Video games have made a lot of
progress in the last few decades. 8-bit and side
scrolling have evolved in to huge open world adventures. This large
amount of progress in a short amount of time, however, has left the
gaming industry with a lot of flaws it still needs to address. Gender
inequality in gaming has gained some notice thanks to the work of
advocates such as Anita Sarkeesian, but there still remains a lot to
be done. Even though game designers have implemented in-game features such
as character customization to break away from stereotypes, they can still
reinforce assigned gender roles through their advertising.
In one particular kind of game, the
role playing game (Rpg), players take on the role of a specific made
up character, and attempt to overcome the challenges facing said
character. In older Rpgs, players would make progress by completing
challenges one by one to progress through the game. By unlocking
parts of the game at a time, game designers kept the games as
linear and simple as possible. However, with computers able to handle
larger amounts of data, non-linear story telling and player choice
have become integral parts of the genre. Examples of player choice such as character customization and in game decision making actively change the course of the game and allow the player more control.
Male Commander Shepard |
Final Box Art |
Eliminating
gender roles from gaming is a hard task. Even when game
developers make an effort towards equality, it is rarely enough. In
addition to their games, designers must also be weary of their
advertising and all extra game content. Everything that the
developers release is up to public scrutiny and so they must be extra
cautious. With the lines between what is sexist and what is not being
so difficult to determine, it can be hard to imagine a truly gender
equal industry. Despite this, game developers are thinking of new
ways to open their games up to all people. The new era of gaming
looks promising with customizable characters and interactive stories,
but there is still progress to be made.
Bioware.
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Cook,
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Gameranx.
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Naughty
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<http://wallpaperswide.com/the_last_of_us_6-wallpapers.html>. Used for Image
<http://wallpaperswide.com/the_last_of_us_6-wallpapers.html>. Used for Image
Sarkeesian,
Anita, prod. "Ms. Male Character – Tropes vs Women."
Feminist
Frequency. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 July 2014.
<http://www.feministfrequency.com/2013/11/
ms-male-character-tropes-vs-women/>.
Frequency. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 July 2014.
<http://www.feministfrequency.com/2013/11/
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