Gamers want more than girls in bikinis

Ubisoft Toronto studio head, Jade Raymond said she is tired of video games following an old formula when it came to main characters and protagonists.

“I don’t like the assumption that all people who play games want big chainsaws and women in bikinis. It’s like, really? Not all gamers are teenage boys, and even teenage boys want more than that,” said Raymond in a recent interview with The Grid.

Raymond said that the classic “husky voiced, emotionless ” lead character in most games needed to be replaced with a more complex protagonist. “It’s got to change, right?” she said, pointing out that even traditional action movies have evolved to a point where their main characters are more narratively complex.

“The video game world is improving, too: We’re seeing some variety. Grand Theft Auto has been doing a good job picking interesting main characters in recent years—like the new-immigrant underdog. There still isn’t a game where you get to play an old lady. That’s my dream,” she said.

Raymond and Ubisoft Toronto are reportedly working on the new Assassin’s Creed Unity. She also revealed in the interview that the Assassin’s Creed series has sold over 76 million copies world wide.

Gamers, do you agree that mainstream characters need to become more complex? Let us know in the comments and forum.