Will we ever see a Female Protagonist in Gears of War?

By: Danielle Merrithew

[Source:http://www.oxm.co.uk/50193/epic-a-female-gears-of-war-star-would-be-tough-to-justify/]

Gears of War 3 is the first game of the franchise to include playable female characters, but will we ever see a female protagonist? Alas, it seems the market might have issues with this. "That's certainly interesting but I don't know," States Art Direct of Epic Games, Chris Perna. "If you look at what sells, it's tough to justify something like that." We've all seen the stereotypical woman protagonists in games.  They have fake tits, platinum blonde hair, and are wearing incredibly tight clothing (if any at all). This is the ideal female created by game companies to serve as fan service to their customers. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this concept as it's undeniable that sex runs the gaming industry. Epic games, the creators of the Gears of War franchise, feel that if a female protagonist would take away from the game. "In Gears you kind of need dirt", explains Perna. Why can't females be in this so called "dirt"?

How badass would a female protagonist in the Gears of War franchise be? I personally think it would be awesome if a female became a main protagonist in the series. It would be great to see a sexy, badass woman who isn't just viewed as a sex object, but as someone who actually is involved in combat and has the ability to make a difference in the game. I feel this way because playing a female character can be incredibly empowering. Playing a female character is empowering to me because it makes me feel like I am the in the game, and it makes my gaming experience more pleasurable. I still enjoy playing male protagonists, and sometimes I prefer it depending on the game, however when I play a female it's easier to envision myself in the game. If they were to have a female protagonist, maybe more women would be obligated to play GOW.

Gears of War 3 introduced us to newcomer Samantha Byrne and a playable version of Anya. Neither of these characters fit our defined stereotypical female protagonist, and they are still sexy.  "They're still feminine," States Perna. "Anya in Gears 3 comes across as being very feminine, and I think it works." It does work for the game. I love the way all characters GOW look and act, it is definitely not a game that was created for fan service. Epic games is still strongly against a female protagonist in their series. "We have lots of strong, intelligent female characters in the Gears universe and we would never rule out a female protagonist for any of our future games, Gears or otherwise." States Epic Games.