A problem I'm having as a Girl Gamer...

[Godzilla2000]

I love video games but I seem to have a problem with the way a lot of games present women in them. I know the majority of gamers are of the male persuasion and you like your pixelated women as scantily clad as possible but for me, a female gamer, I want to like certain franchises but I just can't get past all the near naked women in games that are for the most part very one dimensional characters. For example, I really have grown fond of the character Kratos in the God of War games, but the only female characters that seem to be treated with reverence are Kratos wife, daughter and Pandora. Even more disturbing to me is that in the newest God of War game you cannot make a female character for multiplayer because the developers said they did not look good with the default team armor which is pretty head scratching for me because I prefer playing female characters to match my gender. It has been inferred that they did not include female customization because women in their views are only good as naked mindless props in the game. I really really want to like games like God of War, but I as a female gamer want a reason to relate to the main characters of these games without feeling like I'm being slapped because I am female.

 

[Wolvieboy17]

I think that's definitely true. I do think it's something that is slowly changing though. I think as more women work in the Games industry, perceptions will keep changing. A good example is Naughty Dog, I feel like they know how to make real and believable female characters who aren't defined by their gender.

 

[Electro UK]

Here are some games with some really great, strong female protagonists

- The Mass Effect trilogy (you can create your own character)
- Gravity Rush
- Heavy Rain
- Any Metroid game
- Valkyria Chronicles

Those are just off the top of my head. You'll also want to check out Beyond: Two Souls and The Last Of Us, both of which have really intriguing central female characters, and are releasing later this year.

 

[Wolvieboy17]

The new Tomb Raider looks promising too, since Lara Croft was the quintessential video game 'babe' for years. To see her stripped back as a character and made believable and real would be a huge thing for the way women are represented in games.

 

[Soapy]

I know the majority of gamers are of the male persuasion and you like your pixelated women as scantily clad as possible

That's quite an assumption.

 

[Godzilla2000]

I guess what I'm mostly thinking of is that I love badass male characters, like Kratos. But I don't feel equalized in games like those with said badass male leads when women are sexualized and trivialized in these games. Really, there are some games I really want to be a fan of or stay a fan of, like the Mortal Kombat games, but the pervasiveness of scantily clad female characters in these ultra violent games is a bit off putting for me. I'm not saying not to have scantily clad women, but it would be nice to give players alternate clothing options to customize your game so that a girl gamer like me can play a Mortal Kombat game with a fully clothed character.

That's quite an assumption.

You must be in the minority then. Feel yourself very special and unique.

 

[Wolvieboy17]

@Soapy, not everyone is like that but there are a lot of dudes that are. The sad truth is that for all the people like us, who champion games as art and their growth as a medium, there are still a lot of attitudes and perceptions that need to change, from both the industry and the gamers themselves. No matter what statistics there are out there, with the average age of a gamer to be 36, 51% of gamers being men and 49% being women, there is still a lot of growth required. Girls will still get hassled in online games just for being girls, women are still objectified and sexualised in games in the way men aren't... Growth is just needed, plain and simple.

 

[Nathan]

One of the reasons why I like Beyond Good & Evil. It's one of the few games where you play a female lead that doesn't look like a cliche video game bimbo.

 

[ProjectPat2280]

women are still objectified and sexualised in games in the way men aren't.

The industry tends to follow very specific tropes when it comes to masculinity and femininity in games(it seems moreso than other industries). Its like they come up with the most generic definitions of the term to base their characters on. Guys dont get it much better. How many game characters are above 6ft tall, incredibly fit, have the physical features women want in a male, are witty or charming enough to get the girl yet rough and tough enough to intimidate his enemies and it gets even worse for African American male leads in video games.

 

[Benstamania]

The industry tends to follow very specific tropes when it comes to masculinity and femininity in games(it seems moreso than other industries). Its like they come up with the most generic definitions of the term to base their characters on. Guys dont get it much better. How many game characters are above 6ft tall, incredibly fit, have the physical features women want in a male, are witty or charming enough to get the girl yet rough and tough enough to intimidate his enemies and it gets even worse for African American male leads in video games.

Agreed.

I don't even remember the last "respectable" or "relatable" African American male in a game.. Do you? CJ in GTA: SA...Was...um...Yeah..

And who else? "Angry Black Man" in Prototype 2? Who screamed, yelled and dropped the F bomb every four seconds. Hardly "stand up dudes." Cole Train may be close...and he's fairly Sterotype himself.

Sure there are boobacious girl gaming characters out there, however, I can't say I relate very well to some super buff war hero either.

I think the new Lara Croft is actually the most interesting female character (design wise) in quite some time.

 

[Wolvieboy17]

Yeah but the problem is, both the macho dudes and the boobarella warriors are catering to men... It's wish fulfillment catering to a male audiences... The men who like pretending they're buff superheroes and the men who like the girls like that. The macho characters aren't there for the benefit of female gamers, that's for sure.

 

[Benstamania]

Hey now, I imagine some women wish they were 6 foot tall buff dudes....

 

[ProjectPat2280]

The macho characters aren't there for the benefit of female gamers, that's for sure.

I dont know if i fully buy that. I think that door swings both ways. Guys are expected to look like that super fit war hero because they've been told by the media thats what women want and in turn the media are telling women this false image of a male is what you want. You want the tall dark and handsome male, who is caring yet at the same time rugged enough to protect you. Gender roles are terrible in video games, but we only focus on the women. There is legit discussion for both sides of that coin, but "womens roles in games" is a better headline than "mens roles in games".

 

[Solidus]

I gotta agree with Pat on this one.

 

[Wolvieboy17]

No one created Marcus Fenix or Kratos to appeal to women.... And no one created Bayonetta or original Lara Croft for women...

There's an obvious imbalance and I hate men who get defensive over this stuff. You can't ignore the imbalance and nothing will change until the majority of men can admit that. It's ridiculous to get defensive over how men are represented when they are vastly better represented. A macho, hunky dude is still heroic and still superior to the busty blonde sidekick.

 

[Benstamania]

I dont know if i fully buy that. I think that door swings both ways. Guys are expected to look like that super fit war hero because they've been told by the media thats what women want and in turn the media are telling women this false image of a male is what you want. You want the tall dark and handsome male, who is caring yet at the same time rugged enough to protect you. Gender roles are terrible in video games, but we only focus on the women. There is legit discussion for both sides of that coin, but "womens roles in games" is a better headline than "mens roles in games".

Well put.

 

[Benstamania]

No one created Marcus Fenix or Kratos to appeal to women.... And no one created Bayonetta or original Lara Croft for women...

Really? No one created Kratos to appeal to women? Maybe not originally but if you've noticed the swing in movies and TV lately, I'm Fairly sure the brooding angsty type is what media tell women to go for now.

Krato's is just a more Violent Edward Cullen.

 

[Wolvieboy17]

You have a mini game in God of War designed purely around ****ing topless women... And you think that has more appeal for women? Are you a Neanderthal man?

 

[Solidus]

Well women do enjoy sex as well. I mean as Beast said women (not all of course) like the sexual nature of things. Twilight and especially 50 Shades of Grey to me show that the enjoyment of sex or titillation of it is not exclusive to men. Hell 50 Shades is pretty much nothing but pure pornography.

 

[Benstamania]

I think you're reading a bit to much into what I'm saying.

 

[Wolvieboy17]

Oh my lord...

Godzilla, right here is the problem.

 

[ProjectPat2280]

You have a mini game in God of War designed purely around ****ing topless women... And you think that has more appeal for women? Are you a Neanderthal man?

I dont think anyone said that. The physical look of Kratos is appealing to both sexes though. Ya know the saying, "men what to be him, women want to be with him". This issue always gets swept under the rug though so we can talk ONLY about the issues women have in games. Its as if people like you feel you are morally superior because you are sticking up for the "poor defenseless woman". Thats not what you are doing, you are just ignoring the other side of the argument because it isnt nearly as popular an argument to make.

Oh my lord...

Godzilla, right here is the problem.

My point. Proven.

 

[Wolvieboy17]

It's not popularity Pat, it's because it's a MUCH bigger problem for women in an industry still dominated by men.

But no, let's worry about the poor fragile male gamers whom the industry is largely aimed towards.

 

[Benstamania]

I dont think anyone said that. The physical look of Kratos is appealing to both sexes though. Ya know the saying, "men what to be him, women want to be with him". This issue always gets swept under the rug though so we can talk ONLY about the issues women have in games. Its as if people like you feel you are morally superior because you are sticking up for the "poor defenseless woman". Thats not what you are doing, you are just ignoring the other side of the argument because it isnt nearly as popular an argument to make.



My point. Proven.

 

[Solidus]

Oh my lord...

Godzilla, right here is the problem.

You are acting as if we are some kind of monsters because of what we are saying. Is there is lacking of truth of what I said bout women and their love for things like 50 Shades of Grey ect. So women objectify men just as much at times. Yes I know men can do it more but you are looking at just one side of the coin. There are issues with how the media portrays both genders out there. Hollywood and gaming revolve around fantasy, and that's sometimes sad but it's what sells.

Cosmo tells women what men should be just as much as Maxim tells men what women shoudl be. Is it a good thing? That is for a deeper debate, but it's not some one sided issue as Pat put it.