A problem I'm having as a Girl Gamer...

[terry78]

http://eschergirls.tumblr.com/

You ever check this place out?

 

[masterthehero]

I've seen that website, it's pretty entertaining.

 

[Havok83]

Ive felt the way about black characters in games for a while. I was surprised and shocked that The Walking Dead had a very relatable and likeable black male protagonist instead of going with the cliched caucasion. Of course he started the game a criminal on his way to jail, but I guess at least they fleshed him out so he wasnt merely one dimensional.

Now if you are a woman AND black? Seems prospects are even less for you. Im drawing a blank on any black female protagonists at the moment. Really only my FemShep and I had to create her myself

 

[terry78]

I'm trying to think of some that are in their own game, but they usually have a white dude as the lead protagonist as co-op.

 

[Havok83]

I'm trying to think of some that are in their own game, but they usually have a white dude as the lead protagonist as co-op.

yeah thats the case with RE5's Sheva. Chris is clearly the star and she's supporting to him

 

[Wolvieboy17]

Well there's Aveline from Assassins Creed: Liberation, but from a marketing perspective she was second fiddle to Connor, I guess.

 

[Havok83]

Its better than nothing. Of course she was relegated to a handheld no one has as she'd never star in a PS3/360 version

 

[Paladin-Hoss]

Now if you are a woman AND black? Seems prospects are even less for you. Im drawing a blank on any black female protagonists at the moment. Really only my FemShep and I had to create her myself

...And Bethesda games

 

[the last son]

There was a lot of black leads in dead island

 

[terry78]

Yeah, two of the characters were black, but they were sharing the spotlight with an asian and a white dude, who technically was almost always the one chosen when I played online multi. I'd be like the only Xian or Purna with like three Logans.

 

[Wolvieboy17]

That's not the game though, that's the people who choose it.

 

[terry78]

Yeah I know, just saying that's who they flocked to.

 

[cherokeesam]

You can make a strong black (or Latino) female lead in Saints Row 2 and 3.

 

[Wolvieboy17]

I don't think Saints Row is the best example of non-stereotypical characters...

 

[Destructus86]

I'm a guy and even I am sick of the stereotypical big boobed, nearly naked female characters. I think a fully armored up woman is way cooler.

 

[the last son]

i'm sick of the pretty boy male characters

 

[terry78]

Pretty boy male characters are never gonna change so long as Japan is making the bulk of the games.

 

[cherokeesam]

I don't think Saints Row is the best example of non-stereotypical characters...

True; but we were talking about *any* minority females in games as lead characters.

And I'll make a general observation here about the subject: the bottom line is the bottom line. If girl gamers would start buying action games that had strong female characters in them, then the studios would start making more of them. I think the problem is more that women just aren't interested in a typically male-dominated genre (e.g., shooters and fighters), and wouldn't buy into it even if you made Gloria Steinem-type characters as the protagonists.

 

[Havok83]

I wouldn't count SR or Bethesda games. Both are very generic blank slates. I guess SR has at least a personality but as mentioned highly stereotypical. It's really not the same as FemShep who is a truly fleshed out character. Even then you have to make her black. She isn't one by default

 

[Paladin-Hoss]

Sheva from RE5. You can make her your character, after beating the game, so in effect making her the main character.

 

[Thundercrack85]

What I do find interesting in Japanese games, is that the protagonist is actually rarely Japanese. Or even particularly Japanese-inspired.

Just look at Nintendo. Link is a European-esque elf. Mario is Italian (or Italian American).

Some of the most famous Japanese game characters, like Solid Snake are American. And with JRPG's they're mostly "white".

The real exception are fighting games, where obviously Japanese martial arts play a big role. E.g. Street Fighter.

 

[Paladin-Hoss]

It's Asian culture thing. Where fairer skin is viewed to be more attractive, and it's reflected across all forms of our entertaintment mediums.

 

[the last son]

Yea it is what it is.

 

[Havok83]

What I do find interesting in Japanese games, is that the protagonist is actually rarely Japanese. Or even particularly Japanese-inspired.

Just look at Nintendo. Link is a European-esque elf. Mario is Italian (or Italian American).

Some of the most famous Japanese game characters, like Solid Snake are American. And with JRPG's they're mostly "white".

The real exception are fighting games, where obviously Japanese martial arts play a big role. E.g. Street Fighter.

Snake is biracial. He doesnt look it but his mother is Japanse

And there are plenty Japanese protagonists. You may not be aware of them bc many stay in Japan and dont get localized outside of Asia. Making a western-centric protagonist does help in making the game more accessible and relatable to the western audience which is MUCH bigger than Japan. From a marketing standpoint, unless the game needs to be rooted in Japanese/Asian culture like a Shenmue, Onimusha or Yakuza, there are several reasons why its best to just go with a Western approach when it comes to creating the characters and settings

 

[Flash Facts]

I don't think Saints Row is the best example of non-stereotypical characters...

Have you played this game?