Male or Female? Which gender do you pick the most.

If I have a choice, I'll often pick a female because most games have male protagonists. But I wouldn't read much into anyone's choices on this sort of thing. I'm sure we all have multiple reasons for why we choose what we do. Sometimes we want to relate to the character. In the case of Mass Effect, I prefer Jennifer Hale's performance as Shepard. In games like Skyrim, I often play as a thief/archer, and it seems logically a good fit for a female character. The whys often vary from game to game for me, and I suspect that's true of others as well.

In RPGs, it's natural to want to model a character after yourself. It's a perfectly rational choice to choose male because you're male, or female because you're female.

EDIT: I'll just add that I find it amusing that gamers are constantly pushing for more customization and more choice in games, and then wind up all judgmental about the choices other gamers make with their characters. What's the deal?

Comes down to the game.

If I can't make a cool looking dude or a real world look alike of myself I go female.

Yeah, it's pervy but that's how it is for me.

Examples: I play as a near perfect look a like of myself in the tony hawk games (the good ones) and the first dragon age. On the other side; I played through all of Mass Effect as Female Shepard. I hate the bald/shaved military man look.

So recently I've been playing a lot of female characters in games. Thankfully the clean cut military look is coming to an end in games right? ...right?

It depends. When I started Dark Souls recently, I picked female. When I played through Torchlight 2, it was with a girl. But I started Dragon Age Origins earlier in December and I made a big, burly warrior with a scar and a big ol' black beard.

So, yeah, it depends on what I feel like when I'm sitting at the character select screen and I go from there. And my reasons either boil down to "I'd like to be the biggest, baddest motherfucker in the room" or to "If I'm gonna play this game for 20+ hours, I might as well make it a character that I like to look at."

I don't see where the whole "creepy" thing comes in, people have been making up stories for centuries and most of the time, the women are beautiful and the men are strong and hardy. It's human nature to fantasize and if you say there's no fantasizing going on in a character creator, then you are sadly mistaken.

50/50 I usually pick based on stats or gameplay type regardless of gender. If there's no difference i just go with the one i like the look of better. Female characters tend to be the more interesting in terms of personality. If it's a choice between the everyman (male, 20-40, short dark hair, dark stubble, cracks wise) and a female character, I will always go female. I hate the everyman. I do not understand how game developers seem to independently come up with the exact same guy to put in their game. It boggles the minds.

Male, if theres options given.

As a male, there's just something more interesting about playing as a female character. I guess it's the idea that I can get to interact with a world and characters in a way that would be different from how I do in real life.

Plus, I enjoy playing stealthy characters more than brutes and female characters are usually smaller and lithe.

Female, I have no idea why.

I tend to pick both male and female characters about 50/50, but there is no option for it :(

female because why not

It really depends on the game. I mostly go female because I like customizing females better then males, like in Saint's Row The Third. But in something like Mass Effect I go default male. It really depends on what I feel is appropriate for the game.

Depends on the game and role I want to create. So 50/50 I guess.

If there's a choice, I most often pick male. If I get to customize my character then I see it as an abstract extension of myself in a very casual way, even if I don't feel responsible or relate to the choices I make within said game. It's easier to relate to a male player character because I am male myself.

I sometimes play female characters anyway, usually if there's something bothering me about the male model or if the female voice actor is better or other similar reasons that would impact my experience with the game.

@charlie_victor_bravo said:

[...] I am just pointing out how strange "because I am a male"-argument is. Can you read a book if it is written by a woman? Do you enjoy movie less if protagonist is female?

Please read my answer above, if that helps.

Female.

Because if Dave does it that way, it's clearly the right way. Or something.

Female. I find strong chicks kicking ass cooler than beefy dudes kicking ass. Hanna, Haywire and Chocolate are examples of ass-kicking girls kicking ass with as much style as any male action hero. It started with Chun Li. I played her a whole lot back in 1992. Following Ellen Ripley and Sarah Connor, she represented something outside the norm. Actually, it probably started when I was in early elementary school and became fixated on Catwoman and Jun the Swan from TV, but Chun Li was the first female playable character I can recall. Whatever the root, female action heroes appeal to me more than male ones.

@Adaurin said:

@Gargantuan said:

If there's voice acting then I pick the one that sounds best (like male Shepard for example) otherwise I mostly pick males.

I agree with your reason, but not your example. I personally think Jennifer Hale is way better in the role of Shepard.

She tried too hard to sound like a tough marine. She sounds like she's trying to take a massive crap.

A male playing a female character is like a guy playing with Barbies.....

Only play male.

Male, in the vast majority of games I play it just seems more fitting. Especially combat-oriented ones.

Male. What I'd like to know is the percentage of chicks playing as dudes if given the option.

I would rather stare at a chick for x hours but sometimes things feel out of place if its a chick. Probably because i've met alot of hardcore dudes(i used to live in Harlem) but never met a hardcore chick, so in games like ME it just seems too far fetched playing renegade as a chick.

Female because I like not being a dude. I also tend to go for non-white whenever I can too for some reason.

I LIKE PLAYING AS A WOMAN IT IS FUN YAY.

Male, because I'm a chauvinist pig. I'll save your ass princess whether you like it or not. Time to clean the pipes.

Male, because that is what is usually already selected when you get to the character creation screen.

Actually though, I tend to play male because I naturally gravitate towards male characters. In some games I will tend to a female character that I believe is the better character, like in Mass Effect 3 (though I did play as male shep in 1 and 2, but that is because I thought he looked cool and the game was kind of marketed with default male shepard as the main character). And again, I'd probably play as a female more often if games started putting that as the creation screen default.

Edit: I took out "literally" from the first line of the paragraph. Seemed unnecessary.

If I'm playing a role-playing game, and the lead character can speak, then I usually play as a female. I know that sounds crazy, but I like it more because it allows me to create someone as beautiful and realistic as I can make her. Besides, I think Jennifer Hale is a much better actor than Mark Meer in the Mass Effect games.

If I'm really roleplaying, then male. If it's less serious, third person, and there are lots of outfit options I pick female. Because, well, I like dressing up hot ladies and seeing them prance around . . .

Nah, that didn't sound creepy at all.

Generally female. Weird, I guess, being a male.

Female. I like tough broads.

Female. I identify myself with females more than with males, but i always make them a bit tomboy-ish. I simply can't bring myself to play as a man when i have the option to play as a woman, to the point where i never got that achievement in SR3.

Male because I am a guy.

Beards.

Male because I try to base a character on myself as much as I can. I will occasionally pick a female for either story exploration (recent Personas) or if what your character looks like is useless (monster hunter).

Male, solely because armor typically looks better on males than females in RPG games.

Male because that's what I am.

Also, anyone who says "I pick female because I'll be looking at their butts for the next X amount of hours," consider how many times you're actually looking at your character's back in a video game. I mean, actually focusing on it. I'm willing to bet you're probably looking at something a little more important, such as your health, ammo count, MP, where the enemy is, what's around the corner, where the reticule is located, which weapon to switch to, stats on your armor, the list goes on.

I mainly choose a Female, but I am a Male.When I am playing a game, I rarely think of myself being in the shoes of the main character. Even with games that offer dialogue options.

Instead I feel like I am observing a story, occasionally making choices. The only game I have played through with characters of different gender is Saints Row The Third. As far as I remember the NPC dialogue was the same, but the context of the dialogue made it feel different.

But between Fallout 3/New Vegas/Skyrim I am 300 hours into playing as a dude. Maybe those games are the exception to not seeing myself in the shoes of the main character.

I

Female when I have the option.

I will never lament how there are so many male characters in gaming, but when you play as many games as I and a lot of other people here on Giantbomb, it's kinda nice to see a change every once in awhile.

@Imsorrymsjackson said:

Male because i'm male.

Been picking ladies since I was a kid - easier to identify with, I suppose.

In cases where gender is (at least mostly) inconsequential, I always flip a coin. Though these days it seems to be coming up female more than male.

Whatever the first option to select is, I don't like fucking around with character creators.

Female most of the time, the only other time I get to play a woman is saturdays.

I am male I always pick female. Just about every game that doesn't let me choose makes me a dude. I'd rather see a story about a lady once in a while.

Depends on what character I'm looking to make. First is usally a male, second is female. Same characteristics across games.

It's about 50/50, I kinda decide at random. Although when games include relationship options and I choose a female I start to regret it. When there is a character creator making a pretty lady is more fun than a dude (unless its a Bethesda game where all the ladies look like dudes). I guess normally my first playthrough will be a dude and my second a female now that I think about it.

@Imsorrymsjackson said:

Male because i'm male.

^

If the gameplay is the same, I always choose male. Where the gameplay/story differs I'll try to play both (Resident Evil).

@RVonE said:

Female, because there are enough male protagonists in games as it is.

This.

I usually choose whichever seems to have the least awful voice acting (So FemShep for life, yo.). In games where the voice acting seems fairly balanced or there is no voice acting, it doesn't really matter, I'll probably play it twice anyway.

Male. The only game I can remember playing a female is World of Warcraft, which got some...interesting responses from time to time. Messed around a little with Lady Shepard in Mass Effect 2 as well.

Male, because i'm male. its easier to get immersed into a game where i can put myself in the role. its easier to get into.

if im playing a female i'll be distracted by thinking about getting into her

Male because I am a male.

Depends on the game and the voice actors, but I generally prefer picking male characters.