Appearance has alot to do with game purchases. Would you play an action game where the guy looks like cliche poindexter?
If that pointdexter actually has a good character and the gameplay is good, then yeah why not?
You want to play a character that looks like a bad ass and a girl that ether looks hot or like a bad ass, both if possible. If you're a woman chances are the reverse is equally true, as the title of this thread states.
Not entirely true. Look at WoW, some of those characters are ugly as hell, but that game sells widely. Looks don't always mean you get the money from gamers.
Looks matter, hate to say it but people care about 'em. You think that the Notebook would've become the quintessential film for women's unrealistic expectations of romantic relationships if Ryan Gosling was replaced with Steve Buscemi? Nope. As much as I hate the mere thought of it we are actually pretty shallow.