Main Character Gender -- important or not?

[Depu Techiikue]

When you're looking into buying (or renting/borrowing) and playing a role-playing game, does the gender of the main character ever play a decisive factor in how much you want to or don't want to play the game?

Last night I was hanging out with my friends and we decided to watch the Pee Wee Herman Show at 2:30 am (XD -- just watch it with a group of friends, it's hilarious) and afterward we got bored. So I decided I'd pop in Valkyrie Profile 2 and show it to one of my friends who also loves RPG's, similar to me, and I thought I'd show him the mechanics of the game and it's style to see if it'd be something of interest for him to play.

And as soon as I loaded my file, he saw the main character was a girl named Alicia, and he started talking about he didn't like that. At first I didn't think much of it, as I couldn't tell if he was joking or not. Anyway, showing him the battle system, the soul system, some of the FMV's, etc. he was really interested in the game, but he was saying "I'm not gonna buy this because you play a female character." I just turned to him and I was like "what the hell is wrong with that dude? What difference does it make? You've even said the game is great yourself, you like every aspect of it and yet you let such a small issue push you so far away." Anyway, we all wound up talking about the issue, the gender of main character roles in video games.

What are all of your thoughts on this? Would you be more or less enthused to buy a game based on the gender of its main characters?

Personally myself, I could care less what gender the main character(s) is(are). I buy the game for the gameplay, the story, the playability, etc. not for the main characters. The Legacy of Kain series has a badass for a hero, but that doesn't make the games good, because I think they're all pretty bad. =p

[Thirteenth Catastrophe]

It matters not for me.
The majority of role playing games feature a male main character, and despite being female, never have I had any problems getting into the story and into the main character.
But this is really not why it does not matter to me..because, over the years, I have been rather jaded with RPG plots, as they are all the same, and riddled with clichés. So much so that today, when I buy a game, I do not do so for the plot or characters or the atmosphere, but for the gameplay alone, and the desire to conquor and loot every dungeon and treasure chest in my sight. :D

The origin of ''RPG'' is to embark upon the journey yourself, instead of simply watching it. This is why I love mute characters seemingly devoid of any personality, such as Crono or Ryu. Because I am free, in my mind, to take over this character as my own.
So, while playing, all my thoughts become that of the character's. It may seem childish, but I started playing role playing games to make use of my imagination, and it works well in older role playing games. I even made the characters have convos in my head, while they were traveling and the like.
So I stress again, the gender does not bother me atl all. In fact, most of the time, main characters get a suffix of my own name, male or demale, if I am let to name them.

Of course, if I can create or chose a female character, I will certainly do so.

And many games, such as Shadow Hearts, have great characters, with impressively built personalities and charm. Not just the main character, but there are other characters.

In games such as these, I always get attached to one character or another, so if it would ever have bothered me to play a male, it would no longer then, because there are females in the game, just as great as the protagonist.

But, this only truly applies when a plot from a game has charmed me, and most of the time, they fail to do so. Therefore, in these regards, I could not possibly care less. :/

Whee..maybe this post was much too long, as it basically said that it really does not matter for me?

[Tharrick]

Because I am free, in my mind, to take over this character as my own.
So, while playing, all my thoughts become that of the character's. It may seem childish, but I started playing role playing games to make use of my imagination, and it works well in older role playing games.

You should probably try some old-school tabletop stuff then, you might enjoy it :P


Would you be more or less enthused to buy a game based on the gender of its main characters?
That depends on how they're being used. If it's just a bunch of random women in thongs, I probably wouldn't (if I want porn, I'll go on the internet and get it free :P). So if they're using the main character's looks as a major selling point, I'd not be sold.
But if they're being mature about it, if they're not just using it for titillation or the hopes of getting a few more sales, then it honestly doesn't bother me.

[Thirteenth Catastrophe]

You should probably try some old-school tabletop stuff then, you might enjoy it :P

Well yes, I have played Dungeons and Dragons for three years..but that was a bit ago. And now, I know no one who plays, or those who do no longer have the time to set aside for it, including me.

[Depu Techiikue]

I agree with you, Thirteenth Catastrophe, in the sense that some games with mute characters are better. As you said, you can apply yourself to the character more. Onw of the better things I liked about Chrono Trigger/Cross, Dragon Quest VIII, etc. And when they do it well, it's always a plus. I've seen some games that didn't know how to do it, and it kinda ruined the experience.

Btw your post wasn't too long. :p

haha Tharrick, I agree, I wouldn't buy a game with under those circumstances myself. That's sorta like what DOA Xtreme Beach Volleyball is like.

[Nightplague]

Well, personally I like when the game-creators stray from the mainstream and, for instance, make a female character ('cause that is certainly not the most common thing in an rpg!) because I get to see things from a slightly different perspective. It is true, that almost all rpg's have very similar plots, character personalities and stuff but still..

While playing tabletop rpg's however, I have still to make a female character. This is obviously not because I wouldn't like playing as one but, because I am a male, it feels more natural to make a male character.

[Tharrick]

While playing tabletop rpg's however, I have still to make a female character. This is obviously not because I wouldn't like playing as one but, because I am a male, it feels more natural to make a male character.

I agree. I'd probably feel more comfortable playing a female over the internet (via IRC or some such) than in person. No idea why.

[Thirteenth Catastrophe]

I've seen some games that didn't know how to do it, and it kinda ruined the experience.

Which ones? I have only seen a few...
And unless they can make original main characters, unlike all the clichés we see, I do so wish they would make more.

I agree with Nightplague as well..I have, however, played male characters in D&D, although I was never really able to make them how I wanted to. It was always easier with females.
But in a video game, it does not seem so hard, as I have already stated, but methinks that even though the character may be mute, for example, there is much constraint for your imagination then there is with a character one makes in a table top RPG..

[Hyori]

No, I don't have any kind of bias about whether the main character is male or female. But it's always interesting to see that a female is the main, personally. X-2, XIII, VI (Even though this game tends to focus on all of them)...that's all I can think of from the FF series that had a female main character.

[Thirteenth Catastrophe]

Well, such as always been more or less a debate, but many would suggest that Terra, from Final Fantasy VI, is the main character..

[Depu Techiikue]

The game I disliked the most that had a quiet main character was Breath of Fire V. I'm not sure why I didn't like it, but they also didn't use that feature correctly. :P

They'd just show the pic of the main character when it was time to respond to something. XD

Also this other game I used to play on SNES, I can't remember the name... something Adventures, I think >.> ... Anywho, the main character would never respond to anything at all, wouldn't even move around or anything when he was effected by another person or monster or anything on the map. It was like he was a robot lol

Yeah it is interesting to see a female as the main character. That's one thing Magna Carta: Tears of Blood was able to make happen. =p

[Mirae]

I'm with Tharrick, main character gender doesn't make one bit of difference to me. :P
Though most main characters have been guys and it's always refreshing to see a main female char that can kick ass (let's...not mention FFX-2. Please. @_@ ).
I'm not too bothered with "mute" main characters, but I still prefer they give them some personality so it's easier to understand the interactions between the main character and the other characters...it bothers me just a little bit to see the interaction go like this:
Main char: ...
Some side char: So what do you think [Main char]? Should we try that?
Main char: ...
Some side char: Yeah I agree! Let's go!


=w=;

[Belazor]

In regular RPGs, I don't care. Not only because it's the way the game was programmed, but because you don't have to meet with other people.
In MMORPGs, I do care. Not only because the character is supposed to be a personification of my fantasy, but because I have to meet other people. To all you girls who make female characters on MMORPGs, can you honestly say you've never been hit on while online? I very much doubt it if you say yes.

It's bad enough I don't know if that hot Night Elf without any equipment doing /dance in Ironforge is really a girl (though I will wager my left butt cheek the person playing has a penis, one way or the other), but I would rather not get sexually oriented whispers from other fat Internet nerds.

[Glash]

i don t care what gender the main charter in a story or in a game am more into the story of the game

[keiskay]

i really dont care and i think that people who dont buy games becaus ethe main charcters is a girl is gay. this is why i like games like the starwars rpg game knights of the old republic and oblivion and morrowind they let you create a character that can still make decisons instead of going
char:...
personingame:yeah youre right.
in those games you have choices on things you can say and do.but alas it is hard to create a girl character for most guy's, so i mainly make a male charcater in oblivion which made wish i had'nt made him so damn good because he's more attractive than most girls in the game.but i found out why when i tried making a girl with the games creator engine it took me 7 hours to make a godd looking model that did'nt look like a guy with boobs. but then again im a guy band its hard to explore the territory of making a good girl character.

i like the main charcter of valkyrie profile she has a way of seeing things how i do whne she is picking people for souls.

[Zidane007nl]

I don't care what the main character's gender in a game is. I buy it because of the gameplay, good reviews I've red etc.

In MMORPGs I don't like playing as a female character, but most male online gamers don't like it either (unless something's wrong with them...).

[Sephiroth912]

I don't think it matters unless people see what I'm playing, and even then half the time I don't care. I've brought my brother's yu-gi-oh games to school before because they were the only games I really hadn't beaten yet. Got harassed a little, but I just typically shrug it off :P

Some games are okay playing as the opposite gender though, namely games like Sword of Mana, which has a similar yet different story for both genders.

[nevaratoiel]

I buy a game, because it seems to me as a good game. When I'm in a store and I see a cover that jumps in my eye, I pick it up and read the backside. If it appeals to me, I buy it. If it doesn't, I don't. I don't buy games based on main characters being male or female, or because the reviews are good or bad. Sometimes I do buy a game, because people, who know what sort of games I like, tell me this is really a game for me.

But other than that, I follow my own intuition and feeling.

[Rasler+]

It doesn't matter if the main protaginist is male or female. As long as the game's worth playing, you won't see me ignoring it.

[AutoDJ]

In some games, you enjoy it better if you become your main character. Gender helps you to make that transition.

[Koby]

I don't care if the main character if male, female, or even genderless as long as the gameplay and story is good.

[rakusu_klein]

Personally I don't really care which gender the main character has.
Though I do find it a bit harder to play a male.
But since I got almost every FF, .Hack//Saga (complete), Suikoden IV, I got used to playing a male ^^

Some at my school though, are like: FF X-2 sucks, the main characters are all female.
They don't even care if the females can kick-ass

Oh well, everyone got their own opinion...
Can't force 'em to change

[Alexeon]

What I think is that almost everything matters in a story, and RPGs are stories, so if the gender of the character matters, then it doesnt matter to me if it has to be a girl or guy. I do want them to look cool, though. Alicia from VP2 is great and Fayt from SO3 is also awesome so I dont have problems with the gender of the main character. Plus, for some reason, the girls almost always look cooler then the guy characters. Even in freakin' Pokemon, when you choose your gender, the girl looks cooler. <_<

[Suiko Jin]

Doesn't bother me any. The only thing that is bothering me lately is the AGE of the characters. I want some older people damnit!