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Podcasts - Themes - Computers

This document discusses computer games and the portrayal of women within them. It notes that while some games include female characters, they often play secondary roles to male characters and the games themselves tend to be violent and destructive. However, some websites are now reviewing games from a female perspective and aiming to promote games with stronger, more positive female roles and less violence. If the industry adopts some of these more feminine approaches, it could help attract more female players and shift gaming culture overall.

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ThanhLong
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48 views2 pages

Podcasts - Themes - Computers

This document discusses computer games and the portrayal of women within them. It notes that while some games include female characters, they often play secondary roles to male characters and the games themselves tend to be violent and destructive. However, some websites are now reviewing games from a female perspective and aiming to promote games with stronger, more positive female roles and less violence. If the industry adopts some of these more feminine approaches, it could help attract more female players and shift gaming culture overall.

Uploaded by

ThanhLong
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

Podcasts – Themes – Computers

Introduction
Download the LearnEnglish Themes podcast. You’ll find more information on this page:
http://www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish-podcasts-themes.htm

This support pack contains the following materials:


• the article that you can listen to in the podcast
• an optional comprehension activity based on the article
• links to other activities on the LearnEnglish website on this theme (computers).

Read the article

Girls’ games
by Nik Peachey

Computer games have been criticised for quite Girlz, Women Gamers and Game Gal offer game
some time over a whole range of issues. Some reviews, articles, discussion forums and even
people say they are overly violent and encourage employment opportunities for women interested
violent behaviour particularly in children. Others in becoming part of the rapidly expanding games
say that they make children hyperactive, industry. The games are reviewed by women
unsociable and are bad for their eyes. Some from a very female perspective. Some rate the
have even attributed falling standards of literacy games from one to ten across a range of criteria
and a lack of interest in reading on them. Now, which include the appearance of the female
however, it seems that computer games have characters, the degree of intelligence attributed to
also become a feminist issue. them in the game and even the marketing attitude
adopted by the company. The sites are obviously
Game manufacturers have, for some time, been looking for games that move away from the very
looking to increase the number of female game male dominated and violent nature of the majority
players. The vast majority of computer games still of computer games. Many of them review games
sell to a mainly male market. Perhaps this is that are more constructive and developmental.
because the violent nature of many of the games Although the common fantasy themes of knights,
appeals more to males or perhaps because many witches and goblins still exist within these games,
of the main characters in the games are male. the aims are often very different. Instead of
Manufacturers' attempts to produce more female destroying opposing armies the aim of the game
characters and so increase their share of the can be to make peace with them.
female gaming market have met with serious
criticism from many women's groups.

Whilst heroines such as Lara Croft of the Tomb


Raider game are seen as providing positive role
models of strong women, many believe that the
character's unrealistic Barbie like proportions are
subconsciously setting unattainable standards in
the minds of young women. Perhaps a stronger
criticism is that although many games now
include female characters, their role is often
secondary and they support the main, male,
action characters within the games. Of course the
nature of many of the games remains violent and
destructive and this in itself could well continue to
put off female gamers. With this increased degree of awareness and
involvement from women in the games industry
There are now, however, a number of web sites many positive changes could be made that could
springing up on the World Wide Web to help encourage more women and young girls to
women deal with this issue. Sites such as Game
Page 1 of 2
The United Kingdom’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. We are registered in England as a charity.
Podcasts – Themes – Computers

become enthusiastic about technology and what the more positive values promoted by these more
it has to offer them. Perhaps we may even find feminine role models, after all Tomb Raider is still
more male gamers moving away from the one of the most popular computer games on the
traditional violent and destructive games towards market, but perhaps that's too much to ask.

After reading
Exercise 1
Each of the sentences below summarises one of the paragraphs from the text. Can you put them in the
correct order?

1. Criticisms of the way women are portrayed in computer games.

2. Attempts by manufacturers to encourage more women to buy computer games.

3. Ways in which women are influencing change in the production of computer games.

4. Common criticisms of computer games.

5. The possible outcomes of a more feminine approach to game design.

More activities on this topic


You’ll find links to all the following activities connected to the theme of computers refugees at:
http://www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish-central-themes-computers.htm
• UK Culture: The gaming issue, in which we take a look at the role of the UK in the computer
gaming industry and the design and technological developments the UK is responsible for.
• Magazine articles: There are 3 other articles: Information society, Technophobia and Viral
marketing.
• Word game: Internet abbreviations. Type in the missing information to see what different
abbreviations mean.
• Poems: There are 2 poems: Eye Halve a Spelling Chequer and The Good Old Days.
• Trivia: The following trivia topics are available for this theme: computer games, information
society and technophobia.
• Science: cubed - Balance-controlled computer, Cubic computer, Fast fingerprinting,
Intelligent interiors, Movie makers and Virtual London.
• There are also 3 computer-related cartoons, and the following sets of carefully selected external
links: computer games, information society, search engines and technophobia.
Answers to comprehension activity: The correct order is 4; 2; 1; 3; 5

Page 2 of 2
The United Kingdom’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. We are registered in England as a charity.

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