Well, as a guy, I’ve been asked multiple times why I systematically play games female characters in video games, to the point of skipping a game if I’m forced to pay a male one, with a few exceptions (I really liked Albus from Troubleshooters for example). Whenever there’s romance in a game, I’ll also take the F/F route. Yet, I don’t think I fetishize those in general. There’s a thing about not liking most M characters in games, but also something about playing someone really different from who I am. We’ve had an interesting conversation about this with my gf who always plays F characters and woyd never play M.
Although I’m a straight guy, I’ve always more identified to female friends and characters, although I have a few male friends too. So I’m wondering who else does that (playing a character not matching your gender), and if you found your own explanation.
Edit : It’s not really an oversexualization drive for me, I try to play a female character that looks like me, even though I’ve never thought about actually becoming a woman.
Edit 2 : So far, I think we have, hmm…
- Playing someone that differs from one’s irl identity
- Physical Attractivity
- Male character writing and design
- Lara Croft effect
- Lady Dwarf
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MMORPG = many men online role playing girls
You lost me at “to the point of skipping a game”
It’s 1 thing to prefer, it’s another to obsess over it.
If I have to stare at a digital ass, it might as well be a chick’s ass
It’s ok to say you like playing as the opposite gender without fear of anyone thinking you’re gay, you don’t have to objectify women to make a point.
Objectifying? It’s a made up video game character lmao
I really don’t care. I’m fine playing genderless shapes (and if PacMan didn’t have “man” in his name nobody would even know he was a he) if the game is fun. Even when finishing the first Metroid back when I was a kid and discovering Samus was a woman didn’t really blow my mind like it did for so many others.
The only time I care is when it actually matters in the game. Such as Fallout 2 and being able to skip fighting the Slavers to rescue Vic but only as a woman, or older FPS games where the smaller frame of a female model came with a smaller hitbox, or even Demon’s Souls where male and females have different armor sets so my gender changes with my build.
People look at gender while I’m just trying to see what style fits me in playing. Sometimes it’s male characters and some times they are female.
Same dude. People make a big deal of this shit all the time but it literally does not matter to me.
If the game wants me to create a character I’ll just make a dude like me and spec him out with the stats I want. If there’s preset characters to choose from, I couldn’t care less who they are. If I want to play a necromancer and the only one is an 8ft pink lizard lady that farts rainbows, fuck it, I’m playing an 8ft tall lizard lady necromancer that farts rainbows.
Cishet guy; I play female characters more often than not.
One factor for me is that so many male characters feel… cheesy, like the game assumes I’m hideously insecure in my masculinity and need to be excessively pandered to by making my avatar Muscledick McFireman, and all the ladeeeez will just be aching to jump into my pants when they see my ridiculously huge arms.
It feels like really sad wish-fulfilment fantasy, to the point that it wrecks the immersion; it’s almost getting into AI Girlfriend levels of cringe.
There’s more to it and I haven’t fully worked out all the edges, but that’s a big lump of it.
I mean yes okay I also ferinstance play female dwarves in dragon age because my god Becky, but that’s both minor and very situational.
On my case, i’m a male and i always play with the male character unless i got no option.
Hypothetically, if i happen to play for example, Plants VS Zombies Garden Warfare 2, i would always play as the Sunflower, yes, the doctor brainz it’s also there but i would prefer being on the plants side (Although things may vary).
An example of a game where i had to forcefully play as a Female Character is Cally Caves 2.
Out of that, i mainly avoid playing with female characters, mostly because i’m a honest person.
i wouldn’t overthink it too much. it seems youre in a category of almost 30% of male respondents, not all preferences say something meaningful about us.
