Women in Video Games by Alyssa L.

          As a young girl I grew up on video games. Every Sunday my brother and I spent countless hours playing NES and SNES, and eventually we moved on to Gameboys and newer systems. I was constantly playing male protagonists, whether it was Mario saving Princess Peach or the Ninja Turtles saving April. It really never bothered me; I would just name my male characters with my own name. I specifically remember the first time in the Pokemon series where you were able to choose between a male and female protagonist, July of 2001. I remember being overly excited that I could be a female in a game I loved and not be treated differently, as in the stories are the same.

           I recently stumbled upon a video that addresses the trope of females in video games. Anita Sarkeesian explains how the trope of the Damsel in Distress is perpetuated in video games and affects the real world.  Anita explains that, “As a trope the damsel in distress is a plot device in which a female character is placed in a perilous situation from which she cannot escape on her own and must be rescued by a male character, usually providing a core incentive or motivation for the protagonist’s quest” (Damsel in Distress (Part 1) Tropes vs Women).

I believe that kids playing video games pick up these manufactured stereotypes. Boys can learn that women need saving and you can re-enforce your masculinity by saving a damsel in distress. It shows that women cannot defend themselves nor can they handle intense situations. Video games can be just as effective as other types of popular media.

And if there are playable and powerful female characters, they are almost always scantily clad. A great example is Street Fighter. Characters like Chun Li, Cammy and other who were added later in the series, are clothed scarcely. Both character designs focus on the chest and butt, Cammy is wearing a leotard, with a thong. What army official frolics around in a leotard, let alone a thong? It is the complete opposite of practical, and is only there to over sexualize her character. Now don’t get me wrong, Chun Li is probably my favorite character, and totally kicks butt. Practicality is compromised for sexuality and skin.

               A game that tried to combat the typical depictions of females, was called Beyond Good and Evil. It was published by Ubisoft and released in 2003. I actually never got a chance to play this but the appeal of a female lead was alluring. The main character Jade is an investigative reporter and martial artist who is part of a resistance movement to reveal a conspiracy. So she is no Princess Peach, clearly she can handle herself, breaking the damsel in distress trope. Unfortunately the game never quite took of and was considered a commercial failure. Although it went on to win a Game of the Year award. Huh, weird right, a game with a strong female lead, and nobody buys it. Of course games like this are going to be hard to advertise, especially when young boys can play Dead or Alive, and watch women in bikinis, very very tiny bikinis, jump around. We need more games like this, that don’t over sexualize women, and treat them the same as any male characters. Mirriors Edge, where the main character Faith uses parkour to travel through a skyscraper landscape. This can be compared to Beyond Good and Evil, both have female leads with physical abilities, and going against authority.

            Naomi Wolf tells us that, “women are allowed a mind or a body but not both,” which supports the damsel in distress trope. They are made to look stupid, but incredibly beautiful which is why the male protagonist is after them. Also it perpetuates patriarchy, the male winning and receiving the woman as a prize. The men are in power, and doing the actions, while the females are waiting to be acted upon.

     We can continue to break the female character stereotypes, but our society needs to be more open to games which present a female as a strong, confident, independent, and maybe beautiful in a non conventional way. I could go on and on of all the examples I have personally experienced, and the right a wrong moves designers and developers are making. Hopefully this changes alongside our culture!