Topic: Konami: "Taking risks with CV prevented it from becoming another Megaman"

[DoctaMario]

That's true, but I guess it wouldn't be much trouble to make one female playable character, at least as a DLC or an unlockable extra.
That would still be relegating female characters to a secondary place, but at least I'd get to play as a girl.

That would be assuming there were a female in the story that were considered a worthy and capable second playable character.

[Shiroi Koumori]

That would be assuming there were a female in the story that were considered a worthy and capable second playable character.

That i really doubt. They wanted Dracul to be so badass, he doesn't need any support.

[DoctaMario]

That i really doubt. They wanted Dracul to be so badass, he doesn't need any support.

There aren't any females in the LoS storyline that would really make for good playable characters. They'd have to introduce someone new to make it happen.

[Shiroi Koumori]

There aren't any females in the LoS storyline that would really make for good playable characters. They'd have to introduce someone new to make it happen.

Knowing MS, they wont do it.

[Nagumo]

So, your reasoning is that we just... ignore everything just for the sake of having a girl? With all due respect, you can color me unimpressed as well.

Well, to be fair, the Castlevania series in general tends to ignore things (such as historical facts) for the sake of having things. 

Again, I'd like to reiterate that I don't have any problems with female leads. If they are to be done, I think they should just... uhm... make sense. If a female Belmont is used (especially in ancient Europe), to get her to make sense and not leave everyone (those who care, at least) scratching their heads, one would have to bring out the fact that she is a female. It would have to be an issue in the story. While that wouldn't be the biggest crime in the world, I preferred how gender wasn't an issue with Shanoa. The story did not focus on that, and her character wasn't largely shaped by her being a female. She just... happened to be that way. I thought that was very graceful.

Personally, I think it's better not to touch upon the issue at all like you pointed out with how Shanoa's character was handled in Ecclesia. Because if you do that, you give in to the world view that women are less likely to be protagonists in Castlevania's world, which just further complicates the issue. 

When they implement a female protagonist it should not be done to make a statement. Like you said, it should be handled gracefully. If the developers designed a Belmont character and find it appropriate to make this character a girl this time around they should just go for it, and not be restricted by, well, inrelevant stuff, really.   

[Jorge D. Fuentes]

Hmm... Castlevania is...


-Game with protagonist(s) that jump(s) twice as high as average human, probably even more, and have abilities no normal human has.
-Game with otherworldly magical weaponry that defies the laws of physics.
-Game with mythical creatures with strange powers that are out to attack.
-Game with natural and unnatural structures built to defy human comprehension.
-Game with, at best, a very loose tie to our world's history, which often it ignores, tiptoes around, or changes.
-Game with anachronistic events, with items, people, and other stuff out of context and out of proper time period...


...but people have a problem with a female protagonist because 'historically that has not been the case'.


Sounds like I have to pull the "Male Privilege" Bingo Card again.

[X]

Hmm... Castlevania is...


-Game with protagonist(s) that jump(s) twice as high as average human, probably even more, and have abilities no normal human has.
-Game with otherworldly magical weaponry that defies the laws of physics.
-Game with mythical creatures with strange powers that are out to attack.
-Game with natural and unnatural structures built to defy human comprehension.
-Game with, at best, a very loose tie to our world's history, which often it ignores, tiptoes around, or changes.
-Game with anachronistic events, with items, people, and other stuff out of context and out of proper time period...


...but people have a problem with a female protagonist because 'historically that has not been the case'.

Yep. There's just no excuse not to have a female, vampirekiller wielding Belmont lead. In ANY era of said series.

[Laina]

^^^ Agreed.

[crisis]

I just find it kinda funny how some people still cringe when there aren't enough female Belmont leads, or female leads in general. The gender of the protagonist doesn't affect my gameplay in a Castlevania game, nor should it affect anyone elses. I don't think it would've mattered if I was playing as Dolores or Zoe Belmont instead of Desmond. If Castlevania ReBirth starred Kokoro Belmont instead of Chris, then I wouldn't care at all.

And with the way Japan over-sexualizes their heroines in games (Bayonetta, even Sonia in her scantily-clad artworks), had they released a stand-alone game with Scarlet Belmont that has Kate Upton-esque endowments, those certain people would be in an uproar yet again on why they can't make an average-looking female without big titties, when they should suspect how she'll look anway especially coming from Japan so it should come as no surprise. Even if it was an overweight female Belmont I wouldn't mind so long as the game plays like Castlevania (however there will always be those that will criticize no matter what). Personally I don't take it seriously with in-depth analyses on our culture & medieval societies & heirarchy & genetics & such. Just enjoy the game for what it is and try to leave your gender-biases/"equality for all!" speeches out of it.

[Jorge D. Fuentes]

Brienne of Tarth.  She'd work as a female Actraiser protagonist.  Great with a sword.
Her looks are unimportant.  Her skill is what matters.


That's kinda why I dig Agrias from "Final Fantasy Tactics", too:

[Dark Nemesis]

Jorge, you are watching game of thrones? 

[chainsawmidget]

I just find it kinda funny how some people still cringe when there aren't enough female Belmont leads, or female leads in general. The gender of the protagonist doesn't affect my gameplay in a Castlevania game, nor should it affect anyone elses. I don't think it would've mattered if I was playing as Dolores or Zoe Belmont instead of Desmond. If Castlevania ReBirth starred Kokoro Belmont instead of Chris, then I wouldn't care at all.

If having a female protagonist doesn't matter, then why not throw a few in?  It gives it some variety. 

Give the choice between a character that looks different from the others and a character that DOESN'T look different from the others, I'll go with the original look. 

... it's better than another 98 pound albino pretty boy, anyway.   

Which brings me too the next point...

And with the way Japan over-sexualizes their heroines in games (Bayonetta, even Sonia in her scantily-clad artworks), had they released a stand-alone game with Scarlet Belmont that has Kate Upton-esque endowments, those certain people would be in an uproar yet again on why they can't make an average-looking female without big titties, when they should suspect how she'll look anway especially coming from Japan so it should come as no surprise. Even if it was an overweight female Belmont I wouldn't mind so long as the game plays like Castlevania (however there will always be those that will criticize no matter what). Personally I don't take it seriously with in-depth analyses on our culture & medieval societies & heirarchy & genetics & such. Just enjoy the game for what it is and try to leave your gender-biases/"equality for all!" speeches out of it.

Japan has some pretty horrible character designers sometimes. 

... and by "sometimes" I mean "often." 

Still, they've accepted that Non-Japanese developers can work on their products, why not have a non-Japanese artists work along with them, or at least assist with some character designs? 

[Jorge D. Fuentes]

With Castlevania, I thought Carrie Fernandez was a great choice, and is often overlooked (people point to Charlotte or Shanoa instead):

1. female character
2. not sexualized at all (though the Internet went and ruined that one)
3. a serious character, as opposed to Maria Renard, which is the opposite of that.
4. competent and capable. 
5. her game is just as cool as Reinhardt's, and is often the preferred character out of the three playables due to the flexibility of her attacks.

[crisis]

If having a female protagonist doesn't matter, then why not throw a few in?  It gives it some variety

They've already have a variety of playable female characters; Laura, Yoko, Charlotte, Carrie, Maria, Stella/Loretta, etc. Granted they're not the main leads, but they're at least playable & contribute to the plot. There's plenty of female characters in CV, but since they're not the lead characters in the story then it's a travesty & unnacceptable to some. How come we haven't had a black Belmont protagonist? Surely there must have been some mixed racial couples in the timeline somewhere, so why don't they have the next game feature an African American Belmont? I demand it, because African Americans play Castlevania too and it's unfair because I'm sure they're tired of playing as white male "pretty boys" in all these games! /sarcasm

I may be wrong but it seems people just won't be completely happy until they see a reimagined Sonia or Sonia re-instated in the canon, and she MUST be the main character on the box; which we already got in Shanoa, but some people only give her half-credit because she doesn't have a "Whip Glyph." Honestly like I said I wouldn't care either way, if the next game had a female protagonist. If the next 3 games had female protagonists, cool whatever. If the next 4 games had male "pretty boy" protagonists, cool whatever.

At least, that's from what I gather..

[A-Yty]

This conversation keeps fluctuating as if people on occasion completely forget there have been several playable female characters already. And as if it would be a monumental if there is to be more in the future.

Seriously, people. Castlevania is about the last series I'd shoehorn a political gender statement in - because it has a sexist agenda about as much as an episode of MacGyver. It is actually fairly innocent in this world of ours. If I were worried or interested in marching for this cause, I'd focus my energy on loathsome gangsta simulators or the plethora of other drivel that exists. Not a series where you whip walls for pot roasts and decorate rooms.