Metroid is my favorite game series, but I'm not sure I feel much connection to Samus as an avatar. I have a female character in Second Life (which I've only played a couple hours) and I feel the same about that character too.

blickblocks

Even though RL preferences lean toward well-toned, broad-shouldered types, I find girls more attractive in game. Aside from FFXI with hot male elves, game designers make their men ridiculously beefy, which doesn't work for me.

Jen C

Amen Sista. The guys in WoW so far look like they couldn't touch their toes without ripping straight through their shirts. And though that would be funny for a while, I'd still rather have the option for a smaller, svelte male body type.

Then come to think of it, you don't get much choice when it comes to female body types either. It's short and rotund, or tall and hourglass. Oh well, at least they acknowledge it in the human female's joke about clothes.

DolphinsBell

And also to the "if I gotta stare at something all day" excuse. Why are you staring at your model? I play all male characters and my eyes are rarely on him. Especially in PvP. I bet males playing females are the ones wiping us in raids. Are they staring at their character all the time instead of doing their job?

Slayer

n00b f. nation

svetlana

(Does that answer the main question here?)

Square

VioletArrows

Granted, the only MMORPG I've ever played was WoW (and that didn't last long), and the male models were just too bulky for the classes that I wanted to play. Females are slender and small, harder to target and hit, and more attuned to the magical and stealth classes I'm drawn to, even though I know that size and shape have no bearing on your character in the game beyond how it he/she looks. Plus, as someone has already said, in terms of stat bonuses for specific genders, females usually tend to get them in magic and stealth anyway.

It's a style of play, and if it's gender-bending in any way, then it's only in the most extreme of cases, at least as I've seen. Do most players see this as gender-bending? I mean, do you guys remember the whole Male Blood Elf fiasco? Blizzard changed the avatar of the Male Blood Elf to please (from what I've read, at least) an uproar on their forums from the players. They used to have a small frame and looked more feminine then they do now (I'm sure you can Google it if you're more interested). Are male players really that afraid to play a female (or even feminine looking) character?

*sigh* I don't know. People can be so insecure.

Icepick.Evans

tk.

Nick Post

Pal

I feel as if I can be one of two types of female characters: the stereotypical healer (standard female cliche) or the stereotypical fighter/aggressive mage (cliche reaction to the healer). Both of them make me uncomfortably aware of my sex, so I choose to play a guy instead.

The exceptions are when RPing is low, classes are tied to a specific sex (Diablo), or the male models are just too ugly.

Miraba

But primarily in MMORPGS for two reasons:
1) I would rather look at a female hiender for hours on end than a mans.

2) Guys will give female avatars special considerations. Guys will give a cute avatar weapons, suits of armor and first picks of loot and all sorts of other crap just for having the avatar in the same instance. And who doesn't like free stuff?

People in my guild know my RL gender and don't care. If someone tries to come on to me I just PM: "Dude. I have a dick." and it's usually over. (And if that turns them on I blacklist them.)

Zadaz

its also a bit more rare to see the ugly races be females rather than the pretty races. In everquest for example, my female halflings were better treated than my female wood elves.

Norsehawk

sora99

But honestly, more than those reasons, I just like playing as women. Probably I have gender issues. Male characters always seem boring to me, and half the time I'd like to reach in the screen and punch them in the face. The only time it stops working for me is when she starts flirting or getting into bed with male teammates for story purposes - or female ones for that matter. You know what someone needs to make? And RPG where you specify your actual sex and sexual preference first, THEN choose the sex of your character.

aestheticity

KOTOR's my favorite though, their is a chance for it to turn into a nice jedigirl on jedigirl love fest, plus the 'butt swaying action' alone makes that game a joy to be a girl.

But, I really don't see how this is gender bending per say. I've done tabletop role playing as a female and constantly re-roll toons as girls. Often times due to different story lines and different ways of doing things. I'm playing through Bloodlines once more right now as a Girl just to get see new stuff. Is it Gender Bending? In the strictest sense yes, but as long as your comfortable with it, there is nothing wrong at all here.

Unless your on Second Life.......

huginn

Loki

Nowadays, I'm slowly leaning more towards male characters. Anything with voice comm or that's very tightly linked to real life, like say the Sims, will see me playing with male characters. On the voice comm front, I'm quite happy telling people I'm crossdressing anyway, but see La Sepultura's comment. Not everyone's cool with it, and if you can't keep it from em until they know you better, I find it's less hassle to drop the front.

randomnine

Actually when I think about it I have on several occasions chosen names like that when driving go-cart or similar stuff in RL for that exact reason. If I end up on top of todays list with a guy-name I'm only some other guy. But if it's a girl teenager that is above you on the list it is a lot harder to take.

hufse

BTW, from which game is the "girl in armor" picture taken ?

Epsilon

Thats EXACTLY why I choose female characters.... I'm not especially fond of the male buttocks (esp. enough to have it front and center in my screen for hours upon hours) but many players apparently are. Its all aesthetics for me.

:P

rancorcrankor

And of course more often than not they look cute too. =P

RJG

My point? This neanderthal way of thinking would've even manifested itself if one of the two blocks in pong were pink. It almost makes me feel fortunate that I was always the one stuck playing the girl in Zombies Ate My Neighbors, because in a weird way it's helped me grow in ways that many of my old friends still have not.

That said, I've played female characters for years, even in MMOs, but don't categorize me with anyone whom repeatedly refers to the "I'd rather look at a girl's ass" defense. That's not too much more progressive in thinking than the "lol u fag" prosecution. It's fine if it's true, but please don't use it to argue your point. It's like arguing for gay rights because you like lesbians in your porno.

futurebiblehero

The Lamonster

Koji Otaku

Corpse Explosion

PlayerX

I'm female. I tend to play as male characters online because having people hit on you is INCREDIBLY ANNOYING.

Also: like some of the fellows above, I like to play with the fact that gender is extremely amorphous online. It's interesting to see how people react to me while can only see my personality - without all the crap that's sometimes attached to being a girl.

Metaleaf

Deciding which gender to be for a game character is always a problem for me too. As with you McWhertor I would rather look at a sexy female human for the duration of my time with a given game, but when it comes down to the crunch I almost always go with the dude character.

Yes I'm that secure.

Pink Masterchief from Halo 2 multiplayer FTW.

GSB

If your character is female in the game, to me you are female in real life (one way or another). And when your manly voice is heard over Ventrilo, just know everyone is laughing at you.

Slayer

Is the source persona male or female?

Makes things simpler and with such characters I know exactly what choices they'd make. Also helps when playing good and evil plotlines since the characters I play will make different choices.

Sederien

Looking back at the characters I've played as, I'm guessing about half were male, half female, 90% were nothing like me.

Eluial

Oh and sync the "You're either kinda gay or kinda lonely" comment, well, kinda on the immature/ ignorant/ I want to feel cool by making fun of you for no reason- spectrum of commenting (the kinda stuff people say in Grade School and High School.) Just thought I'd let you know.

Wernstar

I am the same, I play female characters almost ALWAYS when given the option, not because im some gender confused man, but because usually they are much more pleasing on the eyes when you spend X amount of hours playing...

Look for Mandariel (my female alterego) in most MMOs.

Scazza

NickSoapdish

I think some people are forgetting what the RP in MMORPG means >_>

Xagest

Kiwi Kamikaze

synce

I get made fun of sometimes, especially when I play with people that know me (it's worse because I'm in the Army and I'm expected to be some macho guy). But I don't care. I don't hide the fact that I'm male, either, usually, unless I REALLY want to fuck with some annoying kids head.

Nekojin

Synch

yup XD

sailentshadow

I need that on the wii.

(episode 1 and 2-like, not the crappy universe and card thing)

scotty

NickSoapdish