In 1986, a game was released calledMetroid.
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Then, shortly after the turn of the century, a new sort of female protagonist emerged.
A more dressed-down, less-sexualized woman began to appear in leading roles.
One of the first was Jade, the protagonist of 2003sBeyond Good and Evil.
Even Lara herself received a more practical makeover in the 2013Tomb Raiderreboot.
That said, the number of female-led games has not risen at a rate commensurate with this evolution.
Games with women as the only playable characters are still not very common.
But there are signs of hope.
But what is it like for the people who create those women and the games theyre in?
It has to be a male character, simple as that.
One of the casualties of this attitude was apparently an independent female lead of anAssassins Creedgame.
All three of these were apparently conceived as female-led games.
And why did Hascoet and Ubisoft do this?
According to Schreiers sources, its because they believed female protagonists wouldnt sell.
For example, Dontnod Entertainment was hit with this while developing its 2013 game,Remember Me.
The main character is named Nilin, and had always been a woman from the earliest stages of development.
You cant have a female character in games.
It has to be a male character, simple as that.
Is it risky to do a female character?
So is there merit to this argument?
Do games with female player characters sell less?
The question is, is this something that really doesnt happen, or do marketing budgets get gimped?
There was very little attention left to be paid toLiberation.
Have you ever tried it?
Games for girls; girls for games
Games with female protagonists dont just happen in a vacuum.
Game developers are like any other kind of storyteller they tend to write what they know.
Theres nothing wrong with that, but that character is far from the only one with a story.
HER Interactives original slogan for theNancy Drewseries was For girls who arent afraid of a mouse.
Women make up only 23% of the gaming workforce and women of color are even less represented.
These changes have not come without resistance.
Most of gamings celebrated heroines Samus Aran, Lara Croft, Aloy, Jill Valentine, Bayonetta are white.
Thats not what [Square Enix has] in mind.
They want you to see a new perspective entirely.
Kamala is also singular in that shes played by an actress with a similar background to her own.
Its difficult and awkward sometimes, and youre just trying to fit in.
Can we reach a point where women and men can lead games in equal measure?
Game developers have, sometimes to their detriment, defended their female characters and protagonists.
We gamers get to do the rest, and to our credit, we seem to be getting there.
Story byRachel Kaser
Rachel is a writer and former game critic from Central Texas.
She enjoys gaming, writing mystery stories, streaming on Twitch, and horseback riding.
Check her Twitter for curmudgeonly criticisms.
