are opposed to the idea.


It took me almost twenty minutes to write and phrase that because I didn't want to come off as super sexist. I probably failed.

 

[AdagioBoognish]

I might get crap for trying to defend Ubisoft, or any of the other Devs that don't have playable female role, but what I think might be happening is that even though women are now playing a larger role in creating games most of the people writing and doing art for games are men. So because of this they will naturally or will feel more comfortable making a game about a dude. I think this might be because a guy better understands men than he does women. I know that whenever I am thinking up little short stories in my head I mostly think of my central character being a man because I have a better understanding of how they think. It's unfortunate that there probably are Devs out there who don't like the thought of having people play as their opposite gender but I doubt that in this day and age most of them are opposed to the idea.


It took me almost twenty minutes to write and phrase that because I didn't want to come off as super sexist. I probably failed.

No, you make sense and don't come across as sexist. Most great writing comes from people portraying experiences they've had and I do think one of the easiest ways to get more female lead characters in games is to get more women involved in the development of games. Its only a matter of time; everyday more girls are growing up playing games and showing interest in the games industry.

 

[krazykidd]

You know what. I sympathise with devs. If they make a woman and people don't like her they get shit. If they don't make any women, they get shit. If it's anything less that perfect, they get shit. I see why they are reluctant to do it. And to be honest, i wouldn't do it either.

Also, you guys what to have more female protagonists? well then , buy the games with female protagonists, actions speak louder than words.

 

[Vault101]

You know what. I sympathise with devs. If they make a woman and people don't like her they get shit. If they don't make any women, they get shit. If it's anything less that perfect, they get shit. I see why they are reluctant to do it. And to be honest, i wouldn't do it either.

people always say this

but so what? they might actually LEARN something

[quote/]Also, you guys what to have more female protagonists? well then , buy the games with female protagonists, actions speak louder than words.[/quote]
all those AAA games with female protagonists....oh wait

 

[Thyunda]

If Unity didn't have the four player co-op, I would understand having a male protagonist. Maybe having a female protagonist would have required the story being altered somewhere along the line. Maybe the game takes place over a couple of years and has a sexual subplot - all the Assassins tend to do it, given that they don't really do any recruiting. That, I would understand. Altair, Ezio, getting pregnant may have spoiled the parkour a little. I didn't mention Connor because he'd have to be likeable before anyone could spend that much time alone with him.

Whatever reasons they might have, I could get that.

But there are four players. Each player sees themselves as Arnaud and everybody else as the other assassins. There is literally no reason one of them couldn't have been female.

 

[LobsterFeng]

You know I've always thought that cases like these are a matter of the devs just plain not knowing that people would react so strongly because they didn't think it was a problem. I don't really get the backlash Ubisoft is getting to be honest.

 

[Thyunda]

If Unity didn't have the four player co-op, I would understand having a male protagonist. Maybe having a female protagonist would have required the story being altered somewhere along the line. Maybe the game takes place over a couple of years and has a sexual subplot - all the Assassins tend to do it, given that they don't really do any recruiting. That, I would understand. Altair, Ezio, getting pregnant may have spoiled the parkour a little. I didn't mention Connor because he'd have to be likeable before anyone could spend that much time alone with him.

Whatever reasons they might have, I could get that.

But there are four players. Each player sees themselves as Arnaud and everybody else as the other assassins. There is literally no reason one of them couldn't have been female.

There is, and you said it yourself. You're all playing as the exact same guy from the story, just your version of him. He wasn't written as a female, he was written as a male. I don't understand how many people just don't seem to understand that. It makes absolute fuck all sense for Arno to sudden have tits in a co-op session when you're all supposed to be playing his story.

It also makes zero sense for there to be four of him.

 

[Trishbot]

If Unity didn't have the four player co-op, I would understand having a male protagonist. Maybe having a female protagonist would have required the story being altered somewhere along the line. Maybe the game takes place over a couple of years and has a sexual subplot - all the Assassins tend to do it, given that they don't really do any recruiting. That, I would understand. Altair, Ezio, getting pregnant may have spoiled the parkour a little. I didn't mention Connor because he'd have to be likeable before anyone could spend that much time alone with him.

Whatever reasons they might have, I could get that.

But there are four players. Each player sees themselves as Arnaud and everybody else as the other assassins. There is literally no reason one of them couldn't have been female.

There is, and you said it yourself. You're all playing as the exact same guy from the story, just your version of him. He wasn't written as a female, he was written as a male. I don't understand how many people just don't seem to understand that. It makes absolute fuck all sense for Arno to sudden have tits in a co-op session when you're all supposed to be playing his story.

They could always have planned from the start to include a female character as well. Several games share protagonists or allow you to choose which one you wish to experience the game with (Resident Evil has always been good with that ever since the Jill/Chris selection that provided similar, if altered, experiences... and they've been doing that constantly for over 15 years).

I mean, nothing exactly lifts my skirt less than playing as yet ANOTHER dull white guy with a grumbly voice... and now there are FOUR of them.

 

[Thyunda]

If Unity didn't have the four player co-op, I would understand having a male protagonist. Maybe having a female protagonist would have required the story being altered somewhere along the line. Maybe the game takes place over a couple of years and has a sexual subplot - all the Assassins tend to do it, given that they don't really do any recruiting. That, I would understand. Altair, Ezio, getting pregnant may have spoiled the parkour a little. I didn't mention Connor because he'd have to be likeable before anyone could spend that much time alone with him.

Whatever reasons they might have, I could get that.

But there are four players. Each player sees themselves as Arnaud and everybody else as the other assassins. There is literally no reason one of them couldn't have been female.

There is, and you said it yourself. You're all playing as the exact same guy from the story, just your version of him. He wasn't written as a female, he was written as a male. I don't understand how many people just don't seem to understand that. It makes absolute fuck all sense for Arno to sudden have tits in a co-op session when you're all supposed to be playing his story.

It also makes zero sense for there to be four of him.

It makes perfect sense. You're seeing your own Arno in the cutscenes, you're still experiencing the story from his eyes. It's the co-op mode of old. Singleplayer story with your buddies. It's the exact same just being able to play with friends but the crucial part (and I can't seem to stress this enough to anyone who argues it) you're all Arno so you can still experience the single player story as it was intended.

So why can't Player Model 3 be female? Player 3 doesn't need to see his own model as female. It wouldn't alter anything for anyone.

Though the better question is who thought that stupid fucking system up?

 

[Trishbot]

It makes perfect sense. You're seeing your own Arno in the cutscenes, you're still experiencing the story from his eyes. It's the co-op mode of old. Singleplayer story with your buddies. It's the exact same just being able to play with friends but the crucial part (and I can't seem to stress this enough to anyone who argues it) you're all Arno so you can still experience the single player story as it was intended.

So why can't Player Model 3 be female? Player 3 doesn't need to see his own model as female. It wouldn't alter anything for anyone.

Though the better question is who thought that stupid fucking system up?

Watch_Dogs does this. Random players will appear as other hackers... including FEMALE hackers, even though your main character is Adrian. So Watch_Dogs pulled this off.

 

[krazykidd]

You know what. I sympathise with devs. If they make a woman and people don't like her they get shit. If they don't make any women, they get shit. If it's anything less that perfect, they get shit. I see why they are reluctant to do it. And to be honest, i wouldn't do it either.

people always say this

but so what? they might actually LEARN something

[quote/]Also, you guys what to have more female protagonists? well then , buy the games with female protagonists, actions speak louder than words.

all those AAA games with female protagonists....oh wait[/quote]

It doesn't work that way. These people spend years of blood sweat and tears. Then get shat on because they missed up that person with a vagina. And potentially lose money. Yeah, not worth it.

 

[Thyunda]

If Unity didn't have the four player co-op, I would understand having a male protagonist. Maybe having a female protagonist would have required the story being altered somewhere along the line. Maybe the game takes place over a couple of years and has a sexual subplot - all the Assassins tend to do it, given that they don't really do any recruiting. That, I would understand. Altair, Ezio, getting pregnant may have spoiled the parkour a little. I didn't mention Connor because he'd have to be likeable before anyone could spend that much time alone with him.

Whatever reasons they might have, I could get that.

But there are four players. Each player sees themselves as Arnaud and everybody else as the other assassins. There is literally no reason one of them couldn't have been female.

There is, and you said it yourself. You're all playing as the exact same guy from the story, just your version of him. He wasn't written as a female, he was written as a male. I don't understand how many people just don't seem to understand that. It makes absolute fuck all sense for Arno to sudden have tits in a co-op session when you're all supposed to be playing his story.

They could always have planned from the start to include a female character as well. Several games share protagonists or allow you to choose which one you wish to experience the game with (Resident Evil has always been good with that ever since the Jill/Chris selection that provided similar, if altered, experiences... and they've been doing that constantly for over 15 years).

I mean, nothing exactly lifts my skirt less than playing as yet ANOTHER dull white guy with a grumbly voice... and now there are FOUR of them.

Could they? Yes. Doesn't mean they have to. It's never been the way they create their protagonists. It's probably why we have this kind of co-op system instead of a separate one or a game co-written with 2. It's just how they do it and that's perfectly fine. They aren't required to create a female protagonist if they don't want to, and they sure as hell don't deserve this retarded backlash of "oh well it should of had a female from the beginning!"

Is that the way game announcements are going to be now? If someone dare creates a game where your protagonists happens to have a dick will they be condemned for it?

If Unity didn't have the four player co-op, I would understand having a male protagonist. Maybe having a female protagonist would have required the story being altered somewhere along the line. Maybe the game takes place over a couple of years and has a sexual subplot - all the Assassins tend to do it, given that they don't really do any recruiting. That, I would understand. Altair, Ezio, getting pregnant may have spoiled the parkour a little. I didn't mention Connor because he'd have to be likeable before anyone could spend that much time alone with him.

Whatever reasons they might have, I could get that.

But there are four players. Each player sees themselves as Arnaud and everybody else as the other assassins. There is literally no reason one of them couldn't have been female.

There is, and you said it yourself. You're all playing as the exact same guy from the story, just your version of him. He wasn't written as a female, he was written as a male. I don't understand how many people just don't seem to understand that. It makes absolute fuck all sense for Arno to sudden have tits in a co-op session when you're all supposed to be playing his story.

It also makes zero sense for there to be four of him.

It makes perfect sense. You're seeing your own Arno in the cutscenes, you're still experiencing the story from his eyes. It's the co-op mode of old. Singleplayer story with your buddies. It's the exact same just being able to play with friends but the crucial part (and I can't seem to stress this enough to anyone who argues it) you're all Arno so you can still experience the single player story as it was intended.

So why can't Player Model 3 be female? Player 3 doesn't need to see his own model as female. It wouldn't alter anything for anyone.

Though the better question is who thought that stupid fucking system up?

Because you're all supposed to be playing as Arno. What part of that seems to escape you and every other person who doesn't understand it? It's a single player story with the option of co-op with your friends yet also making sure that they're not skipping or missing anything out by playing as some random avatar instead of the main character. It's the best of both worlds.

Did you deliberately misinterpret what I said? Each player could see all the other players as giant fucking chickens and it wouldn't affect the gaming experience of the other players, because they'd all see themselves as Arno. I think it would make the game a little bit more immersive if you saw the other players as generic assassins of different genders, races and styles (y'know, to reinforce the lack of division among the revolutionaries) rather than three clones of fuckin Arno. Or does this routinely escape you? That there are FOUR ARNOS.

 

[The Rogue Wolf]

...the devs just plain not knowing that people would react so strongly because they didn't think it was a problem.

And that's the problem in a nutshell: Tone-deaf developers who think that the status quo is good enough and aren't interested in pushing the envelope in any way that's not 100% "safe".

I've given up on waiting for major developers to spawn half a clue, and am waiting for the indie crews to forge the path. Let the dudebros be happy with their endless chorus of 30-something brown-haired white men in their eternal line of dirt-brown modern military shooters.

 

[Trishbot]

Could they? Yes. Doesn't mean they have to. It's never been the way they create their protagonists. It's probably why we have this kind of co-op system instead of a separate one or a game co-written with 2. It's just how they do it and that's perfectly fine. They aren't required to create a female protagonist if they don't want to, and they sure as hell don't deserve this retarded backlash of "oh well it should of had a female from the beginning!"

Is that the way game announcements are going to be now? If someone dare creates a game where your protagonists happens to have a dick will they be condemned for it?

If someone "dares create a game with a protagonist with a dick" claims the reason they didn't add women was because "it was too much work", then, yeah, condemn them for that, because that excuse sucks royally and deserves to be called out on.

That's the big thing. Nobody is calling out Metal Gear Solid V, because their creator didn't outright state women are too much work to make playable. Nobody is calling out Killzone, because the developers didn't make up a load of BS that women couldn't be factored into their budget.

Ubisoft is taking heat because they claimed women are neither worth the time or effort to make playable, the proceeded to handle the backlash with the grace of a falling cow.

You are correct; they don't HAVE to add in women.

But that shouldn't stop people like me from asking for them. And I certainly don't HAVE to buy their game if their excuses reek of BS.

 

[Mikeyfell]

The fact that there's co op in Assassin's Creed U is a lot worse than any amount of sexism the games industry can throw at us!

At this point I'd welcome a game where all you did was go around building Glass Ceilings everywhere if it didn't have any fucking tacked on mulitplayer.