Girls in Games

Any of you hear about that Tropes vs Women thingy that was announced on the thing back in the day? If you haven’t followed it at all, there’s actually a story within a story going on here. Whilst trying to make a series of videos on the representation of girls in games, Anita Sarkeesian ended up becoming the recipient of quite a bit of castigation. With Part 1 of the series having just been released, it seems like a suitable time to bring up the topic.

Personally, I think that the gaming community as a whole has a lot of growing to do… whether it be the frat boy mentality on the job, the gaming “news” sites that feature “Top Babes”, or of course the trash talking gamers that leave misogynist comments on forums and harass their fellow gamers. I don’t really get why anyone feels the need to exclude others from an aspect of life that is supposed to be all about fun! They’re games!

I remember seeing this story last year about a father who decided to help his daughter feel empowered by doing a little bit of game hacking and making it so that the game she was playing could be about her. Heart warming, one would think. I know I’ve played many a game, where I would name the character after myself… but reading some of the comments on that article? The vitriol is thick when you mess with someone’s nostalgia. And when that involves tweaking subconscious notions of gender roles that most people aren’t even aware that they possess? Watch out.

I personally like having strong females in the games I play, and I wish that things were a little more balanced in the world of entertainment. We need more Terras, Rydias, and Samuses (Samusi? Sami? Sameese?). And… well… it’d be nice if it weren’t like… even an issue. I’m all for equality of race and gender representation. But it’s also a shame that it’s an anomaly at this point instead of just a thing.

Anyways, as I said up top, Part 1 of the Tropes vs Women series is now up on YouTube, and I really think you should watch it.