With physics breaking chests and outfits made with the same material as condoms, women are certainly not portrayed accurately or appropriately. However, a great deal of men like to argue that their gender is also inaccurately portrayed. While this may be true, there is a great difference between objectification and idealization.
Video game developers openly admit that their target audience is men, so they will give the images men want to see. And this is where the differentiation between the portrayals of both genders occurs. Because the intention is to please men, the portrayal of men is idealized for what men wish they could be: muscular, brave, the hero, etc. On the other end of the spectrum is how women are portrayed, which is objectified for the pleasure of men. Women tend to be the overtly sexual but personality deficient hero’s help, the damsel in distress, or the evil that must be destroyed. None of these character types are anything I would want to be. Even if a woman seems powerful, she is there for a man’s eyes, thus causing the physics condom outfits and physics breaking chests.
Why does this matter if men are the one’s playing video games? Because men are not the sole players of games. In fact, women comprise almost half of the amount of video gamers out there, shown in the graphic below. It is clear that women are playing the games and seeing these horrible images of what their gender is supposed to look like, according to developers. Women really need to be more outspoken about this injustice, like Anita Sarkeesian is.
Video game developers should really strive for more equality in their game representations, for both men and women. Now I offer this option: either make women more realistic/ equal to men or keep them objectified, but if you choose the latter I better see some physics breaking features on men to make up to the difference (which I’m pretty sure no one wants to actually see). You make the call developers.
Is it getting better? In fact it is. Look at Lara Croft’s evolution. Look at the Overwatch characters. It is getting better, but the battle isn’t over.
I agree. And I also think that what Chocolate Mama said makes all the sense. To have a friendly male mode and a friendly female mode would also be a solution. But, I don’t think the environment is going to change any time soon. I’d love if it changed quickly though… sigh.
There has been progression. And different modes is a good solution. It helps that games like the Last of Us is soooo popular and not sexualized at all
Love it! I’m a video gamer girl for sure!! I always thought that developers should make the same exact game, but change the look by having a “MODE” where the characters change. People could play in Male friendly mode (for men) and female friendly mode (for women) This would be the easiest thing ever!
Huzzah! <3