Playing With Myself

(not my Shepard)

Last week, I finished my first playthrough of Mass Effect. I had the option of starting a new character and class. I decided to make a different version of my my original Commander Shepard with slightly different features, hair color, class, and personality.

And yet...I found it difficult to let go of my heroic, plain Jane, good-hearted Shepard I had just finished playing with. That got me thinking about main characters in RPGs.

I noticed after playing Knights of the Old Republic, that I had a similar feeling. Leaving behind my character from the MMORPG Final Fantasy XI was hard to do, and often times, I miss playing her. But why? Why do we have such attachments to certain video game characters?

My own theory is that in RPGs where we fully customize characters and make decisions that affect the game, those characters reflect ourselves. We, the gamers, make the choices. From my own experience, I find that I choose to play female avatars with similar physical traits to my own, and usually play the "good version" first. So after investing hours upon hours playing my personification and making my desicions, I've become quite attached to my virtual self and find it difficult to play the game again as someone who is not "me." I like this person. I relate to this character. Why? Because they are a reflection of myself. And who do we know better than our own selves?

Then I consider RPGs where the main characters are not customizable. These are characters designed by someone else. Yes, we sometimes make decisions on how to interact, like in the Persona games; yet these non-custom characters don't feel like they are a part of our consciousness. Tidus is not me. Vyse is not me. Sora is not me. Nathan Drake is not me. Starkiller is not me. Even the nameless Suikoden heroes are not me (Then again, they have almost no personality anyway). When I finish a game with characters like those, I feel satisfied, like I put down a good book, but I never find it hard to say goodbye because it is someone else's adventure.

In conclusion, I believe that we take more personal pleasure in RPGs where the main characters is a personified embodiment of ourselves. Why? Because in doing so, we gain a genuine sense of accomplishement, as though we are personally performing these home/world/galaxy-saving feats. The heroes are ourselves, and in turn, we are the heroes.

The New Weapon of War: Free Stuff...But Not

The winds are changing my friends.

I always found it quite ingenious that Electronic Arts managed to find a way to make consumers want to purchase video games new instead of used. "Why is this important?" you ask. It's important because game developers and publishers don't get a dime on used game sales. Only the retailers do. This kind of sucks for those who work really hard to make games to earn a living.

EA first came up with the "Cerberus Network" idea for Bioware's Mass Effect 2, which added a one-time-use code in every box, granting them free DLC. Without the code, the DLC would cost $15. Making people think that they're saving money is always a good thing. Then they did it again with Dragon Age Origins. Yesterday, EA Sports announced plans to use the same unique code concept with all sports titles, starting with Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11; but this time, players will need the code just to play online.

Ruh roh...

I'd say this is a sign of the times. EA has stumbled onto something pretty ingenious. It's not raising prices, but it's giving consumers real incentive to buy new. Do I think it's a douchebag kind of move anyway? Yup. For years, online access was included in the cost of the game. Aren't we already paying for internet service, and hell, sometimes even online gaming service (Xbox Live)? But it could be far worse. They could just charge you to play online anyway...

...which is a concept Activision has been tossing around with the Call of Duty franchise.

Will other game publishers catch on to this? Most likely. Prices on new games drop drastically after the first few months, so maybe you can just wait it out. Oh ho ho! Not so fast! Did you notice that taking advantage of the DA:O free DLC had a time limit on it? It ended April 31, so if you wanted to take advantage of free DLC, you had to buy the game new while it was still full price.

Genius. Is there a Nobel prize for this kind of thing?

Shenanigans! - Microsoft XBL 2009 Numbers

This morning, I received a press release from Microsoft about Xbox 360 and Xbox Live activity for the end of 2009. Looking for bits to put in the X-Play news ticker, I came across this quote:

"During this time, Xbox LIVE saw a record peak of more than 2.2 million people using the service at the same time – up 47% over the same period last year."

47% up? That's a pretty hefty number. The time period in question ranges from 12/14/09 to 1/03/10. Roughly, you average school holiday break. Some may attribute this jump in activity to be due to the rebounding economy.

However, this number set off tiny alarms in Teggy's head. Ping! Ping! Ping! Did Microsoft think we'd all forget what happened last year?

Some of you may recall that during the same time period in 2008, Xbox Live was so overwhelmed with new members that many gamers experienced outages for upward of a full week. People bitched and threatened to sue. Then Microsoft offered a free XBLA download to disgruntled clients. The service was never completely offline. Had it been, the increase in activity would have been even higher in 2009.

Don't let this statistic fool you. Microsoft wants it to look like it's huge success when actually last year's pitfall merely left a wider gap for improvement. This happens with retailers all the time. If they're closed on a "Monday" national holiday one year, the next year when the date of that Monday is shifted, they will see a massive sales increase over the same "date" which makes the stores look good.

I'd brand it, but I've yet to find an animated GIF of the Attack of the Show "Shenanigans" graphic.

Placating Pirates May Piss Off the Rest of Us

(image from Joystiq)

In a recent talk with Kotaku, Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitello stated that even though the company doesn't care for pirates, EA is trying to view them as a market for downloadable content. He states, "There's a sizable pirate market and a sizable second sale market and we want to try to generate revenue in that marketplace." Basically, EA thinks they can get pirates to buy DLC and still recover some of the money lost to theft.

Now hold on a second.

What does that say to consumers who legitimately purchase video games if EA is so nonchalant about piracy? It sends the message that they're willing to let it slide if some people steal from them.

So why not the rest of us? Why should we bother to pay for a video game and the DLC when EA will allow others to purchase DLC even if they don't pay for the game? That's like giving out bonus points on future purchases at retail to people who buy items as well as shoplifters. Why should theives be allowed the same perks as the law abiding citizen? That's not fair at all.

If I were in charge-- mostly cause I can be a really harsh biotch when it comes to people breaking my rules --I would do what Eidos did with Batman Arkham Asylum and add glitches that render the content unplayable unless they are legitimate copies. You wanna steal from me punk? I'll make damn sure you get no pleasure from it.

Source: Kotaku

HAWK SMASH!!!

Update: The NPD group reports that Tony Hawk: Ride sold only 114,000 units. That's 9,000 united LESS than DJ Hero.

Skateboarding legend and roller coaster designer Tony Hawk is not a happy man. Sure has has millions of dollars from an empire he built on sheer talent and cunning....

...but no. Despite this, Tony is unhappy because his latest video game Tony Hawk: Ride is getting panned by critics. Someone who has been in the spotlight for years knows perfectly well that some people just aren't going to like you or your product no matter what you try. After a while, you stop taking it personally.

Not so much this time. Tony has fired back in under 140 characters by stating, "Most snarky critics had their minds set before ever seeing/playing the game. I'm proud of what we created; it's innovative, responsive & fun."

My question to Tony is, "How do you know that first sentence to be true?" Many critics who did not care for Ride enjoyed some earlier installments in the skateboarding franchise. Yes, many critics even thought the board peripheral was innovative, but unless your game executes its primary function in a satisfactory manner, then it only harms the game. Especially when the developers leave out the option to not use the board. When he questions the integrity of video game reviewers, that does nothing but make them angry.

In conclusion, it's perfectly okay for Tony to be unhappy with the criticism. That's a normal reaction. What he needs to do next is realize that if a majority of critics have negative comments, then he needs to accept that the problem is his game, learn from it, and create something better next time. Hey, if 50 Cent could do it, certainly Tony Hawk can.


Source: Tony Hawk Ride response

Rock On...and Prosper

Video Game - E3 2009 - X-Play

Teggy Gets Predicty

Today's X-Play twitter question asks "What do you think the biggest gaming trend in 2010?" This got me thinking. I've been writing video game news for several years now, and this is what I've observed.

2007: Game Delays - Publishers left and right started delaying their game release dates as if it was some kind of fashion trend.

2008: Downloadable Content - Developers realized that with internet-connected systems, they could feed bonus content to consumers...for a price. $5 map pack x 1 million players = $5 million.

2009: Announcing Announcements - Kojima Productions and Square Enix are the worst culprits of this. Both of them have even had countdown clocks to when they were going to make an announcement. I shake my fist on behalf of Steve Norman who originally noticed this.


So what's going to happen in 2010? I have two predictions:

The Rise and Fall of Motion Controllers - Microsoft and Sony are following Nintendo's suit of incorporating motion controls into gaming. I think next year and maybe into early 2011, we will see the peak of this. Gamers are so used to keyboards and hand-held controllers, that I doubt motion-controlled gaming will stay popular for very long. Yes, I'll say it. I think it's just going to be a fad.


The MMORPG Revolution - There are four
MMORPGs that could convert a huge portion of gamers into the genre, those being Star Trek Online, DC Universe Online, Final Fantasy XIV, and Star Wars: The Old Republic. I predict the last one will have the greatest impact. Perhaps these games will continue the revolution of making MMORPGs more socially acceptable, a feat which began with World of Warcraft.

That brings me to the fifth game I didn't even mention. Blizzard has announced that they are working on a new MMORPG as a World of Warcaft successor. There is no way in hell that it will actually launch in 2010; however, I do think they will finally announce what it is next year, most likely at Blizzcon (if not E3).

DSi XLoL

Didn't I tell you? You should listen to Teggy.


Nintendo has announced the DSi XL, a new handheld system in its DS line sporting 4-inch+ dual screens (approximately a 93% increase in size over current models) with DSiWare software, a larger stylus, and a camera.

What am I being all snarky about? When people asked me in the past if they should upgrade, 90% of the time, I would say no. A camera, built in web browsing, and downloadable content really wasn't enough reason to buy a new DS if you already owned one. Still, people did it anyway. My friend's choice to upgrade was my gain because I bought his DS for the trade-in price he would have gotten from GameStop.

Now gamers are posed with two questions, depending on their situation. First, if they upgraded to a DSi, should they upgrade again? Or, if they hadn't upgraded, is now the time?

To the first question, I say no. The DSi only came out last spring. DSi XL comes out next spring. A larger screen and stylus aren't really good enough reasons to pay $170+ AGAIN. A price has not been set, but you can bet it won't be any lower than the current DSi. I'm gonna estimate it'll retail for $199. Then again, that's the price of the Wii so...$179.

To the second question, I say sure IF you've been meaning to upgrade. From the DS/DS Lite models to the DSi XL you're getting the larger screens on top of DSiWare and the camera. Don't upgrade on a whim. At least you have 3-6 months to think on it first.

Everyone's concern is going to be "How will current DS and GBA titles look on the larger screens when the games were designed for smaller resolutions?" Honestly, I wouldn't worry about it. I can just about guarantee that Nintendo has already thought about this detail and will make everything compatible. It's not too likely they'd shoot themselves in the foot.

Formal Apology

SPOILER WARNING!
This post contains spoilers for "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic."

Dear Carth,

Look, dude, I'm like...really sorry I had to kill your kid. I tried to reason with him, I really did! He asked me to bring him evidence that the Sith were evil. I thought if I could get in with Yuthura that I could somehow break into Uthar's quarters and get something. I shouldn't have had to do that though. I mean, the WHOLE FREAKIN ACADEMY attacked me for killing Uthar, something they all ASPIRED to do!

In all fairness, Dustil attacked me first. It was completely unprovoked! Besides, you were right by my side, shooting him down with your blasters. So don't you dare say I've fallen to the dark side when you son died by YOUR own hand too.

I hope we can still be friends with benefits.

Yours,
Elena Benedict

Ben Scores a Yahtzee

I've been a fan of Ben "Yahtzee" Crowshaw's video game reviews for some time now. I even have a personally autographed napkin at my desk at work. I admittedly have fallen a little behind in recent weeks, so today I played catch up. Lo, I came across what is quite possibly the most brilliantly written video game review I have ever seen. Enjoy!

Teggy's Top Ten: Hottest Gentlemen of Video Games

There are plenty of awards and lists for hot babes in video games. Heck, I was once the secret mastermind behind a mini series saluting the vixens of video games. Last night, in the blistering summer heat, I found that I just couldn't sleep. During the bout of insomnia, I decided to compose the first official "Teggy's Top Ten," starting with my picks for the hottest guys in video games.

Honorable Mention:
Dante, Devil May Cry


Honorable Mention:
Leon Kennedy, Resident Evil 4


10th Place:
Altair, Assassin's Creed
One of my favorite things to do with a cosplay is to dress in white when I'm playing a bad guy. There's just something about wearing white that freaks people out. Altair works the white, but he also has that air of mystery that makes the ladies want to find out more.


9th Place:
Siegfried Schtauffen, Soul Edge/Soul Calibur
Siegfried's reason for making the list can be summed up in just four words: "Knight in shining armor." It's not just a figure of speech.


8th Place:
Xion, Bloody RoarXion isn't widely known except among people who have played the fun, but not-so-popular Bloody Roar series. Xion is a silver haired bad boy in a great coat, and that's all I need to put him on the list.


7th Place:
Emelious, Grandia III
I love a man with ambition, and Emelious is chock full of it. He doesn't fall for the whole, "I'm obligated to love you because you're my sister" bullshit either. When you face off with him, he has four weapons in use on the battle wheel, one of which will absolutely obliterate your party if you let it go off. The giant sword, flying white dragon, and elf ears don't hurt either.


6th Place:
Link, The Legend of Zelda/Super Smash Bros.Link is my boy! He has always been my favorite character in Super Smash Bros. But I'll admit it. I have a thing for elves. However, Link never quite reached the level of hotness as Legolas which is why he rests soundly in 6th place.


5th Place:
Miles Edgeworth, Ace AttorneyI love a man for his mind, and Miles Edgeworth has a great one. The sharp, ruthless prosecutor has the cold edge that makes women swoon. You know how they say, "Women always go for the assholes"? Well this is one asshole who's worth it.


4th Place:
Belcoot, Suikoden VBelcoot is a swordsman and a freedom fighter. He has rugged good looks and was probably my favorite character to have in the party cause he kicks the shit out of everything. Some guys just work those muscles. Mmm...muscles. Belcoot might have taken 3rd if he wasn't already claimed by some innkeeper hussy. Fortunately for me, Belcoot seems oblivious to her advances.


3rd Place:
Sephiroth, Final Fantasy VIIArgh! What is it about Sephiroth that has girls going gaga?! Let's see. He wears black leather. He shows his chest. He has long, flowing, silver hair. He has shimmering green eyes. He's batshit crazy evil. He can wield a gigantic katana...and he loves his mother.


2nd Place:
Akihiko Sanada, Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3I'm still trying to figure out why my heart goes pitter patter whenever I see Akihiko. Maybe it's the silver hair and the fact that he looks good in a uniform. Maybe it's because he can dodge bullets and destroy you with just his fists. He'll fearlessly take on a gun-toting robot for what he believes is right. Akihiko is the kind of guy who will lay down his life for you. Hey, chicks dig a tragic hero.


1st Place:
Balthier, Final Fantasy XIII hate Final Fantasy XII with a fiery passion. Balthier was the saving grace for that game. The self-proclaimed "leading man" is quite possibly the most interesting and fleshed out character in the Final Fantasy franchise. He has the swagger of Harrison Ford, the good looks of James Marsters, the charm of David Bowie, and the voice of Ewan McGregor. Am I worried about Fran? Nah. Their relationship is totally platonic. If he treats his best friend that well, imagine how he'll treat his "leading lady."

And now...Balthier, a Sweet-Talkin, Sugar-Coated Candy Man

The People vs. EA Sports

You know, I always hated Monopoly. See, I have an older sister who loves the game, and as anyone who has ever had an older sibling will tell you...they will always take advantage of you. Since I was nearly three years younger, Carlie liked to play against me in Chess and Monopoly since she could always beat me as a kid. This instilled vile loathing for both games on my part.

But enough about my childhood traumas. I wanted to tell you about a new class action lawsuit against Electronic Arts over Madden NFL. Remember back in 2004 when EA got the exclusive rights to use NFL players for at least five years? (Which has since been extended to 2012) This basically shut out every other game developer from ever using NFL players in their games. It also left EA with a major marketing advantage.

However, due to this agreement, a lawsuit has popped up claiming that EA has used this monopoly to take advantage of consumers and gouge them for nearly $926 million. EA moved to dismiss the case, but failed. Anyone who has purchased a copy of Madden NFL from 2006 and on is eligible to join the lawsuit. Don't get your hopes up though. Even if EA loses or settles, you have to divide the settlement among however many millions of people purchased the games.

Remember how the people who won the Hot Coffee mod lawsuit against Take Two got a whopping $5-$35 refund? Whoopdie Doo.

Realistically, this suit isn't about earning a buck, it's about unfair monopolization that comes with exclusive contracts. Imagine what would happen if Activision scored contracts with Warner Music Group, Universal Music Group, Sony BMG, and EMI Group that would give Guitar Hero exclusive rights to use their songs. Harmonix and MTV would be SOL when it comes to Rock Band content. Consumers wouldn't have much choice when it comes to music games.

The same concept applies here. Gamers want the opportunity to live out their NFL dreams, but they deserve the right to play them with the game developer of their choosing.

Source: Kotaku, Joystiq

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

No, I'm not talking about convention season. That's almost over.

I'm talking about Halloween, my favorite holiday of them all! Last year, I dressed up as Integra Hellsing from Hellsing, which was really cool and all...but no one in my real life knew who I was. Most of them thought I was Elle Driver from Kill Bill. I suppose that would have been acceptable, but Elle wore the patch over her right eye and didn't wear gloves.

It's almost September, and I don't know what I want to be yet! I'm considering an Orion Starfleet cadet, but I'm open to other options. So now, I'm taking suggestions. Leave a comment with your ideas, but keep in mind that I can't sew. I'm a scavenger cosplayer.

The Skinny on PS3

"Oh noooo! We're not dropping the price of the PlayStation 3. Guffaw! What kind of rumor and speculation is this?! We do not comment on such fiddle faddle. Pish tush! POPPYCOCK!!!"

That's my impression of a Sony Computer Entertainment executive.

So...it's official. Sony is finally cutting the price of the 80GB and 160GB PS3s by $100 to $299 and $399 respectively and introducing the PS3 Slim in the first week of September even though they repeated denied even considering such actions. (So remember everyone, this means Sony's been lying to you.)

Some of you may be cheering. Some of you may be kicking yourself for owning a fat PS3. Some of you may not give a shit. And some of you may be running out to your local game retailer tomorrow to snatch up a PS3 at the new low price.

Check yourself a moment, friend. The new PS3 Slim model will have 120GB of hard drive space for the same price as the 80GB model. Hey, um...Sony? Did you think before you chose that price point? How are you supposed to push a clunkier model with less storage space for the same price when you don't leave yourself a large window of time to sell before launching your new product? If gamers had to wait 6 months for the PS3 Slim, then maybe they'd be tempted to "buy now," but the wait is only 2-3 weeks long. Had they dropped the price last holiday season, Sony could have increased their sales significantly between then and now.

Would you buy a current generation iPhone for the same price as a next generation model? Would you buy fish that's been sitting around for a week if you could buy fresh fish at the same price? Would you buy an 27" NTSC television for the same price as a 32" HDTV? Clearly not.

I'm quite interested to see what 80GB PS3 sales are like over the next month. Perhaps I will eat my words.

Could the DL-6 Incident Have Been Avoided?

SPOILER WARNING: This post contains several major spoilers about Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney.

Throughout Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, the game refers to an old case called "The DL-6 Incident." In chapter 4, "Turnabout Goodbyes," the mystery behind what happened in that incident comes to light. Miles Edgeworth, his father, and a bailiff were trapped in an elevator for five hours. They started to run out of air which made them all go a little crazy. The bailiff had a gun that Miles picked up and threw at him to get him to stop arguing with his dad. The gun accidentally went off and left a hole in the glass, seen here:

In the image, it appears that the bullet pierced glass. That makes me wonder: If they were running out of oxygen, and the bailiff had his gun, why didn't he shoot a hole in the glass in the first place? Would that have prevented the events that unfolded?

Ah, but we may never know....

Emo? Must Be All That Gaming

Japanese psychiatrist Rika Kayama told Mainichi Daily News that her patients are experiencing more frequest feelings of loneliness because of the Nintendo DS and PSP.

"Today’s youth immerse themselves in worlds of their own right before our eyes, where they can live secluded from the rest of us. Feeding into these one person worlds, personal devices such as mobile phones and handheld game systems like the Sony PSP and Nintendo DS come on to the market one after another."

Bullshit.

Yeah, you heard me. I think this is bullshit. Yes, it is easier to separate oneself from a crowd by playing on a handheld system or playing with apps on your iphone; but that certainly doesn't mean it's the only reason for feeling disassociated from social interactions. I've felt that way since I was a child, and I don't have a phone with cool apps. I didn't even get my DS until last April.

I live in one of the largest cities in the world. At times, I have stood in the middle of a crowded bus, no phone or DS or iPod or book, and felt utterly alone. Why do I feel this way? Probably because I sometimes suffer from depression, but it also has to do with the fact that all my good friends don't live here. I've always been the type to segregate myself from crowds. It leads to social anxieties at parties.

In conclusion, Kayama-san's patients probably already have tendencies to separate themselves; but I do agree that having any kind of handheld device or even a book can facilitate the growth of social anxiety and separation. It really has to be the choice of each individual to make the effort to find healthy ways to socialize face to face.

Some of us are just wired funny.

Source

ESRB Gives Up and Plays Nice With Journalists

Video game journalists are always searching for sources to break stories before anyone else, especially in the online markets. Last year, several stories broke due to leaks at the ESRB's website. Most of these leaks revealed revamps of older games, which has been pretty exciting for all. Nevertheless, that's another post.

For a while, the ESRB attempted to tighten website security in order to prevent such leaks from happening. Now it seems that they've just given up because I've been getting weekly press releases in my email with the list of new ESRB listings. See, ESRB? *pat pat* Isn't it so much better when you just play along as give us what we want? There, there...

So yeah, Dino Crisis and two Resident Evil games are coming back via PSN. There's your leaked ESRB ratings news of the week.

GTFO

Dear governments of the world,

You seriously need to do more research and valid studies on the effects of violence in video games and "internet addiction" before you start calling for extreme measures. And no, I don't mean Jack Thompson, I'm talking about people with any actual credibility.


Love,
Me

Just this morning, I came across three disturbing articles about government involvement in (heavy air quote)protecting our youth(heavy air quote).

Let's start in our own schools. It's sad to see society get all overprotective about everything, but now Lt. Col. Dave Grossman is touring the U.S. in an attempt to get school officials to impose a 10-day "detox" period in which students will not be allowed to play video games or watch TV. First of all, what business does any school have in deciding what its students can and can not do at home? Secondly, what business does this ex-Army ranger have telling schools to tell its students what they can or can not do at home? Any parent will tell you that taking away something from kids forcibly will only make them want it more. Remember prohibition? (Of course you don't, you're not that old) Yeah, that worked out nicely.

Next up is China, where every day brings another restriction on gaming, the internet, and free speech. Just recently, China said it would stop electrocuting "internet addicts" as treatment, but apparently that courtesy didn't extend to beating the shit out of 16 year-old "internet addict" whose mother was assured that he would not be harmed in any way while at a treatment camp.

Germany, I'm looking at you next. In the last year or so, the German government has been cracking down on video games due to some recent outbreaks in youth violence. It's gotten to the point where game developer Crytek is fed up and threatening to leave the country, taking their profitable business with them. Crytek, the company behind FarCry and Crysis wants out because now the government is in the process of passing a law to ban all games "where the main part is to realistically play the killing of people or other cruel or un-human acts of violence against humans or manlike characters." Good for you, Crytek!

Seriously all you lawmakers, stay out of my vajayjay and out of my video games.

Source: g4tv.com, Kotaku

Left 4 Dead Discrepancy

Valve has announced "Crash Course," a new downloadable content pack for the original Left 4 Dead coming next month which will include a new single-player, multiplayer, and versus mode campaign. The DLC will be free for PC players and $7 for Xbox 360 players.

SCREEEEECH!!!

Wait...what?

I've checked various sources, but no one seems to know exactly why Valve is charging for one version, but not the other. It seems rather unfair to Xbox 360 users. I'm sure Valve has a good reason for this, but I can't even fathom what it could be. I hope to be able to update this with some answers in the near future.

Sources: Joystiq, G4tv.com, Kotaku

Games, Sex, and Magic

One of the joys about playing an RPG is that you get to be somebody else, but I've noticed a particular trend in turn-based RPG video games, especially the Japanese ones: Women are usually the healers and mages.

It's pretty obvious as to why this happens. Most male humans naturally have more muscle mass than females, making them more ideal to do things like wield large weapons. That's reality, but why is it that when it comes to fantasy video games that women don't usually get to swing the big swords when men are around?

Now I certainly can not say this is the case for all video games. Right now, I'm specifically referring to turn-based roleplaying video games such as Grandia, Final Fantasy, SMT: Persona etc. This does not apply to any game where you can fully customize characters such as SMT: Digital Devil Saga or Final Fantasy III. This concept mostly applies to characters with preset classes and abilities.

The trend I see is that males in these games tend to be geared towards melee and women towards magic, especially healing. The thing that bugs me is...it's a digital experience. The laws of physics and biology need not apply!

A perfect example of this is Final Fantasy X, one of my favorite games. Yuna and Lulu are both mages who can kick some ass with summoning or magic while Rikku is a thief. But it's Tidus, Auron, and Khimari who get the big swords and spears. How about a different brand like Persona 3? Yukari and Mitsuru carry light weapons, are good mages, and both have healing abilities. Aigis doesn't count. She just shoots things and acts annoying. When it comes to the boys, four out of five of them can wield heavy weapons such as greatswords, axes, and spears.

Side note: Aigis sucks.

Personally, I really enjoy seeing a badass babe with a huge weapon in these games' sequels like Payne in FFX-2 or Metis in Persona 3 FES, The Answer...but notice how in both of these games that the main character shifts from being a male (Tidus and Main Character) to female (Yuna and Aigis)?

Again: Aigis sucks.

Grandia 3 is also a culprit, even more so with melees and mages split between the sexes. Your main party consists of two males and two females. The males are excellent at melee abilities, and the women destroy mobs with magic.


A part of me wants to stretch this argument even thinner and wonder if game makers think that men don't have the same mental capacity as women to handle magic...but that is a pretty weak argument. In a world where sexism tends to fall in favor of men (sorry, but it's does), it feels more like game makers think they're making up for something women lack.

Seriously dudes, an animated woman can do anything an animated man can do. That's why they're ANIMATED!

PS: Aigis really sucks.