The overwhelming majority of adult games (and adult comics/hentai) feature a heterosexual male MC that does not get transformed (except, perhaps, into a manlier stud). Less common are adult games that feature a female MC or those with a male MC with optional bisexual story paths.
In contrast, adult games (and adult comics/hentai) with a gender-bent MC are clearly niche and very much in the minority. I suppose this fact might not be too apparent with the number of gender-bent games that sometimes end up trending on this forum, especially to those who don't care for and try to avoid such games. (That is, player/reader bias can affect one's perception.) But it is a fact, nonetheless. And this becomes pretty obvious to those who actively go searching for adult games/comics that either feature an MC who gets gender-bent or which has this as an option choice.
What I find both puzzling and very frustrating is how the gender-bender genre almost always features a (hinted at or at least assumed) heterosexual male who, upon being forcefully transformed into a female, seems to get their brain re-wired and their orientation shifted by 180 degrees.
The gender-bender trope usually plays up female stereotypes. Often, these games and comics portray how a guy being given a female body would automatically make the person at least somewhat open to the idea of wearing panties, a bra and frilly, girly clothes. And they very often portray the MC as very easily fitting into their new feminine and/or subservient role and otherwise saying and doing stereotypically feminine things.
Sometimes this is carried to the absurd extreme, such as when a male MC is body-swapped with a married (or engaged) woman and the man-turned-woman accepts and fits into the role so well that the husband (or fiance) doesn't even realize it's a different person, let alone a dude in the woman's body.
In reality, most guys could not pick up the role and adopt the proper mannerisms so quickly even if they wanted to. Most married/engaged men in that silly body-swap scenario would not only recognize that it's a different person, but that "she" is acting like a dude. And many (most?) in a suddenly gender-bent scenario would reject fitting into that role immediately. Some would reject it so strongly that they would never fully accept it no matter how much time passes - or literally go insane.
I can appreciate that sissification and forced feminization are things that a number of people are into. I really do. But why does this seem to happen with works in the gender-bender genre practically without exception?
To be honest, that part doesn't really bother me. I can and sometimes do appreciate a game or story with such, even if it is annoying that it doesn't make much sense or that all these stories seem so similar to each other in this regard.
What really bothers me is how, in almost all cases, the original sexual orientation of the former male gets ignored. These stories usually imply that getting a female body with more estrogen than testosterone would effectively rewire their brain and train their mind, making them suddenly attracted to men and only men. (This, despite how many hormone treatment patients, scientific studies and psychology papers provides evidence to the contrary.)
These stories almost always heavily downplay or even outright ignore what actually should be a strong resistance to the idea of doing the nasty with a man or giving a BJ, as if that is to be expected of this genre and implies that their new hormones hijack their mind or override their willpower.
Those of us very familiar with this genre know that what I've just described is how well over 90% of M2F gender-bent games (and adult comics) go. Indeed, usually, the gender-bent MC only ever sleeps with dudes and only considers other girls as friends. It's rare to find an adult M2F gender-bent game or comic where the transformed MC actively pursues a serious lesbian relationship. And it's practically unheard of to find such where the transformed MC refuses to even consider sleeping with a guy.
Granted, there are some gender-bender stories where the MC has, perhaps, one or two lesbian flings, as if testing the waters. Rare as it is, if this does happen, it's usually with a girl who was the MC's crush or someone who crushed on the MC before the transformation. Sometimes it's a relationship that developed with a girl who has been helping the MC adjust to their new life. But this relationship rarely works out, with the MC seemingly destined to predominately sleep with or even romance dudes - a destiny the MC finds impossible fight and one that they soon learn to embrace.
I get that these games and comics are purely for entertainment and how they are aimed at a certain, specific audience. One could argue that this is exactly what people of this genre want and certain content creators step up to give them that. Again, I respect that. But I know for a fact that I'm not the only one who wants to see more of the gender-bender genre where the MC does not get sissified so easily and, especially, to see an MC who would only ever consider a lesbian relationship or encounter.
What I really want to say is the following, addressed to any content creators reading:
If you are considering a new gender-bender game project or comic, please at least consider my words about this unfilled sub-genre of a niche. If nothing else, please consider writing/designing something that at least partially breaks these all-too-common gender-bender tropes or goes in an unexpected direction. (Well... Being disappointed in how most stories in this genre seem so predictable is one thing. But seeing a gender-bent M2F MC get it on with dudes is just not my preference.)
Also, if you are a creator currently working on an adult, gender-bender game under development, would you at least consider adding an *optional path* where the MC can have lesbian encounters (or, possibly, a lesbian ending/relationship)?
That's the beauty of options - it allows a game to appeal to a wider variety of players who may not share the same preferences or play style. When stuff is added as something optional, everyone wins, right?
Finally, if you are a creator currently working on any sort of erotic game with character creation and which already contains separate content for a male MC path and a female MC path, would you at least consider adding an optional gender-bender path (with the potential for lesbian encounters)? If the game already has content for separate male and female MC starts and paths, then this should be relatively easy to add.
In contrast, adult games (and adult comics/hentai) with a gender-bent MC are clearly niche and very much in the minority. I suppose this fact might not be too apparent with the number of gender-bent games that sometimes end up trending on this forum, especially to those who don't care for and try to avoid such games. (That is, player/reader bias can affect one's perception.) But it is a fact, nonetheless. And this becomes pretty obvious to those who actively go searching for adult games/comics that either feature an MC who gets gender-bent or which has this as an option choice.
What I find both puzzling and very frustrating is how the gender-bender genre almost always features a (hinted at or at least assumed) heterosexual male who, upon being forcefully transformed into a female, seems to get their brain re-wired and their orientation shifted by 180 degrees.
The gender-bender trope usually plays up female stereotypes. Often, these games and comics portray how a guy being given a female body would automatically make the person at least somewhat open to the idea of wearing panties, a bra and frilly, girly clothes. And they very often portray the MC as very easily fitting into their new feminine and/or subservient role and otherwise saying and doing stereotypically feminine things.
Sometimes this is carried to the absurd extreme, such as when a male MC is body-swapped with a married (or engaged) woman and the man-turned-woman accepts and fits into the role so well that the husband (or fiance) doesn't even realize it's a different person, let alone a dude in the woman's body.
In reality, most guys could not pick up the role and adopt the proper mannerisms so quickly even if they wanted to. Most married/engaged men in that silly body-swap scenario would not only recognize that it's a different person, but that "she" is acting like a dude. And many (most?) in a suddenly gender-bent scenario would reject fitting into that role immediately. Some would reject it so strongly that they would never fully accept it no matter how much time passes - or literally go insane.
I can appreciate that sissification and forced feminization are things that a number of people are into. I really do. But why does this seem to happen with works in the gender-bender genre practically without exception?
To be honest, that part doesn't really bother me. I can and sometimes do appreciate a game or story with such, even if it is annoying that it doesn't make much sense or that all these stories seem so similar to each other in this regard.
What really bothers me is how, in almost all cases, the original sexual orientation of the former male gets ignored. These stories usually imply that getting a female body with more estrogen than testosterone would effectively rewire their brain and train their mind, making them suddenly attracted to men and only men. (This, despite how many hormone treatment patients, scientific studies and psychology papers provides evidence to the contrary.)
These stories almost always heavily downplay or even outright ignore what actually should be a strong resistance to the idea of doing the nasty with a man or giving a BJ, as if that is to be expected of this genre and implies that their new hormones hijack their mind or override their willpower.
Those of us very familiar with this genre know that what I've just described is how well over 90% of M2F gender-bent games (and adult comics) go. Indeed, usually, the gender-bent MC only ever sleeps with dudes and only considers other girls as friends. It's rare to find an adult M2F gender-bent game or comic where the transformed MC actively pursues a serious lesbian relationship. And it's practically unheard of to find such where the transformed MC refuses to even consider sleeping with a guy.
Granted, there are some gender-bender stories where the MC has, perhaps, one or two lesbian flings, as if testing the waters. Rare as it is, if this does happen, it's usually with a girl who was the MC's crush or someone who crushed on the MC before the transformation. Sometimes it's a relationship that developed with a girl who has been helping the MC adjust to their new life. But this relationship rarely works out, with the MC seemingly destined to predominately sleep with or even romance dudes - a destiny the MC finds impossible fight and one that they soon learn to embrace.
I get that these games and comics are purely for entertainment and how they are aimed at a certain, specific audience. One could argue that this is exactly what people of this genre want and certain content creators step up to give them that. Again, I respect that. But I know for a fact that I'm not the only one who wants to see more of the gender-bender genre where the MC does not get sissified so easily and, especially, to see an MC who would only ever consider a lesbian relationship or encounter.
What I really want to say is the following, addressed to any content creators reading:
If you are considering a new gender-bender game project or comic, please at least consider my words about this unfilled sub-genre of a niche. If nothing else, please consider writing/designing something that at least partially breaks these all-too-common gender-bender tropes or goes in an unexpected direction. (Well... Being disappointed in how most stories in this genre seem so predictable is one thing. But seeing a gender-bent M2F MC get it on with dudes is just not my preference.)
Also, if you are a creator currently working on an adult, gender-bender game under development, would you at least consider adding an *optional path* where the MC can have lesbian encounters (or, possibly, a lesbian ending/relationship)?
That's the beauty of options - it allows a game to appeal to a wider variety of players who may not share the same preferences or play style. When stuff is added as something optional, everyone wins, right?
Finally, if you are a creator currently working on any sort of erotic game with character creation and which already contains separate content for a male MC path and a female MC path, would you at least consider adding an optional gender-bender path (with the potential for lesbian encounters)? If the game already has content for separate male and female MC starts and paths, then this should be relatively easy to add.
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