From objectification to hyper sexualisation of female characters, gender is a controversial topic in the gaming world.
There are many articles focused around the negatives however it is important to also shine a light on the progress made so far and games that have handled the situation correctly.
An important game to mention is Naughty Dog's The Last Of Us and the female protagonist, Ellie.
Whilst the early game sees you protecting her as a naive young girl, the story largely revolves around her coming of age as she evolves into a tough young woman. She is never seen as a sex object and is a multi dimensional character, she isn't shoe-horned into any gender stereotypes.
This is important as it recognises her as a human being and an equal to any male counterpart.
A good example of how to handle gender equality right and wrong, would be to compare the box arts of The Last of Us and Bioshock Infinite, both of which feature a strong female lead.
Bioshock's cover features the playable male character posed by himself with his gun. Whilst this may seem fine, the female protagonist is the most important character in terms of the story but is instead placed on the back of the box.
The creative director Ken Levine defended his decision however The Last of Us came under similar fire when the developers were pressured to remove the female lead by marketing companies as they believed it wouldn't sell as well.
Naughty Dog refused and even gave the character more focus than that of her male counterpart. She is hugely important to the game and isn't discriminated against due to her gender.
It's small steps like these that can build a strong foundation so that we can tackle the horrible perceptions and attitudes currently at large in the gaming industry.
http://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/sexism-controversy-surrounds-last-of-us-box-art/
http://www.paisano-online.com/press-start-blog-gender-equality-in-the-gaming-industry/
There are many articles focused around the negatives however it is important to also shine a light on the progress made so far and games that have handled the situation correctly.
An important game to mention is Naughty Dog's The Last Of Us and the female protagonist, Ellie.
Whilst the early game sees you protecting her as a naive young girl, the story largely revolves around her coming of age as she evolves into a tough young woman. She is never seen as a sex object and is a multi dimensional character, she isn't shoe-horned into any gender stereotypes.
This is important as it recognises her as a human being and an equal to any male counterpart.
A good example of how to handle gender equality right and wrong, would be to compare the box arts of The Last of Us and Bioshock Infinite, both of which feature a strong female lead.
Bioshock's cover features the playable male character posed by himself with his gun. Whilst this may seem fine, the female protagonist is the most important character in terms of the story but is instead placed on the back of the box.
The creative director Ken Levine defended his decision however The Last of Us came under similar fire when the developers were pressured to remove the female lead by marketing companies as they believed it wouldn't sell as well.
Naughty Dog refused and even gave the character more focus than that of her male counterpart. She is hugely important to the game and isn't discriminated against due to her gender.
It's small steps like these that can build a strong foundation so that we can tackle the horrible perceptions and attitudes currently at large in the gaming industry.
http://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/sexism-controversy-surrounds-last-of-us-box-art/
http://www.paisano-online.com/press-start-blog-gender-equality-in-the-gaming-industry/