Grand Theft Auto V Female Character Discussion Exposes Lingering Stereotypes In The Gaming Community

"It's recently been confirmed that all three of Grand Theft Auto V's playable characters will be dudes, opening up a netwide discussion on the possibilities of a female lead ever showing up in the series. I've read quite a few interesting things. I've also read some total bullshit that exposes lingering issues of sexism in the games industry. The internet is great." -Heath Hindman of Game Revolution

[acharlez]

I was really hoping they'd go with a female protagonist this time around.

[unchartedxplorer]

Stop whining. They are already 90% complete with the game. Dan House even said "that a female character doesn't match the atmosphere of the game", so you can throw the idea of an additional dlc out. So just forget about an idea of "a female GTA protagonist" for another couple of years.

[AIndoria]

How does wishing for something is categorised as "Whining?"

Be nice for a change.

[unchartedxplorer]

@Aldoria and that has something to with the topic because......

[Valenka]

Wow, asshole much?

[dedicatedtogamers]

I'm tired of feminism (excuse me, I should say "extreme feminism" to not appear "sexist") invading our videogames. And by "our" I mean gamers, not males. There's little place for political agendas in games. Can anyone honestly say they were happy when politicians tried to ban certain games when Mortal Kombat came out? Can anyone say they were happy when politicians started going after GTA3? Are people happy when a game gets flak (or even gets changed, as was the case with LBP) because there's a song or part that is "offensive" to a religion?

I think we can all agree that we don't need yet ANOTHER group trying to stick their controlling fingers into the game industry.

[dbjj12088]

I feel like this subject has gone from shock to reverse-sexism. I think the author does a good job of setting it all straight though.

[Conzul]

Yeah this is one of the better opinion pieces that makes it to n4g.

[DarkBlood]

It would of been cool to play as a female perspective, after all i know there are some cruel bad types that would do gta stuff in real life, its just a light isnt shined on that particular gender bright enough

[knifefight]

It could be done well, even if the people decrying it can't think of how by themselves. In the hands of a capable writer, anything is possible (not that this is even too far-fetched an idea to begin with).

[ftwrthtx]

I couldn't see a female lead in a GTA game. Why break from tradition?

[kesvalk]

IIRC GTA 1 had two female chars.

there is no tradition about female chars in GTA.

[AIndoria]

"Leads" =/= Characters.

[Obnoxious_Informer]

I think GTAV is gonna play up the buddy aspect between the 3 protagonists. Not to sound sexist but I think a female lead would disturb that dynamic.

[knifefight]

And THAT is a much better, more reasonable, more thought-out comment than some unfortunate examples out there. Well said, chap.

[Simon_Brezhnev]

Would had been cool with a female now that i think about it. 2 dudes 1 female she has sex with both of them. Them turn them into enemies and she be the mastermind. LOL

[Ashunderfire86]

I see where you going with that LoL!!! After all they did say that one of the main characters is the bad guy. Heck in GTA 3 a female was the guy when you had to shoot down the helicopter. Oh wait!!! Max payne 1 had an old lady as the bad guy and he also blow up a helicopter with her in it!!! Wow just realize something LOL!!! If any female character exist in GTA they will more than likely be a side character or the antagonist. Talk about gender racism!!!

[kesvalk]

this is a point that Saint's row did right, the female lead is just as awesome as the male one, and as batshit crazy as well.

[Summons75]

that's different though. Saints Row's characters have been essentially the same person but the player is given a choice on how they look. GTA has always had characters defined by the developer, that's why in the Ballad of Gay Tony Niko was referred to by name or he. Where Saints Row the main character in outside conversation is always referred to "that one Saint" or something along those lines, they never define gender or name.

GTA could still be an excellent game with a female lead. Rockstar is very good at defining characters so it's not like it will be a girl but then do all these things the male lead would do like go to a strip club. She'd do something else.....or a male strip club.

[sidar]

Reminds me of when Castlevania : OoE showed a female protagonist. Some " guys" went batsh/t over the fact that it was a woman. Saying they couldn't play the game because it wasn't manly enough. Or some stupid stuff like that

If there is going to be a female character I really don't see Rockstar screwing up any dynamic. Have some faith people.

[kesvalk]

"Saying they couldn't play the game because it wasn't manly enough. Or some stupid stuff like that"

damn, this gave me cancer...

i love female chars and if i have the choice i almost aways play as the female char.

except on some korean MMOs, where the girls are so badly portrayed i can't even look at them...

[ZBlacktt]

I think people should have the option. As a guy, I don't often find myself getting a connection with playing a female in a video game as much as I do playing a guy. Sure the women might fill the same playing a guy role.

[FunAndGun]

"Exposes Lingering Stereotypes In The Gaming Community"

bigboobies.jpg

well good job perpetuating the stereotype.

[BananaEatingSquid]

This is really interesting. I happen to be writing a paper on gender and sexuality for class. I love the GTA series already with the male protagonists but I think it would be pretty awesome to have a badass female lead as well. I do happen to agree with what Obnoxious_Informer said though :)

[extermin8or]

More like the female stereotyping and non exeptance within the mob/organised crime that GTA depicts :P not all and therefore to be accurate in social terms anyway.

[AceofStaves]

While I agree that a female protagonist doesn't fit with the tone of the GTA series, there have been several powerful females in organized crime. Take Griselda Blanco, the 'Cocaine Godmother,' for example.' She was a particularly vicious drug lord during Miami's 'Cocaine Cowboys' period.

A female lead in a crime game could certainly work; it would depend on the talent of the game's writer.

[extermin8or]

yes but not in the way the gta games look at it, it just wouldn't work, they tae the hollywood stereotype and add sarcasm and black humour and quirky characters but at the end of the day there characters in GTA are almost all stereotypes so therefore a female lead wouldn't work in that context- a different game; new IP could pull it off with a decent writer but it would have to be taking a different approach to GTA's approach entirely

also it seems many guys don't want to play as a female character in games (personally if she's well written etc like i expect any male charcter to be then im fine with it) and I suspect if you recorded the sex of every person playing gta it's highly likely there'd be considerably more men, i know girls who play gta (infact it was a girl who told me about the 2nd trailer i missed it completely) but far more of the girls I know turn their nose up at the idea of playing most video games that aren't mario etc let alone gta

[torchic]

I would like to see more female leads/characters introduced into games not for equality sake but definitely for variety sake. whenever I'm given the opportunity to play as a female I use it more often than not. it's just nice to have difference.

it would be great to see Rockstar make a GTA with a female lead, I'm very much open to the idea and I think it would make for an interesting story. sometimes I feel like stories involving women facing and overcoming obstacles are stronger and much more enjoyable to go through than those about men, not sure why but that's just my opinion.

[MultiConsoleGamer]

This entire subject is sexist... against men.

We are accused of sexism just because some of us don't want to play a GTA game with a female protagonist. Meanwhile most women prefer to play with female characters, which us totally normal because they want a character they can identify with directly.

So when women do it they're being empowered and when men do it we are being "sexist."

The double standards and hypocrisy needs to end.

[ShaunCameron]

Agreed. The funny thing is considering the fact they haven't made any worthwhile contribution to society at any point in time and thanks to the pansy politicians willing to bend over backwards for them for votes in the last 50+ years, they sure are empowered.

[Blacklash93]

"The funny thing is considering the fact they haven't made any worthwhile contribution to society"

Wat? Okay, THAT is sexism.

[knifefight]

No, the sexism issue comes up when the men imply that just because there would be a female character, she MUST be (insert characteristic such as "slut" or "bimbo"). Not wanting a female character is fine as long as people aren't ridiculous and discriminatory about it.

[Canary]

My favorite is that concept that so many male gamers have that it's impossible to empathize with female character. I mean, what with the ovaries and all.

And the periods.

Yeah, it's really hard to play Mass Effect as a Femshep because every other line is either her whining about it being 'that time of the month,' or talking to Samara about maxi pads.

[Blacklash93]

I think it could be interesting and is more possible given there's 3 protagonists, but evidently Rockstar chose against it. There are a lot of reasons they wouldn't want to like their demographic being men, most that would rather not play a woman. Or a ****storm that could arise if the media realized GTA can now have women slaughtering countless pedestrians through the streets too. Stuff like animation could also be an issue.

I'd personaly welcome it. I have no problem at all playing female characters.

[sjaakiejj]

The article hits some points spot on, but there are some that I disagree with.

In particular, his statements about assumptions CheatCC made and how it should be unacceptable to call a woman a slut just because she likes having sex are right on the mark.

He misses it with his problems with women being judged based on their physical appearance though. That's not something that's related to the way society works, that's related to men inherently being very visual, and attraction comes from both looks as well as personality. I don't feel it's 'right' to complain about something that men can't change.

Besides, if a picture of a fit, shirtless guy is posted on a female dominated forum or board, the girls are going to be all over it too. It's only natural.

Finally, to clarify I do agree with his point about tabloids being all over it when a woman gains an inch. That is wrong and shouldn't happen.

[freezola75]

It would've been cool as hell to select a female character to play through the story and still have the other guys too. See how all of their stories may intertwine. If yall don't know this already... like some one else commented earlier... hey these chicks are crazy as well LOL. They can be on some boss shyt too!! Go watch Cocaine Cowboys.

My point is, this could have been good for both males & female gamers (it still will really), see and that's why you've gotta give props to Ubisoft for taking their Assassin's Creed series in a direction of a female protagonist. Nobody is saying it hasn't been done. But in my opinion, only R* could pull it off in one of their most pivotal/controversial games ever with class OR crass.. Maybe on the next one perhaps R*?? Just maybe on the next one (strokes chin thinking about GTA VI on next gen consoles).... LOL

[girlwithturn]

I want "saints row" costumization type, wanna create my own character. Thats why volition's game much better.

[Sketchy_Galore]

The GTA series is much more heavily story focused than it was last gen. Would you want the option to play as a big fat green skinned clown with a blue afro in Telltale's walking dead game? Actually, don't answer.

[Sketchy_Galore]

The main reason it wouldn't work is that the percentage of women that engage in these kinds of behaviours like carjacking, brawling and bank robbery is almost zero. The reason they assumed the character would have to be some kind of slutty vixen type is because either that or a classless annoying babymama hood rat type would be the only women you could conceivably write into this kind of story and have it work.

Nobody is going to force the smart educated businesswoman who has turned to crime to pay her gambling debts to come on the heist with them or to go jack a car from a group of armed thugs. She would be expected to handle the money or something. That's just the way our genders interact. The man is always going to be expected to get his hands dirty and could easily be dragged into these kinds of behaviours but no regular woman would be expected to go machine gunning cops by her partners. As such any regular woman character that did would feel inorganic and forced, she would be a 'token female character' put in there for political correctness and that kind of thing usually winds up being more offensive than just leaving them out altogether.