Well inside a hardcore gaming culture were 90% of consumers are males (or females who want to be males), I think it is somewhat expected female protagonist to be generally badly received. Having somewhat studied psychology (and having my mother as one), I can say that most people forge a link with the protagonists, projecting themselves into the characters, and many are unconfortable on seeing themselves as a woman. On the other side, some people are OK with the same 'bond' and others simply lack this kind of relation with protagonists.

Some need of masculine identity reassuring deep in their minds? Possibly, since a great part of gamers have their sexuality somewhat repressed since they are called 'nerds' and thus face dificulties trying to find a mate. I can also smell a hint of misogyny in the whole thing. Look at TV. Two thirds of people there are still men even if genders are divided 50-50 in our species. Both men and women alike could very well perceive something wrong with female protagonists even if they can't point out exactly what are the sources of such a feeling.

Plus there is the physical strength issue. Woman are physically weaker if you are talking about muscles... but a character could focus on something else than brute force, right? Why a female character could not be something like a spy, or a magic user protagonist? Because or man-driven culture simply tries to ignore activities that lack physical strength, even in videogames. Anyways and besides that, most videogame characters are already powered beyond the ridicule (yes, I'm looking at you, Kratos), but still it becomes harder to suspend the disbelief when woman are involved.

In the end, the whole society and the culture built before and around us seems to blame for the absolute lack of equilibrium of genders in gaming. All of this sounds a bit like historical materialism with genders instead of social classes, and that's exactly the case here. Like I said before, is the differences of strength among male and female humans. But that should not be an excuse for sexism and such.

They cannot even punch boulders while inside volcanos.  They suck.

Well inside a hardcore gaming culture were 90% of consumers are males (or females who want to be males), I think it is somewhat expected female protagonist to be generally badly received. Having somewhat studied psychology (and having my mother as one), I can say that most people forge a link with the protagonists, projecting themselves into the characters, and many are unconfortable on seeing themselves as a woman. On the other side, some people are OK with the same 'bond' and others simply lack this kind of relation with protagonists.

Some need of masculine identity reassuring deep in their minds? Possibly, since a great part of gamers have their sexuality somewhat repressed since they are called 'nerds' and thus face dificulties trying to find a mate. I can also smell a hint of misogyny in the whole thing. Look at TV. Two thirds of people there are still men even if genders are divided 50-50 in our species. Both men and women alike could very well perceive something wrong with female protagonists even if they can't point out exactly what are the sources of such a feeling.

Plus there is the physical strength issue. Woman are physically weaker if you are talking about muscles... but a character could focus on something else than brute force, right? Why a female character could not be something like a spy, or a magic user protagonist? Because or man-driven culture simply tries to ignore activities that lack physical strength, even in videogames. Anyways and besides that, most videogame characters are already powered beyond the ridicule (yes, I'm looking at you, Kratos), but still it becomes harder to suspend the disbelief when woman are involved.

In the end, the whole society and the culture built before and around us seems to blame for the absolute lack of equilibrium of genders in gaming. All of this sounds a bit like historical materialism with genders instead of social classes, and that's exactly the case here. Like I said before, is the differences of strength among male and female humans. But that should not be an excuse for sexism and such.

I enjoyed some Tomnb Raider games but in general I find it awkward with female heroes because it simply feels too unrealistic. (more unrealistic than male heroes).

In RPG's I never create female characters, only men.