It's really just the implementation. Most female game characters are clearly just sex objects, and I'd rather not play as a sex object.

This is why I like characters like Jade who are attractive without being sex objects.  I partially blame Itagaki for females being sex objects in games.

THE ass, Itagaki. Tecmo in general is stupid and obsseded by women, look at this commercial:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLOCj5ixUSc

Tecmo = Boobies?!?!

Contrary to what one may assume, I can't bring myself to hate Itagaki in spite of how reprehensibly he treats women in his games. His action is just too good.

The treatment in Devil's Third seems a lot more even-handed, at least. That doesn't change the fact that he's a chauvinistic reprobate, but I can't help thinking that maybe - maybe - Devil's Third will be an improvement on that front.

I don't hate him just because of that. He's just an ass. Look at his wikipedia biography, you'll see, It's worth it :D You can also check his interviews on youtube, some of them are funny.

Took the words right out of my mouth...

And no, I have no problem playing as female lead.

That reminds, when are we ever going to have a chance to play as Zelda herself. I've been dying to know who to as mage/sage in a Zelda game.

I can't think of many games at all where I even played as a female let alone as a strong/interesting one. Heavenly sword comes immediately to mind; my girlfriend connected with that game much more than she did with, say, God of War. I haven't played much of Metroid, so I can't speak to that... That's all I recall really, besides the create-your-own type characters in Dragon Age, WoW and Mass Effect.

It's a shame though, my girlfriend is always more likely to become engaged in a game when there is a strong female character. It's empowering for her. It's frustrating for someone like her, who likes gaiming, but can rarely relate to her character.

Seemingly this industry is, for the most part (the core part, at least), ill-equiped or perhaps just incapable of writing a proper female protagonist.

They're creating from a limited perspective; creating female characters who are typically highly sexualized and hopelessly dependent. Many popular anime and manga are also plauged with a similiar portrayal of their female characters. To think just how much more the industry could have grown in the 80/90's had they simply broadened that perspective.

It seems as if it is so disproportionately unique to this medium. Perhaps that's a result of both the medium being so young as well as its audience. I have no idea.

I have to agree with you in general here, but I'm curious:

Have you played Knights of the Old Republic II? Forgive me if we've spoken about this befoe, but if you have I'd like to know what you think of Kreia.

I'm actually playing it now (it's been on and off the past few months due to some PC issues - I've been meaning to catch up again the past week or so) I'm not very far, so it'd be presumptuous to speak on her character.

However, I can say with certainty that I prefer this miles over KOTOR.

I'll have to get back to you on it.

Please do. I won't taint your expectations with my own opinion, but I am eager to hear what you think.

...Light Side or Dark Side?