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With each new console launch, people ask "Where's my Mario? Where's my Master Chief?" It's just something that gamers have come to expect. Certainly it can be abused, but some heroes and mascots are treated better than others. Certainly Sonic is a fantastic example of what NOT to do with a mascot, but others have kept strictly to high-caliber games.
Think about it, gamers begin to worry when they haven't seen a mascot in awhile. They get ornery. "I hope Samus is alright," or "Luigi's Mansion?! What is this? Where's my f**king Mario game?!"
I don't think it's any coincidence that a lot of Nintendo characters have come up in this comment. Nintendo seems to do a particularly good job of creating likable, lasting mascots and keeping them in mostly high-quality games."
I can think of a few other games that should have been included, namely F.E.A.R., F.E.A.R. 2, and Silent Hill: Homecoming."
Bend Studio made a very laudable attempt to be more inclusive with Uncharted: Golden Abyss, where most of the action could be handled through touch and motion instead of traditional controls. As far as I know, no one ever referred to that as "girlfriend mode." Instead, the developers described the controls as geared toward casual gamers.
See the difference? A statement like "girlfriend mode" is condescending and dismissive. Whereas casual gamers are defined as casual be having less skill and/or preference for the types of games that appeal to the "core" gamers.
Some may feel the public reaction to this has been too harsh, but it's not just what Hemmingway said. There's a thought process that goes along with words like his. As long as we continue to think this way, misogyny will continue to exist in some form or another."