When will game developers realize there are female players too?

[Altorin]

May 22nd 1980.

The date that Pac Man was released.

One of the first arcade games made specifically with women gamers in mind.

 

[Kurokami]

Maybe females don' make up a majority of players but they are out there. Every no sale of a game relects on the bottom line and I am a no sale on most current games.

Why don't they realize that most women don't want to play as male characters? I mean just switch it around, how many male players would enjoy games if most of the ones available had women as the main character?

Why is it a problem for them to develop games where gender option is allowed?

I, for one, don't purchase games that only allow a male character. I can't even role play a character like this. It's just not fun.

Usually these characters have a romantic interest. Of course the romantic interest is female.
C'mon, maybe some female players can go for this but not this player.

Maybe someone here can help me understand why gender option on MOST games, is not allowed.

I just want to say a couple of things, first of which is that I HATE, HATE the love interest. Second is that many games do, you seem to be very selective to games you're not going to like there.

 

[jamesworkshop]

Seems to me many people in this thread are confusing female protagonists to actual characters a female player would want to play AS. There's quite a difference there actually, meaning that for instance , Bayonetta may be a female lead but she is nothing more than a pair of boobs and borderline nudity. Good female leads that actually add something to the game and not there only to appeal to testosterone-filled boys (which i suspect are 99.789% of the people posting in this thread) are VERY few and far between. Don't tell me about that gal from Portal because that's not a character fellas.

But DarkHutress, I think you're overreacting a bit. It's not feasible for EVERY single game to have a female lead instead of a male, even as an option. Development costs are highe enough as they are, and I very much doubt a female lead would react the same way as a male one which only leads to increased dev costs etc etc. RPGs may do, but that's their structure, it allows for such things.

Although it would be kinda fun playing something like, say, Prototype with a female lead. With a gravelly voice. Wonder who would actually play as her though.

No the confusion is why are people saying that Female MC don't exist when they are talking about something else, the orginal post had nothing about wether the female characters were liked by females only that female MC were nowhere to be seen which is false.

A lack of compelling female characters is a compltely different statement to saying that there are no female characters.


What I find strange is that clearly male and female characters can be marketed to appeal to men and it works like a charm, but someow the only way to appeal to women is something that can only be achieved by having female characters ignoring that nearly every female character is male affiliated.

Reality is nothing of this has anything to do with the gender of protagonists since males clear accept both because both male and female character can have qualitys that men like
is not logical to suggest that women can only accept female leads why should a game with a male lead be completly unable to appeal to a female audience you could quite easily create a game with zero females and still appeal to a female audience

I wonder why bored middle aged housewifes watched this movie

 

[Gigaguy64]

I don't understand why gender choice can not be left up to the player. JUST give the player a choice.

These are GAMES by the way, not reality. So you could just as easily have a female character in Red Redemption as easily as you have a male.

There are female combat officers, firemen, soldiers, fighter pilots, police, assassins, spies even leaders of countries and that's in the REAL world! Why not in the game world????

Just give a choice to play male or female.

Maybe because the Developer of the game has a story they want to tell and characters THEY want to show?
And those characters happen to be a specific gender?
And as for your second point.

meryl silverburgh - commanding officer - metal gear solid

Tanya Pavelovna - Russian Sniper - Cod: Finest Hour

natasha volkova - soviet commando - C&C Red Alert 3

Darci Stern - Union City Police Officer - Urban Chaos

Rubi Malone (wet) or Violette Summer (velvet assassin) both basically assassins

Cate archer - female spy - The operative: No one lives for ever

http://www.futuregamez.net/ps3games/vanquish/vanquish4a.jpg
Female president from Vanquish

This man has answered you quite nicely.
THEY DO EXIST.
There are powerful Female characters and Main Characters, Politically and Physically, in the Game world.

Sorry OP, sometimes you don't get a choice.

 

[MikailCaboose]

...There are female players too?! *gasp* MY LIFE HAS BEEN A LIE!
Joking aside, I guess I just never really thought about it. I don't really care about the gender I play, and I find that for some reason in things like RPG's and that, that I seem to actually prefer to play as the female character. But then again maybe I'm just screwed up in the head :/

 

[Shycte]

1. What makes a male lead better? How many games have you actually played that contained a female lead, and how many of those games did you like?

2. No, I have not.

1) Because I can relate too such a character better, just like maybe 85 % of the other male gamers. Mirror's Edge was quite good, but WET was horrible no matter how you look at it. There are more of you want to hear them

But that would be missing the point. The point is, that it is up too the devs to judge what is best for their games. Because trust me, they can do that better them both you can me. And is it really that strange to you that they try to make money?

2) If you had, you would have known that it wouldn't have worked.

1. I am working to become a game designer myself. I think I understand it therefore a bit better than you (See which card I pulled there out of my behind?).

As you said, you can relate to that character better while I can relate to a female character better.

2. Rule63 - Changing genders.
Meaning that the Prince would be a Princess and that Farah would be a Male instead of a Female. Meaning it would probably work still just as well.

1) You are saying it yourself. Now answer my question.

2) "There's always a female character of a male one. No exceptions." You are making things up if you're calming that it says that'll work. When people write stories gender often play a big role in it. Like Harry Potter being a boy. Him, being male, is quite a big part in the book and if he was a girl, it wouldn't be the same.

1. I don't have to answer it. You replied why YOU think a male lead is better, which is because you can relate to that character. The answer I have is the same. I find female leads better because I can relate to them.

2. If there is something developers need to realize is that they should stop getting stuck in what gender the character is suppose to have. Most of the time, they have already decided upon a male without even stating it. They really should apply this sort of thinking; "Well, could we make this male character a female character instead?"

1) My question was, is it strange that game developers try to make money. I don't think you got my example. Since there is more money to be made with a male character, they make male characters. Why? Because as we said, most gamers are male, and they can relate more to them.

2) Why I ask you? Why? They'll just have to work extra, re-writing the story, and as mentioned above, taking a step away from the target audience. Can you tell me why they should think like you said?

 

[silasbufu]

I don't see why it's such a big fuss..I'll tell you for sure that a huge number of male players have no problem playing female characters, some might even prefer it ( myself as well in some games ).
So I think you're the one being sexist.
Also, read the 3rd post.

 

[Shycte]

The answer is simple;
To broaden the horizons.

Too which end? I don't see how this will end up in making better games.

 

[jamesworkshop]

Better question:
When are some female gamers going to realize that there are plenty of female protagonists in video games?

I tend to always play as female characters when given the option. There are many games that do give you the option.

OP: Stop acting like a victim. It's stupid and annoying - grow up.

Count them.
I dare you.

And then you count the amount of games that feature the male as the main character.

Don't go around telling people to grow up when you can clearly see the line.

Sonya Blade
Lara Croft
Chun- Li
Mileena
Nina Williams
Christie Allen
Bayonetta
Setsuka
Angel (King of Fighters)
Crimson Viper (Street Fighter)
Joanna Dark
Samus
Kitana (Mortal Kombat)
Blue Mary (King of Fighters)
Helena (Dead or Alive)
Baiken (Guilty Gear)
Sophitia Alexandra
Cammy White
Nina & Anna Williams
Tina Armstrong
Taki
Isabella "Ivy" Valentine
Ada Wong
Claire Redfield
Meryl Silverburgh
Jill Valentine
Lightning
Sarah Kerrigan
Cate Archer
Mona Sax
Sonia Belmont
Rayne
Elizabeth Greene (Prototype)
Kasumi
Nariko - Heavenly Sword
Julia Chang - Tekken
Asuka Kazama - Tekken
Seong Mi-na - Soul Caliber
Lady - Devil May Cry

about 10 to 13 of those have been primary characters, the resident evil ones have been main and secondary depending on the game and almost all the rest are from 2D/3D fighters that don't have a traditional devide of primary and secondary characters

He said plenty of female protagonist nothing to say about the ratio between male and female

 

[rookie.of.the.year]

I don't understand your beef with the male protagonist... I cant think of an RPG that makes you be a male... but I don't see the issue. 'Hawke'being a male in Dragon Age 2. I love being Markus in Gears and kicking the sh*t out of the aliens.

The only thing I wouldn't play due to the female is Bayonetta, becaus that is a 'sex sells' game, but other than that i don't really mind. Actually I prefer playing as men

 

[Shycte]

Too which end? I don't see how this will end up in making better games.

I never said "This is the way to make better games" now did I?
It is you whom are obsessed with "How could that be better?", not I.
Don't try to place words in my mouth that I have not spoken.[/quote]

I never said that you've said it. I just assumed that the goal always is to make better games. Is it not?

 

[redboyjazz]

Have you forgot how much Lara Croft kicks ass?

 

[Double A]

Does it matter? If I want to play a game, but then I find out you have to play as a chick, I won't mind at all. Sure, I'd prefer to be a guy, but if there's no choice I won't mind.

I once saw a girl on this site post that she doesn't mind playing as guys either, and said pretty much the same thing as me. So that's both genders agreeing on that it really doesn't matter who the PC is, as long as the game is fun.

 

[1rednose]

Yea....Lots of guys have no qualms playing as a female character. This may be due to how they design most female characters, but hey, the male counterparts get the same treatment.

 

[rookie.of.the.year]

Just think about it, if the protagonist of 'Uncharted' was instead called Nathanina and the camera man was a man, would it have been a better game?

No.

 

[PhiMed]

You mean like Gears of War 3 where there are two female main characters?
Halo Reach which also has one?
Tomb Raider.
Metroid.
Portal.
Mass Effect.
Dragon Age.
Fallout.
Tenchu.
Borderlands.
Mirrors Edge.
Perfect Dark.
Bayonetta.

Quite a few of these are Triple A titles.

I don't see why there has to be a female character for you to enjoy the game anyway. Portal is one of mine and a lot of peoples favourite games and a significant amount of them are males with no complaint.

Granted RPG's should always have a gender option because they are based upon role-play where people frequently like to play as themselves in a fantasy setting, but beyond that you are playing as a character not an avatar of yourself.

By that logic you shouldn't like books written in the first person with a male narrator either. Or television programmes or films where the protagonist is male as you cannot relate to them.

I personally have no issue whatsoever playing as a female character, and not because of the "If I have to stare at a pixellated ass..." argument either.

Also, Fable 2.

Unfortunately, this game also serves as a reason why more games do not include a gender option. It's incredibly difficult to make a character model that looks capable of some of the feats these game characters perform, while still looking distinctively feminine.

I'm a little skeptical of GoW's implementation of female leads, actually. It's ridiculous to see some of the stuff Marcus, Dom, Baird, and Cole do in the game. But it's certainly less ridiculous to see huge, steroid-infused men performing these brutal superhuman feats than it will be to see one of the willowy, wispy idealized female forms I've seen in the promotional material.

Also, to the OP: 80% of the developers for big budget production companies are male. They make what they know. If you don't like the direction games are taking, and you're passionate about it, get an education and do something about it. Otherwise, you just sound whiny, and kind of sexist. If a guy said, "I won't play a game with a female main character", he would be labelled as a sexist pretty much immediately. Just sayin...

 

[Homplok]

It's no different than film. Well, action flicks anyways. Maybe when they start making chick flicks in game form you'll have more female lead roles to play as, but I know damn well that nobody here wants to play "Steel Magnolias: The Game".

 

[sketch_zeppelin]

Persnoally i have no problem with playing a game as a female (i'm a guy obviously) I get that you want more games that have women in them but i wouldn't boycott a game just because it doesn't have the option of playing as a character of my gender, especially if its a game that the story was written round a very specific character. I can understand if they have a create a character but don't let you make a girl but with somthing like say Assasins Creed the story was written for a specific character that happens to be a guy. They shouldn't have to comprimise the story just so you can play as a girl.

 

[Shycte]

Too which end? I don't see how this will end up in making better games.

I never said "This is the way to make better games" now did I?
It is you whom are obsessed with "How could that be better?", not I.
Don't try to place words in my mouth that I have not spoken.

I never said that you've said it. I just assumed that the goal always is to make better games. Is it not?

In truth you speak.
But to constantly create better games, that's a feat that not even everyone's beloved Bioware will be able to uphold.
[/quote]

That is true, but I believe that in order for games to improve, the devs must have free hands, and for example be able to choose the gender of their character freely. But as we said, males are the target audience so it get twisted that way. I for one, have no problem playing as females. So lets just leave this one up too the story writers....

 

[Enigmers]

There's mega popular games like the Sims and bejeweled that target women specificly.

Since when does Bejewelled and The Sims target women specifically? Maybe the men you hang out with won't play them because they're not manly enough, but those are games that can be enjoyed by pretty much any demographic.