Sexism in video games.

[Wamitoria]

Since the majority of gamers are males

Ever wonder why that is?

Because of social stigma saying that women shouldn't enjoy videogames, poor representation of women as characters in games, and the online gamers being douchebags.

[Wamitoria]

We get called "fag" a lot by 10 year olds. That's pretty much it.

So, to answer your question, no.

I don't want to share my experiences with this, but it does happen.

Really? Wow. I honestly hadn't experienced any.

[Wamitoria]

I get that. I'm just saying that Skyrim isn't exactly a good example of gender equality.

I will say that most feminist activist do need to look at newer games to compare and on a broader spectrum too. The video that Dakini linked showed games that are made pre-2010. It made good points, it just seems outdated to me. Considering newer games like Bioshock Infinite would make it more relevant to modern times.

Have video games and the culture around them really changed so much in the last three years?

A bit. I've noticed quite a few more discussions in the gaming community like the one we're having now. I suppose that alone is progress.

[Wamitoria]

Have video games and the culture around them really changed so much in the last three years?

Well more women are coming into games and games are becoming better at trying to break sexist thought.

In a way, yes it is changing at lest in North America.....Japan on the other hand...

Japan is pretty much a lost cause in that regard.

[Warda]

Anyone else noticing the ad here that says "male gamers only"? With a picture of a sexually objectified woman of course.

Anyway, me, I'm not much of a gamer. Doesn't interest me. But you'd have to be blind not to notice that video games tend toward the sexist side. I've also frequently heard tell that gamer culture is highly misogynistic, from more than a couple of women gamers.

So. Would anyone like to share their opinions or thoughts on this?

First of all that's called ad porn. Some games have their stuff centered around having females being hawt, others have them as practical. The gaming industry is literary as wide on this from games that are pretty much interactive porn to games like Call Of Duty 2 where there are Russian female soldiers in full battle gear with rifles (and cute hats ). It depends on the community and the game I know some games treat females like normal players, some they are glorified gods , the only time I see female characters getting picked on is if people think there a guy.

[Warda]

Oh, there's also this page which isn't actually talking about sexism in videogames, but it talks about how women are treated in the gaming community (via screencaps... I don't recommend reading if you're going to get depressed).

These pages don't specifically deal with video games, but there are some interesting uh.. costume and pose choices that show up in video games that also turn up on those pages (for being terrible).

I'm not sure if you've played multiplayer games like MW2, but they pretty much just go on whatever they can get. Those are some pretty dinky insults really.

[Warda]

I'm not sure if you've played multiplayer games like MW2, but they pretty much just go on whatever they can get. Those are some pretty dinky insults really.

Those... aren't all insults.


Also, I play a MUD. People aren't assholes in-game there.

They are, there shock value insults, they're supposed to make your respond by insulting them so they can try to smash you.

[Warda]

Some games have their stuff centered around having females being hawt, others have them as practical.

Oh, yes. All of those games where where women dress practically, in a way that doesn't explicitly emphasise their [secondary sexual characteristics]. Like in, er... um... Mirror's Edge? And... ... ...Portal?

Is that all of them? I think that's all of them. Two games in which you largely can't see the girl, so there'd be no point in making them sexy hot.

http://i.imgur.com/OaJQy.jpg I said another game in the post?

[Warda]

They are, there shock value insults, they're supposed to make your respond by insulting them so they can try to smash you.

Which is why a lot of them were delivered after the woman who posted the screencaps had beaten them horribly and not while they were playing together?

yup

[Warda]

They are, there shock value insults, they're supposed to make your respond by insulting them so they can try to smash you.

No, they're fucking creepy. Ew.

that's the point

[Warda]

that's the point

So doing that to a thirteen-year-old opponent is fair play?

Depends what game, but yeah. You can report it and it can be dealt with, but it happens.

[Warda]

Dr Pepper 10: It's not for Women.



Clearly its sexist.

Damn good soda, though.

Diet soda is horrible.

[Warda]

Those shock statements tend to be creepy in the first place. That's why they're so shocking in the first place.

So I'm guessing male gamers suffer a lot or similar sexual harassment?

yup

[Warda]

Ever wonder why that is?

Frankly, I have no idea. For some reason though, I'm tempted to make a comment about the gender payment gap. I'm probably wrong though.

I think in America is has to do with the image of the male gamer, from what I understand in Asia its a lot closer.

[Warda]

yup

I never encountered that shit playing SW Battlefront. I saw a black male (his name said he was black, anyway) being harassed, though not in a sexual way.

What do you play it on? PCs in general aren't as bad about, and it again it really depends on the community that plays it.

[Warda]

So I'm guessing male gamers suffer a lot or similar sexual harassment?

We get called "fag" a lot by 10 year olds. That's pretty much it.

So, to answer your question, no.

I don't want to share my experiences with this, but it does happen.

[Warda]

I prefer putting on my twin daggers and face mask, personally. ROGUES 4 LIFE.

(Also, c'mon, rogues are way kinkier.)

Fuck rogues.

I play mostly clothies and they are my worst enemy in pvp.

pffftt I played real games were this is what my toon looks like when they die from me.

[Warda]

Please, Clerics are the best. You'll need me when you roll that Nat 1 on the disable device check.

I like my ranger.

You don't get the satisfaction from a bow like you do from a cannon.

[Warda]

pffftt I played real games were this is what my toon looks like when they die from me.

This is what real PvP looks like out in the open world.

Thousands of corpses and only a few of the best left standing.

pew pew pew

[Warda]

Yes, how dare people who have suffered severe emotional trauma have the audacity to hear callous jokes! Obviously, all people who have suffered trauma should be force to live in isolation to fit your worldview.

Some jokes hurt my feelings.
Nobody knows they've done it.
Certain subjects hit a little too close to home.
How are they to know what's off limits, unless I tell them?
You realize practically every subject is off limits to someone, right?

I feel the same way when people say drugs aren't bad.

[Warda]

Farkas saves you from a trap you have literally no method of escaping in The Companions.

Actually, if you just pull the lever again, the gate will open, but the one leading deeper into the dungeon will close once more. It's how they ensured that you can't complete that dungeon without joining the Companions.

theres a character in skyrim who complains about the sexism in skyrim

[Warda]

Its all well and good that Bethesda isn't sexist. Now that they've achieved their goal of being progressive, they should focus on making games that aren't embarrassingly buggy and mind meltingly boring.

If you want to be an unbeliever, that's cool. I'll be playing Oblivion for the 7 or 8 billionth time.

*cough*arena*cough* For the amount of crap in those games they work pretty well, and with community mods you can fix just about anything.

[Warda]

You, dress like a stripper.

Shush...you'll expose my secret.

Notice how that's more acceptable than portraying Sambo in a video game.

Sambo?

I also had to do a Google search

[Warda]

Silly would be expecting Alaje to take women seriously in any way shape or form.

Well, you have to admit that the way tits bounce is quite humorous, and they're fun to play with.

Theres a breast physics mod for Skyrim

[Warda]

The only problem is every society can be linked to a small city-state, and every society usually had the patriarchal society established, which is extremely difficult to remove.

Indeed, we know that well. Women are still barred from combat roles in the US military.

That's not 100% true. The whole thing is complicated, and women pilots are combat roles.

I think the Roman's 'benevolence' is debatable.

They were very benevolent early on. Even to the point of incorporating entire societies into their culture without massacre.

Of course, when they didn't need to do that any more, they massacred people. Even then though, they were rather benevolent for their time.

Caesar let thousands live under Roman rule, Caesar also killed thousands after battles, it ended up being on how high of a chance he thought they would actually listen and not just wait a few years to attack them again.