Name: minkee
Location:
Posts: 43
Hello there, you probably don't know me, but I'm minkee, how do you do.

This would be because I never really come to ESR, it's a bit too leet for me, but all this controversy and excitement has made me take note. What interests me most of all is the fact that the majority (or is it just the loudest?) seem actually against female models. I can understand indifference, but to be so anti? I just don't understand.

So this is a genuine inquiry about why some people find the idea of diverse character models so offensive. Sorry if this is all tired and old, but I really would like to know.

First off, let me tell you why, as you've probably guessed, I would like there to be more female representation in games - all games - it just happens that FPS games seem to be the ones most sadly lacking.

There are two reasons - the first is purely selfish. I want to be acknowledged. Of all the games I've played over the last seven years, (and, believe me, it's a lot) I could probably count on one hand the ones which had playable female models. I never really used to mind this, but as I've got older, and seen more and more girls come into the fps community, I've gotten sick of it frankly. Girls play games. I'm sure we all know this here, but if you've ever dared to poke your head into some of the less savvy fanboy forums, it's something they'll deny with all their puny little might. Ahem. It's not them I really care about though - it's the developers. I want to have them say 'Yes, we understand women play our fps games too, and we will acknowledge their presence by representing them in our games.' Not in so many words, you understand, but with action :)

The second reason is that when I started out, it was bloody hard work to get into the gaming community as a girl. I know, I know, "cry more" or whatever insult is flavour of the month, but that just is what it was like. Back then, even a hint of the idea that a girl was playing, and a server would explode, though that was in cs, you've got to expect it from those kids I guess ;) But, like I imagine most the girls here have done, I found a clan, settled in, and soon became part of the fixtures and fittings, and not a novelty. Like I say though, breaking into the scene was bloody hard work, and I think any way to say to everyone playing games that girls are, and can be, a part of this community too, is going make things that much easier for new girls getting into gaming. Having females within games is just one way to do that.

Now, I know what you're about to say, so I'll answer the more obvious hang-ups here:-

But only men fight in the front line! - I'm not saying rewrite history, but not every game is a WW2 sim.

But it's an fps, you cant even see your character! - It's not about saying HAY LEWK GUYZ I AMA GIRL, it's about saying girls are equally acceptable here, and that's okay too.

But it's more work for the devs! - Okay, it's work to add models now to games that have been made already, fine. I'm thinking to the future here, and games that are in the works. Making any model is effort, sure, making it female from the off is no extra time or hassle.

But we don't care! - This one is fine. FINE. Not caring is easy when you're either a guy, who's perfectly well catered for already, or a girl who's already on the inside and is too busy practising to worry about these things. It's the people who seem against the idea that get me.