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KatieHaynes
Ms.Grant
UWRT1101
02/11/2015
SameWhiteDude,DifferentGame
Ihavealwayslovedvideogames.Icomefromafamilyoffivewithoneolder
sisterandthreeolderbrothers.Myoldestbrotherwasawayatbootcamp,thenlivinglife
intheMarines,soheneverreallygotthechancetoinfluencemylife.Ididgrowupwith
myothertwobrothersandthroughthemgainedaloveofvideogames.Mydesiretofit
inledmetoplaythegamesthemselvesledmetokeepplaying.AsIgrewupIbeganto
realizethatmostvideogameswereactuallynotthatdifferent.Inevergotinto
Callof
Duty
becauseIhadfiguredoutthrough
CounterStrike
thatIwasntverygoodat
shootinggames,butIdidplay
Halo
fortheplot,withthehelpofmyolderbrothers.AsI
continuedtoplaymorevariedgameslike
Bioshock
,the
GrandTheftAuto
games,
Red
DeadRedemption
,
Fable
,
SplinterCell
,Ibegantowonderwhyareallofthese
charactersthatImplayingwhitemen?Isitthatwomendontplaygames?Surelynot,
sinceIknewplentyofwomenotherthanmyselfwhoplayed.Wasitbecauseonlywhite
peopleplayedvideogames?No,Iknewthatwasntrighteither.So,becauseIlovedthe
videogamesthatIplayed,Ibegantoobserveandaskquestionsofthecompaniesthat
madethemandthegamerswhoplayedthem.
Ithasbeenmyobservationasanavidfemalegamerthatmostgamesand
developerstendtocatertotheirwhitemaleaudience.AmIextrasensitivetoitbecause

Imafeministandheavilyinvolvedinsocialjusticeorismyobservationbasedinfact
beyondmysupposedsensitivity?NotonlyhaveIseenvideogamescatertothewhite
malesoftheiraudience,theydoitwhileignoring,insulting,ormerelypretendingtocare
abouttheirfemaleplayers.Meanwhile,theychangenothingwithintheactualgames
theyproduce.Isthereanyrealrepresentationforfemalesandpeopleofcolorinvideo
gamesbeyondscantilycladwomenusedprimarilyassexobjectsoraccessoriesto
forwardtheplotforthemalemaincharacter?Isthereanyoptionbesidescanonically
whitecharacterwhoseskincoloryoucanmaybeeditincreateacharactermode?Do
thecreatorsactuallycare?Iwillgoaheadanddestroythebecausetheiraudienceis
primarilyadolescentmalesargumentthatIhavereceivedvideogameplayersare48%
female(Milian).Stickthatinyourpipeandsmokeit.
Basedonmyperusaloftheinternet,Ihavefoundthatmostwomentendtoagree
thatvideogamescatertothewhitemale.Ifthesewomenareanythinglikeme,its
becausepeopletendtonoticeafterawhilethattheynevergettoseethemselvesasthe
maincharacter.MenarefairlyevenlyvarieddependingonwhichforumIusedtoask
thetitlequestion.Tobefair,Iamtypicallyonlyfriendswithpeoplewhoarewillingto
admitwhensomethingissexistand/orracistsoFacebookmighthavebeenaslightly
biasedgroup,butIalsoaskedonRedditandCraigslistandamwaitingformorereplies
beforecondensingthem.Myfavoriteresponsesofarwasthat,ofcoursetheycaterto
adolescentmales,thatstheiraudience,butFacebookgamesandappscatertothe
femaleaudience,notall,butmost.WhenIaskedwhatgames,herepliedthathesaid
notall,butfailedtogivemeasinglegamethatdid.Ialsocannotcountthenumberof

timesIhaveplayedamultiplayergameonlineandbeentoldthelovelytitsorGTFOas
soonastheothermaleplayersdiscoverIamafemale.IfIencounteramalevideo
gameplayerfacetofaceitsusuallyoverglorifiedthatIplayvideogamesanditsused
asanexcusetotrytohitonme,potentiallyinspiredfromwomenbeingseenonlyassex
objectsinmostvideogames.IfImwearingavideogamelogoorsomethingmorealong
thoselines,myloveofthegameisquestionedandchallengedanditsasifIam
suddenlyacontestantonagameshowandmustanswerthemilliondollarquestionto
beallowedtoconsidermyselfafanasawoman,Icantpossiblybewearingitsimply
becauseIenjoythegame,itmustbebecauseIamafakegamergirlandjustwant
attention.
ItsnotjustthegamersIhavenoticedvariousundeniableevidencefromthe
creatorsthemselves.Ubisoftannouncedthattheyrefused,orjustcouldnt,makea
femalemaincharacterbecausetheyclaimeditwouldbetoodifficulttorenderthe
graphicsforboobs.No,really.Theysaidthat.Apparently,theycanrendercomplex
battlescenesthatincluderampagingelephants,intricatehelicopterassaults,shipto
shipcombatonthehighseas,andlethalassassinationsfromthetopsofcathedrals,but
theydrawthelineatthefemalebust.Theyalsoincludenumerousscenesintheir
games,specificallythe
AssassinCreed
games,thathavelargebustedwomen
murderedinvarious,gruesomeways,includinghavingtheirthroatslitorbeing
murderedatthedinnertable.So,inreality,theycanrenderbreastsforwomenwho
serveasobjects,obstacles,andtargetsbutnotascharacters.ItsnotjustUbisoft
BiowareannouncedviaTwitter
sevenyearsafterthereleaseofthefirstgame
thatthe

maincharacteroftheir
MassEffect
serieswasoriginallyafemale.Whilethatparticular
seriesofferstheoptiontochoosebetweenamaleandfemalemaincharacter,itis
canonintheseriesthatthemaincharacter,Shepard,ismale.Sowhyevenbother
announcingthatShepardwasoriginallyafemaleandthentheydecidedtochangeit?
ThisisessentiallyadmittingthattheypreferredamaleShepardtoafemaleone.
Nevermindthefactthatbothmaincharactersarecanonicallywhite.Onthecoverofthe
third
MassEffect
was,again,thewhitemaleShepardthatdecoratedtheprevioustwo,
buthey,givethemabreak,ladies,youcanflipitoverandputitbackinwithafemale
Shepardonthecover!Gee,Bioware,thatsexactlywhatwewereafter.And,
unfortunately,thisisconsideredprogress.
Whilevideogamecreatorsareveryobviouslyresponsibleforthelackofplayable
femalecharacters,themalefanstendtocontributeandenablethemforit.The
Final
Fantasy
creatorsrecentlyannouncedtheirnewcharacterandfanswerestartledto
discoverthathisoutfitwasverysimilartomostfemalecharactersinthefranchise.He
wearsverytightclothingwithrandomholescutoutfornorealreasonbeyond
decorationandskinexposure.Malefanswereuncomfortableand,frankly,outraged,
despitethefactthatsomanyfemalecharactershavethesamekindofoutfits
allthe
time
.Iamnotclaimingthatfemalesexualityisastrictlyofflimitssubject.Isabelafrom
DragonAge2
isaverysexualcharacterandshesoneofmyfavoritecharacterswithin
anyvideogame.Itsjustthatsexualityshouldntbetheprimarycharactertraitofevery
womaninthevastmajorityofvideogames.Itisinexcusablefornearlyeveryfemale

charactertowearscantilycladclothingandnotbequestionedbutassoonasonemale
characterhasasimilaroutfit,fansareuproarious.
Ialsohavetowonderwhyvideogamescantkeepbothmaleandfemale
audienceswithoutwomenassexobjectsandlittletonopeopleofcolor.Theycan.Ive
seenvideogamesdoitbeforeandthosegamesarestilllovedandplayedasmuchas
any
CallofDuty
game.TheSuperMariofranchisestartedwithPeachasanobject
constantlykidnappedsoMariocouldsaveher.However,asthegamesevolved,she
becameanactual,playablecharacterwithherownpersonalitybeyondbeingthe
damselindistress.Biowarestartedbycreatinggameswhereyoucouldchoosemaleor
female,butcouldnotchangetheirlightskincolororthewomansoverlysexualoutfit.
Nowtheyhavecharacters,thoughstillcanonicallywhiteandmale,thatplayerscanedit
andchangeastheyplease.Armorisevenpersonalizableandnotentirelyunrealistic,
i.e.itactuallycoverstheentirebody.Valve,averypopulargamecompany,even
thoughtomyknowledgetheyonlyhaveonegamewithafemalemaincharacter(
Portal
2
),hasalloftheircharacterswellwrittenandwelldesigned,includingtheirwomen.
They'renotoversexualizedandtheyhaveindepthpersonalities.Notonlythat,butthey
alsohavepeopleofcolorintheserieswhoarehighlyintelligentandverypersonable
and,inthecaseof
Left4Dead
and
Portal2
,actuallyplayable.So,whyarentthere
morecompanieslikethemwhoproducegamesthat,attheveryleast,includedecent
femalecharactersandpeopleofcolor?Valveprovescompaniescandothatandstill
producesomeofthemostpopulargamesofalltimewhileretainingaveryloyal
following.Thereisnoreasonvideogamescannotatleastincludemaincharactersof

anygenderorraceandstillmaintaintheirmalefollowingwhilepotentiallygaininga
morediversefanbase.
Ilovevideogames.Ithinktheyareafantasticandinnovativenewwaytotell
unique,interactivestories.Despitetheirverynumerousflaws,Iwillneverstopplaying
them.However,Ibelieveifyoutrulylovesomething,youarealmostrequiredto
questionitandchallengeittokeepitconstantlyimprovingandgrowingintosomething
more,andeachtimeitchanges,itcomesoutjustalittlebitbetter.

WorksCited
Milian,Mark.VideoGamesCantAffordtoIgnoreWomen.
BloombergBusiness.
BloombergL.P.,7Aug.2014.Web.2Feb.2015.