Good read. I mostly am sick of this being seen as an us versus them mentality on both sides and just wish people would listen to the points each side has instead of throwing out terms like sexism and misogyny. Basically, the rest of the internet just needs to be more like Pixlbit.
Women and gaming: My perspective
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 On 08/27/2013 at 08:44 PM by Ranger1 See More From This User » |
Since the subject of women and gaming is all over the internet these days, I figured “what the heck, why not?” and I'm going to weigh in on it once and for all.
Let me introduce myself. I am a gamer who happens to be female. I'm also 44 years old and have been gaming since I was 13, so not new to gaming. My favorite genres are RPGs and adventure games, but I like platformers, third-person shooters if there's a decent story involved, and some racing games. I play casual games and enjoy them in the evening after work because they allow me to relax and get my thoughts in order without having to really think about what I'm doing. I have only once succumbed to the lure of Facebook games, and felt a) cheated, and b) slightly soiled afterward. I'm a park ranger and my primary focus at the park I work at is maintenance. This is still a male-dominated field, by the way. So keep all that in mind while reading, because it has a lot to do with my viewpoint on the subject at hand.
I will come right out and say that Anita Sarkeesian, although she has some very valid points, annoys the living shit out of me. Not because she's pointing a huge finger at the industry and calling them out, but because I don't feel she's really sincere about making positive changes in the industry. I think she's out to make a name for herself and she picked games to do it because they're an easy target.
Do I think there need to be changes made in the way women are represented in games? Absolutely. Do I think it will happen? You bet. Does the industry itself need to change? Oh, yeah, big time. Am I horribly upset with the way things are at the moment? Yes and no. I'll explain that a little further down.
Gaming is experiencing some growing pains at the moment. More women are playing games, or at least admitting to playing games, now than in previous decades. What used to be perceived as the pastime of teenage boys and losers who lived in their parents' basements is now mainstream. And there is nothing wrong with that. There is also nothing wrong with the industry changing to meet the expectations of a broader audience. Just because I've grown up playing with the boys and can hold my own and am usually not easily offended doesn't mean that younger women should have to do the same. And if they want to see changes made, then they are going to have to be the ones to make them. And I am confident that they will. More girls are becoming interested in game design, and as they do, more women will be involved, and the more women who are involved, the more they will change things. Hopefully for the better.
The big issue I have with the raging “debate” that is going on now is the misuse of the term “misogyny”. Misogyny is hatred of women. Many people who use the term misogyny really mean objectification. And there is certainly plenty of that in games, trust me. From the overly-endowed characters like Lara Croft in the earlier games to the ridiculous proportions of the Sorceress in Dragon's Crown, to the scantily-clad female characters in many Japanese RPGs, there is an abundance of cheap thrills to be had. I laugh at them, but I can see where many woman feel offended. I've gotten to the point where I don't really notice it in games anymore, but I do notice the fact that there are tons of themes for the PS3 dashboard with extremely sexualized near-naked women to choose from, and not one near-naked Chippendale-like guy. In other words: plenty of cheesecake to be had, but the menu is empty of beefcake. Not exactly fair now, is it? Not that I really have any desire for my own bit of eye candy on my PS3 dashboard, but it does make a statement for the industry, and frankly not a very flattering one.
As for misogyny, I really don't see much in terms of games themselves, but some male gamers certainly have misogynistic tendencies. The “go make me a sandwich” mentality is annoying, the name calling is worse, and the antics that I've heard that go on in Playstation Home have made sure that I have yet to ever even enter Home. Essentially, I don't play online with people I don't know because I have no desire to deal with that crap. But it is a minority, I'm sure. I only met two guys on 1up in the long time I was active on the site that ever acted in a misogynistic manner, and it has never happened on Pixlbit. Maybe I'm sheltered, but I have a feeling it's like with everything else in life, a few people are noticeably assholes and give a lot of other people a bad name in the process.
The idea of the princess being rescued by the prince (or the plumber, as the case may be), is only an issue if you see it as one. It's an ancient archetype of a story and is found in just about every culture. I'm not bothered by it, and there are stories out there being told in books, movies and games where the girl does save the boy. Mulan may be my favorite Disney animated movie because of that. And there are many strong female protagonists in games right now. Jade from Beyond Good and Evil, April Ryan from The Longest Journey, Samus Aran from Metroid to name just a few from games that I've played or know a lot about. The games exist, we just need to play them and let developers and publishers know that this is what we want. Change doesn't get made unless the powers that be see a need for it, especially when big business is involved.
Hopefully this rambling mess made sense, it's taken me a week to write and I'm still not sure if I got everything that I meant to say out. I know the topic is a touchy one at the moment, but I felt that maybe a woman's take on it might be needed.
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