Video Games Feminist Analysis

In the early ages of video gaming, males were predominantly targeted by game companies, which resulted in games that were designed for mostly heterosexual males (indie games were created and variations of mainstream games, but they were not profound and didn’t become well known). Within the past decade, this stereotypical idea has diminished, and females currently represent almost half of the gaming demographic, about 46% to be exact. Gaming holds a greater significance than we thought, which is why it is important to pay attention to what is represented and acted-out within games. Ultimately, feminist have been taking a closer look on the female representation within video games, and have caused a lot of attention relating towards the issue.
for women and men around the world (in a broader sense). Some feminists may wish to create equality within specified areas, cultures, work places, or even forms of media we consume, such as the motive of this essay: video games. Video gaming is a broad and popular medium within the media we consume; according to the Entertain Software Association, 155 million Americans play videogames, which is slightly more than half of the American population. What is more astounding, is that nearly half of our American gamers, are female. Essentially, feminist who are concerned with video games that are sold today, fear for female gamers, who must sensualize discriminating depictions against themselves as they play games, and that gamers will repeat what is demonizing towards women, in real
Anita Sarkeesian argues: video games represent females in a negative connotation; women are displayed as dainty, ‘damsel[s] in distress’ who need men to save them from their woe or conflict. Sarkeesian, who may not be a ‘heavy gamer’ (as Christina Hoff Sommers describes in her “Factual Feminist” videos) recognizes how women are portrayed with ‘demonizing’ characteristics within popular video games people play today and games played throughout history. Christina Sommers simply thinks that video games are essentially ‘owned’ by males for the reason that a higher percentage of ‘heavy gamers’ are males. In Sommers defense, there are plenty of female oriented jobs and activities that give sensations of a ‘girls-only’ environment such as Victoria Secret or a make up store like Sephora. To conclude, both feminist have solid stances on the portrayal of women in video games such as one feminist looks at the situation with women in mind and the other feminist with men in mind. I believe that there is a conflict between opinions, but both are equally supporting men and women in their ‘feminist’