Gamers will play as the familiar Link character in Breath of the Wild, the 18th instalment of the Legend of Zelda series slated for release on Nintendo’s Wii U and NX game consoles next year.
Girls and women may be told that they can be anything they want in 2016, but Nintendo Co. Ltd. is facing criticism for taking a less progressive stance in its latest video game.
During the E3 gaming conference this week, Nintendo producer Eiji Aonuma told the video gaming website GameSpot the upcoming instalment of The Legend of Zelda would not have more gender options when it comes to the main character.
Asked about rumours of a female version of the main character, Link, or the ability to play as Princess Zelda instead in Breath of the Wild, the 18th instalment of the popular title slated for release on Nintendo's Wii U and NX game consoles next year, Mr. Aonuma said both concepts were ultimately abandoned by his team.
"If we have Princess Zelda as the main character who fights, then what is Link going to do?" said Mr. Aonuma, who was translated at the event by a Nintendo executive.
Fans and video-game critics quickly noted the comments in reviews and on social media, saying the company appeared to give little consideration to allowing the character the franchise is named after to be its hero.
"It's a missed opportunity," said Vicky McArthur, assistant professor of new media and user experience at the Institute of Communication, Culture, Information and Technology at University of Toronto Mississauga. "They could have modified this character with a female option and still had the same game."
Nintendo's approach to this core fantasy-action-adventure video game franchise (first released in 1986) follows increased discussion about gender options and gender representations in video games, as well as the rapidly growing number of female consumers across multiple age groups, especially when it comes to mobile titles.
Women are now a significant portion of the gaming community. The 2015 report of the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) said women represent 44 per cent of game players in the United States, and make 41 per cent of purchases. King, Glu Mobile and Rovio, makers of best-selling mobile games Candy Crush, Kim Kardarshian: Hollywood and Angry Birds, respectively, have all attributed strong sales and/or significant interest in their titles to women.
The male-dominant work force in the video-game industry is one reason why women are not often considered options for heroes or main characters.
Sean Gouglas, an associate professor and senior director of interdisciplinary studies at the University of Alberta, said that while diversity among players and purchases of video games has increased, and major studios like Ubisoft are trying to diversify their work forces, the vast majority of video-game developers are still men. "Honestly, the women are mostly in human resources and administration," he said. "In Ontario, there are enormous tax breaks, but there is no tie between funding and increasing diversity."
There is some progress being made. When it comes to the issue of gender representation in games, some companies are going a step further than simply giving users the option to make women the main character. Earlier this month, The Sims 4 – which was the top-selling video game by units sold in 2014, according to the ESA – released a character update allowing for hundreds of customization options no longer tied to a specific gender.
Lead producer Lyndsay Pearson told the media network The Verge that the project, which encompassed hairstyles, clothing and tone of voice and was done in consultation with GLAAD, took a year to complete.
In 2006, Nintendo's Wii home video console, as well as its Wii Sports and Wii Fit titles, were seen as significantly expanding the demographics of video games beyond the stereotypical "young male aged 15 to 35."
However, the company has reported declining sales for the past five years and saw sales of its Wii U console fall well below expectations.
Aubrey Anable, an assistant professor of film studies at Carleton University whose research covers digital media, video games and gender, said Mr. Aonuma's comments do the opposite of creating buzz for the company, leading to push-back and disappointment from fans instead. "I think we recognize the fact that there are a lot of women who play video games even if they don't necessarily identify as gamers."