Do you have a problem playing as a female main character?

I dont like to play with female character and Lightning(FF13) just gets so much on my nerves that i barely can play game :)

Bus-A-Bus

If she is unattractive (physically and/or mentally), then I have a tough time growing accustomed to the character.

This is just pathetic... What's wrong playing as a female in a video game?SilverChimera

I'd rather look at a hot sweaty chick, than a nasty sweaty dude.

i wish their were more of them honestly im surely not sexist;)

Constant boners= Better gameplay

Scientific fact.

The only game i have ever passed up partially because of the female protaganist is Bayonetta. I just could not get past the over the top artstyle and main character. It just seems so overdone and annoying. Other then that i dont mind female main characters at all.

*The_Game21x looks at his avatar and signature*

Uh...nope.

[QUOTE="SilverChimera"]This is just pathetic... What's wrong playing as a female in a video game?LenGen

German PC publishers actually polled a large ammount of people who play adventure games and it turned out that on average women prefered to play as female characters, while men didn't mind playing as either sex. thus why in most adventure games nowadays the lead character is female :) Of course those were PC gamers and adventure-centric ones might I add, so the results won't transfer automaticaly to mainstream console gamers, but it's something worth thinking about

No problem at all. Bayonetta got so much hate that I started to wonder if a big bunch of GS users are (male) chauvinists.

I prefer playing a male character for role-playing games..

Absolutely not. No problem at all. Some of the best characters are females.

People must be insecure about themselves if they think playing as a female protagonist would contradict their sexuality in my opinion.

This is just pathetic... What's wrong playing as a female in a video game?SilverChimera

Doesn't bother me, only when they exagerate the women (you know what I mean). Then it's a little off putting. I do quite like the idea of women in lead roles but when they look respectable as, in serious for the part.

Like Joanna Dark in the N64 version (or I guess XBLA) of Perfect Dark.

What I mean is, I want to be able to take the character seriously in the role.

As long as they are not overly lame such as Bayonetta, no, I don't have a problem with it.

Not really, if the game is good then I could really care less about the protagonist.

No doubt the female lead role has been around quite some time in the video game universe. But, I know there are some out there that still don't want to play as a woman in a video game. Maybe they can't see themselves playing a female role because they can't picture a woman being a fighter. Maybe it's because they're use to playing as a male character it just doesn't seems too unusual. Or maybe it has to do with deep issues or insecurities that make you uncomfortable as a man that keeps you from playing as a female character.

I use Sakura now for Street Fighter IV. It's not only her cuteness that made me want to select her. She's a faster, but a weaker Ryu. See, I'm pretty comfortable playing as anyone or anything. Now I just got Final Fantasy XIII and it inspired me to post a thread like this since Final Fantasy games in the main series usually have a male lead role you would play as. I'm sure that some of the gamers out there probably didn't buy this game because Lightning is the one who's in the spotlight most of the time.

majadamus

I think that usually female characters are less stereotyped than male ones. That is not always true, Halo ODST was a huge letdown, on the other hand a female Shepard delivers some lines much better than her counterpart (especially renegade ones)

Male characters I like when they have a good backstory (like Marcus Fenix and if you read the novels even more so) or company B of Bad Company. Who wouldn't want Haggard as drinking pal?

As long as they are not overly lame such as Bayonetta, no, I don't have a problem with it.

DraugenCP

She is overly lame on purpose.

[QUOTE="SilverChimera"]This is just pathetic... What's wrong playing as a female in a video game?iowastate

[QUOTE="DraugenCP"]

As long as they are not overly lame such as Bayonetta, no, I don't have a problem with it.

kendrene

She is overly lame on purpose.

Bayonetta = female Duke Nukem

No, women are actually prefered here :lol:

I don't have a problem with it. As long as she is not ugly or fat I'm all for it.

not at all, if it serves the story well, the sex of a main character can be quite effective... Besides, im not insecure enough to feel uncomfortable playing a female character... just as little as I mind a movie where the lead is female.

[QUOTE="iowastate"][QUOTE="SilverChimera"]This is just pathetic... What's wrong playing as a female in a video game?Chemical_Viking

Of course not.

My Shepard is a sexy lady and I wouldn't of had it any other way. But my DS character is a dude and so is my first playthrough of DAO.

But like others have said there has been plenty of awesome games that have female leads and it doesn't bother me one bit. Also my main fallout 3 (which was supposed to be my secondary) was a female and it turned out to be the one I poured the most time into and beat the game with.

Don't care about the gender because it doesn't matter for the story or not. If its an RPG I'll play it the same way regardless and if its a closed story then I'll be along for the ride. Also female characters make for smaller targets in shooters.

[QUOTE="kendrene"]

[QUOTE="DraugenCP"]

As long as they are not overly lame such as Bayonetta, no, I don't have a problem with it.

88mphSlayer

She is overly lame on purpose.

Bayonetta = female Duke Nukem

Exactly. She kicks a whole lot of ass and does so in style, What's not to love!? :o

In FF games the main character is always a guy so I think it's fine that a female got the spotlight for once.

SamGv

they're guys?:P

It should be an easy transition then for most fans ofFinal Fantasy.

LOL!! Lightining is one of the main reasons I got FF13. I love palying as women. The problem is the lack of strong, non-sexual, and deep female characters that make playing as a woman cool. Take Bayonetta for example. She way overly sexual, has an unrealistic figure, and is quite simply NOT that good of a character. That's sad cause I was cheering for her until I saw the rest of the game. Turns out I've played Bayonetta before one-handed several times before it came out :P. Compare her to someone like Lightining who a strong leader, wears clothes, and has a real backstory to her and you pretty much have a REAL woman as the main character. Think that pretty much explains the issue regarding women in video games.sonicthemegaman

remember.. SEX SELLS!

cars with models posing near them

gadgets and technology showcased by beautiful women

CES with all the booth babes?!?!

Heroines are usually attractive figures, sassy, very available and single etc..

I actually prefer to play as females. I usually find them more interesting to play as.

ya - single player games like Oblivion/Morrowind where I have an option to create I play either and usually both just to see what the difference is in the gameplay

Usually, in RPGS like Fallout 3, Oblivion, Mass Effect etc. I always play as a male lead first for about 2 play throughs, then, for every time after that, I play as a female.Mythomniac

I swing both ways too ;) :P

Sure, who doesnt love to play with women? :D

:|

[QUOTE="sonicthemegaman"]LOL!! Lightining is one of the main reasons I got FF13. I love palying as women. The problem is the lack of strong, non-sexual, and deep female characters that make playing as a woman cool. Take Bayonetta for example. She way overly sexual, has an unrealistic figure, and is quite simply NOT that good of a character. That's sad cause I was cheering for her until I saw the rest of the game. Turns out I've played Bayonetta before one-handed several times before it came out :P. Compare her to someone like Lightining who a strong leader, wears clothes, and has a real backstory to her and you pretty much have a REAL woman as the main character. Think that pretty much explains the issue regarding women in video games.AdmiralBison

remember.. SEX SELLS!

cars with models posing near them

gadgets and technology showcased by beautiful women

CES with all the booth babes?!?!

Heroines are usually attractive figures, sassy, very available and single etc..

[QUOTE="AdmiralBison"]

[QUOTE="sonicthemegaman"]LOL!! Lightining is one of the main reasons I got FF13. I love palying as women. The problem is the lack of strong, non-sexual, and deep female characters that make playing as a woman cool. Take Bayonetta for example. She way overly sexual, has an unrealistic figure, and is quite simply NOT that good of a character. That's sad cause I was cheering for her until I saw the rest of the game. Turns out I've played Bayonetta before one-handed several times before it came out :P. Compare her to someone like Lightining who a strong leader, wears clothes, and has a real backstory to her and you pretty much have a REAL woman as the main character. Think that pretty much explains the issue regarding women in video games.sonicthemegaman

remember.. SEX SELLS!

cars with models posing near them

gadgets and technology showcased by beautiful women

CES with all the booth babes?!?!

Heroines are usually attractive figures, sassy, very available and single etc..

Agreed that women need depth of characterization. But to also play devil's advocate, I think there's a misconception that beauty and character (or personality, or depth if you prefer) are diametrically divided. Like a woman can be beautiful OR sophisticated, but not both.

A lot of people think I find find Lara Croft appealling just because of her boobs. But really she exemplifies the balanced and well rounded woman. Not only is she "hot" (figuratively speaking within the context of the fiction of course), coming from her aristrocratic upbringing she's very sophisticated and cIassy. She's cultured and knowledgable of history, both the commonly known kind and that which isn't. Sure she commonly dresses in skimpy atheltic gear, and even dons swimwear, but she's also just at home in high society social gatherings in very elegant and styIish dresses, or just easy going in casual attire.

She's far more complex than most casual observers give her credit for, and really is distinguished from other female characters by her many layers of contrast in her personality, as well as her diversity of image and styIe (athletic, glamorous, scandelous, sophisticated, etc...) If you ask me, more heroins should be like her.

But back to the point, hotness should not need to compromise integrity, and intelligence/personality does not necessarily negate sex appeal, nor should sex appeal be seen as a flaw. Not as long as its counter balanced by personality. The two sides of the coin can co-exist and its too bad most writers try to emphasise one over the other in attempts to create an image by overcompensating.