Genders Battle in Video Games

BY JESSICA HEITZMAN

SC STAFF WRITER

 

Man has dominated the world for hundreds of years, leaving women in the dark and alone.

There’s one specific world, however, that girls are beginning to slowly take over—one controller at a time.

According to the Entertainment Software Association’s June 2011 study 42% of the gaming population is made up of females.

Why does this number sound shocking?

Because GameStop and other gaming companies have marketed video games as a male dominated industry—or have they?

Take games like “Dead or Alive: Xtreme Beach Volleyball” and the notorious character from “Soul Calibur,” Ivy.

The characters in these games are wearing incredibly skimpy clothes and have bodies that put any model to shame.

Of course men are going to be drawn toward these video games, but not all games are designed this way. Not all men want to play as female characters.

I surveyed twenty male gamers and asked which gender they prefer playing as.

One hundred percent said they prefer male characters over females.

Why could this be? Perhaps playing a female character is emasculating, and everyone knows a man’s ego should never be tampered with.

There are several video games where the main character is female.

Within these games, these female characters kick some major ass.

There are games out there— they just need to be found.

Below is a list of games featuring female characters that should make female video game players proud:

 

“Golden Axe: Beast Rider”

Platform: PS3, Xbox360

This game was designed for either male or female players. The main character is a woman and guess what? She’s not wearing revealing clothes with breasts the size of melons.

Golden Axe benefits both genders in several ways: 1. The main character is female which pleases both men and women. 2. The game is a hack-and-slash style with the use of a sword and magic. 3. The plot is about a woman defending her homeland from a powerful enemy.

 

“Primal”

Platform: PS2

The player takes on the control of female character, Jennifer Tate. Roles are reversed in this game as Jenn isn’t the damsel in distress, her boyfriend is.

Jen is forced to save the outside world as she looks for her boyfriend in four different demonic worlds. These four worlds help Jenn unlock her past while getting her closer to finding her beau.

In each world, Jenn takes on different demonic forms to help her fight against anything that tries to stop her.

There’s nothing sexist about this game.

 

“Heavenly Sword”

Platform: PS3

The main character, Nariko—with her red, wild, flowing locks arguably worse than Merida’s in “Brave”—wields the Heavenly Sword, a dangerous and godly blade that binds itself to its owner by draining his or her life unto death.

Naturally, there’s power hungry menace, King Bohan, who tries to steal the sword from Nariko, but fails in doing so as the sword takes her life.

Players must travel back in time five days earlier to watch the events that unfold to present day.

 

“Mirror’s Edge”

Platform: PS3, Xbox360, PC

Player’s control the protagonists, Faith, using first-person point of view.

The navigation style of the game focuses on parkour skills and abilities.

Faith lives in a world where communism, or, more positively, a totalitarian society exists, monitoring the city’s every move.

She is a Runner—a sort of messenger—delivering private documents across the city.

She finds herself in a situation where she must uncover the person who framed her sister, Kate, for killing Robert Pope, a candidate up for election.

 

“Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation”

Platform: PS Vita

Like all the other Assassin’s Creed games, Liberation takes a historical approach through the use of assassin Aveline de Grandpré. Aveline is an African-French living in Louisiana at the end of the French and Indian War.

Aveline is the first female protagonist of the series that players can control.

She wreaks havoc on the Spanish for taking over her town and forcing her people into slavery.

Game developer, Ubisoft, attempts to create a non-sexist game by finally introducing a playable female character.

The game received a rating of 6.5 out of 10, according to GameSpot.com.

Clearly this is a game for the mass of dedicated fans of the “Assassin’s Creed” franchise.

There are hundreds of video games out there that feature female characters as the protagonist.

Any real gamer would be able to prove that the video game industry isn’t just for men. Other games include the “Resident Evil” franchise where players can control Jill Valentine, Ada Wong, Sheva Alomar, Metroid, BloodRayne, Bayonetta and more.

For a larger list of games with female protagonists visit GiantBomb.com.

 

Email Jessica at:

jmh2643@live.esu.edu