Women and Videogames
Medium article - Is Female Representation in Video Games Finally Changing?
How have women traditionally been represented in videogames?
- They have either been 'objectified' or portrayed as 'damsels in distress'
What percentage of the video game audience is female?
What recent games have signalled a change in the industry and what qualities do the female protagonists offer?
- Tomb Raider, The Last of Us, The Walking Dead. These female protagonists are intelligent, independent, compassionate and willful.
Do you agree with the idea that audiences reject media products if they feel they are misrepresented within them?
- I agree with the idea of audiences rejecting media products that include media misrepresentation, for example I personally don't consume media in which women are presented as objects or secondary characters- or media texts with poor LGBT representation as I believe that indulging in these media products allows the companies to benefit commercially despite their faux pas. However, It could be argued that due to the high density of misrepresentation, particularly of women, means that the proportion of representation and games available is a small percentage therefore to consume any video game you would have to accept many misrepresentations- particularly in combat games, therefore the truth behind the statement is purely subjective.
What does the writer suggest has changed regarding recent versions of Lara Croft and who does she credit for this development?
- Rhianna Pratchett. She says that the employment of female writers and animators within the industry is a credit to the changing representations of women in video games but specifically Pratchett, as a writer of female characters, allowed to subvert some of the classic tropes surrounding women in digital media.
Tropes vs Women in Video Games – further analysis
100 word summary: Sarkeesian highlights how although visual representations of characters can seemingly be equal, such as the vast range of representations available within the game 'Destiny', the way the characters perform everyday movements can be used as a tool to reinforce gender stereotypes. Male characters have liberty with their actions and have confidence or pride when they perform mundane movements such as walking or sitting, whereas female characters usually sit or walk in a way that highlights their femininity. The way women move or navigate within video games isn't only utilised to exert their confidence or support their backstory, but also to work in conjunction with their design to connote sexuality to appeal to an assumed straight male player. The POV placement accentuates the characters hips, and the diversity of movement is simply two dimensional compared to their male counterparts. Although this could be technically accurate, since it is the way women walk in high heels, the fact that these women are wearing heels in combat at first raises a lot of questions regarding the patriarchal expectations enforced on women despite their equal power.
What reaction did Anita Sarkeesian receive when she published her videos on women in videogames?
- She received an abundance of hate, online abuse and harassment for her videos on women- with people going as far as to 'flag her youtube videos as 'terrorism''
How does Sarkeesian summarise feminism?
- 'Feminism is the radical notion that women are human beings'
Why do stories matter?
- As Sarkeesian states, Stories are far more than just a narrative, in the quote below, she states that stories are how we learn about the world around us.
'' 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. ''
How does Sarkeesian view Samus Aran and Lara Croft (the two protagonists from our upcoming CSPs)?
- She views them as '[Lara Croft] still objectified and sexualised for a presumed straight male audience' and as evidence of 'ironic sexism'
How has the videogame landscape changed with regards to the representation of women?
- There's now more female characters and protagonists, but things have gotten worse it seems despite their being many positive examples there's still evidence of the borrowing or replication of old sexist tropes, plot devices and patriarchal humour from retro games.
Why are Mirror’s Edge and Portal held up as examples of more progressive representations of women?
- The main protagonists are Women of Colour, and are also not overly sexualised or objectified with interesting plots and creative innovations on the FPS genre.
What are the qualities that Sarkeesian lists for developers to work on creating more positive female characters?
- Protagonists with agency that isn't linked with their sex appeal, transformative arcs where the characters struggle with and overcome personal flaws, emotional depth and expression.
What is the impact of the videogames industry being male-dominated?
- Games fall into the 'old boys club' mentality, and there's a very static representation of women since the games are developed with having narrative arcs and characters that appeal to a majority straight male audience.
What did Sarkeesian hope to achieve through her ‘Tropes vs Women in Video Games’ series?
- She wanted to promote media literacy and give her audience the ability to look critically at the media we consume, as well as highlight the issues surrounding women's representations and presenting it as a systematic issue by emphasising recurring patterns and problems. She also speaks of the importance of not having an 'all or nothing' mentality when consuming media.
What media debates did Sarkeesian hope to spark with her video series?
- She wants to spark conversations surrounding realism and the portrayal of women, as well as the ideas that you can criticise and consume the same media texts.
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