LucasArts talks gender in Lucidity

10:40 AM on 09.23.2009   |   Brad Nicholson

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In the PC- and XBLA-bound title Lucidity, players will aid little Sofi, a female protagonist. While female videogame protagonists are more prevalent now, it doesn’t mean that players accept them. With that in mind, I asked LucasArts a short and simple question: why a female protagonist? In response, Lucidity project lead David Nottingham revealed that he thinks it's important to “expand the protagonist." A solid belief that, I believe, was evidenced as needed by the fact that the studio even had to have a discussion over Sofi being a female.

“I think it’s really important that we expand the protagonist beyond what people might typically have seen in games,” said Nottingham via e-mail. “There was a discussion about Sofi, and whether the core XBLA gamer would want to play a game that featured a female heroine.”

“There was an element of thinking that, the player may feel more protective of the character as a little girl but honestly, it really came out of the story development,” he continued. “I really wanted it to feel like a ‘little girl lost’ story. When you think of classic stories like Little Red Riding Hood, Alice in Wonderland, it seems to fit.”

Judging by the images released, it appears as if Lucas hit the “little girl lost” thing right on the head. Hell, I don’t even have the slightest idea where Sofi is. Also, for the record, trees with clocks embedded into them freak me out. Just sayin'.