Sexist outlooks towards video games:

[Hyzenthlay]

I was talking to a group of friends recently about FFXIII. We were having a discussion about a male character we had seen in 360 magazine (how he looks strikingly similar to Seifer in KH). The subject suddenly turned sour when my friend Sam said "He should have been the lead. I can't enjoy games with female main characters!" This immediately threw the room into chaos with for and against arguments being shouted back and forth.

My main argument consisted of good video games with powerful female leads. These were normally countered with equally as good games with a male lead. E.g- Games such as Perfect Dark were mentioned, with that being countered with Goldeneye. There are other games such as Wet out now, which hasn't done very well in the market. In fact of the Bethesda games on the 360 it has done the worst. This isn't a reflection of the female lead I don't think. After all, on Fallout and Oblivion you can choose to be female OR male. There are some great female leads out there and from very famous series; Samus Aran from Metroid, Lara Croft and Joanna Dark are examples of this. Granted, there aren't many games with Female leads. Not when you look at how many games there are. There have been some fantastic female characters in games, though.

I personally don't mind playing as either sex. If given a choice, as in MMORPG formats, I go for how the character looks in their armour/ clothing. For instance if I'm choosing a mage on Warcraft I tend to go for a female. They just seems to suit the robes better. On the other hand, if I were to choose a tank (heavily armoured) character, I'd go for a male. Their huge build makes tanks seem more powerful. You could argue (As Alex and Sam did) that this in itself proves sexism by default, due to the fact that females always have slim and 'more fragile' builds. I just don't think that what sex I play as makes much difference to me in games.

Since having this conversation I've noticed my brothers doing this exact thing. Danny always chooses male characters (noticed in Left 4 Dead 2 and Fallout 3) where-as my other brother Mark seemed to go for a range (female in L4D2 and male in F3). I was happy with this until he justified his choice by saying 'I chose her because the girl character is stupid and doesn't defend herself'.

In the whole argument only one of my guy friends said he actually chooses female characters through choice. Though I suspect this was because he really fancies Hannah and was trying to impress her. There must be other people with views like mine, though. As well as those with similar views to Sam.

My question, in the end, is this:

Based on your sex;

Do you tend to go for characters of your own sex?

Do you think characters of your opposite sex don't, or do, suit roles for particular reasons?

Have you ever noticed/ known somebody that won't play as the opposite sex? (Give examples)

Your views on this-

[Unknown Entity]

Do you tend to go for characters of your own sex?
I tend to go for a mixture of both. My very first video game was Tomb Raider III, so I got the taste for a female lead early on. My Oblivion save data shows I have one female and two males, in Fallout 3 I have two females and one male, and in Dragon Age I have one female and one male. PLUS all the other male and female characters I made in all the games I own, and have deleted at some point. I don't think about the sex of a character when I buy a video game - I think about plot and how long the game will take to complete (I hate short games - I want my money's worth).

Do you think characters of your opposite sex don't, or do, suit roles for particular reasons?
It depends on the game, and the story I guess. Men and women can play the hero or the bad person as well as each other, so really I don't see that as an argument. Women can be as strong and/or fast as men too.

Have you ever noticed/ known somebody that won't play as the opposite sex? (Give examples)
My brother. Pfft. I've heard him arguing with his friends whilst playing Left 4 Dead online because he didn't want to play as Zoe (?). He hasn't made a female character in Oblivion or Fallout 3 (he has a female character still saved for Oblivion, but I made her before I got the game myself - and he hasn't played her once). When I've asked him "Why don't you make a female character?", he seems uninterested. I guess he used to like like Tomb Raider, but times change.

Your views on this-
My views are to just play with who you feel comfortable playing with, but I don't understand why someone should be made to feel uncomfortable about playing as a female (or male for that matter) lead. I think that it's wrong for people to be prejudiced/discriminative towards male or female leads, in the same way I think it's wrong in the flesh.

It's just a video game.

Oh, I bought Uncharted 2: Among Thieves today, and I didn't think about the sex of the character until I spotted this thread. xD

[Jin]

This is an excellent topic for a thread, though I suspect most won't take it as seriously as it deserves.

Do you tend to go for characters of your own sex?

I do, yes, for two reasons. First, I often like to lose myself in a game and to properly do that, I need to be able to relate to the character I am controlling. I find it much easier to do when playing a male character as their personalities are usually based more on things society characterizes as "male", characteristics that I have also taken from society to define myself as a "male", which brings me to the second reason. Society and culture tell us what is male and what is female and most of us believe it whether we want to or not. Even those of us that believe gender is nothing more than a construction have difficulty escaping from it and as such, we're all sexist, men and women alike, whether we mean to be or not. As such, I find it far more difficult to accept females as main characters as "saving the day" is something I usually view as a male thing to do - being saved, the female. This is culturally imprinted on most people, myself included and although I'm aware how stupid it is, it's difficult to escape cultural conditioning.

Do you think characters of your opposite sex don't, or do, suit roles for particular reasons?

Not in any essentialist manner, no, I don't think either sex suits a specific role better. But within my own, skewed worldview, of course they do. Men serve either as evil masterminds or the heroes of the day, whereas women either require saving/protecting or, when given agency, are morally impure and often dangerous, usually with a high level of sex appeal, something that is often flaunted by these female agents.

This is absolutely a sexist view, but I think it's roughly in line with how our culture depicts women in general. It's one thing to know that one's worldview isn't an objective one that's "true". It's a whole 'nother thing to remove its influence from one's so called common sense. I often wonder if that's what Buddhists consider enlightenment.

Have you ever noticed/ known somebody that won't play as the opposite sex? (Give examples)

Myself and most of my male friends. Also most of my female friends will play as their own (though they seem to be far more likely to play as the opposite sex than myself or my male friends). It's interesting. If my male friends ever do play a female, it's usually for the reason of sex appeal.

Your views on this-

I think the rest of my post gives my view on this, but I'll sum up again. Gender (not sex, gender) is a cultural construction. The divide between those with penises and those with vaginas is a physical difference, perhaps grander, but no more significant to one's personality than the difference between having a large nose and having a small nose. The cultural construction of gender defines what is male and what is female and firmly places it within our common sense. Women wear dresses, men don't - this is a cultural construction with no essentialist meaning. But it's not so easy as knowing to escape its sway. Look at most gender historians and you'll be unlikely to find anymore men in dresses than you would in any other population. The same is true in my case. I have my own assumptions as to what is male and what is female that could absolutely be classified as sexist. But even knowing this, it is beyond difficult to remove these notions from that which I consider common sense. I think most people are this way.

[Fluffy]

If not given a choice, I have no problem with a female lead, and often like it more than a male, which has been done so much before that I tend to prefer female for that reason, but not only that reason.

In an MMORPG setting, I vary my choice. Sometimes I'll choose male, like I did on FFXI. However, on some games, the females have access to nice dresses and robes as a mage. Considering I usually choose mages, I tend to go with female.

I have seen people who only play as males when given a choice, but I don't think it's ever been for bad reasons. They just choose the gender which best represents their real self. They're male, so they pick male. Female players usually pick female; though I don't know many. But this is mostly true from what I've seen on MMO's.

[Sasquatch]

I think this is mainly a non-issue, if only for the fact that the video game market is comprised mostly of males, and the idea of a fantasy world where one can pick up a controller and vacation to for a few hours a day wouldn't be realistic if the character wasn't somebody that the player could relate to. How many video game lead characters have been black or hispanic? How many have been, say, over thirty years old? How many have been a different race entirely -- like an alien when the rest of the world is humans? It's not because of any prejudice or discrimination that they're not made more often, it's because sixty-year-old black women aren't much for being gamers.

Based on your sex;

Do you tend to go for characters of your own sex?

Usually -- like I said, the entire point is finding somebody I can relate to -- but I branch out every now and then, when there's an opportunity.

Do you think characters of your opposite sex don't, or do, suit roles for particular reasons?

As you mentioned, certain sexes are more easily stereotyped into certain roles. It's not sexism or prejudice, but it definitely is stereotyping. Like a female character being more suited to be a mage, or perhaps archer or something more agile, but a male character being more suited to be a more physical fighter. That's just the way it is -- "tough women" in the real world are women who have gone through hardship and still ended up successful, whereas "tough men" are more physically tough than anything.

Have you ever noticed/ known somebody that won't play as the opposite sex? (Give examples)

I don't think so. From what I've seen, it's usually the character's abilities and skills, not their sex, that makes them more desirable. I don't think it matters to most people what sex their character is.

[Dodie16]

Do you tend to go for characters of your own sex?

It depends on what sort of game I'm playing. If I'm playing a game that I get to customize and create a character to my own liking (games like Sims 3 or Animal Crossing), then I'll pick to play as a female and I usually model her after myself or things that I like.

I do find that most of my favorite characters from games tend to be male. I have very few female favorites. I don't really know why. Maybe it's because I find that most women in games I play tend to be either the stereotypical Damsel in Distress who need a male character to come rescue them or to cling to, or I find them to be just plain bitchy, and I don't relate to either one of those types. I don't hate them, they just don't have a place as part of my favorites.

Maybe I just need to branch out my gaming tastes.

Do you think characters of your opposite sex don't, or do, suit roles for particular reasons?

There can be role reversal if it's done right, but if it's not, then it just looks strange to me. I think that certain physical types fit with certain classifications. It makes sense to me that more males get classified as the more Warrior type and females get the more magic-oriented classes. I never really questioned it, and I don't have a problem with it. Men do tend to be more physically strong than women irl. It's just the way that we're built. What's wrong with having a bit of realism in games? A little bit of realism makes the characters more relatable.

I also agree with Entity that it really depends on what's going on in the story too. If it makes sense in the story about why a girl that looks like she weighs 90 pounds can swing a sword that's as big as a tree trunk, then I don't have a problem with it.

Have you ever noticed/ known somebody that won't play as the opposite sex?

I haven't known any guy who took issue with playing as a girl, or any girl that took issue with playing as a guy. I sort of wish that I did, so I can understand why someone would feel that way, because it just sounds silly to me.

[Josh_R]

Do you tend to go for characters of your own sex?

Usually yes, but at times I have selectd female characters. It usually depends on the game I am playing. Oblivion for example, you can choose male or female. I go for the male character, because when I play I like to imagine myself actually in the game doing all these quest, and sword fighting. This is the same for Fallout 3 when I play it. Although I have gone through as a female just to see the alternate scenario's that occur with the Black Widow perk.

Do you think characters of your opposite sex don't, or do, suit roles for particular reasons?

I think certain sex characters suit certain roles. Tombraider for example, I couldn't imagine a guy doing that. Some games I have played in the past use only male characters, the games are set back in ancient greece, and rome. Females didn't fight in battles back then so that means only males will be seen in battle.

Have you ever noticed/ known somebody that won't play as the opposite sex? (Give examples)

I have a friend who is quite the sexist. His father raised him as one, therefore nothing he can do about it. I remember when I let him borrow Oblivion he picked a male character, but his reasons was that females were nothing but legs that needed to be spread. He said they were not fit to fight in epic battles against trolls, and other shit.

[Azuteor]

Do you tend to go for characters of your own sex?

Yes. If I get the option to customize my own character, then I'll model it after myself or anime/manga characters I've created. Whether the character is a male or female really doesn't matter as long as I can associate with the character. There are many factors that contribute to it as well.

Do you think characters of your opposite sex don't, or do, suit roles for particular reasons?

Female characters suit their roles as long as they are strong, independent, and don't objectify women in ways that can embarrass them or drive them away from video games.

Have you ever noticed/ known somebody that won't play as the opposite sex?

No. It doesn't matter to my friends as long as they can play the game.

[Andromeda]

I agree with a lot of the opinions that female characters in video games are viewed disproportionately or biased due to more the fact the game development population is largely male and less to do with the fact the gaming population itself is largely male. I think that used to be the case ten years ago, but I believe that the gaming population is more diverse than most give it credit. Are there more guys than girls playing yes, but the gap isn't nearly as big as it used to be. There are a lot of reports saying that there is a very large female population in MMO, real females and not just guys playing girl characters. And apparently a recent study said that there are more hardcore female gamers on MMOs than males. So they are not just casual. Most of that isn't really addressing point.

The point is that I think a lot of problems stem from the game development population and not the gamer population. Men have their idealized or skewed view of women, just like women have their idealized or skewed view of men. I mean go look at some Shounen and Shoujo manga and seen how Shounen handles female characters and Shoujo handles male characters. Its pretty clear that neither side is fair to the other opposite gender in doing accurate portrayals. The problem is that the vast majority of game developers are male and not female. The studio I worked at there were only a handful for women working there and unfortunately a good percentage were in management positions and not creating or designing the games.

So when the gaming development population starts to balance out or we end up with some like all women studios or something I don't think women will be fairly represented in the bulk of games. Though as you pointed out there are certainly some strong female characters out there certainly. I would be interested though to see what an all female game studio would produce.

As for me and my gaming habits. I play RPGs, mostly JRPGs so there is generally not a choice given and most commonly they are all male characters. I have no problem with playing either gender. I'm typically not trying to go for immersion when I'm playing a game. I'm not trying to feel like I'm the character I'm playing so male or female makes little difference or impact on my gaming experience.

In MMOs I will pretty much always play a female character, because well I will have to admit to my own vanity. I enjoy collecting or wearing the equipment or outfits. And I tend to find that the female equipment is more appealing to my vanity I guess. It looks better on a female than a male. And usually females get more clothing options in general. FFXI provided the "wedding dress" long before there were anything close to a formal tuxedo for the guys.

I'm a female hume in FFXI and I was a Paladin as my first job. Which meant that I was tank and I did my job well and quite a lot of people were very pleased with my abilities as a tank and did not think twice that I was a female Paladin. Were there many female Paladins in FFXI? Nope, I can only think of two other immediately off the top of my head. I'd imagine like you, most people think of being a male for a tanking job, but it didn't really matter to me. My other jobs were too all support classes though, but that's not because I thought I should because I was a girl, but because I just really love support classes. I was a Black Mage though as well, but its a magic user and girls and magic users are pretty common.

And I don't think I really know of annoying that won't play a certain character because of the gender. I thinks that a pretty silly reason not to want a play a character, but that's me.

From what I've heard people are saying that Lightning from FFXIII a great strong female lead. So that makes me happy. I wish there were more like Lightning out there. Though I do wish at the same time that they would cut back on the need to sexualize them even when making them strong, fortunately its not as bad with Lightning, but they still went to give her a mini-skirt which hardly seems like something practical to be fighting in.

[Inagi]

Do you tend to go for characters of your own sex?
Go for? I tend to make them on games, especially of the MMO sort. The women are all slutted up with their boobs hanging out. I just don't feel comfortable watching that all day, and the weird looks I'd get. I like pretty women as much as the next guy, but it gets a bit..odd, after a while.


Do you think characters of your opposite sex don't, or do, suit roles for particular reasons?
Not at all, in this day and age, anyone can and should do anything they damn well please.

Have you ever noticed/ known somebody that won't play as the opposite sex? (Give examples)
Yes indeed. My ex-step-father totally wouldn't. But..he..well, never really explained that. I think he didn't want to be judged? Don't really know. He was an introvert.
Your views on this-

My views on this are ranging, but a point I really want to hit is that everyone who refuses to play a female character isn't always sexist. If you've got the choice to make a female or male character, and always choose male, it may be because:
A) You're used to it.
B) You like 'being the character', so, it's easier
C) Don't feel like being judged by peers, for various reasons
D) Don't want to seem like one of the creeps on online games that..well..do very creepy things as female characters
E) You feel weird looking at, and playing as a female dressed up like a slut, with a sword.

Now, people who refuse to play FF13 because the lead is female are a totally different deal. But, that's been delved into enough. I really just wanted to get that point across.

[RagnaToad]

First of all, I don't see why it is a problem that your friend wanted a male protagonist.

Secondly, you know Seifer is a Final Fantasy VIII character, right?


Do you tend to go for characters of your own sex?
Since most protagonists in video games are male, I have to. Most of the time there's not any choice. If I had a choice, I don't think it would really matter to me.

It's not so much the gender of the character that determines whether I can identify with it, it's the whole persona.

I can't think of any other protagonist in FF IX than Zidane, but on the other hand I enjoyed playing with Regina in Dino Crisis way more than playing with that Dylan guy.

Do you think characters of your opposite sex don't, or do, suit roles for particular reasons?
I don't think there are many roles that have to be male/female, but I can imagine that the more tormented, dark types are more believeable in a male character. I understand why one would not like to see a female Cloud. The same goes for sexy, mysterious roles. They would suit a female character better I suppose.

[DragonHeart]

Do you tend to go for characters of your own sex?

I 'go for' strong, interesting characters who have an interesting story to tell. Whether they've got danglies or bouncies makes absolutely no difference to me.

Do you think characters of your opposite sex don't, or do, suit roles for particular reasons?

Any character can be suitable for any role. It all depends on how the character is written. A well-written character is believable and sympathetic to the player. A badly written one is not.

Have you ever noticed/ known somebody that won't play as the opposite sex? (Give examples)

Can't say that I have. In fact, in many cases it's the opposite, particularly when it comes to guys picking female characters. It has a lot less to do with gender roles and everything to do with aesthetics. Of course, a good character trumps all.

Your views on this-

Silly and irrelevant, mostly. If it seems like I'm giving non-answers, it's because gender does not factor into my preferences at all. Lightning, for example, appeals to me because she is a strong character, not because she is a woman.

I will mention that in create-your-character games I do choose a female character because I am female and it makes sense. And because I get mistaken for a guy online often enough to begin with, eh.

~DragonHeart~

[loner-kid]

Do you tend to go for characters of your own sex?
Ya know reading through this I was really hoping more people would say they play as the opposite gender. Don't get me wrong I just didn't particually want to stand out. So in answer to the question, when given a choice I usually opt for female characters. I create a character that isn't supposed to represent who I am, honestly I don't really like to think 'this is me in the game world doing mighty deeds' because I don't find myself all that interesting. I also like to see things from a differant angle than I normally would, even though I don't expect game companies to paint a... correct interrpretation. To put it another way I delve into the fantasy of games to experience fantasy (I realise that the word fantasy has creepy connotations) and when given the choice I think 'may as well go a little further' Also the steroid pumping, dumbly muscled, dumpster truck of a male character is a personal hate that I will take with me to my grave

Do you think characters of your opposite sex don't, or do, suit roles for particular reasons?
Honestly I don't think gender makes a difference to how you fit roles, most people just look for a justification to their 'acceptable' prejedice like "men are naturally stronger and therefore society labels them the protector" while the male body is slightly better suited for the building of muscle due to its bone structure not having to account for childbirth, the ability to suit a role relys on skill not muscle and as we all know skill is indiscriminate

Have you ever noticed/ known somebody that won't play as the opposite sex? (Give examples)
No I haven't, sure most don't play as the opposite gender but that's different to deliberately not playing as the opposite gender. As a lot of people have pointed out they like to feel that they are the main character so it makes sense that they would choose a character like themselves, or more specifically the idealised version of themselves

[Ralz]

Do you tend to go for characters of your own sex?

When it comes to a choice between a male and female (which is quite rare in the games I have actually gotten to playing), I usually go with the male first. After that's done, I choose the female, to compare the two. Typically, they both weigh out the same. Whether from a gameplay or story view... nothing seems weaker than the other. Then again, as I've said, I've only played a few games with that option...

Do you think characters of your opposite sex don't, or do, suit roles for particular reasons?

I haven't played a game yet where either role wasn't fit for the title. Males just have this natural thing for being a good main character, and when its a female's turn, she's given special care and attention, so she winds up being as important as the male would. Once again with that equilibrium thing.

Have you ever noticed/ known somebody that won't play as the opposite sex? (Give examples)

No one I know today has that kind of tendency. In fact, I would usually complain in some games that didn't give the option. (Most of the games I played had male leads only, and I can only wonder how some girls would feel about that playing the game.)

Your views on this

I don't know anyone that makes a fuss over this, but no one should. Sex should not even come into the equation. As previously mentioned, females are just as capable as males are. They can zap people, they can talk the talk, and they can certainly be a good hero or villain when they try, same rules for males.

[Alpha]

When given the choice, I usually attempt to deconstruct gender roles in video games. For example, in Final Fantasy II, Maria is my 'warrior', while Guy is my 'white mage'. It's interesting to note that Maria, at the start of the game, has a higher magic statistic, and is placed in the back row, whereas Guy is in the front row, with higher HP and strength.

As stated by Jin, these roles are dictated by society, and it only seems natural to continue them into video games. In essence, with the hero roles more often bestowed on male characters, we have a hegemony, and I don't see why it has to be tolerated, and I consciously try to avoid participation, despite the fact that in many respects this is impossible. But if video games are truly escapist rather than realist, then there is no need to accept the hegemony and the gender roles given to us. So I often pick female leads, and turn them into fighter classes. This can even give a greater challenge, such as in Final Fantasy Tactics, where the female generics have higher magic/lower HP than male generics. To raise females to be fighters, and males to be mages is harder than accepting the status quo. Although, to truly reject gender identity in video games, one would have to completely ignore the gender of characters. As in not selecting FFT generics based on sex, and granting them classes based on the need for the class, and ignoring all statistical and visual differences between males and females. Which would be difficult.

[Tiffany]

Do you tend to go for characters of your own sex?

If given the chance, yes. I don't know if its because of the stigma of female gamers... but if I have the choice of playing man or woman, I will almost always choose woman first... even if the pluses/stats of the man are better suited to my gaming style.

Do you think characters of your opposite sex don't, or do, suit roles for particular reasons?

Not really. I always immerse myself in the game, so the characters sex stops mattering after awhile.

Have you ever noticed/ known somebody that won't play as the opposite sex? (Give examples)

I can't say I have IRL. The only person I've seen IRL game as much as me is my guy. He will always switch between the two. Although I've noticed we're opposite. If given the choice I will play a female first, male second. He will play a male first, female second.

Generally the games have a choice of being good or bad. I end up playing a good female first, bad male second. He's the opposite, will play a good male first, and bad female second. Its kind of neat, because we get to see all spectrums of the gaming aspect that way.

[GypsyElder]

Do you tend to go for characters of your own sex?

Jin: I find it far more difficult to accept females as main characters as "saving the day" is something I usually view as a male thing to do - being saved, the female. This is culturally imprinted on most people, myself included and although I'm aware how stupid it is, it's difficult to escape cultural conditioning.

Most of the time I always go with a male, unless I have to, even in the "make your own character" type games (look at my Facebook apps) Harvest Moon games ect.... I don't have a problem with being a female, but I'm most comfortable being a male. It also feels different for the type of game. Since most games use male leads, that's what usually feels most "natural" but take Resident Evil for example. Resident Evil is pretty good at making both the male and female protagonist feel equal. I'd feel just as comfortable using Jill or Clare than if I was using Leon or Chris, I would probably be more likely to choose a girl in RE to change it up. I think the reason is because there's no obvious level or stat differences, and the girls feel just as heroic as the males do.


Have you ever noticed/ known somebody that won't play as the opposite sex? (Give examples)

I've heard my brother say numerous times that "the girls always suck" in RPG's like FF. If there are males and females in the party, the girls are always always either magic users, summoners, or they have some other weapon like a Pole or flying object, while the guys get Swords, Guns, and spears. It's not always the case but you have do do a lot more work to get the females up to par to the males.

That's how it usually is....

In like FFVIII for example his party = Squall, Zell, Irvine, and by the time he beats the game all the girls are still level 12.
To be honest, I don't really use the girls either, I usually take the time to level them up to max too, but I don't really use them. *shrug* only if I'm in the mood really, it depends on the game and If I really need them. Like in IX I had no problem using the females....besides Quina , but in VIII I hardly used any of them.

[Tiffany]

Have you ever noticed/ known somebody that won't play as the opposite sex? (Give examples)

I've heard my brother say numerous times that "the girls always suck" in RPG's like FF. If there are males and females in the party, the girls are always always either magic users, summoners, or they have some other weapon like a Pole or flying object, while the guys get Swords, Guns, and spears. It's not always the case but you have do do a lot more work to get the females up to par to the males.

That's how it usually is....

Funny enough, my BF was totally gung-ho on playing Lillith, The Siren in Borderlands because she was the one with the SMG plusses (his fave guns in shooters are SMG's). Staying to pattern, he played Mordecai, the hunter first (plusses in sniper rifles and repeater pistols, and also a GUY) but he was sooooo looking forward to playing as 'The Girl' in order to have the SMG extras.

I think its the first time where I've seen a girl have decent skills and not just a summoner/pole arms player.

[Jin]

Resident Evil is pretty good at making both the male and female protagonist feel equal. I'd feel just as comfortable using Jill or Clare than if I was using Leon or Chris, I would probably be more likely to choose a girl in RE to change it up. I think the reason is because there's no obvious level or stat differences, and the girls feel just as heroic as the males do.

I have to wonder if that has anything to do with the nature of the game. Survival horror games, after all, don't use the traditional heroic archetype. They instead try to make the player feel weak and helpless. It's probably still no coincidence that in the first game, Chris was the tough one and Jill the "master of lock picking". And then in Nemesis, when Jill turns into a bad ass, she suddenly starts showing a lot of skin. I don't think that's a coincidence either. But maybe I'm looking too much into it.

[SOLDIER #819]

Resident Evil is pretty good at making both the male and female protagonist feel equal. I'd feel just as comfortable using Jill or Clare than if I was using Leon or Chris, I would probably be more likely to choose a girl in RE to change it up. I think the reason is because there's no obvious level or stat differences, and the girls feel just as heroic as the males do.

Reminds me of the very beginning of RE2 (I think?) where you can snatch a weapon from someone's body. I think if you were Leon you got a shotgun. If you were Claire... you got a crossbow.

It's probably still no coincidence that in the first game, Chris was the tough one and Jill the "master of lock picking". And then in Nemesis, when Jill turns into a bad ass, she suddenly starts showing a lot of skin. I don't think that's a coincidence either. But maybe I'm looking too much into it.

I've noticed for a while now that there seem to be two types of protagonists, particularly in JRPGs. There's the badass "anti-hero" (who usually doesn't live up to the term) that Americans in particular seem to eat up. Then you have the young and naive protagonist that the Japanese use for plenty of mediums. The former can be used interchangeably between genders, but the latter is seldom used for a female character, or if it is they are a side character. Part of it is probably the target demographic being teenage boys, yet the actual gender ratio of the audience has probably shifted quite a bit since this particular cookie cutter formula took hold of games in the 90's. It's just sort of sad that female protagonists must somehow be larger than life in order to appeal to the average person.

I'm not sure that survival horror games differ much. It may be more down to earth at times. Yet with something like RE, which seems to be very b-movie, every protagonist ends up being pretty badass.

[Pete]

Do you tend to go for characters of your own sex?

I do, but then again, I like to base my character off of myself as much as I could be. I make the decisions that I would make in those situations.

Do you think characters of your opposite sex don't, or do, suit roles for particular reasons?

Not really, but I'll fully admit that I subscribe to gender roles when I play games. Unless the stats say otherwise, I'll have the girls doing the stealthy, sneaky or magic things, while the guys just mash shit. It's really more about what the stats dictate though

Have you ever noticed/ known somebody that won't play as the opposite sex? (Give examples)

Nah, not really. Though in wrestling video games, we all make fun of the "divas" when we decide to wrestle as them. They get absolutely destroyed by the men 99% of the time.

Your views on this-

I go for whatever characters bring me the best stats. When I play something like Fable of Fallout, where I have the option, I like to go as the closest representation to myself. It helps me to immerse myself in the story moreso. That's about it.

[Polk]

I don't play as girls because girls are icky and have cooties.

I can't take any sort of risks. I don't have the insurance to get a cootie shot this year!

[Meier Link]

I generally accept whatever gender the lead protagonist is. I have no problem adapting to watching a female lead run around from the back side. Really like most others as long as the story is good and character development is good then I don't see a problem crossing the gender lines.

Really there are just as many disappointing lead males (if not more) then female.

Do you tend to go for characters of your own sex?

Depends on the game. In the RE series, when avaible I play both sides of the fence.

My main choice of character in Rockband 1 and 2 is the complete opposite as me. I choose to play as a female that also happenes to be black and guess what, she ****ing rocks.

Do you think characters of your opposite sex don't, or do, suit roles for particular reasons?

Really it depends on what the role is. There are some lead roles in games that I have played that are not suitable for either gender. Most of the time I think game developers do a fine job at deveolping the gender into the role.

Have you ever noticed/ known somebody that won't play as the opposite sex? (Give examples)

Quite a few times. For instance in Tekken, I will usually use a female character for their speed aspects while my buddy constantly critisizes me for my choice he is he one that usually takes the fall.

[Hyzenthlay]

Ragna Toad:
First of all, I don't see why it is a problem that your friend wanted a male protagonist.

Secondly, you know Seifer is a Final Fantasy VIII character, right?

Erm, that's the whole point in the thread. Isn't it? The fact that my friend would rather play as Male than Female and what this does/ doesn't mean within the sexes. On a wider bases I'm now beginning to see that Males may prefer playing as their sex than Females.

I just thought that it was interesting that he thought about games that way. Especially when I don't really mind what the lead is. I was getting peoples views...

And as for your 'secondly' thing... He looks like Seifer from Kingdom Hearts and nothing like the one from FFVIII.



I realized how many of my games have female assassins in today. Thats something that I do think females suit. I guess that spreads into the film industry, too.