WRPG virgin no more!

[Mym]

Kind of playing devil's advocate here since I'm generally more fond of Japanese games, but I'm a girl and I've never had a problem with Western art direction. I loved the visuals of the Baldur's Gate games and Planescape Torment, and The Witcher 2 is just about the most impressive looking game I've ever seen. It's true that I do tend toward softer, more cartoonish art, but my (also female) friend swears by a more realistic approach and swoons over the graphics of games like Uncharted and Mass Effect. So I'd be inclined to say it's less of a male-female thing and more one of personal taste.

Now if you're having a go at games for not presenting compelling female characters from a writing perspective a lot of the time, then there I'm with you. But it's something that's getting better and better. And I wouldn't say Western games are any more guilty of it than Japanese ones. Heck if nothing else, Western RPGs usually offer you the chance to play as a girl if you want to, as well as giving you some degree of control over her appearance and personality. Yes there are token bimbos in some Western games, but that's true of Japanese games too. Heck there are plenty of Japanese games that trade either heavily or completely on female sex appeal. Ar Tonelico 3, anyone?

Oh, and reading back on previous posts, was Uncharted being cited as a game that isn't really appealing to women? Really? I thought both Drake and Elena were fantastic, well-rounded leads that would appeal equally to those of both genders. And I had a pretty massive crush on Drake over the two games.

[Eusis]

Oh, and reading back on previous posts, was Uncharted being cited as a game that isn't really appealing to women? Really? I thought both Drake and Elena were fantastic, well-rounded leads that would appeal equally to those of both genders. And I had a pretty massive crush on Drake over the two games.

Apparently the poster just used a pic of Drake with a scowl on his face (or I THINK that's why she picked it, I thought it was more of a bewildered look from being stranded in a desert) and admitted he really was one of the better examples otherwise.

[Sagacious-T]

Kind of playing devil's advocate here since I'm generally more fond of Japanese games, but I'm a girl and I've never had a problem with Western art direction. I loved the visuals of the Baldur's Gate games and Planescape Torment, and The Witcher 2 is just about the most impressive looking game I've ever seen. It's true that I do tend toward softer, more cartoonish art, but my (also female) friend swears by a more realistic approach and swoons over the graphics of games like Uncharted and Mass Effect. So I'd be inclined to say it's less of a male-female thing and more one of personal taste.

Now if you're having a go at games for not presenting compelling female characters from a writing perspective a lot of the time, then there I'm with you. But it's something that's getting better and better. And I wouldn't say Western games are any more guilty of it than Japanese ones. Heck if nothing else, Western RPGs usually offer you the chance to play as a girl if you want to, as well as giving you some degree of control over her appearance and personality. Yes there are token bimbos in some Western games, but that's true of Japanese games too. Heck there are plenty of Japanese games that trade either heavily or completely on female sex appeal. Ar Tonelico 3, anyone?

Oh, and reading back on previous posts, was Uncharted being cited as a game that isn't really appealing to women? Really? I thought both Drake and Elena were fantastic, well-rounded leads that would appeal equally to those of both genders. And I had a pretty massive crush on Drake over the two games.

You or your friend wouldn't happen to be single, would you? I love women with brains.

[kyuusei]

Exactly, I've never been bothered by realism or Western style either - in fact sometimes I prefer it. Depends on what I'm in the mood for really. I don't find this style necessarily 'masculine' or 'geared towards men' either - maybe, MAYBE sometimes the advertising is, but I don't find this to be 'exclusively' the case. It's indeed more personal preference than gender preference.

Oh, and reading back on previous posts, was Uncharted being cited as a game that isn't really appealing to women? Really? I thought both Drake and Elena were fantastic, well-rounded leads that would appeal equally to those of both genders. And I had a pretty massive crush on Drake over the two games.

Ha. I definitely noticed Drake's appeal to women.

[Eusis]

The real problem is stuff like the homogenous design, and that seems aimed at a fairly narrow male audience. And to programmers who don't want to bother programming/designing hair in a game.

[Vanguard]

Kind of playing devil's advocate here since I'm generally more fond of Japanese games, but I'm a girl and I've never had a problem with Western art direction. I loved the visuals of the Baldur's Gate games and Planescape Torment, and The Witcher 2 is just about the most impressive looking game I've ever seen. It's true that I do tend toward softer, more cartoonish art, but my (also female) friend swears by a more realistic approach and swoons over the graphics of games like Uncharted and Mass Effect. So I'd be inclined to say it's less of a male-female thing and more one of personal taste.

Now if you're having a go at games for not presenting compelling female characters from a writing perspective a lot of the time, then there I'm with you. But it's something that's getting better and better. And I wouldn't say Western games are any more guilty of it than Japanese ones. Heck if nothing else, Western RPGs usually offer you the chance to play as a girl if you want to, as well as giving you some degree of control over her appearance and personality. Yes there are token bimbos in some Western games, but that's true of Japanese games too. Heck there are plenty of Japanese games that trade either heavily or completely on female sex appeal. Ar Tonelico 3, anyone?

Oh, and reading back on previous posts, was Uncharted being cited as a game that isn't really appealing to women? Really? I thought both Drake and Elena were fantastic, well-rounded leads that would appeal equally to those of both genders. And I had a pretty massive crush on Drake over the two games.

You win this thread.

[Yoda]

Kind of playing devil's advocate here since I'm generally more fond of Japanese games, but I'm a girl and I've never had a problem with Western art direction. I loved the visuals of the Baldur's Gate games and Planescape Torment, and The Witcher 2 is just about the most impressive looking game I've ever seen. It's true that I do tend toward softer, more cartoonish art, but my (also female) friend swears by a more realistic approach and swoons over the graphics of games like Uncharted and Mass Effect. So I'd be inclined to say it's less of a male-female thing and more one of personal taste.

Now if you're having a go at games for not presenting compelling female characters from a writing perspective a lot of the time, then there I'm with you. But it's something that's getting better and better. And I wouldn't say Western games are any more guilty of it than Japanese ones. Heck if nothing else, Western RPGs usually offer you the chance to play as a girl if you want to, as well as giving you some degree of control over her appearance and personality. Yes there are token bimbos in some Western games, but that's true of Japanese games too. Heck there are plenty of Japanese games that trade either heavily or completely on female sex appeal. Ar Tonelico 3, anyone?

Oh, and reading back on previous posts, was Uncharted being cited as a game that isn't really appealing to women? Really? I thought both Drake and Elena were fantastic, well-rounded leads that would appeal equally to those of both genders. And I had a pretty massive crush on Drake over the two games.

You or your friend wouldn't happen to be single, would you? I love women with brains.

At least be a creep to someone who has more than 11 posts.