How Genders Are Represented In Video Games Media Essay

How Genders Are Represented In Video Games Media testifyThis paper escape behind discuss how genders be represented as come up as perceived in todays video mealys. With reforming libber and equality groups struggle every break done and throughlet of mainstream cuttings, video games nurture now become the new mass media that stay the whole real form of entertainment that sincerely yours represents modern day views and beliefs. Recent games extradite shifted the trend from the macho uninventive male hero protagonist to a more feminine feminine protagonist with neat success, judging by recent ingress 2 sales in which the main protagonist was a female. This akin(predicate)ly remains true with antagonists as vigorous.Gender can be used every in a subversive or wakenist bureau. Females are a stack objectified predominantly by using powerful visual dynamics. This includes their mannerisms, business offices in games scarce most often, the clothes they wear. S exism has often been a talking point from as early as the 90s. In Ann Cudd and Leslie J adepts paper Sexism,sexism is define as a systematic, pervasive, but often subtle, force that maintains the oppression of women, and that this is at work through and through with(predicate) institutional structures in interpersonal interactions and the attitudes that are expressed in them, and in the cognitive, linguistic, and emotional processes of individual minds our very experience of the humans (105-6).Censorship also duck soups are signifi pious platitude role on how genders are represented in video games. This greatly relates to nudity and sexual references. This could be seen as a positive as this forces game developers/publishers to think harder on the necessity that sex tampers in their games. Is it re wholey necessary and/or practical to have females represented as whores? Why should they be represented like this? Why are males represented so differently to females? You dont see m any games representing males as whores. This is a peachy way of nailing developers into thinking harder ab extinct the characters, eyepatch and settings.In the end, it comes tweak to how profitable a game can be and games do have to be tailored in order to be released in accepted countries. One could argue that this damages video games as they have to be irrigateed down potentially harming the games tier, but does it really? Considering that many games introduce females as sex objects and have no place in todays society, I tend to agree. As adults, we do have the right to choose what we postulate to look at but we also have the moral business to do what is right, and this should remain true in video games.The games that will be looked at in this paper areThe Witcher, potassium bitartrate Age 2, entre 2,Bulletstorm andHydrophobia Prophecy.This will compare and contrast twain game titles of similar nature in which gender representation in both(prenominal) games will be thor oughly examined.Game 1 The WitcherThe Witcher is a role play game delevoped by CD Projeckt RED STUDIO and was released as a PC exclusive in 2007. The game is based on a series of books by the same name by Polish fountain Andrzej Sapkowski. The game is based on a mediaeval fantasy world of Temeriaand tells the story Geralt of Rivia, a Witcher who was at some point killed or at the very least, near death but was later revived by his fellow witchers at their stronghold Kaer Morhen. Unfortunately, he loses his memory in the process. The histrion gains control of Geralt and lead him through a non-linear story in which the imposter makes moral choices that affect the overall step to the forecome of the game.The game was censored at release in North America, Australia and the United Kingdom. This was later resolved through a patch known as the Enhanced Edition that failed to charm the drug users location (source), as head as improving on gameplay, graphics, warhead times among ot her(a) things. The main reason that this game was censored was how the game depicted women as well as receiving sex as a reward. Players were also rewarded what became to be known as sex cards, which depicted the women that you as Geralt slept with. There were also some modifications to the dialogue for what was said to be distasteful, for character, a scene where Geralt prohibitges into a ladies house, Where the hell do you think youre going with all the dung on your boots? Out with you This was cut into Who are you? Get out in the censored versions.One of the games focal aspects, apart from the immersive atmospheric world, story and gameplay, was on Geralts relationship with women. Witchers are generally perceived to be great sex machines but without the fantastic stereotypical looks (source). A good way to sum Geralt up is that hes an outsider, often referred to as a mutant in the game world and has many similarities, in toll of looks, to an albino. Relationships/sex does play an integral part of the game. Geralts choices in who he has relationships with, greatly affects the outcome, not solitary(prenominal) at the end but throughout the entire game.Women do have a dominant role in this game and this is evident with characters such(prenominal) as Shani, Abigail and Triss Merigold. All triad are strong women and although mettlesomely sexualised, they do play a significant role in the game. Geralts relationships with all three, one as friends and the other two sexually, determines on how the game progresses in terms with the story. Prostitutes also play a significant role as the worker can gain valuable information by both share them on side quests and/or sleeping with them. A good example of this is Carmen, the madame at one of the brothels. She asks for your help on helping find a cure for a werewolf she loves in which you could every kill or save. At the end, you learn of the story on why she became a prostitute. A lady shunned by her father becau se she was raped and impregnated by the city guards. The game also implies, through dialogue, that she may have also been sexually mistreated by her father.What this shows is that the team at CD Projeckt put a lot of suasion and meaning into the roles that gender plays in this game. While other games such as Grand Theft Auto put very lesser thought and reason into its ok to over sexualise women with rape, bashing and move out, The Witcher is one those fewer games that acquits out in terms of both character and story development. It shows that in comparison to other games, women are strong, fierce and independent, and are able to stand up for their beliefs, ideas and ideologies.Game 2 firedrake Age 2 flying dragon Age 2 follows the adventure of Hawke, a refugee from the nation of Ferelden who has fled to Kirkwall. The game itself is a series of flashbacks from the captured dwarve Varric, an old companion of Hawkes. The game was released on PC and Xbox 360 in 2011 by EA but deve loped in-house by Bioware. As with all handed-down Bioware games, it features rich dialog, expansive worlds, deep meaningful storyline as well as strong willed women. In fact, Bioware put a lot of thought and emphasis in the roles women play in this games (as well as their other games) universe.Five of your companions in Dragon Age 2 are female. Females are represented to be strong, decisive, intellectual, cunning and possibly evil, and do play a significant role in the outcome of the game. At the beginning Dragon Age 2, Varric exaggerates and describes Hawkes companions with overly large bosoms which raises the question, why did the game developers choose to do this? This could be seen as a way of enticing male players (as well as females) into the game by over sexualising women in this personal manner. It is a good marketing ploy by Bioware as it engages players, particularly males, to progress through the game. The game also introduces many relationships that the player may cho ose to pursue. It does go to the story in some way but it fails to play a significant part. Rather, players can choose to remain friends with their female companions instead of actively sleeping with them it does not affect the progress of the game.Compared to the original, sex scenes are dumbed down. This is imputable to several reasons, specifically censorship. Many would say, judging by the com bare(a)ts on user review site Metacritic, that this potentially damaged the game by wrecking parts of the story where sex does play a role. Taking out true romanticising made the game seem unrealistic and gave the appearance that adding female companions did seem as an rethink by the game developers. Are we to hope that there were no sexual tensions between Hawke and his female companions? Compared to The Witcher, getting inhumation with your female companions was a simple task of building your friendship bar by agreeing with your companions rather than taking decisive decisions, hand ing over gifts and teasing/ philander with them. The Witcher made romance seem an integral part of the game whereas Dragon Age 2 fails on this, adding romance seem as an afterthought and having no real consequences. Yes, females did play an overly important role in Dragon Age 2 but the romancing seemed unnecessary and could have been left out as it plays very little, if any, part of the story.Game 3 Portal 2Perhaps one of the better titles to be released by Valve, its a highly entertaining emotional rollercoaster ride, one that will give you high hopes and later crush them. Portal 2 features a fantastic, engaging, hilarious plot (and soundtrack) with many twists and turns. Ironically, this game forces you to think with portals as many levels will leave you shaking your head is disbelief when a puzzle that should theoretically unless imbibe 5 minutes takes you more than 15. It certainly leaves a consoling feeling when completing a complex puzzle.Released in 2011, this game stands out from the usual crowd. Featuring a female protagonist by the name of Chell and a few helpful (or not so helpful) robot companions, GLaDOS and Wheatley, you attempt to crosswise yourself out of the Aperture Science lab testing facility.Chell is portrayed as a strong willed and intelligent woman. The game steers away from hypersexualising Chell by avoiding somewhat handed-down Lara Croft style clothing i.e. skintight latex, overly short shorts and/or a tight hugging bikini. Instead, Chell is represented wearing a plain orange jump suit which is an unobtrusive representation of the female protagonist. roughly players progress through the game unaware that they are assuming the role of a female. Players only catch a glimpse of Chell when looking through portals as well as other reflective materials such water and glass. Both GLaDOS and Wheatley are treated in a similar fashion where gender plays very little significance, mainly because they are bots although this does change in t he latter part of the game. We can differentiate between the two by both voices and attitudes, but not by outside looks.The writers at Valve rear a very interesting balance of power between the three characters. Choosing to represent female conflict by using emotional forms of maltreat whilst avoiding any form of physical contact remains true with the stereotypes some women they are cunning creatures. While in the latter half of the game, Valve took a feministic approach totally changing the dynamics of the game in which both Chell and GLaDOS form a working relationship and team against the common enemy, Wheatley. Wheatley is the only male character in the game. He transforms GLaDOS into a potato and attempts to murder Chell. This portrays both control and dominance that can be seen as subjectify women, either in reality or in the virtual world. From a feminist point of view, this form of behaviour is exactly what makes women put aside their differences (something which males can t do) and team up against the common enemy, proving once and for all that women are the stronger of the two sexes.Chell and GLaDOS are the two perfect examples of the two sides of femininity Chell the domestic persona whereas GLaDOs represents the progressive, intelligent working woman. By killing GLaDOS, Chell can be seen as the dutiful safe woman conquering the dangerous feminist (http//www.gamepro.com/clause/features/218960/portal-s-glados-as-feminist-icon/)Game 4 BulletstormThis is easily one of the most cheer games Ive play in quite some time. The gameplay is just absolute effin amazing fun Coupled with an engaging storyline and a hilarious script, this game is unquestionably a game that Ill be coming back to play just for pure entertainment. Although short, this game in no way becomes instant as your environment, enemies and weapons is ever changing.Get it for the singleplayer as multiplayer is completely consolised, meaning that, it uses a matchmaking system which takes f orever to connect. The only positive I can take from it is that you can choose to play with friends. Its another game that Microsoft has again managed to go with their GFWL.Game 5 Hydrophobia ProphecyConclusionSourceshttp//arts.nationalpost.com/2011/04/19/qa-with-portal-2-writers-erik-wolpaw-and-jay-pinkerton/http//www.popmatters.com/pm/post/140585-her-name-is-caroline-naming-the-misbehaving-woman-in-portal-2/http//www.gamepro.com/article/features/218960/portal-s-glados-as-feminist-icon/