When one thinks of women in video games, two names invariably come up. Lara Croft, of Tomb Raider, and Samus Aran, of Metroid. These characters are totally different, but, while they may be strong women in the end, they also are often portrayed in over sexualized ways.
Lara Croft, at her inception, was little more than bait for hormonal teenagers to purchase the game. She existed as breasts on a stick figure, and was the first video game character to become a recognized sex symbol. The most recent games are quite a bit better, adding large amounts of character development, and even bringing her breast size down a smidgeon.
Samus Aran is praised for being thought of as a guy by most people until the end of the first game. Essentially, the better you did in the game, the less clothes she would where in the win screen. Still though, as soon as she was seen without the suit, as "Zerosuit Samus", she was in a sexy skintight suit that emphasizes her breasts.
These are some of the better characters out there, as they were given back stories, and goals other than just guys, and are also very capable. While games like Bayonetta (Similar to Devil May Cry) feature capable women, they are very thinly veiled as sex objects.
Some games are capable of doing it better. The Uncharted games (think Indiana Jones), for example, often include you working with a sexy woman who is just normal, but also highly capable on their own. In Uncharted: Golden Abyss this is Marisa Chase, a treasure hunter who is searching for her grandfather who disappeared in pursuit of his life's work.
The last approach is ideal. While they can (and probably always will) be attractive, they should also have personal goals and stories as any other character and any other medium. Video games are rather unique in the ways they make you the protagonist, you are not watching them, you are assisting them in performing them. In this way, they have a very good way of helping one identify with a female character, one that should be used more often.
http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/KaitlinTremblay/20120601/171613/Intro_to_Gender_Criticism_for_Gamers_From_Princess_Peach_to_Claire_Redfield_to_FemSheps.php?print=1
Lara Croft, at her inception, was little more than bait for hormonal teenagers to purchase the game. She existed as breasts on a stick figure, and was the first video game character to become a recognized sex symbol. The most recent games are quite a bit better, adding large amounts of character development, and even bringing her breast size down a smidgeon.
Samus Aran is praised for being thought of as a guy by most people until the end of the first game. Essentially, the better you did in the game, the less clothes she would where in the win screen. Still though, as soon as she was seen without the suit, as "Zerosuit Samus", she was in a sexy skintight suit that emphasizes her breasts.
These are some of the better characters out there, as they were given back stories, and goals other than just guys, and are also very capable. While games like Bayonetta (Similar to Devil May Cry) feature capable women, they are very thinly veiled as sex objects.
Some games are capable of doing it better. The Uncharted games (think Indiana Jones), for example, often include you working with a sexy woman who is just normal, but also highly capable on their own. In Uncharted: Golden Abyss this is Marisa Chase, a treasure hunter who is searching for her grandfather who disappeared in pursuit of his life's work.
The last approach is ideal. While they can (and probably always will) be attractive, they should also have personal goals and stories as any other character and any other medium. Video games are rather unique in the ways they make you the protagonist, you are not watching them, you are assisting them in performing them. In this way, they have a very good way of helping one identify with a female character, one that should be used more often.
http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/KaitlinTremblay/20120601/171613/Intro_to_Gender_Criticism_for_Gamers_From_Princess_Peach_to_Claire_Redfield_to_FemSheps.php?print=1
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