Sexism in the gaming industry

Posted by Julian Seale.
First posted on 25 April 2007. Last updated on 30 April 2010.
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Take your sister out to buy a video game at your nearest game shop. Any game shop will do. When you get there, allow her to pick the video game of her choice. Is she done? After waiting for a full hour, she brushes pass the automatic doors. You arch your eyebrow. What's that you discover in her hands? Why, nothing at all! You rationalize this store just isn't the right place, but after traveling…

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Poor

very silly article. His central point that games are sexist because female players cannot relate to female protagonists is VERY VERY stupid. The fact is that central game characters are always beyond reality and this is not gender exclusive...i'm male and i'm not a hugely muscular, 6ft 2, overtly handsome and insane at fighting in the same way that most girls aren't Lara Croft!

Europe By sillyarticle • On 17 February 2010 • From london

Excellent

Excellent article!

As far as the male nudity goes in video games, its different. Muscles are a sign of power and strength. Giant tits aren't. The males have giant muscles not because they are supposed to be sexy, but because they are supposed to be powerful. The females have giant tits because they are sex objects.

United States By bradmillershero • On 28 December 2009 • From new orleans, usa

Poor

You know, you never see any articles concerning the idealized male figures portrayed in games. You think it's not sexist to always depict the male as a fearless muscle-bound glorified weapons platform?

I get so sick and tired of hearing women complain about every piece of media that doesn't feature a "strong" flat chested woman with G.I. Jane hair who beats up men twice her size in her spare time.

The problem uncovered by articles like this isn't that this or that industry is sexist. It's that our society has eliminated all the true oppression of the female gender (they can vote, go to college, get a good job, etc), so now these women have nothing real to complain about. But rather than end their rights crusade after its original goals are achieved, they hunt down new and ever more meaningless things to battle.

United States By Anon • On 19 May 2009 • From Pittsburgh, USA

Good

But what about characters like the shirtless well built Dante from Devil May Cry 3? It is obivous "male characters" play up the whole "girl's wet dream" aspects as well. I can't stand the rabid feminist movement that whines about how Laura croft has a huge chest yet Raiden (pretty boy male character) does cartwheels naked in Metal Gear solid 2.

Games are fiction. They are rarely supposed to be completly realistic. If they were they would not be an escape into fantasy. Secondly for the record Laura Croft "is" a deep character,can hold up well in a tough fight, and is brilliant to boot. Does that not empower women despite her appearance?

What I don't understand is why I'm reading so many complaints about "sexism" yet everyone is fine with blatant violence. Is erotica more low brow then murder or blowing things up? To put it bluntly a geek with a hard on oogling over a virtual reality bomb shell is not a dangerous threat so why get upset?

All human beings are drawn to sex and violence to some extent. It has been in our instincts since time primordial.

At least in modern times we "pretend" to maime, kill, and destroy within harmless unreal digital worlds instead of going to watch two men fight to the death in a Roman gladitorial arena.

I sympathize with those who do not like sex or violence in their entertainment but that is why you have the choice to buy Mature-rated games or not to buy them. For every Blood Rayne out there there are equal amounts of Zeldas, Marios, and Spyros.

United States By BrokenHierophant • On 04 February 2008 • From Asheville USA

Very Good

Excellent points, but on your DreamFall recommendation, I somewhat preferred the original 1999 'The Longest Journey' for its great music, graphics and involving story.

Canada By Andrew M • On 27 May 2007 • From Toronto, Canada

Very Good

Julian here has a point. There is only a handful of adventure game heros (not to mention action game heros!) to which a female player can relate to. I'm no feminist but sometimes I do wish that all the action heroines wouldn't be either unnaturally curvy or just plain anorexic-slutty...
But then again, there are such adventure games as Laura Bow, Gabriel Knight, Broken Sword and also Monkey Island, in which women are presented strong and clever, even if in half of them she isn't given the leading role...

Finland By Rose • On 30 April 2007 • From Vantaa, Finland

hey julian, after you're done scoring points with the ladies with your sissy rant. why not 'rationalize' the govt of thailand for its draconian law that prevent people from criticizing its monarchy?

United States By rommel • On 26 April 2007 • From USA

Fair

Games sell those type of characters because the people that buy the most games want to think of themselves that way. You can start a dictatorial approach to things, but it will always fail. I know very few women that aren't sexist. They're just female sexist. Women buy games like the Sims and adventure games. I buy hardly any games at all because I'm not the target audience either. I'm male, but I'm not an idiot little boy that likes to shoot things and watch them blow up. Too bad, so sad. I write, I read, I make 3d models and try to make adventure games.

United States By nobody • On 25 April 2007 • From Somewhere

The article - entirely correctly - highlights April Ryan and Zoe Castillo as exceptional characters. Thing is, they're exceptional no matter what gender they are. The Longest Journey and Dreamfall both go out of their way to show us the characters, with all their flaws, doubts and hopes. Very few games have managed that feat - I'd love to see that level of characterisation in other games.

Ireland By A Green • On 25 April 2007 • From Dublin, Ireland