Those you mentioned were not actually legs, if I recall correctly... :P
(Ninja'd by awalterj)

I will decide if I am in or not later. I already see several people I would like to see as winners, so I will * probably * wait until a few more show up and then randomly choose one to mention.

Q1: Did someone just say "shameless copy-paste time"? XD

My favourite genres are...

1-Stealth!
Or at least, I would say that if I thought that the genre existed. I think that stealth games are just a reinterpretation of other previously exixting generes: for example, Commandos and Desperados are RTS, Thief is a FPS/3D platoformer, Hitman is similar to a puzzle game due to the incredible amount of planning and critical thinking needed to pass even the simplest of the levels, Mark of the Ninja is an action sidescroller and so on...
In other words, they perfectly fit in other definitions, yet they are original enough to stand out from the others and obtaining their own dignity.

2-Hybrids!
Ok, this is not a genere, but I wanted to mention them anyway! I think those games are a bit on the "hit and miss" side, some of them being excellent (Deus Ex, System Shock and the more recent Dishonored, for example), some others being absolutely terrible (no examples here, as I'm sure many would definitely not agree with my choices).
Blending generes is always a risk, but when a team succeeds the stuff of legends is formed! ;)
A successful mix of different peculiarities can create somethign capable of continuously surprise the player, never allowing him to clearly foresee what will happen next.
This makes my previous point a bit redundant, though, since all the games I mentioned in point 1 could also enter in this one...

3-Weird games! (Genre:term used for any category of art or entertainment based on some set of stylistic criteria. I guess this can apply here, too?)
I like strange settings born from the mind of really creative artists!
This kind of unpredictable games can lighten up my explorer side, allowing me to move in the unknown and progressively discover all they have to offer without the possibility to stumble in any cliché, like for example in Planescape: Torment or Oddworld. Also, they pose no limits to the creators' view, who are free to go as far as their imagination can bring them rather than being forced into a standard. Too bad those games are really few, and even less common today than before, imo.

To be sincere: I equally like almost every genre, so I decided to respond in a different way! :)

Q2: The answer for this one is easier.

1-MMOs. I never seriously dug into one of them, mostly because I have never felt attracted to what I saw. I like games with a strong charisma, something that a MMO cannot have due to its own nature. If you need to keep a vast amount of people entertained for an even bigger amount of time, very "simple" and basic content, repetition and constant, predictable progression are what you need... too bad I like nothign that has not at least a bit of uniqueness.

2-Sports games (exception made for racing ones): I seriously don't get the point of them. When I want to see some sport, I either practice it (even if I am completely useless as a sposrtsman) or attend to some professional challenges. Either way, I am one of those person that like to exercise regularly but lack any kind of agonistic or physically competitive spirit.

3-JRPGs. I chose this as my third and last nominee mostly because, while I could name several worthy titles that I really enjoyed, I find the vast majority of them dull and incredibly irritating.
First of all, I really cannot suffer the current standard of "team of prepubescents save the Universe with the power of good emotions": there are notbale exceptions (like Lost Odyssey, imo the eastern answer to Planescape Torment), but unfortunately whiny characters with no backspine, sudden dives into unmotivated depression and * idiotic * actions dictated by a storyline of dubious quality (I often found myself screaming "I would have never done something THAT stupid! Am I not supposed to be the main character? RPG what"?) are the norm. NO personal interaction with the narrative involved.
Second, the overly simplicistic gameplay and the frustrating repetitiveness tire me quickly. Usually, you just have to follow the "buff, debuff, hit and cure" pattern to wind any battle, with neraly no strategy or effort involved, basing your success a lot more on level grinding and sheer power upgrades than on anything else.
For example, look at Final fantasy iconic fire-fira-firaga: they are just the same spell with different levels of power. In D&D based games, instead, you will find yourself using your progressively stronger Magic Missile even near the endgame, along with the Finger of Death and power words. That is because they are based on a tactical effect, not a simple "bulldozing" strategy.
Also,there is almost never any kind of character customization: the game already decided how your characters will progress, you just have to level them up.
Tha said... could we even call them RPGs? Where is the role-playing aspect, seriously? Imo, they are more like adventure games with emphasis on combat rather than puzzles.

Q3: Hard question.

I will be sincere: if I can choose between a male and a female protagonist with equal skills, I always go for the man. Being one myself, I find it way easier to identify myself with him, making the experience overall more enjoyable because the choices I will make can feel more "natural": psychologically speaking, there are many difference in temperament between men and women, and even if I played as a woman I would just end to act like a man with a different body.
This applies only for the main character or the group leader, though: if I have to contemporary play different roles, I try to be as varied as possible, including people from all the sexes and cultural heritages.
Let's take Wasteland 2 as example: my leader was a male diplomat-rifleman and my doctor a super-trained mountain of muscles to endure the maximum amount of damages, while I thougt that a female role was more fitting to the sniper and the "infiltator" expert in lockpicking, alarm disarming and safecracking due to their smaller size and minor predisposition to "frontal" combat.

This does not mean that I don't enjoy playing as a woman, though: when I have no direct power over the main character personality (like in a RPG, for example) it is a pleasure to see things from a different perspective... * if * we are indeed talking about that and not just about the usual stereotyped and objectified model recently always under sthe spotlight! ;)
Unfortunately, videogames with female protagonists are few, and even fewer give the women their own peculiarity, once again showing them more like very pretty men than anythig else.

Q2:
So genres I like the least...

Shooter. I don't know it is just that they bore me. And perhaps also a bit because while they might be fun in multiplayer I am too bad and loosing all the time spoils the fun :D

Horror. Just not my thing. I don't like being afraid or shocked. And this is not only for games I also don't watch horror movies^^

Sports. Not that interested in most sports and playing sports games is even less exciting than watching sports and playing games about the sports I am doing is just boring compared to the activity.

Not in, but thank you.

Q1: Adventure, RPG, Strategy
Q2: FPS, MMO, Action

I'm a man... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xddv_ep86Cs

I am in for the $9.99 prize! Thank you very much for doing this generous giveaway for the community.

Q1. What are you top 3 favourite game genres and why?

1: RPGs (including most sub-genres). My first RPGs were Final Fantasy for the NES and Ultima III: Exodus for the Apple ][. What drew me in was the idea of a grand and epic personalized adventure. My introduction into the world of fantasy in fiction was through Arthurian legend, and that was an extension of my early boyhood interest in knights and knighthood throughout history. So the ability to play as a knight and have "real" adventures in a fantasy world was a captivating idea that continues to interest me even now. Who doesn't want to fight and prevail over mythical dragons, even as an adult?!

2: Stealth Games. There is something that I just love about video games that feature Stealth as the major game mechanic to avoid or overcome antagonists. Again, this is probably directly related to my youth and my love for playing games in the dark. Any sneaking ramped up the intensity of the almost forboding atmosphere when playing with others in the darkness. I love the strategic trial-and-error type planning that stealth gameplay usually requires. If I ever play an open world type RPG like the Elder Scrolls or even the recent Fallout games, I revert back to the same kind of stealthy character that I fell in love with in the Thief series.

3: Strategy Games (including most sub-genres). I really like dealing with logistical/strategic/tactical problems using strategic thinking to outwit my computer or real life opponents. I tend to prefer turn-based strategy to real-time, and historical accurate settings. Nothing quite like fighting real large-scale historical battles yourself. Again, I think this interest stems from my childhood and love of history.

Q2. What are you top 3 worst game genres and why?

1: Sports games. I used to be quite big on sports games, but I quit playing them when I stopped watching and following sports on TV years ago. Once I quit doing that I simply didn't have the same interest in the games that I once had. I don't include racing games in this, I love them.

2: Fighting games. I have no idea why. I have had great fun in the arcades playing them with friends, but I never got into them enough to memorize everything and start playing with strategy and skills that went beyond mere button mashing.

3: Pay to Win games: I can't stand the basic premise of these games. I refuse to play them on principle alone. I hate that newer sequels to older beloved classic franchises keep getting sucked into this mess. I find this genre quite cynical and distasteful.

Q3. If you enjoy playing as a woman in games, what is it about playing as a woman that appeals to you?

I have enjoyed playing as a woman in many various games, but there is no particular appeal to me in specifically doing so unless the story in the game demands it. If I am going to suspend my disbelief and immerse myself into any kind of fictional world I am going to judge my experience and appreciation of any fiction based product based largely on the believability factor when I am experiencing the product. I am not looking for any specific gender, just quality characters and quality writing fleshing them out and the worlds they reside in. When I am required to choose, I usually chose a man, simply because I am one, and immersion into a fictional world is easier for me when I play one.

I really have no interest in trying to play games as the opposite gender for some visceral gender bending thrill or quest for deeper understanding when it comes to the female psyche. To be quite honest, I just haven't found that deeper realistic quality of writing or characters in video games very often, if at all. When I have desired any deeper understanding, I have chosen to engage in serious conversations with the actual females in my life. I don't need or expect my entertainment outlets for leisure pursuits to fill in that void.

Not in, but thank you for the giveaway. (+1)

1. Top 3 game genres would be RPG, action and adventure. Singleplayer or online co-op at most preferred. Mainly because they offer more immersive storyline and depth, and challenge the player to develop skills and look for hints, interactive objects and dialogue options to progress and finish the game.

2. Top 3 worst genres would be competitive online multiplayer because of toxic player communities and higher level players or players who spend more time and money on in-game bonuses that have obvious advantages over those just starting out or trying the game for the first time, gambling or simple board or card games that rely on chance rather than skill or use of visual clues in the game environment to succeed in the game, and any game that doesn't have a decent pause or save game feature (can cover all genres).

3. Appearances are everything. From the hairstyle and clothes worn by the protagonist right at the beginning can speak a lot about the person. I also personally like the idea of any person, man or woman who can outwit and evade enemies or thrash an entire group or army of enemies singlehandedly.

I already stated in previous thread that I'm a male homo sapiens so this is just for confirmation. :)
In for $5.99 prize for toxicTom and one for myself also.
Thanks for the giveaway.

Q1. What are you top 3 favourite game genres and why?
A1. 4X Strategies, Role Playing Games and Artillery Games. I like TBS because I like to think things through and become a master of exploring, expanding, exploiting, and exterminating in the process. RPGs allow me to explore wonderful and magical worlds and walk the road from a rat to a hero. Artillery Games are close to my heart because they are easy to learn but difficult to master, you must think ahead to defeat your opponent and there is nothing more satisfactory than when you're loosing the match from the beginning but then pull a miracle at the end and come our victorious.

Q2. What are you top 3 worst game genres and why?
A2. Modern Shooters, MMORPGs and Space games. Maybe not as clear answer as on the previous question but it is an answer alright. Modern shooters suck big time, they offer no challenge and are unbelievably short and I'm mostly a singleplayer guy, so I don't find shooting other people very interesting. MMORPGs are a plague that just wastes your valuable time without giving you anything tangible back, thank god I never seriously gotten into this. I could never say that a Space game is bad, I can just say it's not for me. The setting doesn't reach out to me, the only game set in space that I like is Galactic Civilization 2 and that one belongs in 4X from A1.

Q3. If you enjoy playing as a woman in games, what is it about playing as a woman that appeals to you?
A3. The only game I can remember where I had a male/female choice and chose to be a chick is Bare Knuckle 3 (also known as Streets of Rage 3) for Sega Mega Drive 2 (also known as Sega Genesis). I did it out of joke in the first place but then enjoyed playing with Blaze very much, so she became my favorite character in that game.

You're a dude that knows how to meaningfully discuss and sharing is good. 1+1=2 :)

Thank you! I am in for 5.99$
and I nominate RWarehall, if he also choses to enter for the 5.99$ level. If he decides to go for the 9.99$ level, thereby not being pickable as a nominee, I'll nominate BillyMaysFan59 instead (who has some nominations already, that's why I would pick RWarehall first, if that's applicable).

Q1: Favourite genres
My favourite genre is RPG - I just like exploring other worlds and the freedom to develop your character and, if it's well done, the differences it makes in the reactions of the world around you. Plus I play pen&paper RPG too. Next favourite would be action, especially FPS or horror. Just to shut down the brain for a while and get an adrenaline rush. Third genre would be adventures. I love solving puzzles and following a nice story.

Q2: Hated genres:
1. Economy simulations/managers. Can't stand finances IRL, can't stand them in a game. I don't know why anyone would torture himself with accounting.
2. Sports games. Utterly boring topic IRL (sports) made into equally boring games. Especially bad if it's a sports manager game (see above)
3. RTS - far too hectic and I don't like the managerial aspect of building and maintaining your base. If there is no base and you have real-time tactics instead (Warhammer - Dark Omen, great game) it gets much, much better. But as soon as you have to micro-manage a base while at the same time there's a battle going on, the game becomes more stress than fun.

Q3: Playing as a woman
Actually I don't have any preference here. I usually play well written RPGs at least twice. Once as a male, once as a female, just to see the different reactions of the game world to the different gender. Other than that, I just play whatever fits the game. Acrobatic third person perspective look better if it's a female character. Looking at a beautiful female body doing acrobatics is just more interesting than looking at a male persona doing the same. So Tomb Raider and Bloodrayne do draw some of their appeal from T&A, yes. But I still loved the Prince of Persia games (even more so than Tomb Raider). FPS games are gender indifferent. Usually the protagonist is male, but since you see only your gun, it really doesn't matter. There was one notable exeption: NOLF, which drew a lot of story elements from being a hot female special agent.

Not in.

Liked genres:
- Adventure games. I like games with a focus on story.
- RPG, for similar reasons.
Third, it's hard to say. There are a lot of other genres I enjoy, even when I made a decision not to play them (strategy is a good example). I like MMORPG, hidden object, strategy, tower defense.

Disliked genres:
- Horror. I don't like the horror mood. I prefer funny, fascinating, beautiful, ....
- Zombies. Perhaps a subset of Horror, but not necessarily. Just a tired trope.
- Sports. Not all that much of a fan in real life either. I did think about writing a curling game once.

Playing women:

In adventure games the gender choice is thrust on you. I don't care that much what I play, but think I enjoy playing women more, because guys are more often depicted as idiots or douchebags, while girls tend to be more normal and "together", and I often prefer playing that kind of character. It's not that much of a real issue usually (I mean, who doesn't like Sam & Max?).

That's probably an ingrained stereotype, because I think that I also tend to create characters this way, relegating the more offbeat characters to be male. Since such characters are harder to play, the female characters sometime end up becoming the ones I play more, such as in City of Heroes (I think I created more male than female characters there, but my only level 50 character was female). Though generally if I really don't care up front what the character is like, or if something else defines them, I'll play male. All my animal race characters in Everquest 2 were male, probably because their race was the defining characteristic for them in my mind, and I didn't want to burden myself with adding gender to that.

Of course it's also enjoyable to look at female characters, so there's that. And that's also partly why I didn't play many female characters in EQ2 when I did play humanoids, because the character portraits there (for humanoid races) look like they scowl, and that puts me off, and I think it puts me off more for women because I care more about how they look.

Ah... Cate Archer. My favorite character of all time. And not just because she is sexy.
One of my favorite things about NOLF was that it made the concept of a female protagonist a major part of the story. Most games that I have played with a female lead don't address gender inequality, which is fine, but NOLF made a really interesting story about it.
I always liked Cate's attitude - She wants to prove that she is a good agent - and not a good agent "for a woman." It isn't really a men vs. women thing for her, she just wants to be judged on her own merits. I always liked that.

I'm in for the $5.99 prize and I'll nominate Lifthrasil (it's okay to do that, even if he himself nominated another person, right?)

Q1. What are you top 3 favourite game genres and why?

Well, my most favorite genre would be (Action)RPG and then action/adventure, I guess.
Why? Because I pretty much suck at gaming, so shooters are a no go for me :D I'm dying all the time :P
But I really enjoy good stories and a well established Universe, so the Mass Effect series are pretty much my favorite games ever. P:T too.

Q2. What are you top 3 worst game genres and why? (I'm interested to hear the ladies answer to this as well.)

Shooter, arcade and...shooters again?
As I said above, shooters are pretty much my death (hah). Arcade...well it depends, I really liked LIMBO and I completed it, so I guess I'm not totally incapable.

Q3. If you enjoy playing as a woman in games, what is it about playing as a woman that appeals to you?

I don't know if I can say I "enjoy" playing as a woman in games, but for example in Mass Effect, I enjoy playing as another character entirely and seeing what kind of story this character can have - be it a man or a woman. Although, like some others pointed out (dunno if here too), sometimes it's a bit more convenient to play a woman when have to stare at a butt for 60 hours :P

Thanks for the giveaway =)

Seems that this got lost in the heap of LucasArts talk :P

Anyways, a manly BUMP!!!

Ha, you beat me to the punch! I was about to do the same thing when I noticed that this epic giveaway series wasn't on the first forum page.

Thank you for the bump. I am away most of this week so I am not able to be online as often as I usually am, so I appreciate you bumping the thread, especially during such a frenzied time with all the new releases.

Although, I must say that after seeing some of your more epic bumps in your Thank the Fellows Giveaway, this one seems quite tame, on the weaker side of manly. There weren't even any lightsabers or Tie Fighters involved ;-).

Speaking of your Thank the Fellows Giveaway. Everyone who has not already checked it out should head straight over there and take part in BMF's awesome giveaway. It's your chance to nominate some fellow forum members who have made your time on the forum enjoyable.