Games along with other forms of technological entertainment such as movies and television are chock full of stereotypes. This is indirectly due to social constructs of the real world; most forms of entertainment reflect real life issues or ideals. Games, the most interactive form of entertainment, follows the same status quo as it's companions. They typically follow the social constraints of race, class and gender. While, I spare developers too much grief, as it is hard to please everyone and everyone's artistic vision is different, there is an extreme unbalance when it comes to character equality. It really matters about the depth and personality of the character, however there are the aesthetics of the character that we will constantly see along with their presentation. Many companies in order to avoid the social backlash is to allow for custom character creation. For those who don't, those who have a particular vision of what their character will look like, will most likely face some kind of turbulence for out casting others.
WHAT IS INTERSECTIONALITY?
Intersectionality refers to the complex ways in which identities intersect, interact with one another and help to form and shape one’s experiences. On a simple note, it shows how race, class and gender all affect one another, how each plays a part in the other. Why is this important? All forms of oppression connect with these three ideals. They are present in society and culture and shape how we all live today. Thus, the connections of oppression fall into the digital realm.
For instance, let's look at Grand Theft Auto V (a game I have not finished, I'm pretty sure I'm still at the start of the game); a game where it takes pride in these judgement and stereotypes. I'm not going to knock at this too hard for the game is all about satire and exaggeration of these exact stereotypes society has created. If we simply look at the three leads; Michael, Trevor and Franklin we can immediately see the differences between all of them. We have Michael the wealthy white-heterosexual male who is the brains of most of the story, then we have Trevor the stereotyped trailer-living hillbilly white-heterosexual male who has no filter, and finally Franklin the penniless black-heterosexual male who is pretty much dragged into the mix. This game blatantly flaunts the inequality society has created. However, it showcases how these three different people all exist and do what they do because of one another. Their grand plans wouldn't be able to fall through without the other being there.
GTA V also shows the "norms" that these three people live and we laugh because we know it is true. True in that matter that a lot of society perceives people like this. We all know that not all white males live in luxury, that not all crazy people live in trailers and that not all black people live in the ghetto. Stereotypes at their prime, but GTA V did that purposely. We find labels and grouping easier because it keeps life organized. Perception and association thrives in our human minds, regardless if they're true or false.
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RACE
Most game titles, if the character is not custom, have the lead as a white-heterosexual male. Just look at some of the past recent releases this decade, we have Booker Dewitt from Bioshock Infinite, Joel from The Last of Us, Ezio Auditore & Edward Kenway from Assassin's Creed, Aiden from Watch_Dogs, Mario & Luigi from the Mario series, Alan Wake from Alan Wake, Link from The Legend of Zelda; the list can go on and on. Developers rarely stray from the regular white-heterosexual male formula. Why is this? Simple, because of the white-male ego of privilege; that they are the dominate race and all others are subordinate. Many of the deviant ethnicities will be associated with instant prejudices. Harsh? Yes, but just to be clear not all men are like this (women have egos too), I'd like to say majority of men are open-minded and respect everyone. However, this dominate race that believes they are the best has been instilled over decades, centuries! It isn't some idea that just popped up out of the dust.
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Race is a another huge topic in the gaming industry. The problem arises when developers try to accurately depict them and or if they blatantly do not try to accurately depict them. Back in May 2014 I read this blog by SpartanWarrior_628101 about Native Americans and Video Games, which pretty much talked about their portrayal in video games. There is an accurate way to portray their native culture and an inaccurate way. There is the over stereotyped version of all races that can be seen in a variety of games whether it is intentional or just a subconscious decision. There have been video games that showcased races in a light that is not over stereotyped yet modernized (ie. Nastas from Red Dead Redemption). Instead it shows them all as equals, which we can see in games such as EA's/DICE's Battlefield 4 where you have a three different key characters with almost no racial predjudices. They all come across as equals and will play a heavy roll in the end. For a war game, to be featuring a female pivotal character, not only that a fully Chinese female character [Huang 'Hannah' Shuyi], was quite a surprise and a nice change. They made her will power and intelligence just as strong as the other male characters, despite typical war, gender and racial bias. Then again, most war games encourage the idea of teamwork and trust and it doesn't matter what you look like or where you come from. They're all in it together. As it should be, doesn't matter shape or size, they're getting the job done and each putting in equal effort. Race depicted in this game that everyone was equal on the team.
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Semper Fi
Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed series is another franchise that handles ethnic diversity quite well. We've seen a variety of races portrayed over the franchise. We've got Middle-Eastern [Altair], European [Ezio, Edward] Native American [Connor], African-American [Aveline, Adewale] and then sub-assassin's of Chinese [Shao Jun] and Russian [Nikolai]. A nice diverse set, while at the same time showcasing the assassin's roots without under or over portraying their ethnicity. At least with Assassin's Creed the protagonists predominately have their adventure in their hometowns or around their upbringing to show how and where they adapted to their cultural ideas. Seeing Connor's Native American childhood was a treat, while his character was a bit boring, Ubisoft didn't fail to create a solid character and representation. More companies should show such diversity in their franchise. However, many fear to do so in thinking they will either offend other races or get backlash for featuring a non white male. Developers can't please everyone, so there really is no harm in going outside their comfort zones.
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Nothing is true, everything is permitted
For example, Pokémon finally has allowed for customizable characters after what, 14 years? While they attended to the gender dilemma back in Crystal days, the protagonists from then on have all been white. Character customization blurs all lines of racial discrimination because it falls into the hands of the player. All players will experience they same type of action and personalty, they can be whatever race, class or gender, they want to be thus making the game equal in all corners. It prevents showing that one player is better than the other because they are all experience the same thing, just embodied differently. Obviously no one human is alike (except for identical twins etc.) and everyone has different wants for what their character will look like. Character customization generally grants that freedom while also bringing equality to all.
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CLASS
Class (out of the three) is probably the most under rated construct represented in video games. When I mean class I mean societal classes like privileged and underprivileged, not like rogue or mage (although in many games those represent many real life classes). Since we as the protagonist go through all types of challenges and strife, class inequality sometime goes unnoticed. However, in open world like games, class is relatively noticeable especially between rich and poor. When we look at games like Grand Theft Auto and Saints Row, both resemble cities of the world and the inequalities they contain. They each have wealthy areas and then the more deprived areas of the city. While the poor cities are ethically diverse, they are filled with gangs and minority groups. At least since they take place in the USA, these minority groups include Latin Americans, African-Americans, Asians, etc (hence how race ties into class). Representation of these minority groups is racial bias.
Even in fantasy games like The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, one is easily able to distinguish the wealthy from the poor due to outfits and living quarters. Not only that, but look at the race of the Khajiit, probably the most deprived race; they have to resort to smuggling and thievery to survive. How did this come to be? Oppression per usual, before slavery was outlawed the Khajiit were enslaved by rich families and industries. When looking at both of the beast classes Khajiit and Argonians, their natural skill sets revert to forms of stealth and manipulation, for they are perceived as incompetent and invaluable to the world, and instead have to live by stealing from the wealthy. Kind of like how many people view those in poverty, that they are more of a nuisance than a benefit to society. This may be looking too far into the idea, but as I said games usually reflect societal ideals in some way, shape, or form. Skyrim society feels as if these people do not belong in their society, so they discriminate against them. Sounds like most real world cultures right?
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Now, class indifferences will always take part in gaming because it will always be in society. No matter how long we fight for equality, it will 99.9% never be achieved. We can only shorten the poverty gap, but then again that really relies on the actions of the government. While in video games we as players get to be the protagonist and change the world, our one voice needs hundreds in order to be heard. Classes should be more ethically balanced in video games, thus developers have to start including all types of races and not just single out one minority group. Not just make the whites wealthy and all others in poverty. This may be too much wishful thinking since almost all developers follow cultural norms which shift slowly.
GENDER
This by far is the hottest topic of the three and has been for quite some time. Two most recent incidents about video game gender issues was Ubisoft's exclusion of a lead female assassin in the upcoming co-op game Assassin's Creed: Unity and the IeSF exclusion of female tournament competitors. These are just two gender bias incidents there are plenty others. Let's not forget that being female or male is biological, being woman or man is choice, hence the Hearthstone exclusion of all female competitors was straight up sexist. Even though they bended the rules to include them, they then discriminated against males by still holding two female-only tourneys. (IeSF get it together!)
Besides that, the main issue is that genders are unequally represented in video games. Now I'm not talking about customizable characters because that generally leads to equal play (at least in terms of man/woman gender). Mass Effect 3 is a prime example of a video game embodying the ever scarce homosexuality. A gender that is rarely seen in defined lead characters. People gave Mass Effect 3 much hate for even having this option, why, simply because most men perceive "being gay as being weak". This idea sits mostly with the uneducated or close minded folks. Everyone knows that it doesn't matter what biological sex or gender one is, they are still a human being. Something that Mass Effect 3 embraced and other games should as well, everyone is human (except the aliens...) and has a soul. That is why the option to have whatever type of relationship is there. The freedom of choice is powerful, the game isn't forcing you to be anything you don't want to be. Those who trashed the concept are most likely afraid of threatening their masculinity. The huge fear many males have is that they lose masculinity and fear being perceived as weak, hence most games are lead by strong heterosexual males.
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Love is Love
On that note, as stated before, developers cannot please everyone. As I went over in the 'Race' section, there is an over predominate amount of straight lead males. While slowly here and there we get a treat of a different race or gender, the white-hetero-male while most likely be dominating a bit longer. However, don't lose hope, there has recently been a rise of positive women in gaming, like Elizabeth from Bioshock Infinite, Aveline from Assassin's Creed: Liberation, the reinvented Lara Croft from Tomb Raider, Hannah from Battlefield 4, Agnes and Edea from Bravely Default, Faith from Mirror's Edge, Zoey from Left4Dead, Rochelle from Left4Dead2, etc.
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Women Know How to Fight
Some games (like these ones listed) portray gender in an equal and balanced way, but others will always marginalize deviant genders. Mainly women, (the odds of a homosexual, transgender, other genders are so slim of being represented it isn't even funny), are subjected in games. They are either used as a sexual object of distraction or affection. They tend to be perceived a useless, expendable, or even the object of hatred. Not only that they are typical bodacious and dressed in skimpy outfits to appeal to the male audience. All these disrespectful images fill peoples minds that women in video games are nothing more than objects. They become perceived as not being equal. This isn't just in video games, but in other entertainment and advertisement alike. The constant branding of women is then drilled into people's minds giving this image of the subordinate woman. Companies need to be aware of their decisions, most have been good about this theme lately, but some, like the developers of Bound by Flame, need to catch on to the new wave.
Let's not forgot the video game communities. They play a large role in the discouragement of women in gaming, while yes not all men are abusers online, many are. Being in online lobbies in games such as Call of Duty which full of trolls and just plain rude people drains the fun away. It's almost like they've never heard of girls play video game hence the "oh are you a girl, get to the kitchen" it's like come on, have some respect, what decade are you living in? I don't know if this makes people think they're tough or not, it really just shows how much a jerk they are. People like that are those who discourage females from participating online, games are supposed to be about fun, it's no fun being constantly ridiculed over a hobby that anyone can play. Of course, the internet has no rules and cannot be moderated, so all we can do is report and pray to find people that aren't so arrogant.
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Yes, girl gamers look just like any other guy gamer (minus biological differences!) We sit and stare at our screens and play the game. Whatever weird fantasies and fallacies you men dream is is quite strange. Not all men are like this, in fact, most men know that girls can be just as good as them if better. In fact, isn't it better to find people who share stuff in common with? Thus, gaming companies should stop the over sexualized female image. We don't see over sexualized men now do we, instead we see buff, fearless, masculine men! The exploitation of men and women in media is completely different from one another, one boasting the gender the other diminishing it. Many game developers have already adapted to this idea and have lessened their inclusion of the sexual female. Even hit multiplayer games like Call of Duty: Ghosts and Titanfall have added the option of being male or female to suit more players desires. It really isn't that hard to put regular female characters in to coexist with the males.
WHY THIS ALL MATTERS
Conclusion at last! All three of these categories connect to one another to cause discrimination amongst a group of people. Intersectionality (or intersectionalism) is the study of intersections between forms or systems of oppression, domination or discrimination. We cannot look at one factor without acknowledging the other. All these forms; race, class and gender coincide with one another to form an ultimate discrimination. Many companies will not create a character due to a limiting factor of the other, for instance the lack of female characters is due to not wanting to taint the white-heterosexual-male hero image. Thus, the female character will never be able to move up in class and regardless of race she will be subordinate. Not all developers follow this idea anymore as we've seen with Bioshock Infinite and The Last of Us, each have two strong female co-pilots.
The fact is that more games need to be made like this. Ones that have a balance between genders and equal respect. We do not need a plethora of female lead games, just give us more where women are represented better. Give us more games where races are portrayed more accurately. More games where class isn't stereotyped to the deviant groups of society. It's not too much to ask for really. Sure it sounds like I'm preaching equality, but is it that bad, entertainment is suppose to be for everyone, yet so many people are excluded or clearly insulted. We're in the year 2014, at least in the USA equal rights for women and LGBT members are surfacing, now they just need to be reflected in the gaming world.
Thanks for reading that long blog, I haven't written a non-communty blog in a while. I probably should have made 3 separate ones, but all three coincide together, so I voted against that. I'm not like a super feminist or anything, I just believe in equal representation for all. Call me an optimist, but life is too short to fill it with hate and prejudice. Gaming is an outlet for many people, so let us play with who we want. Give us characters that are interesting, but stray from the typical formula. If you developers give us an impactful character it doesn't matter what they look like or where they come from, because it shows that everyone is equal.
So tell me;
What is your take on the matter?
Do you want developers to create more inclusive and respectful games?
Or do you think there is nothing wrong with the industry?
I personally don't think there is anything seriously wrong with the industry, they are just going with the flow trying to capitalize on money (what business doesn't want money?!). The gaming industry themselves is male-dominated and they bank of of societal norms. The only way to change what we see in games is to change the cultural norms of society today. Many have rallied their voices for equal representation and that works because the era we are living is in fact more inclusive. Not equal in the slightest, but the industry seems to be heading in the right direction.
UPDATE: Let me clarify my standpoint. This blog was to point out how these three social constructs are portrayed in gaming and how they relate. While I do think developers should be more inclusive, I do not think they should conform just because people are telling them to. More or less they should feel inclined to be inclusive when they are on the drawing boards. We are in an era where multiculturalism is at a good place, society and culture should recognize it more.
Thanks for reading
Happy Gaming
♥ Marissa Intrieri ♥
Game: Code of Princess
Game: Style Savvy Trendsetters
Game: Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity
I felt like I had to write something. I could've written about E3, but there are already so many blogs out there and I've commented on so many, so I'd just be repeating myself. Regardless, the new Amiibo figurines really did make an impression on me...I wish they made all 719 Pokémon figurines and then they had a Pokémon game where you can summon them all. Yes...that would be epic.
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Title: Inception
I was quite sad watching this movie. Through all the films the acting was subpar (well the later films got a bit better), the movie themselves were nicely produced. I haven't read the novels, but the movies were easy to follow. The books are probably better than the films, more details and all, but being able to see the magic is what I like. The production of computer generated action and magic was quite, good although sometimes was questionable. All and all, this movie brought an clean end to the Harry Potter saga.
