You’ve all read about it somewhere, apparently games can’t have female protagonists because they won’t sell, women don’t get jobs in gaming and we also don’t get paid as much as men. Iamagamer is going to challenge at least one of these stereotypes with a 48 hour game jam session aimed at proving how incorrect it is.
Game jam has invited artists, designers, developers and writers to join up for a collaborative development marathon kicking off on 12 July in Vancouver, Canada, where they’ll all create video games with female protagonists hoping to smash the stereotype that female leads will not sell.
“this unprecedented event will dispute the prevailing opinion that video games are for guys and that games with strong, female lead characters will not sell (as observed in a recent Gamasutra article), sending a message that such stereotypes are not only incorrect, but have a negative impact on the industry.”, reads the press release.
Since the announcement late June, over 150 “jammers” world wide have signed up. Hell to the yes good guy Canada, you show them how wrong they are. I’ve always felt that only the industry itself can remedy the prevailing opinions about women in gaming. Instead of just writing articles about how bad it is, the problem can only be fixed once the industry becomes proactive.
If you want to know more about iamagamer and the Game Jam, you can head on over to their website which is absolutely awesome. I can’t stop scrolling up and down; check out the site to find out why.
Last Updated: July 1, 2013
HvR
July 1, 2013 at 14:13
I think the problem the main stream view is what is going in gaming is CoD and Fifa.
If look at the some of the top story driven games this year (Tomb raider, Bioshock Infinite, Last of Us) either the main playable character is female or the one of the main and important characters are female and not the “save me princess type characters” but strong independent characters.
Most other games the player are genderless (god and strategy games), gender is coupled to your class or you can specify you gender in the games.
Developers know that between 35% to 50% of their prospective clients are females and won’t compromise their game by being dumb asses.
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
July 1, 2013 at 14:15
I’ve never had an issue what gender my game protagonists are and can’t understand why there are still people out there who believe the protagonist’s gender actually helps or deters a game from selling.
These guys are doing great by standing up against the stereotypical view though. Just can’t fathom how these views still stand as gender shouldn’t be an issue at all.
Go Canada!
Admiral Chief Groot Wors
July 1, 2013 at 14:18
Eh?
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
July 1, 2013 at 14:20
I’m not actually sure what I was trying to say 0_o
Admiral Chief Groot Wors
July 1, 2013 at 14:20
Eh??
Umar Kiiroi Senk?
July 1, 2013 at 14:33
Eh? = what did you say?
Eh? = what do you think?
EH? = something to say just to end a sentence.
Ehhhh!! = WOW!!
EH!? = what do you mean?
Eh?? = your joking!!!??
EH!! = Hello..(you off in the distance!!!)
Eh? want a doughnut or some Tim Bits?
Eh! = sure!!
Eh!Eh! = coffee double-cream too please!
Eh? = what you say when you realize you have no money to pay for it.
Eh..cmon, eh? = asking them to let you pay for it next time.
hey..eh! = want to go to the drive-in movie??
Eh…uhuh = yes sure!
Eh..y’know = I’ll pick you up at 8:00 (8:30 in Newfoundland).
Eh..cmon!! = well that’s early..but ok.
Eh..wanna? eh? = lets fool around …
EHHHHHHH = sounds coming from the car.
hey..um..er eh… = I’m pregnant!
EH????????? = how did that happen?
EHHehhEHHehhEHHH = sounds from the delivery room.
EHHH-ehh, EHHH-ehh = baby’s first cry.
Ehh..whadya think eh? = marry me.
Admiral Chief Groot Wors
July 1, 2013 at 14:36
Ahhhhhhh
Trevor Davies
July 1, 2013 at 14:42
Nee sies. This is a family site!
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
July 1, 2013 at 14:42
Bwhahahaha
Admiral Chief Groot Wors
July 1, 2013 at 14:42
Was referring to Ahhhhhh I am enlightened, not EHHHHH thats gooood!
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
July 1, 2013 at 14:43
No no no. EHHHHHH is the sound that comes from a car!
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
July 1, 2013 at 14:36
You have way to much time on your hands hahahaha. Well done
Admiral Chief Groot Wors
July 1, 2013 at 14:41
Eh???
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
July 1, 2013 at 14:42
Wait, that one isn’t on the list. I don’t know what it means 0_o
Captain Minion TallTwit
July 1, 2013 at 14:37
Comment of the week. ^^
RinceWind
July 1, 2013 at 14:33
You hurt my brain!
Trevor Davies
July 1, 2013 at 14:36
Don’t be such a girl ;P
RinceWind
July 1, 2013 at 14:37
Who said you were allowed out of your corner!
Admiral Chief Groot Wors
July 1, 2013 at 14:38
Why is Trevor in the corner? Did he say a bad word?
Captain Minion TallTwit
July 1, 2013 at 14:39
Maybe he mentioned the exbawks juan.
Trevor Davies
July 1, 2013 at 14:42
Can’t be, I haven’t said “sucks” all day. trollol
RinceWind
July 1, 2013 at 14:46
All I did was ask @disqus_DoEH3TsffU:disqus for his last kidney so I could sell it and get a 4k TV for Forza 5. I really don’t see why he kicked up a stink…
Trevor Davies
July 1, 2013 at 14:39
Don’t oppress me!
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
July 1, 2013 at 14:36
What I am trying to say is that anyone who is saying that games don’t sell if the lead character is female then they are being silly because the gender of the lead character doesn’t change the game itself. Female lead characters can be just as cool as male lead characters
RinceWind
July 1, 2013 at 14:37
Totes. I mean come on, what about Tomb raider?
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
July 1, 2013 at 14:39
You know Gavin will totes have your head if he sees you using the word totes on here right? Totes not over exaggerating
RinceWind
July 1, 2013 at 14:39
Oats?
Argentil
July 1, 2013 at 14:41
Did someone call me? I hear the tongue of my people.
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
July 1, 2013 at 14:55
lol
RinceWind
July 1, 2013 at 14:41
Gavin doesn’t scare me. He’s just a big totes relaxed guy…
Admiral Chief Groot Wors
July 1, 2013 at 14:42
XD
Trevor Davies
July 1, 2013 at 14:15
I’ve never understood why guys wouldn’t play a game with a female lead. How does it make a difference? Does identifying with a female character suddenly make your testosterone levels drop?
I’ve seen a few articles on something similar with sci-fi authors, with guys less likely to buy books written by women as opposed to men. Why?
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
July 1, 2013 at 14:16
I don’t know. Never has had an effect on me. In fact if I pick up an RPG game of any kind I usually pick a female gender anyway.
Admiral Chief Groot Wors
July 1, 2013 at 14:17
So THAT is how you get your “action”
😛
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
July 1, 2013 at 14:18
How did I know after I hit post you would have something to say about that 😛
Admiral Chief Groot Wors
July 1, 2013 at 14:20
I just like trolling you good buddy, he he he.
Besides, you set it up, I knock it down. That’s how we (t)roll. Besides, you would have done the same 😛
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
July 1, 2013 at 14:21
Indeed I would have 🙂
Trevor Davies
July 1, 2013 at 14:21
Me too, I want to have fun when I’m playing a game, and blondes have more fun :/
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
July 1, 2013 at 14:23
Blondes? Nah. My characters always sport bubblegum pink hair if possible 😛
Admiral Chief Groot Wors
July 1, 2013 at 14:37
You are actually a natural for that bloody katey perry thing. Will prop in your hand when I see you!
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
July 1, 2013 at 14:38
Except I aint the one who entered that comp now am I?
Admiral Chief Groot Wors
July 1, 2013 at 14:39
YOU DID DAMMIT! I remember seeing your comment there!
I just commented about how damn overwhelmingly pink it was and Lagz trolled the hell out of me!
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
July 1, 2013 at 14:39
Nope. Never entered.
Admiral Chief Groot Wors
July 1, 2013 at 14:39
*does not believe LC*
RinceWind
July 1, 2013 at 14:47
0-O All respect lost…
Argentil
July 1, 2013 at 14:19
I get it, think of it this way. When you were a younger man, and you were browsing teh gaym shopz for a new game, not knowing much about what was coming out, and what new titles were like, how did you choose your games? Did you pick the ones with the macho looking dude on the front? With blood and graphix? Or maybe the one with the slutty looking picture? Would you have picked up Mirror’s Edge based on it’s cover art and basic premise as a game noob?
Trevor Davies
July 1, 2013 at 14:32
I was never a n00b, I was born uberl33t!
I can honestly say I’ve never been influenced by a hot woman on the cover of a game, even back in the day before the internet & stuff & the box art was all you really had to go on. It doesn’t even cross my mind beyond a cursory, “oh she’s cute.”
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
July 1, 2013 at 14:15
PS: The site is awesome! Very clever design
Captain Minion TallTwit
July 1, 2013 at 14:17
It is awesome. Very innovative design.
Umar Kiiroi Senk?
July 1, 2013 at 14:17
Is it just me or did Ellie from The Last of Us just debunk all stereotypes regarding female leads?
Argentil
July 1, 2013 at 14:20
Well, technically Joel was the playable lead. Also, ND had to fight to put her on the cover because of the negative sales stigma.
Umar Kiiroi Senk?
July 1, 2013 at 14:30
Well to me, even if Joel was the playable lead , she is every bit as important and every bit the main lead as Joel. but technically , yes that is true. but her character already breaks a lot of those stereotypes.
And I’m glad they fought. Clearly it didn’t hurt sales, that game is even doing in great in Japan of all places
Captain Minion TallTwit
July 1, 2013 at 14:22
On a slightly different topic, despite all the so called stigma of female leads, most WOW players make female characters. O_o.
Argentil
July 1, 2013 at 14:24
MMO’s are a very female genre. TERA has more women playing than men, for example. FFXIV also has a LOT of female players because of the prominence of RP communities, and the fact that it’s an FF, which also has a lot of female fans.
Yolanda Green
July 1, 2013 at 14:26
But TERA’s chicks are so sexy :O all my characters in TERA are female. I think I have one male character, a dwarf hunter in WoW xD
Captain Minion TallTwit
July 1, 2013 at 14:26
Alliance? Ag nooit! 😛
Yolanda Green
July 1, 2013 at 14:29
lol! Always been horde, had to try out alliance or I wouldn’t know so much about the game now would I? 😀
Captain Minion TallTwit
July 1, 2013 at 14:31
LOL. True I guess. 😛
All of my characters have been horde thou. 🙂
Yolanda Green
July 1, 2013 at 14:33
Alliance aren’t THAT bad, except at dungeons and PvP 😛
Captain Minion TallTwit
July 1, 2013 at 14:37
And ganking lowbies :X :O
Argentil
July 1, 2013 at 14:34
I usually make both genders, but TERA did have some bodacious females. It’s also not a sexist game, in my books, because there is a lot of male eye candy as well as female.
Daniel Keevy
July 1, 2013 at 15:07
This might not be the solution, but it’s something. And it’s a start! Excellent stuff!
Sageville
July 1, 2013 at 16:19
I dunno, guess I’m just getting gender-based-gaming-activism-article fatigue.
The PC version: Excellent article! The gaming industry needs to be taught out of these antiquaited attitudes and embrace a truely homogeneous mix of gender in their leading characters. We need to see more leading ladies in our games, hopefully the iamagamer’s initiative will put an end to this injustice once and for all.
The actual version: I don’t care. I played Heavenly Sword, that had a woman lead, it was ridiculously awesome, but I loved it for the game itself, not the gender of the main protagonists. Same for TLOU, in multiplayer you sometimes can spawn as a female or a male and I can’t say I was ever peeved about either, I love the game cause it’s a good game.
Frankly, they could make all the leading characters female for all I care, just as long as it would make everyone happy and we stop having to see these types of articles.
I do think Mass Effect 3 had the right idea though.