Genders in Gaming Target Audiences.

[Bridge]

Not to mention male characters being subjected to the same ridiculous tropes the female ones are.

Because only women are objectified, right?

While I do see value in both stories (Lara's for providing a story about a woman overcoming adversity, and Elizabeth for a sheltered girl being exploited by paternal figures)

Women overcoming adversity is different from men overcoming adversity? Even though both of these little synopses sound absolutely retarded to me, a piece of art like a game is not defined solely by "what it's about." If you are willing to ignore everything that makes it artistic and just go straight for the "subtext," why not just compress it into a few sentences and get it over with. "Women are just as capable as men and should not be subservient to them." If you only look at art as a tool for "social change," well, I feel sorry for you. Incidentally I didn't like Tomb Raider, it was a poor game with especially poor writing and I agree that Lara's character was nothing to write home about.

And sure, I believe that males may very well create entertainment which may or may not take the gender-question into consideration and still provide great joy for either gender. I do believe however that there's a unmet need for games created by females, directed at females with female undertones and choices permeating the game. What I'm trying to say is that both genders can enjoy games with either 'undertone', but currently there are none with female undertones which makes the market one-sided in the choices available.

Absolutely disgusting. Should black people also have their black people games with black people undertones? How about we stop speaking in vaguenesses and lay down some concrete definitions: What is a female undertone? And here's a bonus question: Can you point out any male-specific undertones?

EDIT: Just a fair warning, these questions are rhetorical because I don't believe in them. I can and will (unless you make impressive arguments) dismiss them with a reference to vicariousness.