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Author Topic: Re: Only two posts on 'Tropes vs Women in Video Games'  (Read 309482 times)

Max White

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Re: Only two posts on 'Tropes vs Women in Video Games'
« Reply #690 on: April 05, 2013, 06:11:31 am »

Just as making a compilation of 'damsel in distress' examples is pretty much a meaningless exercise, making a list of female protagonists is equally pointless.
The fact of the matter still remains that publishers don't want female protagonists, and that is a problem.

Reelya

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Re: Only two posts on 'Tropes vs Women in Video Games'
« Reply #691 on: April 05, 2013, 06:43:56 am »

Not to nitpick, but that article states that "some" publishers didn't like it, but the game itself did get published with the female protagonist. The core question is whether those games have sales potential. If so, then it'll be a big seller and the "stuck in the mud" publishers will lose out, giving those more adventurous ones a leg up - thus improving their market share and making them more likely to publish other such games in the future.

So, female protagonist games are continuing to be made, and it's up to people to vote with their wallets now.
« Last Edit: April 05, 2013, 06:50:41 am by Reelya »
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Max White

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Re: Only two posts on 'Tropes vs Women in Video Games'
« Reply #692 on: April 05, 2013, 06:47:56 am »

So the industry isn't 100% corrupt to the point of bursting. I never meant to imply it was and am sorry if I gave that impression. There are good games, good developers and good publishers.
But the fact that some publishers would take such a stance is a problem.

LordBucket

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Re: Only two posts on 'Tropes vs Women in Video Games'
« Reply #693 on: April 05, 2013, 07:03:08 am »

I guess my question is why is this even an issue at all?

There are more female nurses than male nurses. Shall we angry over this and demand more male nurses? At my local mall there are more women's clothing stores than men's clothing stores. Shall we be angry about this and seek to have more men's clothing stores? More women are accepted to college than men. Shall we impose male recruitment requirements to even it out?

Why is equal representation a desirable result?

Why is it perceived as a "problem to be corrected" if the gaming industry caters more to men than women?

Reelya

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Re: Only two posts on 'Tropes vs Women in Video Games'
« Reply #694 on: April 05, 2013, 07:06:59 am »

At the end of the day, if both male and female protagonist games are presented, the consumers will make the decision. Those publishers could just be mirroring attitudes of the public. And if, as has been noted, females make 50% of the purchasing decisions for games, how can it be male gamer's fault if games with female protagonists aren't being bought? They ARE actually being made, so you know, female gamers, go out and make them best-sellers!

I also have a slight issue with the idea that everything guys tend to like has to be made "gender neutral". e.g. for sake of argument - Rambo movies. Rambo fans tend to be male, so it's sexist to have them. Therefore Rambo shouldn't exist and we should replace it with a gender-neutral version liked equally by males and females. But why not just make a totally different movie then, and let Rambo exist on it's own. Mere existence of anything females dislike shouldn't be sexist in itself. And what about games, movies etc, predominantly liked by females - should these be forced to have pro-male features added until they're equally liked by males and females, so that they are not deemed sexist?

It seems to me in forcing everything to be gender-neutral we're encompassing a world of everything being colored beige.

@LordBucket you ninja'd me with a very similar sentiment. The answer is that anything with more male than female fans is automatically sexist.
« Last Edit: April 05, 2013, 07:15:19 am by Reelya »
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Max White

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Re: Only two posts on 'Tropes vs Women in Video Games'
« Reply #695 on: April 05, 2013, 07:18:11 am »

Well yea, that is very true. I have stated before that I don't really see a problem with letting people have their fun.
Honestly, if somebody wants to make 'Busty Girls in Catsuits with Guns: Jiggle edition' I say go for it! Enjoy! Heck make team ninja blush with embarrassment if you can!
But if somebody is making 'Female Protagonist with Character Depth: The Game' and is having trouble finding support just because of a female protagonist, that is an issue.

Nobody should be trying to take away any sort of games, or ban any story line, or banish any character type, of any sort. Be it shallow cheerleader in miniskirt or single mom trying to save the kids from demons of Hades.

Actually Single Mom trying to save the Kids from Hades sounds pretty interesting...

Loud Whispers

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Re: Only two posts on 'Tropes vs Women in Video Games'
« Reply #696 on: April 05, 2013, 07:21:22 am »

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Actually Single Mom trying to save the Kids from Hades sounds pretty interesting...
Hades isn't a bad guy ;-;

Zangi

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Re: Only two posts on 'Tropes vs Women in Video Games'
« Reply #697 on: April 05, 2013, 07:22:00 am »

Actually Single Mom trying to save the Kids from Hades sounds pretty interesting...
Only place it would get published is Japan...  or Indie.
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Max White

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Re: Only two posts on 'Tropes vs Women in Video Games'
« Reply #698 on: April 05, 2013, 07:27:49 am »

Hades isn't a bad guy ;-;
Well I was thinking of Hades as in the place but now that you mention it...
In 'SMTtStKfH:TG' not only is Hades an evil guy, but a evil guy with horns! Muhahahahaha! All the emotional attachment you have to the mythology is meaningless to me! Helmets of invisibility nothing!

Only place it would get published is Japan...  or Indie.
Yea I know, that is the problem... And in Japan it is still likely to be steered towards a male audience somehow.

penguinofhonor

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Re: Only two posts on 'Tropes vs Women in Video Games'
« Reply #699 on: April 05, 2013, 08:21:27 am »

The answer is that anything with more male than female fans is automatically sexist.

I really think bit this speaks for itself.
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Re: Re: Only two posts on 'Tropes vs Women in Video Games'
« Reply #700 on: April 05, 2013, 10:31:37 am »

The main problem with what Lord Bucket said is that he's treating it like, as he said, a female audience is a hypothetical audience. When, as has been stated, it's not? 47-50% of gamers are female, so the audience is split, but the actual games are not.
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DJ

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Re: Only two posts on 'Tropes vs Women in Video Games'
« Reply #701 on: April 05, 2013, 10:38:00 am »

What I'd really like right now is a rant on how Alpha Centauri objectifies Sister Miriam.
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Reelya

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Re: Re: Only two posts on 'Tropes vs Women in Video Games'
« Reply #702 on: April 05, 2013, 10:43:13 am »

The main problem with what Lord Bucket said is that he's treating it like, as he said, a female audience is a hypothetical audience. When, as has been stated, it's not? 47-50% of gamers are female, so the audience is split, but the actual games are not.
If they were clamoring for those particular games, sales should reflect that. They have enough purchasing power already. One question should now be why games with female protagonists aren't selling so well, when so many women are buying games already.

Leafsnail

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Re: Only two posts on 'Tropes vs Women in Video Games'
« Reply #703 on: April 05, 2013, 10:46:54 am »

As for the prevalence of female characters in games...are we seriously even bothering with that issue? Personally the vast majority of all games I play allow the player to choose the gender of our character. I'm playing Eve right now and I have a female character. What's the problem? And it's not like this anything new. Even in the 80s and 90s we had Chun Li, Samus Aran, Princess Peach, Alis Landale...there's never been any shortage of female protagonists in games.
The main question I'm interested in is whether you have a greater female potential to be punched in the face when you play those characters.
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DJ

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Re: Only two posts on 'Tropes vs Women in Video Games'
« Reply #704 on: April 05, 2013, 10:47:05 am »

Women tend more towards management than action games from what I've observed, and you don't really have a protagonist in Simcity or Transport Tycoon Deluxe.
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