Female Avatars

I've always been curious as to how female gamers feel about not the representation of females in games, but the inclusion.

I recently read that the game Brink is going to forgoe female avatars in favor of more male custmization. A dick move, to be sure, but in a hecktick FPS, you have to wonder if custmization, be it male of female, really matters.

So I have to ask, as female gamers, do you feel the need to play as female avatars to better experience a game? Do you feel like playing as someone who "represents" you better imerses you in the experience?

I guess the super-simplistc way to ask the question is when you played Halo 3, did you choose the male voice, the female voice, or did you not relize that you could change it?

I prefer to play with a female character just because I think that females are underrepresented in video games. It's also not bad to play as someone the same gender as you.

I don't think it really has to do with the immersion of the game. There are plenty of games I enjoy that have male avatars but I have noticed I do enjoy the game a little more if I'm playing as a kick-ass female heroine.

Yeah I agree with raezura. I still play lots of games where I have no choice but to be a male, but if the option is there to play as a female, I take it.

Like Mass Effect in particular, I can't imagine playing it as a male Shepard. In Dragon Age I also play female characters, and all of my Oblivion characters and my Fallout 3 character are all female.

Personally, I do feel more immersed if I'm able to play as a female character.

CaptainYoruichi wrote:

Like Mass Effect in particular, I can't imagine playing it as a male Shepard. In Dragon Age I also play female characters, and all of my Oblivion characters and my Fallout 3 character are all female.

Games like thoses are diffrent, though. Your supposed to be role-playing, so having male and female oprions is only logical.

I guess I was asking more about sgames with stock characters in stories. For instance, you you have enjoyed Metal Gear Solid if Snake had been a woman?

I guess it's easy for me to talk like this since, as a man, there are no shortage of avatrs that "represent" me. But I grew up in the 8-bit era. I'm used to moving abstract pixles across a screen without any thought of representation.

I see what you mean. But going with your example, I'm curious as to why it would be much different to play Snake if Snake was a woman? MGS is about stealth, why wouldn't a woman be able to do it just as well? Just for the sake of argument.

CaptainYoruichi wrote:

I see what you mean. But going with your example, I'm curious as to why it would be much different to play Snake if Snake was a woman? MGS is about stealth, why wouldn't a woman be able to do it just as well? Just for the sake of argument.

Maybe MGS was a poor example because it's so heavily narative driven. But to awnsere your question, it wouldn't effect the gamplay at all. In fact, women would have an easier time with sneaking because of thier (generally) smaller frame. Eaiser to hide places.

A better example...Metroid. It was a shock that Samus was a woman at the end of the original Metroid, but did knowing that make you enjoy the game more, even though the gameplay mechanics were the same?

Oh, that's a good one. I don't suppose it would matter, but yeah I thought it was awesome that Nintendo went there. But I didn't play the original, and when I got into Metroid I already knew Samus was a woman, so maybe that's not a good example for me, either.

What about if Master Chief was a woman? That's one I can be hypothetical with. In which case, I honestly don't think it would make a difference. There are female Spartans, so the game should in theory play the same whether the character is male or female.

I guess what raezura said is true, I do like to play as females because they are under-represented.

CaptainYoruichi wrote:

I guess what raezura said is true, I do like to play as females because they are under-represented.

I feel you. I honestly don't mind playing as a female. In games where you create your own character and gender is of no consequency, I flip a coin. As a result, my warrior princess in Dragon Age ended up banging some elf maid before anyone even said the word "go."

But for the most part, I don't mind playing as what ever gender the game's narrative calls for.

In most games I get (and if I'm able to have more then one save) I choose both mainly first I play as a female like in Bleach 3rd phantom) but like in Pokemon where you can only have one save it just goes by what name I think of first either it be a girl name then I choose a girl if a boy I choose a boy XP (or who has the better outfits like in pretty much all pokemon game even the wii sone the girls have some of the worst outfits e.e so alot of the times I'll choose a guy so I can have a better outfit that I'm into (I an't one to wear dresses or skirts I like a good pair of jeans and a T-shirt)

(so I pretty much hate most outfits they have out for girls on video games as avatars XP)

I play since I'm 5 years old and i absolutly hate it to play as a female - I always play as the male if I have the chance.
Especially in RPG's cause in former times and still often today girls are just healer, mages or so and I rely on physical strengh.

That aside I also prefer to play as a male in other genres.

I seem to be the only one who doesn't care for the female population in games lol

I always liked to play as a male better, if only because, as said before, female outfits usually range from just silly to sluttish. It's hard to find a female avatar that looks as cool as the male avatar of the same class. That aspect has been improving lately, though, so I use female avatars sometimes now.

I usually don't care if choosing a female character is an option or not, I just wished that, when this option is possible, they made the female avatars as good as the male ones.