1 PLAYING LIKE A GIRL: GENDER REPRESENTATION IN VIDEO GAMES

Playing Like A Girl: Gender Rerpesentations in Video Games William Fox HTHMA

2 PLAYING LIKE A GIRL: GENDER REPRESENTATION IN VIDEO GAMES

With the growing pop larity o! "ideo games# people say that they are harm! l to adoles$ents and ad lts with the images they present% &ighty Per$ent o! $hildren play "ideo games reg larly#'Miller ( ) mmers# *++,-# and in *++. sales rea$hed /,%0 1illion 'Mo ( Peng# *++2-% This means many adoles$ents and ad lts are in!l en$ed 1y "ideo games% 3riti$s o! "ideo games say that representations o! gender roles are pro1lemati$% 4n this paper 4 will dis$ ss to what extent the $riti$s are right# how some games are not pro1lemati$# how playing the game will make yo see how some $riti$s are misg ided# and how it is easy to $reate !alse ass mptions 1ased on the $o"er art or trailers o! a game% 3riti$s are right to make a $laim that "ideo games $an 1e "ery pro1lemati$ to real li!e gender roles and what people expe$t o! the other gender% 4n a "ast ma5ority o! the Mario games the story re"ol"es aro nd Mario# the player $hara$ter# res$ ing a damsel in distress# Pea$h# who was kidnaped 1y the "illain% This portrays the male $hara$ter as the hero# while portraying Pea$h in a gender role weak and dependent% )ome people $laim that those games rein!or$e gender roles thro gh their portraying women as week and dependent# and mostly men as the heros% 4n the Dead or Alive !ighting games they !eat re 1oth male and !emale $hara$ters% The !emale ndenia1le more s$antily $lad than their male $o nterparts% This will gi"e gamers nrealisti$ expe$tations o! how women are s pposed to look like and dress% 4t $an also $a se !emale players to !eel inade6 ate next to the nrealisti$ !emale $hara$ters# 5 st like how nrealisti$ male $hara$ters make males want to enhan$e their image 'Miller ( ) mmers# *++,-% 7ne o! the strongest !emale $hara$ters in "ideo games is Lara 3ro!t o! the Tomb Raider series% 8nlike other

3 PLAYING LIKE A GIRL: GENDER REPRESENTATION IN VIDEO GAMES

games where the !emales rely on the males# she does not% )adly# tho gh# in the games she is displayed nrealisti$ally# 1 t not as 1ad as the $hara$ters in Dead or Alive. These games will not en!or$e the stereotype o! woman needing a man to s r"i"e or thri"e# 1 t Lara is as o15e$ti!ied as the rest in her older games% This may gi"e gamers nrealisti$ expe$tations o! women 'Miller ( ) mmers# *++,-% 9 st like there are nrealisti$ !emales in "ideo games# males are also "ery enlarged and hyper mas$ line% 4n Gears of War the protagonists are a s6 ad o! in$redi1ly large men that wo ld p t a$tion heroes to shame% They are ro gh and to gh men who 1oast h ge m s$les and a deep gritty "oi$e% 9 st like !emale $hara$ters 1eing nrealisti$# they s !!er the same !ate% The $hara$ter models $an 1e pro1lemati$ to the yo ng players o! the "ideo games% Making them think that this is the proper way !or a man to look like and a$t like'Miller ( ) mmers# *++,-% 3riti$s are right in the $laims a1o t o"er sex al:ation# o15e$ti!i$ation# and nrealisti$ 1odies that some games !eat re# 1 t !or ea$h game that !alls in one o! those gro ps many more show m $h more o! a new world philosophy on their $hara$ters%

4 PLAYING LIKE A GIRL: GENDER REPRESENTATION IN VIDEO GAMES

9 st like it is wrong to esta1lish a pre5 di$e !or a type o! people# the same goes !or types o! games or a game series% &arlier 4 dis$ ssed Lara 3ro!t in Tomb Raider and how her appearan$e was nrealisti$% Her $hara$ter model was $ompletely o"erha led in the new Tomb Raider. )he now looks m $h more realisti$ and 1elie"a1le% )he maintains a modest o t!it thro gho t the game# only getting ripped as the game progresses to mat$h in game e"ents% )he is still 5 st as strong a $hara$ter as her pre"io s games# 1 t she is no longer a misrepresentation o! her gender in real li!e% This "ersion o! the game sold !o r million $opies in nder a year o tselling pre"io s iterations% The pre"io s release in *+;+ sold one million $opies in three years# and the *++< release has sold *%= million $opies 'Wikipedia# *+;<-% Another game with a strong !emale playa1le $hara$ter is 3ommander )hepard o! the Mass Effect series# one o! the !irst games to allow yo to $hoose whi$h gender to play# and a wide range o! $ stomi:ations !or yo r player% This game made an important small step to greatly $om1at gender roles in their game% >oth the male and !emale "ersions o! 3ommander )hepard are strong $apa1le $hara$ters worthy o! the main role in their series% Mass Effect was also one o! the !irst games to introd $e sex al relations with s pporting $hara$ters in their game# and in Mass Effect 3 they allow !or same sex relations% 4n all games they allow h man and alien relations% The games in the Mass Effect series tea$h the player a1o t how strong 1oth male and !emales $an 1e in leadership# and nderstanding same sex relations% A m $h di!!erent game !rom Mass Effect is the "ery pop lar Grand Theft Auto 5. With the s $$ess o! the release o! Ro$kstar?s game# generating o"er one 1illion dollars in three days# it is impossi1le to ignore it and its e!!e$t on players 'Gold!ar1# *+;<-% The Grand Theft Auto is in!amo s !or s pposed prostit te killing and wreaking ha"o$ on $iti:ens% These $laims are !alse% @es there are prostit tes# 1 t there are no missions or o15e$ti"es to intera$t with them in the story o! the game% 8nlike many $laims# it is 1ene!i$ial to !ollow real

5 PLAYING LIKE A GIRL: GENDER REPRESENTATION IN VIDEO GAMES

world laws in Grand Theft Auto, as the misdeeds yo $ommit will res lt in $i"ilians $alling the poli$e on yo # that $an $a se yo to lose a per$entage o! yo r wealth# or all o! yo r m nitions# whi$h $an 1e a large set1a$k !or a player% This game has 1een $riti$i:ed !or worsening gender roles and representations o! ra$e and gender% The $reators o! the game stated that they do not intend to do this# 1 t they also don?t want to ignore the real world% 4n Grand Theft Auto Online yo $hose yo r $hara$terAs gender and determine their ra$e !rom their grandparents% Their skills and a1ilities depend on what kind o! person yo r $hara$ter is# not !rom their ra$e or gender% @o $an then 1 y and wear a "ast sele$tion o! $lothing% 4n my experien$es 4 ha"e only seen the male $hara$ters in short shorts or tight $lothes% They pride themsel"es on making a realisti$ game% )adly that entails in$l ding some elements that 1oth do not worsen or help gender roles% Most women dress and a$t like they wo ld in the real world% @o wo ldn?t go to a 1ea$h or a strip $l 1 expe$ting the women to 1e wearing sweat pants and a hoodie% Ro$kstar displays them as they wo ld 1e in real li!e% An example o! a game that displays "ery strong $hara$ters opposite o! most gender stereotypes are the ortal games# !eat ring 3hell# the playa1le $hara$ter# and GLaB7) an A4 who 1 ilds test $ham1ers in the !orm o! p ::les to experiment with 3hell% GLaB7) was $onsidered to 1e s $h a strong $hara$ter that Game !nformer ga"e her the title as one o! the 3hara$ters that Be!ined# ranking ; o t o! ;++% )he was no do 1t one o! the 1est "illians in any game% 8nlike some games# she is independent# strong and $apa1le to $ompete in the experiments laid o t 1y GLaB7)% 3hells ra$e and gender play little to no role in her a$tions or appearan$e% @o play the whole game in !irst person# rarely seeing what she looks like% )he also is not o"erC sex ali:ed% )he wears a tank top and a tra$ks it# $lothing yo wo ld expe$t her to wear 1e$a se o! the $ontent o! the game% 8nlike most games# 3hell ne"er speaks a word% These two !emale $hara$ters made s $h a great game in whi$h one ne"er speaks# it tr ly shows great storytelling

6 PLAYING LIKE A GIRL: GENDER REPRESENTATION IN VIDEO GAMES

$an $ome with any gender% Tomb Raider "#$%3&, Mass Effect, Grand Theft Auto 5 and ortal are all examples o! games that are $ontrary to what $riti$s ha"e $laimed a1o t the o"er sex ali:ation or portrayal o! it is easy to trailers or gender roles in "ideo games% There are still more "ideo games where ass me how the $hara$ters are portrayed !rom the $o"er art%

7 PLAYING LIKE A GIRL: GENDER REPRESENTATION IN VIDEO GAMES

People who $riti$i:e games rarely spend the time to a$t ally play them# premat rely 5 dging the game# and making !alse $laims% 4n 'ioshoc( !nfinite it is easy to ass me that the male player $hara$ter '>ooker- spends the whole game prote$ting the !emale $hara$ter '&li:a1eth-% This is wrong% As yo progress thro gh the game &li:a1eth grows stronger with her s pernat ral powers# 1eing a1le to $reate Tears !rom one dimension to the other# allowing yo to a$$ess many parallel ni"erses to a$$omplish yo r tasks% Also in one o! the episodi$ gameplay that is added# yo play as &li:a1eth and not the original $hara$ter% This is an important example to not 5 dge a game 1y its $o"er and trailers% @o do so# yo do it witho t knowing the tr e nat re o! the game whi$h $an 1e radi$ally di!!erent than the a$t al game% Another game with similar $riti$isms Bog?s The )ast of *s% 4t is easy to ass me player $hara$ter '9oel- has to take $are o! the '&llie-# ! rther $ontin ing sexist gender is Da ghty that the male !emale $hara$ter roles% This is

!alse% 4n the game yo are &llie?s !ather !ig re in a postCapo$alypti$ world# as yo help her 1e$ome more independent as she goes o!! on her own later in the game% )he a$t ally sa"es 9oel m ltiple times in the game# 6 ite the opposite o! the damsel in distress% The )ast of *s is a great example o! a game that does not !ollow gender roles% The 'attlefield games are s ally all male $hara$ters# so it?s easy to think that the new 'attlefield + is male dominated as well% This is !alse% 4n the story o! the game yo play as Re$ker in Tom1stone )6 ad% Hannah is a 34A agent in deep $o"er# and she helps yo o t in the game !ighting alongside yo in most o! the missions% )he is a strong !emale $hara$ter# "ery $apa1le o! taking $are o! her sel! and prote$ting the s6 ad% )he is 6 ite the opposite o! the predetermined gender roles esta1lished in "ideo games# and it wo ld 1e

8 PLAYING LIKE A GIRL: GENDER REPRESENTATION IN VIDEO GAMES

impossi1le to know she was in the game witho t playing it% 4t is 6 ite wrong to throw o t statements a1o t the nat re o! a game witho t playing it and experien$ing it !or yo rsel!% Many $riti$s are misg ided in $laiming the nat re o! games% This is $o nter prod $ti"e to the new# !astest growing entertainment ind stry% Games are getting m $h 1etter in their nat re than their older "ersions% They are helping get rid o! gender roles and displaying more strong realisti$ $hara$ters people $an relate to and not !eel emas$ lated in $omparison or sel! depri"ed% Games are $hanging !or the 1etter# and people who do not play them are o traged a1o t images or moti"es that are not in the $ rrent generation o! games% 4s it 5 st as wrong to 5 dge a game witho t playing it# as 5 dging a person witho t meeting themE

9 PLAYING LIKE A GIRL: GENDER REPRESENTATION IN VIDEO GAMES

Re!ren$es Miller# M# ( ) mmers# A% '*++,-% Gender Bi!!eren$es in Video Game 3hara$ters? Roles# Appearan$es# and Attire as Portrayed in Video Game Maga:ines% Mo # @# ( Peng# W% '*++2-% Gender and Ra$ial )tereotypes in Pop lar Video Games% Gold!ar1# A% '*+;<-% GTA 5 ,ales -it .% 'illion in Three Da/s Retrie"ed !rom http:FFwww%ign%$omFarti$lesF*+;<F+2F*+FgtaC=CsalesChitC;C1illionCinCthreeCdays