80°

Remember Me: 'We were told you can't have a strong female lead and be successful'

CVG: Creative Director Jean-Maxime Moris on why Capcom's sci-fi thriller will live long in the memory...

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computerandvideogames.com
GribbleGrunger4263d ago (Edited 4263d ago )

It doesn't matter what the sex of the lead character is. It's the narrative, mood, tone, pacing, plot and storyline that matter. We really need to stop debating this now. If sexism still exists, it's simply because we can't stop debating whether it does or doesn't matter. When I watch a movie or play a game, I'm not thinking: 'It's a black man' or 'it's a white man' or 'it's a woman', I'm thinking 'this is a good game' or 'this is a bad game'

Tameel14263d ago

" If sexism still exists, it's simply because we can't stop debating whether it does or doesn't matter."

That doesn't make any sense. Sexist people are still going to be sexist even if people suddenly stopped debating the existence of sexism. Just like racist people are still going to be racist even if people suddenly stopped bringing attention to racism. In fact, bringing attention to it is a good thing IMO. Because if it's ignored or pushed under the rug, then nobody will change the negative attitudes. They will just continue to get worse and worse. Negative attitudes towards women or black people in the past didn't go away overnight. People needed to bring attention to the negative attitudes.

If Remember Me's dev truly was told that a game can't be successful with a female lead, then that's proof enough that certain people in the gaming industry DO still have sexist attitudes even in this day and age. It isn't articles like this that need to be stopped. It's the negative attitudes on female leads or black leads that need to be stopped.

GribbleGrunger4263d ago

I understand what you are saying, but there comes a time when the debate needs to end. Are you telling me that the debate should rage until every single person on the planet isn't prejudice in some way? Think about that impossibility. I live my life with no prejudices (to my best ability). As a result I see hardly any prejudice. Yes I see it sometimes, from the few morons that I'm unfortunately forced to live on this planet with, but by and large, most people I know and meet are just living their lives. Bees will always exist, but prod the nest and they're more likely to sting

Tameel14263d ago

It might be an impossibility, but that doesn't mean it isn't worth fighting for. I'd rather prod at the bees nest than completely ignore the bees that are going to sting me anyway.

I don't want to make assumptions about your race or gender, but are you a white man by any chance? I'm only asking because I've never heard a minority person say that they "see hardly any prejudice". Prejudice is everywhere and it is something that many minority people (myself included) have to live through every day. It's great that you live your life without prejudices and I personally thank you for that. There should be more people like you. But ignoring it isn't going to make it go away. Ignoring it only gives off the impression to the racists or the sexists that their behavior is OK. People in power can walk away from the conversation and it won't affect their life. They can say ignore it, they can say stop bringing it up, they can say that it's no big deal. But minorities and women cannot walk away. They live it on a constant basis, whether it be through being unrepresented in the media, or being sidelined in a meeting or debate, or being called a slur, or being told they can't/shouldn't do something because they're a woman.

jeseth4263d ago

Things like Racism and Sexism will always be somewhere in the background. There are some people/cultures that will never let go of certain ideas or concepts.

However, Gribble Grunger is exactly right. Things like Sexism and/or Racism continue to live on because people keep pointing these differences out instead of just moving forward.

Nariko is a strong character, Lara Croft is a prominent and influential character rooted in gaming's history, Jill Valentine is an incredibly popular character from one of the most recognized franchises in gaming history, etc. etc. Me not point out their gender, even though we know they are female, is getting past sexism. When people refer to them as strong female characters, or having the need of strong female characters (which there are a ton of, I don't get why this topic has been poping up lately) indirectly brings people back to thinking man vs. woman. That is the problem.

Warren Moon, Mike Vick, Randall Cunningham, Donovan McNabb, Cam Newton ... are great quarterbacks. Why do they have to be great "Black" quarterbacks?

Until people just start seeing them as strong characters or just good players without the sex or race preceding their title ... sexism/racism will not go away.

I see more "reverse racism/sexism" now than anything else. People making issues where there are none and should be moving forward instead of staying stuck in the past.

A game is a good game because of strong characters along with other elements. It doesn't matter what gender ... and there are plenty of games with strong characters of both genders.

Blacklash934263d ago (Edited 4263d ago )

Really? I can think of a few successful franchises with a strong female lead off the top of my head.

MacDonagh4263d ago

Can you give me a couple of them? I know of Portal, the Fatal Frame series and that FF have recently had a number of female protagonists.

Having a female lead in a video game may not seem to be a big risk but people have got to remember that there is a lot of money that has been pumped into games to the point where they have to sell a lot of copies to just break even.

jeseth4263d ago

Macdonagh:

Bayonetta
Metroid
Resident Evil
Fanal Fantasy
Skyrim ... any create your own character game/rpg game.
Heavenly Sword
Folkore
Tomb Raider
Street Fighter
Mortal Kombat
Mass Effect (personally like a female shep better)
Beyond Good and Evil
MGS
Half Life
Borderlands
Dead Island
Blood Rayne
Portal
Enslaved ; Odyssey to the West
Mirror's Edge
Heavy Rain
Perfect Dark

That's just off the top of my head and mostly from this gen. Do you not play many games? Or, like others, are you trying to bring something up where there isn't much to bring up unless you're trying to start something where there isn't anything. And those are some pretty darn recognizable franchises.

There are tons of great "female" characters. And given that the majority of console gamers are late teen to early 30 males, the amount of positive female protagonists is more than adequate. Some people just like to think others have issues when really the issue lies within that person.

DoomeDx4263d ago

@Macdonagh

Streetfighter, Mortal Kombat, Skyrim, Mass Effect,
MGS, Borderlands, heavy rain etc etc dont have a LEAD female character.

jeseth4263d ago

Mass Effect and Skyrim certainly do ... if you create a FEMALE CHARACTER!

The other games have extremely strong female characters, MGS3 is heavily influenced by The Boss ... she's an insanely prominant chracter in the MGS universe.

jeseth4263d ago

I love when people disagree because they can't get over facts that go against their personal agenda.

Hence why this article/message thread board even exists.

Hahahaha. Hilarious. So by disagreeing with me you are saying that if you choose a Female Shep she is no longer the main character? And that The Boss is not one of the most important characters in the MGS universe?

You relealize that makes you look like you've never even played these games right?!

Hahahaha.

MacDonagh4263d ago

@Jeseth I'm just on the lookout for titles that I may not have played which have compelling female protagonists. I might look into getting a couple of the titles you've listed but I will have to point out a couple of things.

Heavenly Sword was a flop where despite selling a million and half units. It didn't even break even for Ninja Theory who had to go multi-platform with Enslaved: Odyssey to the West which also flopped with about five hundred thousand units. Folklore's developers Game Republic have shutdown their offices after Knight's Contract belly flopped tremendously. Probably due to the fact that the game itself was a huge escort mission which might have been the problem with Enslaved. Metroid: Other M didn't sell as expected by Nintendo. Probably due to the criticisms aimed at the plot for turning Samus from a bounty hunter into a co-dependent. Tomb Raider has also had to be reinvented twice after Angel of Darkness was an utter omnishambles. Despite selling well, Core Design ended up discontinued. Beyond Good and Evil was a commercial flop, even though it's getting a resurgence with a sequel, as has Mirror's Edge which performed well below EA's expected sale projections. Perfect Dark is a dead IP thanks to that launch title that everybody cannot stand.

I want Remember Me to do well, but a female lead character is a big risk on the part of the developers to undertake. Most games that have a lady protagonist don't do well and the market shows that.

Baka-akaB4263d ago (Edited 4263d ago )

@jeseth

The problem is that you water down the quality of your list by included stuff like skyrim and games with generic hero/heroines creation . They barely qualify a having a female lead , hell they dont have any kind of lead with any identity of their own , save Mass effect .

Makes it look like you were reaching hard and scrapping the barrel when there are plenty games with female lead , enough even without those in your list .

And please , no woman is the lead or face of the game in SF or MK . Having a strong presence wasnt your argument to begin with . Could have been better with at least Skull Girls or Arcana Hearts

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 4263d ago
thepluggy4263d ago

most people wont care if its a man,woman,alien or stuffed teddy,the few that do are just ignorant and who care what their opinion is but i do agree gribblegrunger on this.this game looks cool though.

Xperia_ion4263d ago

Whoever said that should be slapped. *cough cough* Tomb Raider.

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80°

Remember Me - A Forgotten Gem

A Capcom classic, Remember Me, has ironically been forgotten in the 10 years since its release on PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

SimpleSlave315d ago

Sadly, Remember Me is not a forgotten Gem but a case of wasted potential. The best idea the game had was the Mind Remix Segments and the New Paris World setting, neither of which where really exploited or used well. Instead everything comes down to this just being pretty Beat'em Up and nothing more.

It does deserves a re-imagining though. Make it in first person and use something like the current Sherlock Holmes like gamedesign. Use some of that Deus Ex/Hitman mechanics and go all the way with the Memory Remix as the center piece.

Each case takes place in the mind of a victim, either dead, dying, or alive, and each level should be design like a Hitman level. Contained but chock-full of details. Investigating in the real world give you hints and clues as to how you can help or mess up a person's memory. Make this a player's choice. You can add combat but make it tasteful and short IF combat is required. Make the combat fit the narrative and the setting. Like a Boss fight taking place in the Mind of a CEO that's hiding a dark secret. Or a victim injected with some nasty Nano Machines trying to erase her memories so she can't be scanned by the Memory Remix Agent. Stuff like that. Again, make these short, sweet and to the point.

The potential for a classic is there but the original wasn't even close to being it.

blackblades315d ago

I liked the game, couldve been better but you can say that for every game or movie.

70°

Looking Back at the Best Beat'em Ups on the PS3

Carve your burning fist through this list featuring the best beat'em ups you can experience on the PlayStation 3.

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altarofgaming.com
jznrpg396d ago

I loved Asura’s Wrath . It’s my avatar still to this day

Abnor_Mal396d ago

I remember Remember Me, I haven’t forgotten that it was actually a good game.

80°

Bring it Back | Remember Me

Some may not remember Capcom and Dontnod Entertainment's Remember Me, but GotGame does, making it a part of another Bring it Back retrospective.

IamTylerDurden11109d ago (Edited 1109d ago )

I agree. Personally, Remember Me, imo, was quite underrated. The game was linear and beautiful Neo Paris wasn't available to be explored as much as I would've liked, but as a whole, it was enjoyable.

Graphics were excellent, the art style was terrific and Nillin was a tremendous character that was voiced beautifully. It even had a solid story. Combat was attacked, but going back recently, I rather enjoyed it. The pressen system was genius and the basic flow to action worked. Platforming was terrible, but the overall package was one that i loved and I'd rather DontNod make more titles like this then become complacent making knockoff Tell Tale games. They are going down the same road as TT, using old tech and pumping out inferior products consistently. I know they had interest in a sequel and had already written the script. Capcom just doesn't want it, but I do.

Magog1109d ago

Yeah their walking simulators do nothing for me. Funny that Quantic Dream seem to be going in the other direction. I wouldn't be surprised to see some actual gameplay in their next game.

Relientk771109d ago

I will always see Remember Me as one of the most underrated games of the PS3/Xbox 360 generation. I had a blast with the game. I would love a sequel.

PersonX1109d ago

No point, nothing but a mediocre game.