Videogames: Introduction - 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?

Women have traditionally been represented as as "damsels in distress" and objectified.

2) What percentage of the video game audience is female?

42% of video game audience is female.

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

Recent popular games like Tomb Raider, Horizon: Zero Dawn, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, The Last of Us, Dragon Age: Inquisition, and The Walking Dead series have female protagonists.These protagonists are role models as they are strong, independent and intelligent.

4) Do you agree with the idea that audiences reject media products if they feel they are misrepresented within them?

I agree with this idea as it suggests there is some ignorance from the producers and misrepresenting a demographic can lead to stereotypes being made.

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

The way women are represented in video games has been changing as female audiences reject media products when they feel like they are being objectified and misrepresented.

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: 


Not your exotic fantasy:

Exotification occurs when a group is traded as inherently different, alluring and strange. For instance, when certain white men view Asian women as inherently more obedient or submissive than women from other cultures and sexually fetishise them as a result of those notions. Far Cry 2003- the woman is exotified and presented as a reward for players (men).

In Resident Evil 5 the female character, Sheva Alamar wears convenient/practical clothing for fighting in the beginning of the game, but throughout the levels, a new outfit is unlocked called the tribal costume, this outfit includes a leapord print bikini top, paint markings to decorate her face and body.  Games plunder marginalised cultures with no sense of respect and no concern about accurately reflecting the people or traditions they are appropriating from. It is not okay for these games to reduce cultures to stereotypical costumes and personality traits.

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.

Anita Sarkeesian received a lot of harassment and backlash when she published he videos.

2) How does Sarkeesian summarise feminism?

Sarkeesian summarises feminism as the "radical notion that women are human beings". She says feminists want to put an end to gender based oppression.

3) Why do stories matter?

Stories matter because it is how humans make learn about, make sense of and understand the world we live in.

4) How does Sarkeesian view Samus Aran and Lara Croft (the two protagonists from our upcoming CSPs)?

Sarkeesian says that Samus Aran has been handled "problematically" because the quicker you complete the game the more of her suit she takes off. It seems like the producers have made her femaleness as a reward, which is very objectifying.

However, she has a positive view toards Lara Croft as she is strong, independent and capable, but Sarkeesian acknowledges that Croft too has be sexualised.

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

She says that female characters have evolved over time as there are more female characters and protagonists. However with the recent upsurge in bringing back retro style games, producers have been bringing back old sexist themes.

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

Both characters in these games are women of colour and are strong protagonists without being sexualised or objectified.

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

Sarkeesian says that developers should work on protagonists with agency not tied directly to their sex appeal; transformative story arcs where characters are struggling with or overcoming personal flaws; and some emotional depth and expression.

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

This has a big impact on the type of games, narratives and characters produced.

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

She aims to " promote media literacy and give people some tools to look critically at the games we play" and to "clearly present the issues surrounding women's representations as a systemic problem by identifying reoccurring pattern"

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

She wanted to highlight that "Sexist representations are not limited to just a handful of games or selected marketing strategies but are part of a larger institutional problem across all entertainment industries".