There a vocal audience fighting for the inclusion of a female protagonist into the Grand Theft Auto franchise – possibly even as DLC for the wildly successful GTA 5. It’s a point of view that Rockstar might be able to represent in an interesting, worthwhile way, but Media Molecule’s Siobhan Reddy doesn’t want a simple change of skin and hair. If there’s going to be a woman leading the charge, she’d rather the developer does it right.
"I think GTA is GTA – it's an amazingly huge incredible achievement from that team,” Reddy said to GameIndustry International. “I would have loved there to be a female character, but maybe there will be one? And I would rather they spend the time getting something right than just changing the skin.
"I think it would be really fascinating to see them create a deeply flawed and amazing woman – I don't know what her character would be – but I'd love to see it because I think they are a really incredible studio."
It’s the company’s influence on the industry that makes this choice in development so interesting to those fighting for gender rights, but really, Rockstar isn’t obligated to do anything anyone else asks.
"But they don't have to though, that's the thing,” she continued. “They just don't have to, and they could just choose to do that forever and we'd all be like that's a shame, but they don't actually have too. But they're so influential it would be really great."
Reddy has been anything but quiet when it comes to women in gaming, recently claiming that female gamers will influence how future games are made. She’s not ready to back down, and will continue to speak up as long as there’s a need.
