Why Does Portal Mention Women A Lot?

[McCoy]

Ok, so everyone's been through Portal or at least played through ten levels. But listening to GLaDOs, you find that she mentions women, or young women, and doesn't really mention Males. Seeing as your character is a female, do you think that some part of this Aperture Science test revolves around females more than males?

...for bring your daughter to work day.

I know, it's only one, but I'm sure there are others. And seeing as this is one of the games that uses a female character, I think that women might have SOMETHING to do with Aperture, along with the fact that GLaDOs sounds like a weird little girl.

 

[Dezartfox]

maybe the portal device only works with women...
and women wouldn't use them in a 'wrong' way

 

[Shippi]

.

 

[McCoy]

But do you think they have only tested females? It would be wuite weird.

 

[Cheomesh]

Because woman-centric games are rare.

At least you didn't start up the convo about the oh so phallic ASHPD and the oh so vaginal portals. Don't think I wanna sit through that one again.

 

[Acepilotf14]

There was already a thread about this. It's a little old though.

 

[flamekiller]

There's a word for things that resemble vaginas like phallic is the word for things that resemble penises, but I can't remember what it is. Also, that was mostly irrelevant.

Regarding the "bring your daughter to work day," there's been an official Bring Your Daughter to Work day in the US for years in which girls get a freebie day off school to go to work, usually with their dads.

 

[FoolishOwl]

From the Rock, Paper, Shotgun interview with Kim Swift and Jeep Barrett, two of the lead designers of Portal:

RPS: There?s a very feminine tone to Portal. Was that a deliberate response to the very masculine world of games?

KS: I dunno. As far as the player character goes, we figured, why not? There aren?t really any female protagonists in the Valve series that you play as. And GLaDOS ? I?m not sure how we chose GLaDOS to be a girl.

JB: I think we had the voice actor first. We were like, ?Who can do a robot voice??

KS: Oh, that?s right! Because we were using the Overwatch voice from Half-Life 2 to test stuff out, and we liked the tone of it.

JB: I think from there it was pushing on a theme. Once we had the protagonist and the antagonist set up, it pushed the rest of it.

 

[Brachiomorph]

I suspect it has something to do with women being generally less intimidating than men. GLadOS's voice as a man would have sounded authoritarian and demanding and not soft and encouraging.

In Portal, it makes sense to have the lab-rats (humans) feel welcome and safe so that you can have their complete participation, which you wouldn't get if the subjects felt forced.

I'm not sure why the main character is a woman. It could have something to do with women being generally more concerned with how people feel about them (many many references to "not being liked", having a party, getting cake, etc).

 

[Que-Ever]

It's like PornoSec.

 

[Alterego-X]

You don't know?
Portal is for lesbians!

 

[McCoy]

So does this mean that the companion cube is bisexual? Wait, what am I saying, that website is for lesbos anwyas

 

[Pesmerga]

Portals = female orifice = FEMINAZI

 

[ShadowX]

Don't forget when she says "Oh boy.."

 

[flamekiller]

In Portal, it makes sense to have the lab-rats (humans) feel welcome and safe so that you can have their complete participation, which you wouldn't get if the subjects felt forced.

I disagree. The vibe that I got from the game from the get-go (the trailer, waking up from a "detention" in a relaxation vault) was that subjects were placed in a do-or-die survival situation, so they had no choice but to participate as an only means of hope.

 

[Stigmata]

I disagree. The vibe that I got from the game from the get-go (the trailer, waking up from a "detention" in a relaxation vault) was that subjects were placed in a do-or-die survival situation, so they had no choice but to participate as an only means of hope.

I suggest you read up on the story a bit more.

 

[kupocake]

Because woman-centric games are rare.

That. And because Eve was made from Adam's rib, just like Portal takes FPS and makes something entirely new.

Yeah, Creationism game design philosophy.

 

[FoolishOwl]

I suggest you read up on the story a bit more.

Well, from all available evidence, subjects were placed in a do-or-die scenario, and until Chell, they all died.

It's apparent from some designer comments that GLaDOS altered the tests, at least once, to put Chell in greater danger and see how she reacted. However, it's clear that many of the tests were always very dangerous -- those involving enormous drops, for instance.

 

[Trevelyan]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRCu5gTZw08
7.30

not that it answers any questions or is that relevant, but one of the portal level designer's is female.

Perhaps the whole team that Doug mentions was comprised solely of women?

it don't bother me none.

But i would be interested to know if valve or whoever has say so decide to continue Chell as a playable character, and whether the portal gun will be used in conjuncture with other weapons.

 

[Xevrex]

Ok, so everyone's been through Portal or at least played through ten levels. But listening to GLaDOs, you find that she mentions women, or young women, and doesn't really mention Males. Seeing as your character is a female, do you think that some part of this Aperture Science test revolves around females more than males?



I know, it's only one, but I'm sure there are others. And seeing as this is one of the games that uses a female character, I think that women might have SOMETHING to do with Aperture, along with the fact that GLaDOs sounds like a weird little girl.

There is one piece of evidence that contradicts that line of thinking. If you remember, the "Girls of Aperture Science" calender has the last test subject/escapee taping a picture of the Weighted Companion Cube on the face of the woman. More importantly, on the woman's body. It would seem that to anyone who saw that would be lead to believe that the last subject, or rather to say the subject that constructed the WCC Chapel, is in fact a male. Although...there is always the off chance that the subject was indeed a female...one that "played on the other side of the fence" so to speak. In the end, it would seem that it is most likely that Aperture testing is not gender-specific.

 

[freeman1993]

Maybe she doesnt like boys aka men

 

[Xevrex]

Are you insinuating that the WCC Chapel was constructed by a lesbian?

 

[dal1978]

I think the lack of men is an in-joke by valve.

Remember during the original Half-life you never met any female employees in black mesa (Except for the hologram on the training course). Why not reverse that situation?

If black mesa were employing all the men perhaps all the women ended up being employed by AS.

hmmm, I wonder if Judith is from AS?

 

[Emporius]

not that it answers any questions or is that relevant, but one of the portal level designer's is female.

Are you serious? A WOMAN on the design team?!

But seriously this thread is kind of pointless. The very fact that we find this to be an irregularity is frightening.

 

[Hardcore Max]

:burp:

Are you serious? A WOMAN on the design team?!

But seriously this thread is kind of pointless. The very fact that we find this to be an irregularity is frightening.

I think its more of an observation than an irruglarity. (hopefully...)

In my opinion, the reason that the two characters in Portal are both women is to avoid any sexual tension inadvertently being developed between the two character, because SOMEBODY out there would freak out and yell;

"ZOMG ROBOSECKZ!"

and thats bad for everyone.


And Emporius - I've found Ling Ling's head. can I has Recon nowz?

 

[Emporius]

And Emporius - I've found Ling Ling's head. can I has Recon nowz?

That's only part one of the quest, you still must see the REAL Ling Ling's head.

So no

No reconz for you

 

[krizzem]

I think the answer is the developers inability to get laid. Thus they're making up shit about females because they never get laid. I might be wrong though...

 

[Narvi]

One of the developers is a woman.

 

[Blackthorn]

Two characters. 50% chance each will be female. So, 25% chance it'll be a totally female game.

It's not weird at all. What is, is people being "ZOMGLEZGAME!!" because you play as a woman.

And the other isn't female at all. It's a damn robot. In the boss battle, one of the voices was even male.

 

[Druckles]

At least you didn't start up the convo about the oh so phallic ASHPD and the oh so vaginal portals. Don't think I wanna sit through that one again.

And because Valve have no lives?

 

[Komaka]

And because Valve have no lives?

Sure they do. Or at least half a life.

It's not an all-female game, actually. The Companion Cube is male (GLaDOS refers to him as "he" a couple of times, and of course there's the "Fraticide" thing). But he can't speak. And if he does, we souldn't listen to him.

 

[skull24]

They seem to be focusing on women subject only for their project.

 

[ravenofroses]

...

Personally, I think things just turned out that way. The team's sense of humor, coupled with convenience (and perhaps a subconscious need to "stand out") led to a lot of design and plot elements that when colelcted and viewed as a whole give the game a very female-oriented vibe...

 

[kineaesth]

...

Personally, I think things just turned out that way. The team's sense of humor, coupled with convenience (and perhaps a subconscious need to "stand out") led to a lot of design and plot elements that when colelcted and viewed as a whole give the game a very female-oriented vibe...

Damn good first post.

Welcome.

 

[ravenofroses]

^^^;;

Thanks.

I was wondering if anyone would notice that...

 

[Andrew LB]

I think the lack of men is an in-joke by valve.

Remember during the original Half-life you never met any female employees in black mesa (Except for the hologram on the training course). Why not reverse that situation?

If black mesa were employing all the men perhaps all the women ended up being employed by AS.

hmmm, I wonder if Judith is from AS?

I did happen to notice ONE employee of Black Mesa being a woman, but it was in "Blue Shift".

If you look at the screens in the security camera room, the first shot was of Gordon on his way to suit up, the second was of the shooting range, and the third was a brown haired woman in an HEV suit pushing the Xen crystal down a corridor to the test chamber.

But.... since Gearbox isn't Valve... I'm sure many would argue about the game being canon.

Personally, I think things just turned out that way. The team's sense of humor, coupled with convenience (and perhaps a subconscious need to "stand out") led to a lot of design and plot elements that when colelcted and viewed as a whole give the game a very female-oriented vibe...

I agree, good first post.

I'm sure Valve had a general idea that they were going to also use Chell, the protagonist, in a future Half Life game like Gabe Newell has said. So throwing her in Portal was quite convenient for the future Half Life games.

And as for GLaDOS, Valve has said that they needed a robot voice and since Ellen McLain (the voice of the Combine Overwatch) was more than likely available and an excellent candidate to do the job... they ended up using her.

If they had used a male voice, it would have ruined the game IMO.

 

[Narvi]

Black Mesa hires women. Don't be ridiculous. You get HEV training from a female hologram too.

 

[Omnomnick]

I was going to post a thread just like this, but I never got round to it...

I have no idea why GLaDOS talks so much about women and young women...


And no, I don't think it Portal and no women are an insider joke by Valve...it may have something to do with Episode 3 or Portal 2

 

[Andrew LB]

I was going to post a thread just like this, but I never got round to it...

I have no idea why GLaDOS talks so much about women and young women...

It has to do with the test subjects being women, who were more than likely there as a result of "bring your daughter to work day".

 

[ExugoAreo]

reasons for female test subjects

its not a masoginistic game, Aperture most likely wants women as test subjects because,
1. women are more doscile, less likely to assult staff
2. women are (apparently) more adaptiable, women will accept there sitiuation easier (hard to cope with being heald prisioner)
3. women are (also apparently) more inteligent and inovative, while men tend to be better with thinking on there feet, women have a better puzzle solving ability, and seeing as theres no time limit or enimies in the tests this skill is a nescisity
4. women have a higher tolerance for pain than men (fact)
5. a woman going missing is more comman than a man going missing, making it easyer to explain away there disappearence