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The majority of new characters this gen have been...

T0minator

T0minator

Member
... mainly women.

And I'm not complaining at all. It's an interesting observation.
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This generation is off to a slow start overall. But I do like the fact we're starting to get new faces for this generation.

GTA6 has a female lead.

Even Nintendo has put more of a focus on Zelda herself.

People that have an issue with this are annoying. I'm looking forward to seeing Naughty Dog and Santa Monica's new characters. The industry needs new faces
 
Fahdis

Fahdis

Member
Make her interesting and has narrative connections to others NPC's, romance not always required, doesn't need to be Bi or Lesbian, can be sexy, beautiful, average, intelligent, girly, feminine, curvy, normal and does not require pronouns and skin color usually does not matter etc. Not forced to be a big independent, body positive, I don't need no man attitude as well. Be realistic to the world she resides in.

You see most of us don't give a shit if its a woman or man that you're playing as to feel empowered. Men don't have this power fantasy of wanting to save the world. If its a good game with an interesting world and a legit protag, I will play it regardless.
 
Danny Dudekisser

Danny Dudekisser

I paid good money for this Dynex!
RetroGamingUK said:
Yeah the bald/shaven men during PS3/360 era was a bit OTT.

I remember having a shaved head was more in fashion in the 00s though compared to now.
Click to expand...

That was a silly time - it legitimately became difficult to tell Western-developed protagonists apart. I remember at the time that a lot of developers said they made their characters bald because it was hard to do hair well. Fast forward 15-20 years and they can do hair well, but forgot how to do everything else. Someday they'll put it all together and catch up to where Asian developers have been for decades.
 
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Johnny Concrete

Johnny Concrete

Member
Everyone tried to be original 7/8 years ago when these projects were in pre-production. Same will probably happen in 5/6 years when games will feature the 'white male protagonist' again.

It will be an endless cycle.
 
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Trilobit

Trilobit

Gold Member
Danny Dudekisser said:
Female main characters are cool. Just consider writing better ones and not insisting that they look like a male main character.
Click to expand...

Yeah, nor have them acting like men. The mc in Arcane was displaying typical toxic masculine traits, but was mostly lauded as strong because she was a girl.
 
Lambogenie

Lambogenie

Member
Most look crap too. At least Rivet looks cool and eye catching. The others look like what if my average cousin became MC. It's not even special case Quasimodo main character but very much average looking person with zero eye catching appeal.

Funny thing is, we know female audience is big and growing, but then we hear how games like Yakuza are popular with them. I guess some women like handsome men in media the same way guys like attractive women.
 
D

dragonyeuw

Member
You forgot the Star Wars Outlaw girl too, OP. But yeah, interesting observation. I wonder if any of them will end up transcending past this gen. Aloy seems to be a tentpole character for Sony, not sure about these characters in the OP, I haven't played any of the games they're in.
 
FeralEcho

FeralEcho

Member
And they're all ugly as sin. It's quite the acomplishment.

Morgan Freeman Applause GIF by The Academy Awards


Dragging my face across broken glass is less painful and cringe worthy than looking at these character models.

The bald space marine somehow was more appealing than this shit.

Is it THAT hard to make appealing looking females in western games? I'm not asking for EVE like proportions in every game but a normal looking female face that doesn't look like she's two seconds away from asking for the manager like most of these female characters seem to look and act like.
 
rubenburgt

rubenburgt

Member
Yes, there are a lot of female main characters nowadays, and that's not a problem, but it is a problem of they are all designed like dudes.

Like, most of them have a squared shaped heads with a prominent chin and a muscular body.

They are more masculine than me. Like, why do I have more curves than the average female lead character in a western video game?
 
CompleteGlobalSaturation

CompleteGlobalSaturation

Gold Member
SJRB said:
This is a problem in the same way that we had a phase were every protagonist was a white dudebro. The industry just course-corrected in the opposite direction.

Both situations fucking suck.
Click to expand...
This.

To see a modern day game with male protagonist is a shocking revelation.
 
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RCX

RCX

Member
Everyone chasing a trend. Then a trend of male protags will start and they'll follow that trend instead.

The lack of originality or independent creativity is depressing. But this is most likely true for almost all forms of entertainment. Real trailblazers are vanishingly rare.
 
StueyDuck

StueyDuck

Member
T0minator said:
... mainly women.

And I'm not complaining at all. It's an interesting observation.
SKnFGRj.jpeg
qXK8TOj.jpeg
2l0X5es.png
TeoxUQk.png
ziSghh1.jpeg
JOgrXYa.jpeg


This generation is off to a slow start overall. But I do like the fact we're starting to get new faces for this generation.

GTA6 has a female lead.

Even Nintendo has put more of a focus on Zelda herself.

People that have an issue with this are annoying. I'm looking forward to seeing Naughty Dog and Santa Monica's new characters. The industry needs new faces
Click to expand...
It all comes from the very false inaccurate data from years ago that most gamers are women because they counted candy crush housewives.

Which we all know really care about a female lombax in a game they don't play 🤣

That being said the MC can literally be a hedgehog or a dragon etc. I don't care, just make the game good and don't try put your simpleton paper thin 0 thought activism into the game.
 
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DAHGAMING

DAHGAMING

Member
As long as there a big tit slag then its all good, the issue is when there cutting about the manor with more testosterone pumping though them than Pat Tate.
 
  • LOL
Reactions: Isa
SJRB

SJRB

Gold Member
Reaseru said:
Putting Joanna Dark among those is straight down insulting. The girl is in this business since the Nintendo 64 days.
Click to expand...

True, but in her case it's more the "manification" of how she looks. The square jaw, the broad head.

A lot of games using female protagonists isn't even the real problem, the real problem is when it either feels forced or agenda-driven, or when they deliberately make them ugly or look manly.

Nobody enjoys looking at ugly things.
 
Reaseru

Reaseru

Gold Member
SJRB said:
True, but in her case it's more the "manification" of how she looks. The square jaw, the broad head.

A lot of games using female protagonists isn't even the real problem, the real problem is when it either feels forced or agenda-driven, or when they deliberately make them ugly or look manly.

Nobody enjoys looking at ugly things.
Click to expand...

While I kinda agree with you, to be fair, some readhead women, especially the english/nordic ones, tend to have that facial structure (a more squared jaw). And her new character model doesn't look that manly compared to the other 2 (Returnal and Fable) in that post.
 
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Radical_3d

Radical_3d

Member
We finally have the raw power to render those pesky haircuts! PS3: bald dudes. PS4: short haired dudes. PS5: finally catching up with Cell’s Heavenly Sword technology.

jvmFOB3.gif
 
ItJustWorks

ItJustWorks

Neo Member
My mass effect, elden ring, and cyberpunk characters were always female. My best fighting game characters are female also...

For single player rpg's, I usually pick what scenario I think is a more interesting dynamic for the plot. Sometimes generic male Shepard with his monotone voice doesn't seem as interesting as a female in that position.

I feel like Devs might start feeling the same way...I felt it a but childish that sine dudes gotta be a dude in a game because "I'm a man bro" lol.

just like when everybody wants every character to be hot...I want a balding older character with glasses one day lol or a not so hot female. Not everybody is hot in real life.
 
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