Female Soldiers in Video Games?

[jomni]

If a game is based on the real world, it would be fairly understandable to have an all-male team just because it is more plausible and realistic.  Maybe real-world games in the future will have more female grunts due to the recent thrust of the US armed forces.

Fantasy and Sci-Fi games have no shortage of female characters because they don't need to depict reality.

Do you want to see female soldiers in your WW2 game?  Maybe if you are Russian since it is historical.  Btw, one medal of honor game lets you play a female French resistance fighter.

[son_of_montfort]

Just tapping into the collective wisdom here. It sounds like this group has played every video game ever made!

From what I've seen, and from descriptions of the games that I've read, it seems like games (or at least shooter games?) with a modern warfare theme and characters that have a connection with the military, are overwhelmingly male. The character that the player controls is almost always male. If there are female characters in a Call of Duty-type of game, they're usually non-combat types (scientist, doctor, spy, etc.).

Is that a fair assessment?

Michael

I'm not sure I would call Cate Archer in No One Lives Forever a "non-combat" type of spy. But I think this is borderline sci-fi. Same with Tanya from Command & Conquer: Red Alert (although they make a point of putting her in fatigues and uniform throughout the game and the "liason" mission person was also female and always in uniform).

Kotaku did an article on this a while back (two years ago): http://kotaku.com/5488592/why-modern-video-game-armies-lack-female-troops

[LongBlade]

Just tapping into the collective wisdom here. It sounds like this group has played every video game ever made!

From what I've seen, and from descriptions of the games that I've read, it seems like games (or at least shooter games?) with a modern warfare theme and characters that have a connection with the military, are overwhelmingly male. The character that the player controls is almost always male. If there are female characters in a Call of Duty-type of game, they're usually non-combat types (scientist, doctor, spy, etc.).

Is that a fair assessment?

Michael

My memory is not eidetic, but I cannot recall a contemporary FPS that showcased - or even gave a supporting role to - a female protagonist.

RPGs have long been open to either male or female characters, and there are probably some sci-fi/fantasy action/shooters that allow for female characters (Tomb Raider comes to mind).

Someone noted Rainbow Six. I played at least one of those games and don't remember females, but that doesn't mean they weren't there.

Going through the myriad FPS games I've played from WWII to the present I can't remember a female character. The only significant possibility I can think of is a Soviet sniper during WWII.

....

However, for some crazy reason a free-to-play FPS called Combat Arms sprang to mind. I thought it had been developed by an Israeli outfit, but it turns out to be Korean. And it does offer female characters as best I can tell (never played it, I'm looking at screenshots).

That might be a good place to start.



http://combatarms.nexon.net/Default.aspx

[jomni]

Rainbow 6 characters.
http://rainbowsix.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Characters

[LongBlade]

Thanks, Jomni.

[Jarhead0331]

Just tapping into the collective wisdom here. It sounds like this group has played every video game ever made!

From what I've seen, and from descriptions of the games that I've read, it seems like games (or at least shooter games?) with a modern warfare theme and characters that have a connection with the military, are overwhelmingly male. The character that the player controls is almost always male. If there are female characters in a Call of Duty-type of game, they're usually non-combat types (scientist, doctor, spy, etc.).

Is that a fair assessment?

Michael

I find that female characters are often times pilots, in addition to recon/sniper MOS type roles.  For instance, Ghost Recon Future Soldier has a female blackhawk pilot.

[DicedT]

Many thanks, folks: http://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelpeck/2013/01/25/are-female-soldiers-coming-to-video-games/

[LongBlade]

Many thanks, folks: http://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelpeck/2013/01/25/are-female-soldiers-coming-to-video-games/

Any time :)

[jomni]

Many thanks, folks: http://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelpeck/2013/01/25/are-female-soldiers-coming-to-video-games/

Men will always welcome playing women characters in their games since they can stare at their butts the whole time.  But that's another issue (sexism in video games).

[DicedT]

Longblade, I consider you the foremost expert on booth babes and video game hotties. You should have your own blog for this.

[LongBlade]

Longblade, I consider you the foremost expert on booth babes and video game hotties. You should have your own blog for this.

Heh. That's kinda what I thought I had here. I guess you haven't been granted access to the Lingerie Channel yet. Probably time to fix that ;)

[son_of_montfort]

Many thanks, folks: http://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelpeck/2013/01/25/are-female-soldiers-coming-to-video-games/

Dude, you write for Forbes? Nicely done!