Product Reviews Net
Daniel Chubb
http://www.product-reviews.net/2011/12/27/gta-5-lead-gender-and-sexuality/

Theories and rumors since the release of GTA 5's trailer have been frequent over the last two months, and while the numbers on the pavement could mean an earlier 2012 release date, it's the story and characters that have really caused debate.

We've seen a few blogs talk about the lead gender and sexuality of GTA 5 characters, and the idea of playing as a women or man has mixed feelings by fans, although we're sure both will move the same way. Some male gamers have issues with relating to a female lead character, and if the next Grand Theft Auto game features just that, it seems some players never worry about such things and others just don't get it.

I think this is where Saints Row shines in terms of customizing your player character. Based off the teaser trailer for GTA 5, I'm going to take a bet it's a retake of GTA: San Andreas in modern time.

As far as a female lead character, Rockstar is kinda in a rut as far as how they tell story-lines (see Catalina in GTA3 and SA) where it's damned if they do, damned if they don't eventually offer a female lead player character. They could but would be probably shot down asap based on sexualizing the character to appeal to their core audience which would kinda automatically fail the point of a story of a female lead.

Oh, and my opinion of GTA 5? It's going to bomb hardcore gameplay wise and sell great. I think R* lost the magic of gta sometime during 4's development in trying to make it more mature then the previous titles and forgot what it means to me as a play to be able to do things in that subtle over the top style that made San Andreas great.

Quotesexualizing the character to appeal to their core audience which would kinda automatically fail the point of a story of a female lead

This really gets me. With Samus it made me want to throw up. I mean, I'm pretty crass and I like tits, but I was raised to believe girls are worthless, just there for sex, and Samus disproved that. And then they take and objectify her, and what's left? Couldn't we have been satisfied with the sexualization of almost every single other girl character in games?

I think having a preteen girl is part of why I'm touchy here. I'm trying to help her understand that I'm transitioning just because I am a boy, not because boys are better. Video games these days contradict everything I'm trying to say to her.

Quote from: Flan on January 02, 2012, 02:54:20 AM
I think this is where Saints Row shines in terms of customizing your player character. Based off the teaser trailer for GTA 5, I'm going to take a bet it's a retake of GTA: San Andreas in modern time.

As far as a female lead character, Rockstar is kinda in a rut as far as how they tell story-lines (see Catalina in GTA3 and SA) where it's damned if they do, damned if they don't eventually offer a female lead player character. They could but would be probably shot down asap based on sexualizing the character to appeal to their core audience which would kinda automatically fail the point of a story of a female lead.

Oh, and my opinion of GTA 5? It's going to bomb hardcore gameplay wise and sell great. I think R* lost the magic of gta sometime during 4's development in trying to make it more mature then the previous titles and forgot what it means to me as a play to be able to do things in that subtle over the top style that made San Andreas great.

San Andreas was a milestone, Grove Street Families for life....

Ok so going around robbing and killing people is not just a good role model for boys but for girls as well. got it

GTA are great games, I'll be getting this one. I tend to pick female characters when I can (wow) but its not a big deal to me either way.

Quote from: fionabell on January 03, 2012, 12:53:16 AM
Ok so going around robbing and killing people is not just a good role model for boys but for girls as well. got it

Video games shouldn't be a source of role models, and girls can kill just as good as boys can.

Quote from: nickikim on January 06, 2012, 02:14:19 PM
Video games shouldn't be a source of role models, and girls can kill just as good as boys can.

This made me lol.

I want to clarify that I posted the article, but I actually haven't played GTA since the first one, and my daughter's never seen it or anything like it. We have some gameboys, but other than that I haven't owned a gaming system since playstation. So what I know about most current games comes from reading about them.

They could do what Skyrim, Mass Effect and a billion other games do, give an option to choose male or female.

GTA3 was good fun. I didn't do the main quest, I don't have the coordination to do most of the missions, but driving around at random and blowing stuff up was fun enough for me. The talk radio station was pretty funny too.

Mass Effect 1 and 2 were really great games. I chose the female version of Shepard and just cant bring myself to play them with a male character. I think because Mirror's Edge had a female heroine that made it more personal to me.

Quote from: nickikim on January 06, 2012, 02:14:19 PMgirls can kill just as good as boys can.

Especially in video games, where any character is an expert weaponmaster regardless of how unwieldly or ridiculous their weapons are.  Let me introduce you to the sword-chucks!!

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