I don't see how forcing writers into straitjackets is improving industry standards. If the story calls for a male protagonist, have a male protagonist. Same for female. If it doesn't call for either, then mix and match.

But claiming that a gender choice is somehow inherently superior or preferable just misses the point of creative writing entirely.

Maybe J.K. Rowling should write another series of Harry Potter called Henriette Potter in which she writes exactly the same stories but with a female protagonist. Improved industry standards!

Acleacius, no offense, but you really don't have a clue what you're talking about, and you're starting to look a little bit foolish by the way you're belaboring the point.

Specifically, creative writing is… creative. The more you know about the character that you're writing about, the deeper and more fleshed-out the story. Force the writer to think "if he's male, then this, but if she's female, then that; if he's gay, then this plays out like that, if she's a half-demon, then that happens" and the story will lose its coherency and personality. The only way to make, say, PS:T work for both a male and female protagonist would be to put two writers (or teams of writers) writing two separate stories with some coordination about scenery.

In other words, to write two games with some similarities here and there.

With games tending to be released late and buggy even now, what sense could it possibly make to do that extra effort?

As others have said here, a game-writer has basically two choices:

(1) Make it possible for the character to be just about anybody, and write the story about other people, or

(2) Nail down as much as you can about the character, and make the story about him/her.

You cannot do both -- make a story that's deeply, personally involving, and make it so that your main character is a blank slate that the player will fill to whatever takes their whim. It's just not possible.

Not to mention the world of The Witcher (but not the game itself) is much more sexist than your usual D&D, so most NPCs would react differently to a female character.

I think it's perfectly possible to do something like Witcher with a male and female lead. It just doesn't fit with the fact all Witchers are male?? in that world. At least that's how I'm seeing it in game.

Yes, all witchers are male.

Um… isn't there a thread already dedicated to this topic so that other threads won't get hijacked?

Yes there is, so please try to stay relatively on topic!! :)