Players Overwhelmingly Vote to Keep RPG Video Game Character Genders Male and Female in Online Poll From Lords of The Fallen Developer

Marek Tyminski, creator at CI Games (known for developing “The Lords of the Fallen”), sparked discussion within the gaming community recently. He initiated a poll concerning character gender choices in a medieval fantasy role-playing game and pledged to honor the outcome’s decision for future productions.

In a classic medieval fantasy role-playing game, which character class would you rather play as? Let’s see how your choice unfolds.

OR

In an immersive medieval fantasy action RPG, which character archetype do you lean towards picking? We’ll observe the end result together.

OR

In a captivating medieval fantasy role-playing adventure, which hero type appeals to you the most? Let’s discover the conclusion.

— Marek Tyminski (@tyminski_marek) January 12, 2025

The poll posed the following question to gamers:

In a classic role-playing game set in a mythical medieval world with an action twist, would you rather opt for one of the available paths? Let’s see how things unfold based on your decision.

Or, more concisely: Which path do you prefer in this medieval fantasy action RPG? We’ll follow the conclusion.

The options were:

Body Type A/Body Type B
Male or Female
None of the above

In this alternative, characters can choose between Body Types A and B, which represent traditional male or female physical appearances respectively, but do not determine the character’s gender. This choice is often accompanied by a requirement to select personal pronouns. Notably, Lords of the Fallen employed a similar approach in the past.

The results, with 46,791 participants voting, were stark and undeniable:

Body Type A/Body Type B: 8.7%
Male or Female: 88%
None of the above: 3.4%

Approximately 41,176 individuals chose between Male or Female, around 4,070 individuals picked either A or B for their body type, and a little over 1,590 people did not select any option in this case.

The significant refusal of “Body Types A/B” in games conveys an unmistakable signal to the game development industry. This trend shows a robust preference among players for conventional male or female character choices. It’s also consistent with the resistance observed in response to other games introducing politically sensitive elements.

A notable instance where players rejected such features is in BioWare’s ‘Dragon Age: The Veilguard’. Despite initial positive reviews from advocacy platforms, the game faced significant commercial failure.

The focus was significantly on modern ideas about gender, showcasing a diverse range of characters, from individuals with different voice tones (male and female) to various body types. They also carefully chose pronouns and incorporated details such as top surgery scars – elements that might spark debate in a traditional fantasy world context.

As a movie critic, I must confess that “Veilguard” didn’t quite hit the mark for me. The box office numbers were underwhelming, and the number of viewers returning for a second showing was disappointingly low.

Sales Figures for Dragon Age: The Veilguard: Based on the data available, Dragon Age: The Veilguard managed to sell approximately 1.5 million units, significantly lower than Electronic Arts’ (EA) projected sales of 10 million copies. It’s clear that this game did not meet the targets set for both BioWare and EA in terms of sales.

2. Refund Statistics: A high volume of refund requests for The Veilguard was observed within the first fortnight following its release. It’s been reported that more than 30,000 refunds were processed immediately after the game debuted. This large number indicates a substantial portion of initial sales, implying broad discontentment with the product.

3. Trade-In Worth: The actual copies of the game quickly decreased in worth. Just a few days after its release, GameStop and other retailers placed the trade-in value at a meager $22—an exceptionally low price for a freshly released AAA game. This significant drop in worth indicates both a lack of interest from players and the game’s inability to capture their attention.

The reactions from the players towards Tymiński’s survey align with the sales figures of “Dragon Age: The Veilguard.” It seems that gamers are resisting games which emphasize contemporary political commentary over engaging narratives and gameplay. Essentially, they prefer to avoid gender politics in a medieval role-playing game.

In contemplating the path for upcoming games, CI Games’ insights from this survey and lessons learned from The Veilguard send a strong signal: prioritize audience’s expectations and tastes. The creative team should strive to create immersive environments and captivating stories without overwhelming players with overt political statements that could potentially alienate them.

2025-01-14 19:57

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