While a customizable protagonist with gender choice is nice, it’s not really in the same discussion category. A static protagonist – a lead character with a personality, characterization, and growth arc – is a different thing.
Very hard disagree. I’d say it’s even two steps ahead of having fixed gendered characters that in the end will just fall into certain gender stereotypes. Having the choice of gender, and more and more commonly even separated from the biological sex, gives players the freedom to play the character they want to play, instead of being forced into one gender role or the other, including all its potential stereotypes. As much as I like characters like Ellie, which is actually my favorite video game character, I will still always prefer games to have character customization. The problem here is more of a logistical one because you’ll obviously need more voice recordings, and potentially motion capturing, depending on how story intensive the games are.
Also, your own graphic kind of disproves your claim? Bunched together, the female pie pieces might not quite as big as the male ones, but it’s actually somewhat close (I’d estimate about 2/3 if we’d combine them). And the largest piece is unspecified, which, assuming they didn’t include genderless proptagonists like animals or robots in this chart, would be the one that gives people the choice.
Also, your own graphic kind of disproves your claim? Bunched together, the female pie pieces might not quite as big as the male ones, but it’s actually somewhat close
What? It’s nowhere near. Half the size of the males at best. Now I know you aren’t approaching this discussion in good faith.
Gender affects how you experience life and molds the kind of person you become. The writing behind a customizable character simply doesn’t take that into account. But as you aren’t here in good faith, you’ll respond that this is a good thing, somehow, because you’re used to being represented and understood by the writers of all these characters.
Well, at least I can still convince others by leaving this here.
Very hard disagree. I’d say it’s even two steps ahead of having fixed gendered characters that in the end will just fall into certain gender stereotypes. Having the choice of gender, and more and more commonly even separated from the biological sex, gives players the freedom to play the character they want to play, instead of being forced into one gender role or the other, including all its potential stereotypes. As much as I like characters like Ellie, which is actually my favorite video game character, I will still always prefer games to have character customization. The problem here is more of a logistical one because you’ll obviously need more voice recordings, and potentially motion capturing, depending on how story intensive the games are.
Also, your own graphic kind of disproves your claim? Bunched together, the female pie pieces might not quite as big as the male ones, but it’s actually somewhat close (I’d estimate about 2/3 if we’d combine them). And the largest piece is unspecified, which, assuming they didn’t include genderless proptagonists like animals or robots in this chart, would be the one that gives people the choice.
What? It’s nowhere near. Half the size of the males at best. Now I know you aren’t approaching this discussion in good faith.
Gender affects how you experience life and molds the kind of person you become. The writing behind a customizable character simply doesn’t take that into account. But as you aren’t here in good faith, you’ll respond that this is a good thing, somehow, because you’re used to being represented and understood by the writers of all these characters.
Well, at least I can still convince others by leaving this here.