Misogyny & Women in Video Games
INTRODUCTION & RECENT EVENTS: THE GAMERGATE CONTROVERSY
All throughout history, misogyny has been a hot topic when talking about feminism. In terms of equality, women have been a step behind men in almost every aspect of normal living. However, one of the more recent inequalities dealing with women and misogyny has come from the video game industry.
Looking at very recent events relating to inequalities women face in the video game industry, there was the case relating to Anita Sarkeesian and a presentation she was supposed to make at Utah State University in 2014. Anita Sarkeesian is a Canadian-American feminist, media critic, and author of the video blog “Feminist Frequency.” She is also the creator of the video series Tropes vs. Women in Video Games, which examines the depiction of women in pop culture and the overall gaming industry. In 2012, Sarkeesian was “targeted” by an online harassment campaign following her launch of a Kickstarter project to fund the Tropes vs. Women series. At the same time, “supporters donated over $150,000 to the project, far beyond the $6,000 she originally aimed for” (Consalvo). The situation was covered extensively in the media, placing Sarkeesian at the center of discussions about misogyny in video game culture and online harassment. Subsequently, she’s continued to study how gender is perceived in video games, and she also speaks publicly and gives lectures about problems she perceives in the industry and culture surrounding it (such as the hyper-sexuality of women and the fact that most video games have only male protagonists, not female).
All throughout history, misogyny has been a hot topic when talking about feminism. In terms of equality, women have been a step behind men in almost every aspect of normal living. However, one of the more recent inequalities dealing with women and misogyny has come from the video game industry.
Looking at very recent events relating to inequalities women face in the video game industry, there was the case relating to Anita Sarkeesian and a presentation she was supposed to make at Utah State University in 2014. Anita Sarkeesian is a Canadian-American feminist, media critic, and author of the video blog “Feminist Frequency.” She is also the creator of the video series Tropes vs. Women in Video Games, which examines the depiction of women in pop culture and the overall gaming industry. In 2012, Sarkeesian was “targeted” by an online harassment campaign following her launch of a Kickstarter project to fund the Tropes vs. Women series. At the same time, “supporters donated over $150,000 to the project, far beyond the $6,000 she originally aimed for” (Consalvo). The situation was covered extensively in the media, placing Sarkeesian at the center of discussions about misogyny in video game culture and online harassment. Subsequently, she’s continued to study how gender is perceived in video games, and she also speaks publicly and gives lectures about problems she perceives in the industry and culture surrounding it (such as the hyper-sexuality of women and the fact that most video games have only male protagonists, not female).
However, much more recently, she became the subject of death threats against her planned lecture at Utah State University. When Anita tried to get security checkpoints established outside the lecture hall, the school and police were “unable to help” because Utah has open carry laws: so if someone had a gun with them, they would be protected under the law to bring it in, even if it belonged to someone wanting to take the threats seriously and kill her. The scandal made national headlines, although people’s perspective on the “result” was clearly divided. Most people (especially those on pop culture oriented social platforms like Tumblr) were mortified at the turn of events because anyone’s willingness to hurt a woman over something as miniscule as playing video games). Alternatively, people within the “Gamergate” community (a group dedicated to preventing “feminazis” from invading video game culture, spearheaded by the imageboard 4Chan) “celebrated” the threats and looked at Anita backing down from her speech as a victory on their part. Clearly, this amount of animosity towards women just having equal treatment in the video game industry is not only a sign of misogyny, but also a sign that women have a long way to go before they are “equal” in an industry that focuses on something as “simple” as virtual games. While the industry itself may be a complex and multifaceted subculture, it shouldn’t be rocket science to let women into that sphere without misogynic persecution.
To get a better understanding of the significance of these recent events, we can look at the original “Gamergate Scandal” when it first came to light (since it’s a prime example of everything “wrong” with misogynist video game culture). ”Gamergate is a sizable online community of [male] video game fans who are upset about growing criticisms of their favorite hobby, especially claims that today’s games often depict women in demeaning ways” (Parkin). The controversy began after an Australian indie game developer, Zoe Quinn, was “accused by her ex-boyfriend that she had a romantic relationship with Nathan Grayson, a journalist for the gaming news site, Kotaku” (Parkin). Because of this, people from Gamergate assumed that Quinn’s game was being reviewed favorably just because she had sexual relations with him. Rather than Grayson being called out for this (since he was the actual reviewer), Quinn was the one who was targeted. “Quinn was subjected to severe misogynistic harassment, including false accusations that the relationship had led to positive coverage of [her] game[...] a number of gaming industry members supportive of Quinn were also subjected to harassment, threats of violence, and the vicious broadcasting of personally identifiable information about them (doxxing)” (Parkin). Since Gamergate views the “issue” as being “ethical” regarding women covering video game reviews, they don’t see anything wrong with threatening people who call them out on being misogynist. To date, Intel “refuses” to associate themselves with Gamergate after they opened up a website and asked for advertisers (such as Intel) to sponsor them, and the Federal Bureau of investigation (FBI) is “still investigating” the original threats against Quinn (Consalvo).
To get a better understanding of the significance of these recent events, we can look at the original “Gamergate Scandal” when it first came to light (since it’s a prime example of everything “wrong” with misogynist video game culture). ”Gamergate is a sizable online community of [male] video game fans who are upset about growing criticisms of their favorite hobby, especially claims that today’s games often depict women in demeaning ways” (Parkin). The controversy began after an Australian indie game developer, Zoe Quinn, was “accused by her ex-boyfriend that she had a romantic relationship with Nathan Grayson, a journalist for the gaming news site, Kotaku” (Parkin). Because of this, people from Gamergate assumed that Quinn’s game was being reviewed favorably just because she had sexual relations with him. Rather than Grayson being called out for this (since he was the actual reviewer), Quinn was the one who was targeted. “Quinn was subjected to severe misogynistic harassment, including false accusations that the relationship had led to positive coverage of [her] game[...] a number of gaming industry members supportive of Quinn were also subjected to harassment, threats of violence, and the vicious broadcasting of personally identifiable information about them (doxxing)” (Parkin). Since Gamergate views the “issue” as being “ethical” regarding women covering video game reviews, they don’t see anything wrong with threatening people who call them out on being misogynist. To date, Intel “refuses” to associate themselves with Gamergate after they opened up a website and asked for advertisers (such as Intel) to sponsor them, and the Federal Bureau of investigation (FBI) is “still investigating” the original threats against Quinn (Consalvo).
MASCULINITY: THE “THREAT” OF FEMINISM IN VIDEO GAME CULTURE & VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
Regarding the mistreatment of women in the video game industry directly relates back to the male gamers themselves (even if they’re not necessarily from the Gamergate “movement”). ”The rage we see expressed by threatened individuals and groups seems to be based on at least two factors — sexist (as well as racist, homophobic and ageist) beliefs about the abilities and proper place of female players, and fears about the changing nature of the game industry” (Consalvo). Many (hardcore) male gamers belong to the “geek” culture, and as a result, have felt “put down” by significantly more masculine males (Murray 205). As a result, “these male gamers attempt to overcompensate and portray themselves as hyper-masculine to feel better about themselves, even at the expense of female players who have never meant them harm” (Consalvo). In this case, the term “masculine” can be defined as having “stereotypical” qualities traditionally associated with men (especially strength and aggressiveness). Since most games throughout the years have been catered to a primarily male audience, the males who play those games feel more masculine themselves. Games that would naturally make them feel more masculine would be Call of Duty (because of its focus on the military and “boys turning into men” through acts of warfare), Counter Strike, Titanfall, and the Halo series. By suddenly having this criticism of masculinity in games, the male gamers feel as if their own masculinity is being threatened. In addition, “for those [males] who have found refuge” in video games and the surrounding culture, the fear is that “[feminist] criticism is the first step toward censorship” (Parkin). These male players worry that the games will change because of this criticism of “misogynistic portrayals of women,” and that “they themselves” are also being accused of misogyny for liking said games (Parkin). While “women make up 52% of the overall video game maker (with 40% of that directly related to console games where male players are more prominent),” male players “feel threatened by the presence of women and feminist ideals in the ‘last’ environment where they can feel truly masculine” (Consalvo). Until these misogynist male players can understand that the presence of feminism and female gamers will not “undermine” their masculinity, women will continue to be treated with hostility in the video game industry.
In Tracy Dietz’s academic article, she examines how today’s video games that are being played by today’s youth “present an overwhelmingly traditional and negative portrayal of women, and “the development of gender identities and expectations among [male and female players] may be affected by these portrayals” (Dietz 426). For example, “girls may expect that they will continue to be victims and needy and that their responsibilities include maintaining beauty and sexual appeal,” while “boys may determine that their role is to protect and defend women, and to be possessive of them even through the use of violence” (Dietz 425). In other words, the people creating video games can have blame placed on them for the level of anti-feminist content in the gaming industry, as well. By creating these games to have such “traditional” values (looking at women as playthings for men to objectify), younger players are made especially impressionable: boys and girls “learn” stereotyped gender-roles from these games, leading to how men (and women) ultimately see femininity as being “weaker” than masculinity as they get older.
There is also the way women are portrayed within these actual games. Although there are some female characters who are portrayed as strong leads (such as Samus from Metroid Prime and Lora Croft from Tomb Raider), many more are portrayed in skimpy clothing and are inherently weak, over-sexualized characters. Overall, women are underrepresented in games. ”In a sample of 669 action, shooter, and role-playing games selected by EEDAR in 2012, only 24 (4%) had an exclusively female protagonist, and 300 (45%) provided the option of selecting one” (Consalvo). By not having the option to actually play as a woman character, players were forced to play as (often) hyper-masculinized male characters instead, and the female NPCs (non-player characters) located within the video game’s universe are objectified and hyper-feminine. We are left with characters like Princess Peach from Mario, who constantly need to be rescued and are shown as being completely weak and helpless without having a man to come and save her. In fact, it wasn’t until ten years ago that players were given the “option” to even play as a non-sexualized female character, in Pokémon Crystal (I remember this specifically because when I first got the game myself, this was all that anyone would talk about). Samus (from Metroid Prime) wasn’t even recognized as being a woman until Nintendo “officially” announced it. She wore armor that hid her sex, and many players were “upset” at the revelation she was a woman and “even tried to boycott the next generation of games in the series” (Dietz 428).
A disturbing trend of aggression towards women is also present in many video games as well. “Twenty-one percent of the games included some form of aggression or violence directed specifically at women. Typically these included the violent victimization of a woman that began the game” (Dietz 437). For example, in one of the first video games I ever played when I got my Nintendo64 in 2002 (Gex 3: Deep Cover Gecko), the introduction shows that you have to rescue Agent Extra: a sexy, spandex-clad blonde who is the player character’s spunky girlfriend. She is violently kidnapped at the beginning of the game and is supposedly being kept against her will in a dungeon by a terrifying monster of a villain. Another example “includes the [violent] abduction of the princess in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (1985)” (Dietz 438). Games like Grand Theft Auto have entire quest lines where you have to pick up prostitutes, murder them, and then hide their bodies. ”Even those games that are not based upon violence often have violent components,” like “one way for the paper carrier in Paper Boy 2 (1992) to earn points is to throw a paper and hit a woman who is sunbathing” (Dietz 437). In many of the earlier Grand Theft Auto games, you could get dialogue perks and/or points for talking horribly to women that you would not get talking to male characters. Overall, there is definitely an element of violence directed at women in video games that is not always directed at all at men.
When looking at all these elements put together, it’s no wonder that women are still struggling with sexism and battling gender-norms in the video game industry. Women are negatively represented in video games and the video game industry overall, but despite this, efforts are being made so women can receive equal treatment in this and increasingly popular media. People like Anita Sarkeesian, Mia Consalvo, Tracy Dietz, and Janet Murray (although she focuses more on the general “cyberdrama” aspect of gaming) are just some of the more notable voices who have been speaking out about inequalities women face within the industry’s workings. The actual video game players themselves are also speaking up, too: male and female alike. The voices of these gamers wanting more feminist themes in the games they play haven’t gone unheard, either. Many game designers and writers have taken these wants into account, finally beginning to translate them into the games they design: three of the most notable examples being Portal 2, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, and the Dead Space series.
Regarding the mistreatment of women in the video game industry directly relates back to the male gamers themselves (even if they’re not necessarily from the Gamergate “movement”). ”The rage we see expressed by threatened individuals and groups seems to be based on at least two factors — sexist (as well as racist, homophobic and ageist) beliefs about the abilities and proper place of female players, and fears about the changing nature of the game industry” (Consalvo). Many (hardcore) male gamers belong to the “geek” culture, and as a result, have felt “put down” by significantly more masculine males (Murray 205). As a result, “these male gamers attempt to overcompensate and portray themselves as hyper-masculine to feel better about themselves, even at the expense of female players who have never meant them harm” (Consalvo). In this case, the term “masculine” can be defined as having “stereotypical” qualities traditionally associated with men (especially strength and aggressiveness). Since most games throughout the years have been catered to a primarily male audience, the males who play those games feel more masculine themselves. Games that would naturally make them feel more masculine would be Call of Duty (because of its focus on the military and “boys turning into men” through acts of warfare), Counter Strike, Titanfall, and the Halo series. By suddenly having this criticism of masculinity in games, the male gamers feel as if their own masculinity is being threatened. In addition, “for those [males] who have found refuge” in video games and the surrounding culture, the fear is that “[feminist] criticism is the first step toward censorship” (Parkin). These male players worry that the games will change because of this criticism of “misogynistic portrayals of women,” and that “they themselves” are also being accused of misogyny for liking said games (Parkin). While “women make up 52% of the overall video game maker (with 40% of that directly related to console games where male players are more prominent),” male players “feel threatened by the presence of women and feminist ideals in the ‘last’ environment where they can feel truly masculine” (Consalvo). Until these misogynist male players can understand that the presence of feminism and female gamers will not “undermine” their masculinity, women will continue to be treated with hostility in the video game industry.
In Tracy Dietz’s academic article, she examines how today’s video games that are being played by today’s youth “present an overwhelmingly traditional and negative portrayal of women, and “the development of gender identities and expectations among [male and female players] may be affected by these portrayals” (Dietz 426). For example, “girls may expect that they will continue to be victims and needy and that their responsibilities include maintaining beauty and sexual appeal,” while “boys may determine that their role is to protect and defend women, and to be possessive of them even through the use of violence” (Dietz 425). In other words, the people creating video games can have blame placed on them for the level of anti-feminist content in the gaming industry, as well. By creating these games to have such “traditional” values (looking at women as playthings for men to objectify), younger players are made especially impressionable: boys and girls “learn” stereotyped gender-roles from these games, leading to how men (and women) ultimately see femininity as being “weaker” than masculinity as they get older.
There is also the way women are portrayed within these actual games. Although there are some female characters who are portrayed as strong leads (such as Samus from Metroid Prime and Lora Croft from Tomb Raider), many more are portrayed in skimpy clothing and are inherently weak, over-sexualized characters. Overall, women are underrepresented in games. ”In a sample of 669 action, shooter, and role-playing games selected by EEDAR in 2012, only 24 (4%) had an exclusively female protagonist, and 300 (45%) provided the option of selecting one” (Consalvo). By not having the option to actually play as a woman character, players were forced to play as (often) hyper-masculinized male characters instead, and the female NPCs (non-player characters) located within the video game’s universe are objectified and hyper-feminine. We are left with characters like Princess Peach from Mario, who constantly need to be rescued and are shown as being completely weak and helpless without having a man to come and save her. In fact, it wasn’t until ten years ago that players were given the “option” to even play as a non-sexualized female character, in Pokémon Crystal (I remember this specifically because when I first got the game myself, this was all that anyone would talk about). Samus (from Metroid Prime) wasn’t even recognized as being a woman until Nintendo “officially” announced it. She wore armor that hid her sex, and many players were “upset” at the revelation she was a woman and “even tried to boycott the next generation of games in the series” (Dietz 428).
A disturbing trend of aggression towards women is also present in many video games as well. “Twenty-one percent of the games included some form of aggression or violence directed specifically at women. Typically these included the violent victimization of a woman that began the game” (Dietz 437). For example, in one of the first video games I ever played when I got my Nintendo64 in 2002 (Gex 3: Deep Cover Gecko), the introduction shows that you have to rescue Agent Extra: a sexy, spandex-clad blonde who is the player character’s spunky girlfriend. She is violently kidnapped at the beginning of the game and is supposedly being kept against her will in a dungeon by a terrifying monster of a villain. Another example “includes the [violent] abduction of the princess in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (1985)” (Dietz 438). Games like Grand Theft Auto have entire quest lines where you have to pick up prostitutes, murder them, and then hide their bodies. ”Even those games that are not based upon violence often have violent components,” like “one way for the paper carrier in Paper Boy 2 (1992) to earn points is to throw a paper and hit a woman who is sunbathing” (Dietz 437). In many of the earlier Grand Theft Auto games, you could get dialogue perks and/or points for talking horribly to women that you would not get talking to male characters. Overall, there is definitely an element of violence directed at women in video games that is not always directed at all at men.
When looking at all these elements put together, it’s no wonder that women are still struggling with sexism and battling gender-norms in the video game industry. Women are negatively represented in video games and the video game industry overall, but despite this, efforts are being made so women can receive equal treatment in this and increasingly popular media. People like Anita Sarkeesian, Mia Consalvo, Tracy Dietz, and Janet Murray (although she focuses more on the general “cyberdrama” aspect of gaming) are just some of the more notable voices who have been speaking out about inequalities women face within the industry’s workings. The actual video game players themselves are also speaking up, too: male and female alike. The voices of these gamers wanting more feminist themes in the games they play haven’t gone unheard, either. Many game designers and writers have taken these wants into account, finally beginning to translate them into the games they design: three of the most notable examples being Portal 2, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, and the Dead Space series.
FEMINISM IN CURRENT VIDEO GAMES (1/3): CHELL AND GLaDOS FROM PORTAL
One of my favorite female protagonists from more recent games is Chell, from the Portal series. Alternatively, GLaDOS is one of my favorite female antagonists.
Chell, documented as Test Subject #1 (although her actual ranking in “official” Aperture Laboratory documents in canon is #1498), was a test subject of the Aperture Science computer-aided Enrichment Center, and was involved in the testing of the Company’s Handheld Portal Device (commonly known as the Portal Gun, for which the series gets its name). She is the silent protagonist of Portal and the single-player campaign in Portal 2. Very little is known of her past, beyond her possible abandonment at birth and her stubborn will to live. Throughout the series, Chell is antagonized by the AI and facility overseer GLaDOS during her testing courses. Wielding only the Portal Gun, she eventually utilizes this device as a means of avoiding hazards and bypassing various sections of the laboratory in order to escape.
As a female character, Chell’s traits aren’t overly sexualized at all. In fact, her being female is almost never brought by GLaDOS (except for when she tries to put Chell down for her weight during a certain level in Portal 2, repeatedly calling her “fatty” and telling her to be careful on spring boards that can only handle a “certain” weight limit). Like any other test subject, Chell is expected to perform all the experiment “levels” as well as any male. Chell’s endurance, strength, and aggressive willpower to resist GLaDOS’ taunts can almost be looked at as stereotypically masculine. Because of this, Chell is an “equal” to men in terms of her masculinity, which is why she’s a great feminine character: by making herself “equal” to men through her masculine traits, Chell comes across as a strong character while still not “overshadowing” her physical feminine traits at first glance.
Alternatively, GLaDOS is also portrayed with little (if any) sexual-context at all. In fact, as an antagonist, GLaDOS’ presence is much more menacing than anything else: something that most female characters don’t “truly” have. GLaDOS is an artificially intelligent computer in the Portal series, responsible for testing and maintenance in the Aperture Science research facility. While she initially appears to be a friendly voice programmed to guide and aid the player in the first Portal game, her words and actions become increasingly malicious until she makes her intentions clear. The game reveals that she became corrupted and used a neurotoxin to kill all the other scientists and test subjects in the lab before the events of Portal, and female characters are usually never portrayed as being this vicious or insane. Even though GLaDOS is “traditionally” sexless as a computer, she still comes across as feminine because of her voice and some of her dialogue choices. Rather than abuse Chell with physical blows, she assaults her with insults and words (like calling her fat and saying that her parents abandoned her because she was an undesirable daughter): something that is much “cleaner” and much more feminine in approach. Despite this femininity, she is the most feared A.I. in Aperture Science’s laboratory due to her ruthless nature, which in context, is much more masculine. Overall, GLaDOS is one of my favorite antagonists (and feminist icon, come to think about it) because she shows that you don’t need to be sneaky or backstabbing to be a good female villain: you can be just as ruthless and brutal as the boys, if not even more so.
FEMINISM IN CURRENT VIDEO GAMES (2/3): THE DRAGONBORN & SKYRIM
Another video game character that embodies feminism in video games is the Dragonborn (nameable by the player). The Last Dragonborn, (translated from Dovahkiin in Skyrim’s Dragon Tongue), is the player character and main protagonist of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and its DLC expansions. In the in-game lore, the appearance of the Last Dragonborn was prophesied on Alduin’s Wall, a large wall carving found within the Sky Haven Temple. It depicts several events that would preface the return Skyrim’s Nordic god of destruction, Alduin. The prophecy itself is dire, but scholars believed that its omens had been fulfilled and that a single individual, the Dragonborn, gifted with the same incredible powers held by the dragons themselves, would rise to fight against Alduin and assure Tamriel’s survival. Alduin finally returns in the Fourth Era, but as the prophecy foretold, he is defeated in a battle with the Last Dragonborn: regardless of the Dragonborn’s sex.
What makes Skyrim special in terms of its gameplay and feminist outlook is the fact that the Dragonborn character can be either male or female: and regardless of their chosen sex, the gameplay and game-mechanics for the player does not change. A female character can be a monstrous werewolf, berserker-type character and be as strong as any male counterpart, if not stronger. The treatment of the character does not change significantly either, aside from NPCs (i.e. non-playable characters) refer to the player with appropriate pronouns. Male and female characters alike may receive jabs from other characters based on their sex too, but these are usually non-explicitly sexual in detail (i.e. a male NPC flirting with a female character and vice versa). Because choosing between a female or male character is purely for aesthetic reasons, it’s a great feminist game because female characters are viewed as completely equal to men while still maintaining their femininity. Alternatively, male players can choose to play as male Dragon who is not hyper-masculinized. Instead of choosing to be a heavy-armor wearing character specializing in two-handed weapons, they can play as more “feminine” thieves or mages.
Unlike previous Elder Scrolls games, Skyrim also introduced the new game mechanic of marriage (where a player character can choose to marry an NPC and even adopt children). On top of allowing players to marry NPCs the same sex as their character, the NPCs available to be married have varying masculine and feminine traits regardless of their sex. For example, a character available for marriage, Borgakh the Steel Heart, is a very “masculine,” orc woman. Borgakh is an Orc warrior and potential. During the day she can be found using the training dummy, and she wears heavy armor, including heavy boots and heavy gauntlets. Her preferred weapon is also a sword, which she uses extremely well: making her a potentially deadly opponent for under leveled players if they make her hostile. Alternatively, players can also choose to marry Derkeethus, a meek, feminine Argonian man who immediately requires you to rescue him when you first meet him. Derkeethus prefers to wield bow weapons and wears light armor, although he’s usually the first to run away in a fight. Either way, the Dragonborn can choose to marry a wide array of characters regardless of how masculine or feminine they are. Female characters can marry hyper-masculine characters and have them be “stay at home dads” for any adopted children, or male characters can marry seemingly feminine wives who can become fearsome partners in combat.
Skyrim’s government is also run by Jarls. These Jarls control different Holds in the country, and several of these Jarls are actually women, such as Jarl Elisif the Fair, who can become High Queen of Skyrim if you choose to side with the Imperials during the Civil War quest line. The Jarls also have bodyguards known as Housecarls, and two of the more fearsome ones are Irileth and Lydia: both of them women.
In short, Skyrim has no qualms when it comes to characters that don’t fit stereotypical, archetypical gender roles. There is a mix of characters with both masculine and feminine traits, and it never ones takes away from the game in a way that is painfully obvious.
Another video game character that embodies feminism in video games is the Dragonborn (nameable by the player). The Last Dragonborn, (translated from Dovahkiin in Skyrim’s Dragon Tongue), is the player character and main protagonist of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and its DLC expansions. In the in-game lore, the appearance of the Last Dragonborn was prophesied on Alduin’s Wall, a large wall carving found within the Sky Haven Temple. It depicts several events that would preface the return Skyrim’s Nordic god of destruction, Alduin. The prophecy itself is dire, but scholars believed that its omens had been fulfilled and that a single individual, the Dragonborn, gifted with the same incredible powers held by the dragons themselves, would rise to fight against Alduin and assure Tamriel’s survival. Alduin finally returns in the Fourth Era, but as the prophecy foretold, he is defeated in a battle with the Last Dragonborn: regardless of the Dragonborn’s sex.
What makes Skyrim special in terms of its gameplay and feminist outlook is the fact that the Dragonborn character can be either male or female: and regardless of their chosen sex, the gameplay and game-mechanics for the player does not change. A female character can be a monstrous werewolf, berserker-type character and be as strong as any male counterpart, if not stronger. The treatment of the character does not change significantly either, aside from NPCs (i.e. non-playable characters) refer to the player with appropriate pronouns. Male and female characters alike may receive jabs from other characters based on their sex too, but these are usually non-explicitly sexual in detail (i.e. a male NPC flirting with a female character and vice versa). Because choosing between a female or male character is purely for aesthetic reasons, it’s a great feminist game because female characters are viewed as completely equal to men while still maintaining their femininity. Alternatively, male players can choose to play as male Dragon who is not hyper-masculinized. Instead of choosing to be a heavy-armor wearing character specializing in two-handed weapons, they can play as more “feminine” thieves or mages.
Unlike previous Elder Scrolls games, Skyrim also introduced the new game mechanic of marriage (where a player character can choose to marry an NPC and even adopt children). On top of allowing players to marry NPCs the same sex as their character, the NPCs available to be married have varying masculine and feminine traits regardless of their sex. For example, a character available for marriage, Borgakh the Steel Heart, is a very “masculine,” orc woman. Borgakh is an Orc warrior and potential. During the day she can be found using the training dummy, and she wears heavy armor, including heavy boots and heavy gauntlets. Her preferred weapon is also a sword, which she uses extremely well: making her a potentially deadly opponent for under leveled players if they make her hostile. Alternatively, players can also choose to marry Derkeethus, a meek, feminine Argonian man who immediately requires you to rescue him when you first meet him. Derkeethus prefers to wield bow weapons and wears light armor, although he’s usually the first to run away in a fight. Either way, the Dragonborn can choose to marry a wide array of characters regardless of how masculine or feminine they are. Female characters can marry hyper-masculine characters and have them be “stay at home dads” for any adopted children, or male characters can marry seemingly feminine wives who can become fearsome partners in combat.
Skyrim’s government is also run by Jarls. These Jarls control different Holds in the country, and several of these Jarls are actually women, such as Jarl Elisif the Fair, who can become High Queen of Skyrim if you choose to side with the Imperials during the Civil War quest line. The Jarls also have bodyguards known as Housecarls, and two of the more fearsome ones are Irileth and Lydia: both of them women.
In short, Skyrim has no qualms when it comes to characters that don’t fit stereotypical, archetypical gender roles. There is a mix of characters with both masculine and feminine traits, and it never ones takes away from the game in a way that is painfully obvious.
FEMINISM IN CURRENT VIDEO GAMES (3/3): ELLIE LANGFORD FROM DEAD SPACE
Seeing as Dead Space is one of my favorite cyberdramas of all time, it would be pretty irresponsible of me not to mention Ellie Langford. Ellie is one of the survivors of the Necromorph outbreak aboard The Sprawl in Dead Space 2, and although first she appears to be replacement love interest for Isaac Clarke’s (the player character’s) first girlfriend, Nicole, Ellie is so much more than that.
When we first meet Ellie in Dead Space 2, she is reluctant to trust anyone. In fact, she almost shoots and kills the player character when they first meet. She’s completely aware that he’s human, but she still doesn’t trust him. During the initial spread of the Necromorph outbreak, Ellie’s group (including her boyfriend Kaleb and other workers from their shift) fought their way through the CEC Facility to reach the Government Sector for help. The group’s number dwindled as they struggled to find a way out of the facility until only Ellie and Kaleb remained. Apparently injured, Kaleb chose to sacrifice himself, acting as the last line of defense to allow Ellie a chance to escape: whereupon she runs into Isaac. As a result of all the turmoil she went through, she finds it extremely hard to be trusting of others and prefers to work alone.
On top of her stubborn and almost Chell-like (and masculine) will to survive, Ellie Langford served as a Class IV Heavy Equipment Pilot under the employment of the Concordance Extraction Corporation. Although Dead Space takes place in the year 2500, the game’s audience still lives in a society where women are not seen as being able to perform heavy maintenance jobs. Ellie breaks this stereotype readily, being a miner and a heavy machinery pilot for a major mining corporation. That, and Ellie herself is not portrayed as a weak, stereotypical love interest. She is loud, boisterous, and just as capable of fighting the Necromorphs as Isaac Clarke. She also loses her eye in one scene and has to wear an eye patch for the rest of the game, and although she looks “less” beautiful and feminine, she still retains her femininity while still being a tough-as-nails survivor. In one particular scene of Dead Space 2, she also commandeers a massive drill in the Titan Mines, using it to punch a hole in the Government Sector of The Sprawl. Piloting a piece of digging equipment that destructive and that masculine hardly seems like something a female character would do, but Ellie manages to do so while still being a distinctly feminine character.
Seeing as Dead Space is one of my favorite cyberdramas of all time, it would be pretty irresponsible of me not to mention Ellie Langford. Ellie is one of the survivors of the Necromorph outbreak aboard The Sprawl in Dead Space 2, and although first she appears to be replacement love interest for Isaac Clarke’s (the player character’s) first girlfriend, Nicole, Ellie is so much more than that.
When we first meet Ellie in Dead Space 2, she is reluctant to trust anyone. In fact, she almost shoots and kills the player character when they first meet. She’s completely aware that he’s human, but she still doesn’t trust him. During the initial spread of the Necromorph outbreak, Ellie’s group (including her boyfriend Kaleb and other workers from their shift) fought their way through the CEC Facility to reach the Government Sector for help. The group’s number dwindled as they struggled to find a way out of the facility until only Ellie and Kaleb remained. Apparently injured, Kaleb chose to sacrifice himself, acting as the last line of defense to allow Ellie a chance to escape: whereupon she runs into Isaac. As a result of all the turmoil she went through, she finds it extremely hard to be trusting of others and prefers to work alone.
On top of her stubborn and almost Chell-like (and masculine) will to survive, Ellie Langford served as a Class IV Heavy Equipment Pilot under the employment of the Concordance Extraction Corporation. Although Dead Space takes place in the year 2500, the game’s audience still lives in a society where women are not seen as being able to perform heavy maintenance jobs. Ellie breaks this stereotype readily, being a miner and a heavy machinery pilot for a major mining corporation. That, and Ellie herself is not portrayed as a weak, stereotypical love interest. She is loud, boisterous, and just as capable of fighting the Necromorphs as Isaac Clarke. She also loses her eye in one scene and has to wear an eye patch for the rest of the game, and although she looks “less” beautiful and feminine, she still retains her femininity while still being a tough-as-nails survivor. In one particular scene of Dead Space 2, she also commandeers a massive drill in the Titan Mines, using it to punch a hole in the Government Sector of The Sprawl. Piloting a piece of digging equipment that destructive and that masculine hardly seems like something a female character would do, but Ellie manages to do so while still being a distinctly feminine character.
PROGRESS?
Many groups of players have started petitioning companies to include more female characters who are not directly supposed to be sex-objects. While there has been some resistance on part of the game companies (Ubisoft received criticism last year for not wanting to include female assassins in their game Assassin’s Creed because women are “too hard to animate”), many more game studios are embracing feminism in video games. Halo introduced the ability to play as female soldiers shy of just a few years ago, and games like Fallout 3 and Skyrim (two of my personal favorites) allow you to play as a female main character who isn’t over-sexualized or portrayed as a sex-objects. These women are portrayed as strong and capable fighters rather than damsels in distress—and more and more games like these are coming out and becoming available to play.
In her article “Cyberdrama and potential for youth engagement”, Sue Davis points out how youth engagement is undeniably important to the video game industry. “This generation [of young people] is the first to grow up with digital technology as part of their casual, everyday lives. Today’s youth will continue to innovate and create new artistic forms in response to the contexts and technologies they encounter, too. Drama experienced through mediated forms on the internet — or cyberdrama — is a field that offers great potential and which, in many ways, is only just starting to be explored[...] video games are becoming less about who plays them and more about how they are played, and the experience of pleasure when a player immerses themselves in the game world” (Davis 10). As younger generations of people are being born into an increasingly digital world, video games are becoming “normal” and less gender-biased. In other words, the experience of playing a video game or engaging in a cyberdrama is less and less stereotyped for “just men.” Just like how it became socially acceptable for women to wear pants, be the breadwinners of their household, or vote, it is becoming socially acceptable for women to play video games without conflict just like men. As this happens, female players will begin to experience less and less misogyny in the industry: because now game companies can’t just pander to the older, male-dominated gaming generation without excluding the younger market.
As this happens, more male players are becoming accepting of women being in the gaming sphere... however, there are still many problems to get over until women can have full equality in this area. Although women represent 52% of the video game industry’s income, they still face sexism and unequal treatment based on their sex, regardless as to whether they female players or female characters within the games themselves—and until these issues can be addressed, nothing will change.
Many groups of players have started petitioning companies to include more female characters who are not directly supposed to be sex-objects. While there has been some resistance on part of the game companies (Ubisoft received criticism last year for not wanting to include female assassins in their game Assassin’s Creed because women are “too hard to animate”), many more game studios are embracing feminism in video games. Halo introduced the ability to play as female soldiers shy of just a few years ago, and games like Fallout 3 and Skyrim (two of my personal favorites) allow you to play as a female main character who isn’t over-sexualized or portrayed as a sex-objects. These women are portrayed as strong and capable fighters rather than damsels in distress—and more and more games like these are coming out and becoming available to play.
In her article “Cyberdrama and potential for youth engagement”, Sue Davis points out how youth engagement is undeniably important to the video game industry. “This generation [of young people] is the first to grow up with digital technology as part of their casual, everyday lives. Today’s youth will continue to innovate and create new artistic forms in response to the contexts and technologies they encounter, too. Drama experienced through mediated forms on the internet — or cyberdrama — is a field that offers great potential and which, in many ways, is only just starting to be explored[...] video games are becoming less about who plays them and more about how they are played, and the experience of pleasure when a player immerses themselves in the game world” (Davis 10). As younger generations of people are being born into an increasingly digital world, video games are becoming “normal” and less gender-biased. In other words, the experience of playing a video game or engaging in a cyberdrama is less and less stereotyped for “just men.” Just like how it became socially acceptable for women to wear pants, be the breadwinners of their household, or vote, it is becoming socially acceptable for women to play video games without conflict just like men. As this happens, female players will begin to experience less and less misogyny in the industry: because now game companies can’t just pander to the older, male-dominated gaming generation without excluding the younger market.
As this happens, more male players are becoming accepting of women being in the gaming sphere... however, there are still many problems to get over until women can have full equality in this area. Although women represent 52% of the video game industry’s income, they still face sexism and unequal treatment based on their sex, regardless as to whether they female players or female characters within the games themselves—and until these issues can be addressed, nothing will change.
Works Cited
Consalvo, Mia. “Confronting Toxic Gamer Culture: A Challenge for Feminist Game Studies Scholars.” Ada: A Journal of Gender New Media and Technology. 2014. Web. <http://adanewmedia.org/2012/11/issue1-consalvo/> Davis, Sue. Cyberdrama and potential for youth engagement. Queensland: Youth Theatre Journal, 2011. Print. Dietz, Tracey L. An Examination of Violence and Gender Role Portrayals in Video Games: Implications for Gender Socialization and Aggressive Behavior (Against Women). New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 1998. Volume 38, Issue 5, page(s) 425-442. Print. Murray, Janet H. Hamlet on the Holodeck. New York: The MIT Press, 1998. Print. Parkin, Simon. “Gamergate: A Scandal Erupts in the Video-Game Community.” New Yorker. Web. 18 Dec. 2014. <http://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/gamergate-scandal-erupts-video-game-community>. |