Why the hate for androgynous characters?

[Vikki]

Soleron said:

Vikki said:

Soleron said:
Because characters are easier to connect with if they can either represent your hero fantasy (same gender), or are attractive (opposite gender).

There is nothing wrong with that, because no real humans are being discriminated against.

Maybe it's just me. I don't see male and female, I just see the characters as individuals, so their genders and appearances are completely detached for me. But you do make a very interesting point! :)

The recent trends of journalists and indie devs to constantly push gender roles on every game is disappointing to me. Like they jump on the Lead Designer of the Blizzard Dota game asking, "why are your characters so sexualised?" as if to make an example of it. As if to say every game should be making statements on gender above being entertaining. And they'd do so irrespective of what players actually want out of a game (often fantasy fulfillment/escapism).

Exactly! I had a massive raging discussion to my fiance about that a few days ago. Blizzard games, World of Warcraft in particular are escapism in it's finest form. It does bug the hell out of me where in a game where we have time traveling orcs, walking talking cows, and little thrifty green people running about, they're gonna focus on the unrealistic proportions of the female characters. Bloody ridiculous!