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Abstract
Video games as a form of entertainment have been rapidly evolving over the past few decades. Female presence in video games has grown exponentially along side this evolution. This paper focuses on how women are presented in games, the roles that they play within the games and their physicality while performing leadership roles. Scholarly articles have been analyzed on topics including the design of cover art used to sell games, the part that women play in the storyline, the physical nature of women in video games, and the effects sexualized women can have on the gamers. Women have matured from the simple “damsel in distress” character into influential leaders in recent games, but at a cost. While they may be the leaders in a game, they are seen in exiguous outfits that emphasize their perfectly shaped bodies. They are hypersexualized and are often seen as objects and rewards, rather than leaders, because of their body. I argue that while women are starting to take on more leadership roles in video games; their physical portrayal completely undermines any leadership ability the character has. Many scholarly authors agree that these images of women have far more detrimental effects on players rather than promoting women as strong capable leaders.
Publication Date
2014
Current Academic Year
Freshman
Faculty Advisor/Mentor
Bonnie Boaz
Sponsorship
Virginia Commonwealth University. Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program
Is Part Of
VCU Undergraduate Research Posters
Rights
© The Author(s)