Isn't the fact that it isn't true what makes a lie, a lie?

You mean they don't really bounce like that???

This article is BS. There are hardly any blonde characters.

Also, all the female main characters are flawless.

I'll admit I'm really sick of that "I'm a tough, snarky woman that can only justify my presence in the company of these men by being impossibly capable as a fighter and more hostile than a spitting cobra until, later on in the game, I reveal that I'm actually emotionally vulnerable, scarred, and just want to be hugged" trope.

One hell of a run on sentence, yes, but that's been the most common female character Ive seen in games and movies over the last couple off decades. I think it stemmed from an overreaction to attempting to leave behind the damsel role by basically leaping to the other extreme which, while maybe well intentioned, resulted in women who were often equally unrealistic and completely lacking in true personality.

Until recently there just seemed to be little middle ground, but I must say that this is nearly as true of male characters as females who, with occasional exceptions, were some blend of Duke Nukem and Indiana Jones.

But yes, over the past few years (I'm now 27) nearly all of my male friends have left our college town that I chose to remain in, so most of my friends are unexpectedly female, and they're all quite different; one works for the military and has known she was gay since she was a kid, another is hilarious and loves art/puzzles/travelling, and another is about to start her first year teaching college lacrosse.

I'll just say that I struggle to recall a single video game character that I feel properly represented any of them. I suspect it is not the result of malice but rather the difficulty involved in creating a three dimensional character... Even when people think they're providing a personality, what generally results is little more than a caricature, picking a few traits like silly, short tempered, or ditzy, and simply leaning on those for every line of dialogue. The women I hang out with can be funny, goofy, competitive, inquisitive, irate, and hell, even boring, all over the course of just an hour or two. You very rarely see a fleshed out character like that in games.

Again, the same can largely be said of male characters who, at times, are even more one dimensional than their female counterparts. Still, it must be said that while their presence is still lagging well behind men, the way women are represented in movies and video games has improved markedly in the last half decade or so. Looking back through my last few games I will admit at times there's a distinct lack of them, but when they're there they are pretty realistic and reasonable. This really doesn't need to be a divisive issue, for as more women haven come to play and develop the games the problem has been increasingly fixing itself.

Oh, and there's nothing wrong with making characters good looking if a game goes that direction. It never bothered me as a male that most male protagonists have 18 abs and a face so tough you could use it as sandpaper... It's your fault if you allow a game to determine your own body image. I've never really understood this issue, especially when both genders are equally outrageously good looking lol

such a piss poor list.

The one about the blonde hair is not necessarily true. Sure, there are some blonde females in video games but 75% seems too high.

I have a number of objections with this list, but I really don't think it's worth it.

Did you drag this list out of 1995 Wright?

You mean to tell me that all I know about women is false?

... I need to go back to bed and think about my life...

Oh boy....

Why now? I don't believe female characters are subject AS MUCH as they were back in the day. Sure you still have games like DoA, OneCharra, Bayonetta, etc that caters to fanservice. However, there games like Tomb Raider reboot that isn't over sexualizing women, but depicting them in a very strong commendable stance. Let's not forget Heavenly Sword, Transistor, Remember Me, Mirror's Edge, now Horizon and others that don't make them look "weak". I agree with some parts of the OP list, but certainly not everything.

I won't act as if there isn't misogynistic gamers who continues to view women in such a light. However, I love the fact that there are more female protagonists in games. I won't front though, I do pick women more than men in my fighting games. They are faster and more agile. :p

Too bad GLaDOS doesn't count.