Videogames: Introduction - Women in videogames

Friday, November 15, 2019

Videogames: Introduction - Women in videogames

Our final in-depth media topic is Videogames.

Our Videogames CSPs are Tomb Raider Anniversary, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes and The Sims FreePlay.

These are in-depth CSPs and need to be studied with reference to all four elements of the Theoretical Framework (Language, Representation, Industries, Audience) and all relevant contexts.

This will be tested in Media Two exam – a 25 mark essay question.

Videogames: an introduction

The videogames industry is a huge media market – bigger than video and music combined. It is worth £3.86bn – more than double its value in 2007. Remarkably, these figures do not include mobile and free games such as Fortnite (which has over 200 million players worldwide).

With FIFA19, Red Dead Redemption 2 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 each selling more than 1m copies, it is important to consider the influence games can have on audiences and society.

Women in videogames

The representation of women in videogames has long been considered sexist. Female characters are rarely playable and usually reinforce traditional gender stereotypes. Games that did feature female characters presented them as damsels in distress or sex objects.

Lara Croft of the Tomb Raider series is one of the most iconic characters in videogame history. But while she is a strong, independent playable character, her appearance and costume turned her into a digital sex object.  

Tropes vs Women in Video Games

Vlogger and gaming expert Anita Sarkeesian has produced two series of YouTube videos documenting the representation of women in videogames.

Vlogging as Feminist Frequency, the series are an important example of digital feminism (and a superb resource for Media students). However, as a result, she has been a target for online abuse and threats – most notably as part of the #gamergate controversy.

Women and videogames: blog tasks

Work through the following blog tasks to complete this introduction to women in videogames.

Part 1: Medium article - Is Female Representation in Video Games Finally Changing?

Read this Medium feature on whether female representation in videogames is finally changing. Answer the following questions:

1) How have women traditionally been represented in videogames?

ladies are customarily spoken to in videogames are that they are typified, for example, Lara Croft. 
2) What percentage of the video game audience is female?

42% - in light of the review "Conveyance of Computer and Video Gamers in the United States from 2006 to 2017 by Gender" 

3) What recent games have signalled a change in the industry and what qualities do the female protagonists offer?

Later well known games like Tomb Raider, Horizon: Zero Dawn, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, The Last of Us, Dragon Age: Inquisition, and The Walking Dead arrangement have female heroes or significant female jobs. 
4) Do you agree with the idea that audiences reject media products if they feel they are misrepresented within them?

crowds are bound to dismiss media items in the event that they feel that they are distorted in them since they will top up about it instead of boycotting the game altogether. 

5) What does the writer suggest has changed regarding recent versions of Lara Croft and who does she credit for this development?

Lara Croft was "spared" by Crystal Dynamics since they rolled out some huge improvements in the manner that she was spoken to in the reboot of Tomb Raider. Rhianna Pratchett chose to concentrate on guaranteeing that Lara Croft was a character that players could relate to. Brianna Wu communicated that Lara Croft "turned into the battle that she felt inside herself."

Part 2: Tropes vs Women in Video Games – further analysis

Visit Anita Sarkeesian’s ‘Tropes vs Women in Video Games Series 2’ YouTube playlist and watch ONE other video in the series (your choice - and feel free to choose a video from season 1 if you prefer). Write a 100 word summary of the video you watch:

Title of video: 

100 word summary: 


Part 3: Anita Sarkeesian Gamespot interview

Finally, read this Gamespot interview with Anita Sarkeesian of Feminist Frequency and answer the following questions:

1) What reaction did Anita Sarkeesian receive when she published her videos on women in videogames? You can find more information on this on Sarkeesian’s Kickstarter fundraising page.

she ha got parcel of analysis and kickback when she originally distributed her arrangement on ladies in computer games. The sort of detest included: online computer game gatherings vowing to "bring [her] down", 

2) How does Sarkeesian summarise feminism?

"progressing in the direction of the equivalent treatment of ladies socially, socially, institutionally, and financially." 

3) Why do stories matter?

Stories matter since accounts have consistently been a center way people find out about, comprehend, and comprehend the world we live in. 
4) How does Sarkeesian view Samus Aran and Lara Croft (the two protagonists from our upcoming CSPs)?

She loves them since they are the two heroes in their particular games 

5) How has the videogame landscape changed with regards to the representation of women?

There has been an expansion in the quantity of female characters in computer games since the early arrivals of games, for example, Metroid, Super Mario Bros. also, Zelda yet intended for the make look. 

6) Why are Mirror’s Edge and Portal held up as examples of more progressive representations of women?

They highlight ladies of different skin colours and furthermore figure out how to use ladies as heroes without excessively sexualising or typifying them 

7) What are the qualities that Sarkeesian lists for developers to work on creating more positive female characters?

have storylines where the characters are beating their very own imperfections, the heroes not being legitimately attached to their sex claim, venturing outside of run of the mill shows, passionate profundity and articulation in the characters 

8) What is the impact of the videogames industry being male-dominated?

male and female characters are made it is originating from the male viewpoint 

9) What did Sarkeesian hope to achieve through her ‘Tropes vs Women in Video Games’ series?

she needs to advance media proficiency and give individuals a few devices to take a gander at the games we play. 

10) What media debates did Sarkeesian hope to spark with her video series?

She planned to add to the progressing discussion and discussions with respect to the misogynist portrayals of ladies in computer games.
Optional extension task
To find out more about the online backlash and #gamergate, this Guardian feature links the online abuse to the American alt-right movement also credited with electing Donald Trump.

Deadline: Complete for homework what you don't finish in the lesson - due next week.