http://womensrights.change.org/blog/view/will_the_video_game_industry_embrace_gender-specific_marketing
This Is a common view from The female perspective of lara croft, whom was created at the early age of 3D gaming when gaming was targeted mainly at men, plus was also the early age to escape from reality with games and create an alternate reality or world.
Lara croft in my eyes, all though seen as "playboy" figure by some females such as Jen Nedeau who wrote the article above. Lara is my female idol in the gaming world, not only did she turn my vision into the world of gaming, Tomb Raider had excellent music, fantastic visuals (at the time) and Lara was so agile, women like her we only see in gymnastics on tv or in films. So it was a really great idea to make lara like this, if she would be raiding tombs needing to dodge booby traps and jump huge gaps.
I would see no problem in making Lara Croft athletic. Lara Visits the jungle climate and she wears warm weather clothing nothing to restricting in her movements. She wears fully clothed winter garments in the later cold levels.
I think people will continue to moan about how people look in video games until they get an outcome where every character in the gaming world is either fat and or ugly, or a character of an alien species. It doesnt bother any of the male gamers when we have to play as a well toned, handsome looking male character. It's just there to make us recognise in most cases the Main characters role, and make surer we understand he/she fits into the gamng environment.
About Me
- GJones
- I am an animator for Blockhouse TV currently working on Jack and Holly's space stories
OK Graham, an interesting start. I think before you get too deeply into what you think - although of course we want to know that - you need to look up some academic articles and thinking around issues of gender, and then gender in digital games.
ReplyDeleteFor example, look at what is gender? What is the difference between 'being' a certain gender or belonging to one of two sexes? Once you've found these articles then write summaries of them and apply some of the theory to back up you ideas. This will help you avoid sweeping statements such as 'it doesn't bother any male gamers...'. Are you sure about this? What about overweight male gamers? Might playing as a 'well-toned, handsome male character' actually highlight their own perceived failure to live up to society's idealized norms of what a man 'should' look like? What about gay and lesbian gamers? Stereotypes can be negative to anybody.
Get hold of 'From Barbie to Mortal Kombat' and the newer 'Beyond Barbie and Mortal Kombat', then check out Henry Jenkins' blog too. There are quite a lot of academic articles on the internet that can help you formulate your ideas and achieve a balanced and critical view, and ultimately get a high mark!
Hope this helps. Chris.