Activision Doesn't Like Female Leads, Do You?

I read through the article, but just like all of Leigh Alexander stories, I turned it down. She sounds like some woman activist in all of them. So what if Activision doesn't cast a lead female character. Yes, I've seen plenty of good games with females as the lead character. Most of them coming from Japan (Square-Enix). Besides the soon-to-be Gears of War 3, can someone name me a good game in America that has a female lead character. I'm talking about at least an 85% or above rating. 
 
The way I see it, and this is my point of view. The reason why games with male leads sale is because mostly men buy games. Now let me finish before you make a fuss. I understand that there's some people that like to make female characters in RPG's when you can, but that's a story that doesn't work around the character. It's a story that works around the entire world in the game. So it doesn't matter what kind of character you make. For the kind of game that has a female role that has the story working with her, that's something that I would feel uncomfortable with. Meaning I can't get myself to feel what she is feeling. It's just not me. I'm a man and I need to have those manly feelings. Blood, guts, war, gunfire, etc. That's just the way us men are. 

" @Symphony: I think i get what you're saying.  It's like saying Harvey Dent was the protagonist and not Batman in The Dark Knight.   But it's still Terra's story, she's the catalyst of the entire plot, and the story wouldn't be there without her.  The rest of the cast are just there, and their struggles are different from the struggle that pushes the story. 
 
Maybe, I'm just a sucker for Terra and her green hair.  :P

" @Video_Game_King: It was a novel first, then some people at Square loved it, and asked the writer to write a sequel in video game form.  They mention the novel a lot, but I was young back when PE came out and just recently read the book.  You don't need the novel to understand, I doubt most people who played PE at the time even knew there was a book before it.  No dude, it's a RPG trust me.  Check out gameplay footage of it, you level up and everything.  I think I hit to level 27 my first run, but it's really hard to level with how the game works.  I'm telling you, it's a RPG.  Check out vids. "

" @KaosAngel:   Again, I need to play some other PS1 RPGs first. I still haven't even touched Xenogears. "

" @ryanwho said:

" That explains why Kerrigan got turned into a damn princess.  "

Oh god, does this mean Kerrigan can't be the protagonist in the Zerg Expansion?! "

The Parasite Eve games are some of my favorites. I honestly enjoyed 2 a lot more than 1, though, simply because I'm a bigger fan of survival horror than JRPG's. PE2 did a great job of fusing, what was back then, traditional survival horror and RPG mechanics. Thinking about it in retrospect, it was kind of weird playing a game that played just like the old Resident Evils, but seeing numbers and stats everywhere, leveling up your powers, upgrading weapons and armor, and having battle result screens with loot after each fight, but all of that worked so well. Some of the boss battles in that game were fucking epic, too. It's still one of my favorite games of all time, but I am in no way discrediting PE1, as that is still great, unique experience that everyone should...uh...experience.

i'm probably weird but i really don't care either way. 
 
if it's up to me though i usually go for females, like in mass effect and dragon age. 
 
though in 3d dot game heroes i was a car. not sure where that would fit, i didn't think of if it was a boy or girl car.

Anyone who doubts the effectiveness of strong female characters needs to read the A Song of Ice and Fire series. Arya Stark FTW.
 
As for games, well in terms of leads I think Faith from Mirror's Edge is a really decent lead character - shame the actual game was so damn janky. As for non-leads, BioWare does female characters extremely well, my favourites being Morrigan and Leliana from Dragon Age and Miranda and Tali from Mass Effect. Also shout out to my favourite female fighting game characters; Nina Williams, Chun-Li, Pai Chan and Talim.

some of my favourite games have had Female leads. Faith from Mirror's edge comes to mind as does Jade from beyond good and evil.

I love them womens. Don't care what Bobby K and Crew (new album coming out 2012) think of 'em.

" i'm probably weird but i really don't care either way.  if it's up to me though i usually go for females, like in mass effect and dragon age.  

I would only go for males if there's really good facial scar and beard tech in the character maker. That is to say, I never go for males. But in theory, someone throws together a character maker with rocking beards and custom facial scars, Im going for it.

" @ryanwho:  The camera angles, as well as the switch to 3D movement controls, the switch to real-time combat, the addition of puzzle solving, not to mention the fact that 2 definitely tried to be more horror focused than the first did. There are quite a few differences between the two games. "

It's Activision. 
 
I mean, that's all that needs to be said.

Lady from the Devil May Cry series is the epitome of Badass.

I don't mind female leads, though if I get the choice, I'll definitely play as a male first, because that's what I am. If I really like the game, I might replay it as a woman to see how it changes things.

All of the games that allow me the opportunity to play as a chick, I play as a chick.  We've gone over that a billion times on the site, so let's just say that Activision is full of crap. Games don't do poorly because of the sex of the main character but because they are poor games.  However, there is a condition.  Even good games that feature females will do poorly if the player believes the character is designed to titillate and not to inspire.  This isn't about me, but it seems the majority of the gaming public has had enough of hyper-sexualized heroines.  Like I said, that ain't me, but that seems to be the prevailing attitude. ;-p  Besides if gaming turns into a "sausage fest" I'm taking up another hobby.  
 
As long as Activision continues to look at every property through their Modern Warfare tinted spectacles, then they will continue to be disappointed by the results.  

Well even Bioware says that male characters are more relateable to the majority of the target market.
Thats why the marketing of Mass Effect and Dragon Age show a male lead.

I definitely want to see more female leads. If the Mass Effect movie has a male lead I will definitely be disappointed.

" I definitely want to see more female leads. If the Mass Effect movie has a male lead I will definitely be disappointed. "

Go to any well known video game forum and you'll understand why Activision believes gamers can't relate to women.

There's a fine line between female empowerment and exploitation. We know what most of the Japanese market does to their female leads and as a heterosexual male I approve some of it but sometimes it just irks me.  Maybe jiggle physics sells more games but realistic women make the game less childish.  I really loved the No One Lives Forever series for its gameplay and humor but I also liked the depiction of a woman who knows she is good looking but doesn't need to use her good looks to get what she wants.

" Mirror's Edge Portal. "

Female leads can potentially be just as good as male leads.
 
The problem is that developers seem to have a very hard time being able to make a good female lead. There's lots of speculation and possible reasons as to why this is, but female leads are harder to make than a male lead. An example of a good female lead would be, of course, Parasite Eve, and an example of a bad one, the female lead from WET. 
Some examples of good female leads given don't really count since there is little to no personalization done for the character, examples being Samus (who is becoming increasingly sexualized) , Faith from Mirrors Edge, or the character from Portal. 
 
Because developers largely seem unable to make solid female leads, I am more skeptical of the game when a female lead is announced than if a male lead was announced. If it's a good female lead however, I also am more likely to buy it than if it was a good male lead since it can be more interested. 
 
I would like to see more games coming out with female leads so that maybe developers will learn how to do female leads well, but I will remain skeptical because chances are against them.. Sorry.

They don't sell well enough, that the reason Activision has to intervene in development for them to change focus. White men with brown hair sells. It is a stupid reason for why they can't simply have the game develop with a female lead but as publishers and developers, they look at the mindset of creating a world that is great and unique enough to intrigue the masses.

Girls suck

As long as the character is well written and interesting it doesn't matter what gender, species, appearance or sexuality they are.  The only exception to this IMO is for certain role playing games, because the fun of those is "role-playing" and I'd rather role play myself as a guy; and most of those games posses some form of gender option anyway.  An example of a role playing game where it doesnt matter are the "on rails" ones like Final Fantasy or games with an established protagonist ala Planescape: Torment, where you adopt the roll of a preset character.

I've been craving for a female lead in GTA for a long time.

" I've been craving for a female lead in GTA for a long time. "

I guarantee Rockstar could develop a quality female protagonist.
 
As for female leads in general, I don't think I like them any more or less than I do male ones. Gender isn't a big issue for me.
 
The last one I can think of is Bayonetta. I loved her, and that game.

Woman should only be lead in games like Cooking Mama, Fashion Designer & WET(hehe)

I saw the article was written by a demon witch-er, I mean Leigh Alexander- and stopped reading. But I do think female protagonists have been some of the best. Although I don't think a game needs to include a woman protagonist just because, and I am also not surprised at all that Activision would do something like that.

Love 'em. 

I literally couldnt give less of a flying fuck.
 
Who cares?