Just....Tooo Much

This week we were given a reading assignment about gender bias in the video game industry. This is also the topic that we were assigned in my project group.

This topic really is something that bothers me. Not so much that most women don't play video games, but rather the way that female characters are portrayed. It is borderline ridiculous.

HUGE boobs, tiny waists, and gigantic backsides seem to be the norm when it comes to female characters in video games. Some images of women in games cannot be described by any other word other than pornographic. Why has the industry strayed so far from reality?

Also something that is even more unsettling is the violence portrayed against women. In grand theft auto players actually receive points for stabbing a prostitute.

The video game industry is a market designed by males, for males and it shows. But even so, the extremes that are shown in games go too far. Many men play video games as an escape from reality, a way to be someone else doing things that they could never do in real life. So does this mean that every man who plays video games wants their women to be sexual objects and even punching bags? I certainly hope not.

I think that the real blame lies in the industry itself. I don't think having female characters with slightly less exaggerated features and a little bit more clothing would have any effect on the popularity of the game. Tomb Raider has recently picked up on this idea, toning down their lead character to be more realistic and more modestly dressed. I truly believe other games should follow suit.