What's the appeal of character customization?

GotGame: More franchises seem to be utilizing character creation in order to enhance the game’s experience like never before, such as Fire Emblem Awakening and Pokemon X/Y. Looking at this changing trend, a single question has been consistently nagging at me. Why is character creation becoming such a popular feature is so many genres?

[admiralvic]

They're typically in a "role playing" game, so it helps you get into the role.

[erathaol]

I'm gonna be honest with you, Rod. You look like a giant eagle with fire all around you, and you've got a mountain for a face. - Dave

Need I say more about of Character Customization's appeal?

[-Foxtrot]

I have a total b**** fit when I can't find the hair I want

http://media.tumblr.com/tum...

[Ramon3MR]

LOL @Foxtrot, but I totally get where you're coming from. Overall, I like the idea of customization as I feel like a I'm truly a part of the game when I can put my own touch on it. Be it a RPG, a sport game or an action title.

[Bigpappy]

Same here. customizations and opened worlds, actually makes me more connected with the game. I feel more like I am playing the game rather than being lead through it.

[fenome]

I think this is the first time I agree with you 100% Cheers!

[Bigpappy]

@fenome: See, if you had pull that trigger, you might have never know we had some common ground.

Hopefully somewhere down the line there will be yet another agreement. Who knows?

i.e. I do find Australians to be civil even when their disagree. You do take you cricket very seriously and that's a gentleman's sport. Yet: Not all the offspring of a champion yields a champion.

[Orange Juice]

Ever since the wrestling games of the late 90s character customization has been a selling point for me in any game. The caw sharing feature has basically been keeping the smackdown games alive for a few years now so its totally essential to those imo.

[KillrateOmega]

It increases immersion.

Character customization allows the player to put their personal touch on the protagonist of the game. It makes the experience more personally appealing.

[blackstrr411]

Only in rpgs

[LogicStomper]

Personalisation is what people want. You'd rather play a game being a hero you've created rather than being a hero pre-chosen for you. You'd rather create your own safe-house rather than buy one pre-made for you. It allows you to play through a game how you imagined it, not how developers want you to.

Who wants to be a typical human dovahkiin when you could be a half-naked dovahcat?

[Lord_Sloth]

Because sometimes the cast just looks stupid. You don't know what the art team was thinkin.

[Ripco_Keller]

Sometimes a character's appearance or clothing irritate me enough that I can never fully immerse myself in what would otherwise be a good game.

Below for example, is a link to a pic of the main character from Vagrant Story, and is the prime example of what I'm talking about. Those buttpants are only the most glaring of horrible design flaws in that character, and bugged the shit out of me all the way through that game.
http://www.hardcoregaming10...

Below is another ridiculous character design. He literally has armor everywhere except where he should, and although this is not the best image to show them off, his abs look painted on. This was a circumstance where the character's design actually tipped him over into my personal hatesphere, because his role and personality might have been bearable if he didn't look like an enormous douche.
http://static1.wikia.nocook...

And finally we combine two concepts that piss me off. First we have the Ahoge hair style (AKA Idiot Hair), which only ever serves to remove any sense of credibility a character might have while drawing your eye every time it's on screen, because apparently the Japanese think Alfalfa just looked like an action hero. Second we have the completely mismatched stupid armor, which wouldn't go well together even if it were the same color.
http://www.finalfantasy500....

And as a bonus, later on you trade it out for a pair of buttpants, WTF art team?!
http://i.imgur.com/SPTTF63....

In closing, just let me clothe and sculpt my characters, you obviously don't know what you're doing.

PS: I know I picked on Square a lot here, but they're obviously not the only culprits.