Female characters in video games

[OmegaXzors]

I don't particularly mind the character models in games to be a little seductive or easy on the eyes. I understand that there is an hourglass stereotype to just about every female character that gets graced with screen time.

However, there is something just really appealing about...

Spoiler: this.

 

[Programmed_For_Damage]

She'll be pleased to know Anya is in Gears o War 3 and she is looking battle-weary too. Her blonde hair is raggedly cropped and she has the 1000-yard stare.

I like her comment about the Gears looking almost as intimidating as the enemies they're fighting. I'd crap myself if I saw one in a dark alley.

 

[Moromillas]

Don't forget, male characters are also heavily stereotyped in games as well. I can't really decide if shallow characters are a product of poor design, or maybe purposely trying to appeal to those that are, well, not so deep.

Is sexuality in the ladies a stereotype? I'm not so sure about that, I think it really needs to fit the character itself and make sense. We are human after all.

You know what character I really liked lately? Jack, from ME2. Awesome awesome female character.

 

[SL33TBL1ND]

Alyx is annoying as hell though, Lara has way more emotional depth in the cut-scenes.

Depends on which Tomb Raider you're playing man.

 

[Tanwen]

I actually think that she's going a bit overboard. Video games were basically invented for guys and therefore should appeal to them. Even when I'm playing a game I like the chicks to be hot. There's nothing appealing to me about playing a female game character who looks ugly. I'd prefer them to be the stereotypical busty, sexy women then to be normal bodied. Isn't the whole point of a video game to be something different to reality? To be a fantasy? Isn't every guy's fantasy chick portrayed well in video games?

And she's only complaining about the chicks, she doesn't even bother to mention that the males portrayed in video games are extremely different to those in reality. If every character in a video game was just like that of reality, there would be no point in playing.

 

[daftalchemist]

As a girl, my favorite female character is by far Alyx. First of all, she's fully clothed. Second, she kicks ass.

My only problem with female game characters is when it's just boobs all over the place, especially in games that have armor, and especially when the armor completely covers a guy but it cut down to the nipples on a girl. For instance, in WoW my friend's male undead had this cool robe. When I was high enough level, I got one too, but on my female troll the middle part of the robe was cut out to show off her stomach for NO DAMN REASON. That's dumb.

It really does piss me off when girls are overly sexualized in games. It's not needed and it'll never help attract more female gamers. But most importantly, I hate being constantly reminded that I have boobs. I get it, ok? They're on me! I see them every day! But guess what? There's actually more to me than just boobs! There's like a whole person attached to them with thoughts and emotions and personality! Crazy, I know, but trust me on this one because it's true.

 

[Spy_Guy]

.
I think that including both Lara and Alyx under the same definition is wrong. Lara, since the first Tomb Raider, had a HUGE chest and oversexualized body. The series got most of its publicity due to the body they modeled for her. She doesn't show much emotions, and is, like you said, like a Barbie doll with guns. Alyx, on the other hand, is a fuller character, that never strikes you as sleazy or exaggerated.

I probably didn't explain myself properly. I think Alyx is a great female character. She's rounded out, realistic body figure but an almost unrealistic personality. Now I'm not blaming Valve it is after all an action game. A woman has to be violent and act like one of the guys to be respected in a video game. I am well aware it's a war and an action game and my problem is not with Alyx specifically. More the concept of a strong female character is that she has to kick ass to some degree to be respected. I know video games are generally violent and woman need to be aggressive to keep up with that. My problem is that a generation of guys will grow up with this skewed view and bizarre attraction to the concept of sexualised violence.

Just had to reply to this...

WHAAAAAA-?

The thing is, would a non-violent Alyx be a better and fitting substitute? Showing a woman kicking ass is not particularly strange, considering that Alyx is probably a product of the environment she lives in, a certain amount of fighting experience is probably necessary, so the violence in itself is probably a realistic aspect of Alyx' character, and everyday life (what with the evil aliens and all).

If Alyx didn't fight, and we had to protect her from every single enemy, would that make her believable, or strong in context? I'd say no, since if she acted non-violently then she'd probably end up as yet another damsel-in-distress.

It's funny that you mention the idea of "sexualised violence" in the context of this game too, since Alyx is probably one of the least sexualised female leads for quite some time in gaming (maybe with an exception for Chell from Portal).
Chances are that if people were to get a skewed view of sexual violence that'd probably be caused by an overexposure to Bayonetta (see what I did there?) rather than to Alyx.

 

[Moromillas]

I actually think that she's going a bit overboard. Video games were basically invented for guys and therefore should appeal to them. Even when I'm playing a game I like the chicks to be hot. There's nothing appealing to me about playing a female game character who looks ugly. I'd prefer them to be the stereotypical busty, sexy women then to be normal bodied. Isn't the whole point of a video game to be something different to reality? To be a fantasy? Isn't every guy's fantasy chick portrayed well in video games?

And she's only complaining about the chicks, she doesn't even bother to mention that the males portrayed in video games are extremely different to those in reality. If every character in a video game was just like that of reality, there would be no point in playing.

Invented for guys? No way, no way no way. Well, I hope not. I'd like to think everyone can enjoy the good games. Like, the games that appear to be somewhat shallow, like a lot of fps' that are much of the same thing, I don't find that interesting. Are they manly games? I donno. Maybe it's fair to say that they just appeal to a certain type of person.

Yeah, would like them portrayed well... But not like, huge plastic tits and barbie doll bodies, that isn't appealing. Well, not to me anyway as I can't really speak for all guys. Yeah, not ugly, but like, more than just what you see. Jack for example, Jack was my fav in mass effect 2 not cause she was a smoking hot model but because of how she acted, said, and did.

 

[NickCaligo42]

Bioware seems to do a pretty good job with female characters in their RPG's.
They aren't over sexualized or anything, just female.

... You saw Miranda, right?

Two words: Samus Aran.

What I mean by that is, she's not stereotyped at all, unless you count the whole "super robot armor" thing.

... You've seen the Zero Suit, right? I think that as of Smash Bros. Brawl Nintendo flushed the whole idea of Samus not being sexualized down the toilet.

 

[Gethsemani_v1legacy]

Isn't this discussion getting a little bit old? Women in games are slowly becoming more and more realistic, just as men in gaming. The difference here is that the stereotypical male traits (strength, independence, pro-activity etc.) have positive associations in our society, while the female traits (caring, empathy, obedience etc.) are seen as positive but not as strong or important as the male traits. The same goes for the body stereotype, the male is a burly, muscle man with a jaw of stone and solid features. He is something the average joe can aspire to look like and feel good about himself because this man is strong because he wants to be. The female stereotype is a slender and with curves "in the right places", her face is cute or sexy and she wears clothes that shows off her body. She does this not necessarily because she wants to, but because it is what is expected.

The problem, I feel, is not that games provide us with "bad" female stereotypes. The problem is that the female stereotypes are taking a lot of flak today. I am not saying that I agree with the female stereotypes (as I myself tend to break away from them), but rather that we still haven't found a good stereotype for the modern woman. The old subservient woman who acts in order to please "her man" is more or less outdated, but there is no real stereotype to replace it. On a societal level, it is a good thing since it allows women greater freedom, but for the average sub-par story writer in a gaming company it makes it very hard for them to make an easily relatable woman.

See, making a good character in a story is not about making them realistic. It is about using stereotypes in a subtle enough manner that people connect to them and recognizes them. Alyx Vance is a perfect example of how you can blend various stereotypes to produce a result that most gamers feel is "realistic".

 

[PipBoy2000]

My only problem with female game characters is when it's just boobs all over the place, especially in games that have armor, and especially when the armor completely covers a guy but it cut down to the nipples on a girl. For instance, in WoW my friend's male undead had this cool robe. When I was high enough level, I got one too, but on my female troll the middle part of the robe was cut out to show off her stomach for NO DAMN REASON. That's dumb.

Can such things prevent you from continuing to play?

 

[Revolutionary]

Judy nails in GH1.

 

[almostnot]

Re Bayonetta, I think the campness the campness of the game, the way her figure is so ludicrous and the generally silliness of bits of the game suggest heavily that it is not meant to be taken seriously. It puts me in mind of the Roger Moore era of James Bond or the lizard like charm of Terry Thomas and Leslie Philips. Nothing wrong with a giggle every now and then.

However, if we're talking realism, Guile's hair and general build? And that fact that he can create sonic booms? Come on now people!

...

They're just games, get a grip people. If we're going to start a witch hunt on representation the games industry is at the bottom of the list in terms of mass media.

Also, representation has to be looked at as a continuum. It's not female with boobs = bad ergo female with no boobs = good. Life's not like that. I know plenty of people, male and female, who dress in various ways from smart to slutty and have varied personalities. Look at a game like Jet Set Radio Future and you will see a group of visually well designed individuals, each with their own style, surely that is more important than binarilly choosing to follow or subvert gender stereotypes to make a point?

 

[Casual Shinji]

I don't mind if a female character in a game is sexy,....maybe a small part of me wants her to be (...not that small). There is, however, a big difference between being sexy and being flat out slutty. Characters like Farah from Sands of Time and Chloe from Uncharted 2 were sexy while at the same time holding themselves with a sense of class and dignity.
But characters from Team Ninja games like Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive are just silicone dolls with juggle physics.

And don't even get me started on Alyx Vance. Even if she's not scantily clad, she still gets reduced to a simple love interest by the end of the episodes.

 

[imaloony]

Can we just call it a toss of the dice? Selection bias (I mean, just look at the individuals? No?

Alright then. Assuming that was done on purpose to make a point, and not just how things worked out, then it's not feminism. The goal of feminism is for equal treatment regardless of gender. The intentional opression or destruction of men is our ideological opposite.

Assuming once again that it wasn't just happenstance, or because those jobs actually do show a high male:female ratio, then that's not feminism, that's sexism.

Chill out.

It was just an observation I made for some possibly humor and light discussion, not people going into a rage about it.

And anyways, another definition of feminism is the empowerment of women and the establishment of rights, so this does fit.