Good point in your last paragraph....discussion is good. If games are to be considered 'art' like TV and movies, then they will have criticism as well. That's fine.
Nobody's saying that protagonists need to resemble "Disney princesses," as you say. However, intentionally modifying a character due to a certain ideology or point of view is being looked down on by a lot of posters- IF that's in fact what this is. I don't see how saying that a character should look more like the actor or actress portraying that character is bad or a big deal. There are plenty of ways to maintain that 'realism' without such modifications.
Also, if we use the case that games will mirror TV and movies as 'art,' tell me....how many ugly people are starring on TV shows or movies these days again? Are those characters in movies and TV 'realistic?' Yeah, I think we all know the answer to that question. Because they are 'entertainment' they often represent the IDEALS of the human race rather than the reality. Now with games, we already have characters like Nathan Drake and Aloy that can tirelessly climb and jump up MOUNTAINS AND CLIFFS, regardless of grip and upper body strength ratios...then effortlessly aim rifles or guns immediately after with no shaking..... So how exactly is appearance the ONE THING that they'll make "realistic?" Is that really the hill we're going to die on when it comes to video games???
It seems to me that a lot comes down to what the creative collective understands by "entertainment". An escape from reality or a journey into its depths? Maybe a bit of both, for some extra flavour?
All these completely unreal things, such as extreme climbing, shootings, and spectacular chase-scenes are, in fact, elements of gameplay.
The things we do. It does not say anywhere that the hero must necessarily be built around this in order to complete the scheme.
And this is what creative freedom is all about, the possibility of mixing different elements together, creating characters or psychological profiles, regardless of the absurdities of gameplay. Even if it does not meet our tastes.
Of course, there are other aspects as well, such as the organization of work in a game studio, top-down decisions dictated by the ideology you mentioned or political correctness. The subordination of creative processes to assumptions not entirely resulting from the idea of creative freedom is a vast topic.
I do not think, however, that the case we are talking about here is so far beyond the norm that it deserves to be dissected in such manner.
But yeah, the choice is always up to each of us. That is why I support choices, both the more and the less obvious ones.
Or maybe i am really fucking dumb.
