Should Rockstar's Next Game Have a Female Main Protagonist
- Thread starter Redx508
- Start date
Gunmonkey36
Member
should
Does Rockstar have any obligation to make a female protagonist of their next game? I'd say no. Let designers make what they want to make.
Could they make the lead protagonist of their next game female? Absolutely. I don't think anyone has any valid argument against it(and I don't believe there is one).
In the event that a female lead happened the amount of outrage that would occur based on trivial shit would be extraordinary.
For example, any character outfit customization that showed any form of cleavage or any form of curves would be targeted in out cry. How dare sexuality of a person be shown even if its a player's choice to play that way.
If the protagonist did anything stupid(see stupid stuff the slew of characters do in GTA V) there would be outcry that Rockstar is presenting women as stupid as a whole.
Honestly it might be worthwhile for Rockstar to have their next title feature a female protagonist of sorts. Publicity from whatever controversy people can cook up would keep the next title in the limelight past its normal levels of Rockstar title hype.
- verb
- used to indicate obligation, duty, or correctness, typically when criticizing someone's actions.
Does Rockstar have any obligation to make a female protagonist of their next game? I'd say no. Let designers make what they want to make.
Could they make the lead protagonist of their next game female? Absolutely. I don't think anyone has any valid argument against it(and I don't believe there is one).
In the event that a female lead happened the amount of outrage that would occur based on trivial shit would be extraordinary.
For example, any character outfit customization that showed any form of cleavage or any form of curves would be targeted in out cry. How dare sexuality of a person be shown even if its a player's choice to play that way.
If the protagonist did anything stupid(see stupid stuff the slew of characters do in GTA V) there would be outcry that Rockstar is presenting women as stupid as a whole.
Honestly it might be worthwhile for Rockstar to have their next title feature a female protagonist of sorts. Publicity from whatever controversy people can cook up would keep the next title in the limelight past its normal levels of Rockstar title hype.
Methamatics101
Member
Catalina from SA?
When someone says 'Should I have a sandwich?' do you start screaming that no, you don't have to, don't oppress yourself because the sandwich is voluntary!!!
Mobile Suit Gooch
Grundle: The Awakening
Yes, most definitely! They the assets too.
Make it a British Black woman btw.
Make it a British Black woman btw.
Interfectum
Member
If they do another ensemble cast like in GTA5 I'd imagine we'll get a female in the mix.
A Link to the Past
Banned
Yes. It would be interesting to see a female character as the focus character in the GTA or Red Dead settings.
What a silly post that is, at best, a big ol' nitpick. But it's not at best, because you propped out that classic strawman that games that don't have female characters portrayed perfectly get criticized. That doesn't happen, and when it does, often it happened because the designers actually DID fuck up the character.
What a silly post that is, at best, a big ol' nitpick. But it's not at best, because you propped out that classic strawman that games that don't have female characters portrayed perfectly get criticized. That doesn't happen, and when it does, often it happened because the designers actually DID fuck up the character.
If they tell a good story I'd find that interesting.
A female criminal of the type that GTA frequently has (gang / organized crime family member) doesn't seem like a natural fit. Just in terms of how the world would react to a character like that. I'd rather, if they did it, that they build a story around that - 'this is what it's like to be a woman in a male-dominated criminal culture'.
I don't think it's as big of a deal from a representation standpoint as other games (say, games made for kids). GTA Online shows that they definitely recognise they have a female audience. But I guess it would be interesting.
A female criminal of the type that GTA frequently has (gang / organized crime family member) doesn't seem like a natural fit. Just in terms of how the world would react to a character like that. I'd rather, if they did it, that they build a story around that - 'this is what it's like to be a woman in a male-dominated criminal culture'.
I don't think it's as big of a deal from a representation standpoint as other games (say, games made for kids). GTA Online shows that they definitely recognise they have a female audience. But I guess it would be interesting.
LastOne2100
Member
Honestly, I'd rather Rockstar make whatever they'd like to make. Not all narratives in gaming need to focus a female lead. If the game / story they want to do works best with a female lead, fantastic - if not - fantastic.
Worse yet is adding player character customization choice which always vastly hurts the player character's ability to be integrated into the story, instead of being more of a passive viewer. This would be especially disastrous in my opinion in a Rockstar style narrative heavy game.
Worse yet is adding player character customization choice which always vastly hurts the player character's ability to be integrated into the story, instead of being more of a passive viewer. This would be especially disastrous in my opinion in a Rockstar style narrative heavy game.
MilHombreLobo
Member
Rockstar have already featured a female protagonist in one of their games:
Angelus Errare
Banned
Having a woman wouldn't be realistic. Men are much more emotionally unstable and indulge in mass murder at a much higher rate than women.
I'd love to see a female protagonist. Not shocking are the hundreds of post demanding the game justify the woman's basic existence.
A Link to the Past
Banned
I dunno - isn't GTAIII's villain a woman who runs a drug cartel? I could totally see it working in more varied ways.
Black Mantis
Member
http://www.therichest.com/rich-list...erous-female-gangsters-in-the-world/?view=all
Seems pretty natural and the reaction angle isn't too dissimilar to what we get with "most powerful crime bosses" lists we get with men. I don't think rockstar would have to build a story around how they fit in at all.
Yeah, Catalina. She had a decent part in GTA:SA as Carl's GF where she was just as crazy too. I think she even had a nice little monologue about how all little men are scared of strong women lol.
I'm not saying they don't exist.
What I'm saying is that I'd only be interested if they addressed the rising in the ranks story that is common in GTA games from a female perspective. Like, I don't just want a male GTA protagonist replaced by a woman. That wouldn't work, for me. I'd want to see the rags-to-riches arc of a female criminal, which I'd expect would have a lot of belittlement and sexism. I don't think it's as simple as just replacing a dude in the role.
LegendofDragoonLives
Member
Playing it safe is using a male character now? That makes no damn sense. As in regards to the question at hand hand, I don't care. As long as the character is interesting and well written.
Messofanego
Banned
That'd be a nice nod to Red Dead Revolver which had a playable Native American, woman (cooler than Bonnie imo), among others.
Shadow Wolf missions were the shit. Stealth and bow+arrow would be a great contrast to the usual stuff in the next RDR.
Raven77
Member
I just think from a story stand point it would be much more difficult to write it with a female main protagonist. It seems like the character always has a life of crime behind them, or trying to escape a life of crime, etc.
Females are generally looked at as much less likely to commit a crime so I think it's a believability issue. Granted the games aren't 100% realistic.
Personally I don't understand why people keep asking for female characters. I don't pay attention to gender in video games and movies, books, etc. anymore. I can relate to a character regardless of gender and color.
Females are generally looked at as much less likely to commit a crime so I think it's a believability issue. Granted the games aren't 100% realistic.
Personally I don't understand why people keep asking for female characters. I don't pay attention to gender in video games and movies, books, etc. anymore. I can relate to a character regardless of gender and color.
VibratingDonkey
Member
Why not?
If Rockstar were to care for such a direction, I believe them capable of writing decent female characters. Bonnie in Red Dead was alright if I recall.
It'd inevitably attract reactions much like when people were asked to play a black man in San Andreas. Only there'd be more whining about SJW's.
Would also attract the scrutinizing eyes of those who doubt Rockstar's ability to handle women, following GTA V.
Other companies in this situation might've balked a little at the nigh inevitable negative attention, but to Rockstar it probably just makes the proposition more appealing. I think they might actually do it.
If Rockstar were to care for such a direction, I believe them capable of writing decent female characters. Bonnie in Red Dead was alright if I recall.
It'd inevitably attract reactions much like when people were asked to play a black man in San Andreas. Only there'd be more whining about SJW's.
Would also attract the scrutinizing eyes of those who doubt Rockstar's ability to handle women, following GTA V.
Other companies in this situation might've balked a little at the nigh inevitable negative attention, but to Rockstar it probably just makes the proposition more appealing. I think they might actually do it.
SprachBrooks
Member
Why did they do that with Claude? I never understood the thinking behind a silent protagonist.
Jawmuncher
Member
Rockstar has great writers, so i'd like to see what they do with a female lead.
Ha! Really? I thought the writing was the worst part of every single GTA game, ever.
It's no huge jump in believability either. The way GTA online is set up with loose story lines and cutscenes we already have all female teams pulling off heists more complex that what was featured in SP. It's awesome & Rockstar could easily wrap one of their dumb stories around it.
brotkasten
Member
Why not? I've never heard that reason for games with male main protagonists.
"I don't care if the main protagonist is male, as long as he's well written" -No one ever
And yet it comes up all the time in threads about (potential) female main protagonists.
I just don't get it.
A new Red Dead, sure. But not GTA though. Also heads up! Take-Two will be holding their quarterly earnings call on 5/18. Hopefully we get more intel on when Rockstar will announce/release their next game. Sure, Take-Two does allow Rockstar the freedom to announce their games whenever but I'm expecting an announcement like "New Rockstar IP will be released fiscal year 2017."
VibratingDonkey
Member
Limiting your writing based on general beliefs, means you're leaning towards creating a character that is what people expect. Although even if you were to abide by that belief, it still allows for female career criminals to exist. If the character is seen as less likely to exist, that seems like it'd make for a more interesting one, as it would be literally out of the norm. Which is something I feel is worth striving for from characters in general. That's also basically a reason why people are asking for more female or minority characters. Also to further representation and equality in general.
Audioboxer
Member
Rockstar make great characters, so fuck yeah!
I'd just be slightly worried that if it's in GTA the mass murdering nut job female would get them flak for making a terrible human being.
Rockstar don't really care about blowback though, so I'd welcome it for sure whether in GTA or another IP. Whatever the IP though pretty much all of Rockstars games involve lots of killing and fucking people over lol.
Imagine a Carrie Hopewell from Banshee like kick ass female protagonist in GTA. Would be amazing. That idea alone excites me.
I'd just be slightly worried that if it's in GTA the mass murdering nut job female would get them flak for making a terrible human being.
Rockstar don't really care about blowback though, so I'd welcome it for sure whether in GTA or another IP. Whatever the IP though pretty much all of Rockstars games involve lots of killing and fucking people over lol.
Imagine a Carrie Hopewell from Banshee like kick ass female protagonist in GTA. Would be amazing. That idea alone excites me.
badcrumble
Member
A female-led Bully would be amaaaaaaazing.
Audioboxer
Member
Don't think they'll ever touch that IP again
They got flak for it back in the day and even had to change the name in the UK. Nowadays though with the install base gaming has grown to I'd expect to even see Governments PC their ass for a game like Bully. As I said Rockstar don't tend to give a shit about blowback but I'm not sure they could be bothered with the headaches around a Bully 2. Sadly.
Audioboxer
Member
It can make the narrative cost a fair bit more for such a narrative led open world game like GTA. If anyone has the resources to do it and all the voice acting required it is Rockstar. If I'm honest though I like it best when they create a character with a specific back story and accomplices.