Women and videogames: blog tasks

Women and videogames: blog tasks

Work through the following blog tasks to complete this introduction to women in videogames.

Part 1: Medium article - Is Female Representation in Video Games Finally Changing?

Read this Medium feature on whether female representation in videogames is finally changing. Answer the following questions:

1) How have women traditionally been represented in videogames?
 
Women are traditionally objectified or are seen as 'damsel in distress'. In video games female characters are created to appeal to males; this reinforces the Mulvey's theory on the male gaze.  
2) What percentage of the video game audience is female?

42% of the video game demographic is female.

3) What recent games have signalled a change in the industry and what qualities do the female protagonists offer?

Recent popular games like Tomb Raider, Horizon: Zero Dawn, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, The Last of Us, Dragon Age: Inquisition, and The Walking Dead series have female protagonists, co-protagonists or otherwise important characters.

4) Do you agree with the idea that audiences reject media products if they feel they are misrepresented within them?

I agree with this statement because the audience are so fixed on seeing these representations that seeing a change may create a dislike towards that product.

5) What does the writer suggest has changed regarding recent versions of Lara Croft and who does she credit for this development?
 
Brianna Wu’s 2015 article in Polygon details how Crystal Dynamics saved Lara Croft by making some big changes in the reboot Tomb Raider (2013) and its sequel Rise of the Tomb Raider (2015). First they hired Rhianna Pratchett as the lead writer, a woman who “had a long history of working on games with complex female protagonists.
 
Part 2: Tropes vs Women in Video Games – further analysis

Visit Anita Sarkeesian’s ‘Tropes vs Women in Video Games Series 2’ YouTube playlist and watch ONE other video in the series (your choice - and feel free to choose a video from season 1 if you prefer). Write a 100 word summary of the video you watch:

Title of video: Body Language and Male Gaze

100 word summary: 

This Video is all about how female characters are presented to appeal to male users. In the video you see many female movements for example, hip sways and the way a female character sits down, portrayed in a very soft delicate manner. In contrast, with the male characters, you barely see any anything below the characters waist. This suggests that male characters should be interpreted as robust and very masculine to demonstrate authority. All these features of a female character is designed to make the game more enjoyable for a male user more than a female.


Part 3: Anita Sarkeesian Gamespot interview

Finally, read this Gamespot interview with Anita Sarkeesian of Feminist Frequency and answer the following questions:

1) What reaction did Anita Sarkeesian receive when she published her videos on women in videogames? You can find more information on this on Sarkeesian’s Kickstarter fundraising page.
 
Anita says, "While I always expect some level of harassment when discussing gender issues online, this time it's a more extreme and sustained torrent of sexism, hate, and threats. All the horrible backlash has just made me even more determined and committed to creating this video series.
 
2) How does Sarkeesian summarise feminism?
Sarkeesian summarises feminism as "working towards the equal treatment of women socially, culturally, institutionally, and economically."

3) Why do stories matter?
Narratives have always been a core way human beings learn about, make sense of, and understand the world we live in. Stories have embedded myths and messages and can be carriers of positive, heroic, or subversive values, but they can also propagate or reinforce negative stereotypes and oppressive social norms. "The Universe is made of stories, not of atoms."

4) How does Sarkeesian view Samus Aran and Lara Croft (the two protagonists from our upcoming CSPs)?

Sarkeesian views Samus Aran and Lara Croft in a positive and negative way as they are seen as a heroic and are the main lead in the two games that they presented in. However, they are objectified and sexualised to appeal to male users which make these characters seem very unrealistic. 

5) How has the videogame landscape changed with regards to the representation of women?

There have been many videogames releases over the years that have a female character lead however, not much has changed regards to the representation of women since they still be objectified and sexualised to the expense of male pleasure. Eventhough, their appearance seem less attractive than before, still they are harassed by body language the female characters portray.

6) Why are Mirror’s Edge and Portal held up as examples of more progressive representations of women?



They feature women of colour and also manage to use women as protagonists without overly sexualising or objectifying them. Sarkeesian points out that this is probably due to the first person perspective gameplay.

7) What are the qualities that Sarkeesian lists for developers to work on creating more positive female characters?

some very basic things I look for in female characters are: protagonists with agency not tied directly to their sex appeal; transformative story arcs where characters are struggling with or overcoming personal flaws; and some emotional depth and expression.

8) What is the impact of the videogames industry being male-dominated?
 
The impact of the videogames industry being male-dominated is that everything is designed to appeal to a male audience. This means that male characters would want to be seen as heroic, robust and females are created, first to look attractive towards male users and second be the victim of the narrative arc. Most of the story arc is based on male preferences.  
9) What did Sarkeesian hope to achieve through her ‘Tropes vs Women in Video Games’ series?

She hoped her audience would understand the female representation in videogames and highlight how females are being portrayed negatively even though they may be the lead in the videogame. Anita wanted to address that females shouldn't be sexualised, instead be equally given thought to.  

10) What media debates did Sarkeesian hope to spark with her video series?

She hoped to contribute to the ongoing conversation and debates regarding the harmful, sexist representations of women in video games. She wanted to let young women know that while these issues are present in fictional video games, they are real life issues that we do need to be aware of.