Does Gender Matter To You?

Posted by Glen on Feb. 26, 2011, 12:53 p.m.

Does it make a difference if you play a female/male character in a game? Do you prefer one or the other?

I ask this because too often do I see males being the main character of a game and wanted to know if I made a game where you played a female, would that be a turn off to male players? I actually wouldn't mind. It's something different. Every game that I played with a female character (Tomb Raider for example) was fun.

Comments

Rez 13 years, 8 months ago

Doesn't matter at all it's just that most games use the whole female character thing as a gimmick (either it's just a hot babe or a generic female instead of a generic male and somehow that makes the game more original or edgier). Too many games with female characters are pretentious. Don't hide behind breaking gender roles that have already been challenged a thousand times before, just give me an original character.

JID 13 years, 8 months ago

It doesn't really matter to me. I just think games with overly sexualized female characters are just idiotic, and they are made for 12 year old boys.

Misconstruct 13 years, 8 months ago

What Rez said.

Though when it comes to fighting games, I always play as the hot babes. :D

Rusky 13 years, 8 months ago

Agreed. Just make the game about the character, and if that character is a girl fine. If it's a poorly designed character that's a different problem.

F1ak3r 13 years, 8 months ago

Doesn't matter to me at all. Just as long as the character's not annoying. Iji and Portal are two of my favourite games ever, and they both have female main characters.

It did matter to me when I was a kid, though. I wanted to play a male character. Something about kids seeking affirmation of their identity in the media they consume, I don't know.

PY 13 years, 8 months ago

I'm pretty fine with both, it depends who the character is. Female Commander Shepard is a better character than the male one, for example, and most of my oblivion characters were female.

It's a turn-off to some people, but who cares about them.

Glen 13 years, 8 months ago

"It did matter to me when I was a kid, though. Something about kids seeking affirmation of their identity in the media they consume, I don't know."

That's what I'm worried about. Most of the people who test my gamemaker games are probably going to be teenagers.

JID 13 years, 8 months ago

Quote:
That's what I'm worried about. Most of the people who test my gamemaker games are probably going to be teenagers.
Iji did pretty well.

I think all that really matters is the graphics, most teenagers I know wouldn't want to play a game with pink backgrounds, hearts and ponies everywhere.

Rez 13 years, 8 months ago

Who cares about making a game accessible? Just make the game you want to make.

sirxemic 13 years, 8 months ago

No, but your horrible use of gradients in your banner does.