The Evolution of The Female Game Character

The Evolution of The Female Game Character

Many female characters are increasingly popular in many video games that are aimed specifically for the male market. Soul Caliber is a perfect example of this. Within the Soul Calibur franchise there are many different characters of both male and female. While the male characters are wearing heavy armour and are basically covered from head to toe, the female characters seem to wear hardly any clothing at all (inappropriate clothing for fighting in?). 

I personally play this game and one of my favorite characters is Siegfried.Below is an image of Siegfried that shows him dressed in heavy armor with a sword. This can be easily contrasted with the female characters from this video game, who have a lot of skin on show, and are unrealistic representations of females within video games.

 

As well as this game, there are many other games that show the evolution of the female game character. Some games such as Zedla and Princess Peach in Super Mario show female characters in a more positive way. Both wear gowns that cover their bodies. However, this too can be seen as an unrealistic representation of women, as it represents the idea of female 'perfection'. 

 

 

One of the worst games for seeing the evolving representation of women is Duke Nukem, who can be called the Johnny Bravo of video gaming. Within the Duke Nukem franchise are many female characters who are known as the Duke's 'Babes'. Most of the characters appear to be dressed as either prostitutes or completely naked, and some of them are even affected by the alien invasion and are 'cocooned'.

Many games, such as Grand Theft Auto etc, are readily available on the market, and a female version for the Duke Nukem franchise is clearly in demand by a lot of people. 

Representation Theories

Representation Theories

Reflective - Understands media representations as a reflection of lived reality. It reflects reality by mediation of media language/ narrative to gain perspective.

Intentional - Words mean what the author intended them to mean

Constructive- Our knowledge of the world is constructed by media representations

Textual Analysis of A Game

Textual Analysis of A Game

Disney Pixar UP

Stereotypes Within UP 

Russel - typical American 'Fat boy' stereotype - seen through his rounded features, and we can also see that he is some sort of scout (or a wilderness explorer) through his clothing. The fact that he is tied up and is not walking alongside Carl suggests that he can be seen as annoying, or getting in the way of him, as he persistently tries to assist the elderly.

Carl - typical old man/ senior citizen - seen through his walking cane, attire, grey hair and glasses. However, from this front cover he seems to be energetic, which contrasts with the stereotypical views of the elderly.

Representation of Gender in Video Games

Representation of Gender in Video Games

Who was the first woman video game character you can remember? Describe her - Misty from Pokemon - Ginger hair, yellow top, blue shorts - However, probably represented as weak, compared to Ash etc.

Who was the first woman you knew that played video games? Describe her - The Twin :) Light brown hair, jeans and top - very academic

Do you think the woman gamer felt she was 'represented' in the character you described? Why/why not? No, as Misty was represented as somewhat weak

Can you think of another female character that this woman would feel is a representation of her? Why? No, as female characters are generally represented as characters that are in need of saving.

Research Into Other Rom Com Movies

As part of my research for my coursework I decided to analysis other media texts, such as posters and DVD covers of other Rom Com films.

One of the movies that I analyzed posters for was 'Knocked Up'. Below are a sample of images that I analysed. 

 

 

Analysing Other Media Texts

Research Into Other Rom Com Movies

As part of my research for my coursework I decided to analysis other media texts, such as posters and DVD covers of other Rom Com films.

One of the movies that I analyzed posters for was 'She's out of my league'. Below are a sample of images that I analysed.

Harry Potter Concept Art

A concept art is a visual representation of a design.Concept art can be used as a form of visual development when producing films, video games or comic books.Concept art was also a big part of the Harry Potter movies. Concept art was produced for various things, such as set, characters and magical animals. Below are a few pictures...