Gender Representation in Videogames

Alright, well I’m a week late with my post on Gender and Ethnicity, so here are a few views and observations from the lecture and tutorial.

Firstly, having been at University, studying mainly sociology, when it comes to the lecture dedicated to “Gender” we all known that it is a synonym for studying “Woman”. It appears that male/masculinity is no longer on the spectrum gender and unfortunately the ‘gender lecture’ of each course at the University of Auckland is comprises of 2 hours of hearing of how poorly woman are represented and they are pigon-holed etc... As if some male conspiracy of world domination had just been discovered. So it wasn’t any supprise that the majority of the last lecture (and tutorial) followed this script.

Woman now occupy around 40% (depending on which study) of gaming, and Im sure we are all aware of the multi-billion dollar industry gaming is. 40% is a massive slice of that pie. If there is one thing that this course has made me aware of, is that gaming is not the limited to adolescent privileged boys. People of all ages, backgrounds, genders, engage is gaming. So who’s buying all these gender biased games?! Perhaps the reason why there is the prevalence of these representation of woman, is because it appeals and commercially successful, and isn’t gaming about just having a bit of fun. I’m not sure its purpose is to make a political statement, but rather living a fantasy existence.

Yes, I agree that for the most part, the representation of woman in games has been of very limited deviation; the attractive figure, tight revealing clothing; overtly sexual. Yet isn’t there even less variation in the representation of men in video games? Funnily enough, I haven’t found a video game featuring a slightly overweight and undermuscled, balding, mid 20s, white dude – have you? Similarly representations of masculinity in games is limited to the aggressive, overly muscular, independent protagonist who’s sole purpose can only be expressed in killing shit. The underlying discourse of masculinity in gaming is if the role of masculinity is to simply use weapons, be an aggressor and whos worth is determined by how plentiful his killing capability is. Now isn’t that just as mis-representative on a developing male mind as a scantily dressed, ill proportioned female antagonist, to a young lady's mind? Now Im not complaining about this, at one point in my life, Im sure I would have enjoyed playing the types of games suggested above. But before we have a go about how femininity is burdened with this mis-representation we have to acknowledge masculinity is simarliarly misrepresented.

http://www.mobygames.com/game/amiga/street-fighter-ii/screenshots/gameShotId,376962
http://www.mobygames.com/game/3do/wolfenstein-3d/screenshots/gameShotId,287708/
http://www.mobygames.com/game/snes/doom/screenshots/gameShotId,27001/

Gender, both male and female is totally mis-represented in Games. But isn’t that kinda the reason we play them? The make-believe that we look like ‘Duke Nukem’ or ‘Lara Croft’?! If one looks at the mis-representation of gender and finds themselves personally offended, aren't they’re kinda missing the point of gaming?

A few ramblings of a critic,

T/W