Do you prefer to play as yourself or as a character in games?
 

Would it really be Metroid if you were "Jennifer the bounty hunter" as opposed to "Samus Aran" ? Or would it really be Zelda if you were "Timmy" as opposed to "Link" ?

For things like Touchmaster that have rankings, I'm all for using whatever name I choose. However I was just playing FFIII DS and I was able to choose my own name. For things like that I don't think there should be a choice, I think you should be the character.

What does everyone else like?

Same, I always use the default names... Changing is a nice feature for some but really it's just silly in an RPG, or most games in general.

I always use the default names in RPG's.

The only games in which playing as yourself really works is in D&D style RPGs where there is no pre-set character. D&D actually was the original role playing game, and "role playing" was defined as playing your own custom character for a long time until they started making "pseudo-RPGs" with pre-set characters. I call them "pseudo-RPGs" because you truly are not "role playing" if you play someone else's character (ie the pre-set character). Games like D&D, Elder Scrolls, and Fallout would be true "role playing" games whereas games like Final Fantasy are not true "role playing".

I always use my real name in Zelda games, just because I did it with the very first one for NES back when I was a kid. It's become sort of a tradition for me.

For me role-playing means exactly the opposite - you are playing the role of someone else. If you're playing as yourself, you're not role-playing, you're just playing :)

Based only on the Mii bobblehead, I have to say I look pretty damn good in the Samus suit.

i tend to use my own name so if other people play they can easily identify my saves

When I played FF 7 all those years ago, I customized all the names. Now, I just stick to the default. Unless the name is something like Player1.

If that was the case, then every single video game in existence is a role playing game.

I always keep the default name. Only in sports games will I make myself.

default name or if I have to pick a name as some games require I take the first letter that comes up in the name selection and use that alone. Naming things in games is just silly IMHO as it has no impact on the game and it doesn't "draw me in" more to see my own name on the screen.

That would be interesting though... to have an RPG that gave bonuses based on the name picked. I don't mean anything major but just give little bonuses or modifiers (or maybe even change some aspects of the game) based on the length of the name and the specific characters. Kind of like a seed for a random generator.