I produced an alien warrior game and I created a dominant signifying image that was essentially feminine. This corresponds to Toril Moi’s analysis of the distinction between female, feminine, feminist categories of representation (1987). Only in my production there is a clear focus on the female gender. This can be identified in the posture that I created for my main character, it is an exaggerated hip-sway, almost sexual pose, which when I tested it on my target audience they recognised as “a typical female pose!”.
essay prep
I produced a Zombies vs Soldiers game, in which I created a main zombie character who is seen as dominant therefore recognising a masculine representation although the character was not necessarily male. This corresponds to Toril Moi’s analysis of the difference between female, feminine and feminist forms of representation (1987). However in my creation you can recognise masculinity through the defined features on the face and body, which according to my target audience is seen as almost “man-like”.
In addition to this I have created a soldier who is a male; this is very stereotypical because for as long as we know men have been expected to be the ones that serve their country and go off to fight and protect while women are expected to stay home and look after the children. I also included clothing that was war-like and confrontational, this signifies battle, hostility, conflict etc – and a war-like helmet. In some ways this can contrast Laura Mulvey’s notion of the male gaze in that the soldier character is there to be objectified and looked at, in the words of Laura Mulvey he is a character whose “appearance is coded for strong visual impact”. Nevertheless, the male gaze is quite prominent as it associates the sexualisation of the character, which is not the instance for my character.
Essay prep
I produced a police detective game and I created a dominant signifying image that was essentially masculine. This corresponds to Toril Moi’s analysis of the distinction between female, feminine, feminist categories of representation (1987). Only in my production there is a clear focus on masculinity. This can be identified in the physique that I created for my main character, it was bug muscles in the arms, chest and legs which when I tested it on my target audience they recognised as “the standard for male body types!”.
Further to this I have exaggerated the muscular attributes of my character with clothes that fit perfectly, which is also clothing that was police-like and confrontational. In some ways this inverts Laura Mulvey’s notion of the male gaze in that my main character is there to be objectified and looked at, in the words of Laura Mulvey he is a character “establishing ways of looking and spectacle” (Mulvey, p. 883, 1999). However, the notion of the male gaze is quite distinct as it relates to the sexualisation of the dominant signifier, which is not the case for my character.
Nevertheless, I believe that it is generally accepted in society that masculinity is seen as much more aggressive, confrontational and violent than femininity. So in this sense my product is a reactionary representation of masculinity.
However, I think this is a positive representation of masculinity as I personally believe that an over-aggressive (toxic) masculinity is not healthy for males to aspire to, which mine is not. As such, if I was to create this product again, I would avoid the stereotypical representation of an over-muscular, over-physical detective and look to create a character that was more radical in representation, maybe a female or eben non-binary person. Perhaps inhabiting a range of signifiers that would connote a more feminine (ie less masculine) character. I could do this by re-sculpting my character in terms of their physical appearance, their clothing and their posture. As such, I would be sending out a much more positive message (for me) about masculinity, ‘maleness’ one that used a positive countertype to present a radical and challenging representation which could help gamers to adopt a new ways of thinking about gender representation, with more positive role models for young people to aspire to. As Keith Stuart notes ‘the power of video games [is] a reflective, empowering and emotional influence on the lives of players’. (Why diversity matters in the modern video games industry, Guardian, 18 July 2017)
cover essay
I have produced a games cover called ‘Snowboarder x-treme’, which revolves around playing against your friends to reach the end of the snowboard race. This was influenced by a Snowboard Video game I used to play as a kid. This is stereotypically a masculine game as it is a type of sport, and to make this more reactionary, I had a female character on the front, who I exaggerated her features to further accentuate the masculinity of the game. Toril Moi’s research on the distinction between female, feminine, feminist categories can be seen on my cover with the female character in a ‘sexualised’ outfit with exaggerated features.
PRODUCTION – GAMES COVER (SOI)
I intend to create a video games box inlay product for a dance video game, the title will be ‘Dance, Dance, Dance’. I intend to create two versions of the same product, one that is reactionary and one that is radical in representation. The main image and dominant signifier for will be of a character which I will create using Adobe Fuse. In the reactionary product, the stereotypical version, the dominant signifier will be of a female dancer, she will wear tight, exposing and revealing dance wear alongside enhancement of her physical features to ‘show off’ her body and engage the Male Gaze. This type of image is often seen on video games covers due to the societal norm of providing visual pleasure for straight men through media consumption.
Contrastingly, in the radical product, the counter type, the dancer will be a male character to counteract the social stereotype that dance is a typically ‘feminine’ activity which should only be carried out by women. He will wear comfortable, loose clothing such as jogging bottoms and a t-shirt. The character will portray a more realistic body type and a less enhanced image for people playing the game to look up to.
I will base my game cover on my style model, the ‘Just Dance’ video game series, as my idea is influenced by it. In the product, I will include typical textual features such as the game developer, the age rating, a title for the game series and particular game edition. I will also feature a paradigm of signs that revolve around dancing and music. On the back cover, I will include the legal notices and disclaimers that are expected on a video games cover, a blurb explaining the game, a website link and developer address, and also a storyboard of the different scenes included in the game play.
I want my product to represent ways in which women’s bodies and personalities are often over-sexualised in the general media, society, and in this case the digital game industry. I intend to prove that women do not need to provide pleasure for the male gaze whilst being represented as strong and independent in video games.
A mainstream company such as Nintendo, PlayStation or XBOX would make my product. The audience of my product would be children around age 9-13, ‘The Mainstreamer’, or anyone enjoys to dance
essay prep
I produced a school based game which incorporates violence. My main character is a women in power who has control. I labelled her as this as it is not stereotypical as she’s not presented as a ‘damsel in destress’
Further to this I have enlarged her breasts and singed in her waist leading to more attention on the buttocks which is the stereotypical idea of a women’s body. In some ways this inverts Laura Mulvey’s notion of the male gaze in that my main character is there to be objectified and looked at, in the words of Laura Mulvey she is a character “establishing ways of looking and spectacle”. However, the notion of the male gaze is quite distinct as it relates to the sexualisation of the dominant signifier.
REPRESENTAION – DIVERSITY
Diversity in video games:
DIVERSITY MATTERS
‘Playstation recently sponsored Pride London, providing a joyous, hugely colourful presence in the parade’ – This displays how playstation is supporting LGBTQ+ events and supporters, not to try get into another selling group, but actually to support the companies.
‘For every forward step however, there is often a reminder of how far is left to travel‘ – This shows how that no matter how much effort or help that a company can put in, there is always more to go, or more to do before people are happy.
Ethnicity in video games:
LEVELING UP
‘Sony’s most recent masterpiece showcases people from all walks of life in a way that seems natural and refreshing‘ – This is a quote displaying how newer games are getting better, the quote is supporting “The Last Of Us Part 2”
‘Not only did Parvati show some great representation for Southeast Asians, she also represented the LGBTQIA+ community amazingly.’ – This supports the game “The outer Worlds” and how they well supported both a different ethnicity and the LGBTQIA+ communities.
Oversexualisation in films:
Laura Mulvey
‘Woman as image, man as bearer of the look’ – This displays Mulveys idea on how woman are made to be in films.
‘Woman displayed as a sexual-object is the erotic spectacle’ – displays how woman are treated unfairly within films.
Male unfairness and superiority in society:
Feminist Frequency
“Woman are unfairly put in the Damsel in Distress role” – displays that woman are unfairly treated in video games and are used as a plot point instead of playable characters.
“Simply made the main character into a plot point instead of giving her the original game she was the main character in.” – following the story of Dinosaur planet that follows a female main character, the gamer was cancelled and the main female character was used as a plot point in star fox adventures.
quotes for essay
Leveling up article –
“Most games feature white protagonists”
“Asain people are heavily portrayed in fighting games”
Why diversity matters –
“As a girl growing up playing games I was always like, why do I have to play games as a boy?”
“We’re bringing that ‘it looks like me’ moment to more people”
Laura Mulvey
“In their traditional exhibitionist role women are simultaneously looked at and displayed with their appearance coded for strong visual and erotic impact so that they can be said to connote to-be-looked-at-ness”.
“In herself the woman has not the slightest importance”
Feminist frequency –
“The Damsel in Distress predates the invention of video games by several thousand years”
“The gruesome death of women for shock value is especially prevalent in modern gaming”
Gender in my games cover
I produced a game about a shooting war with both a male and female character. However the male character is represented as being the main signifier, following typical stereotypes. This relates to Jean Kilbournes theory about men being objectified as well as women but in a more competent and strong way. Focussing on the masculinity in ways such as holding the gun in a powerful and confident positive ready for action at the edge of the cliff. He is a big, muscular build with less protective armour to portray the reactionary idea that men don’t need help.
On the other hand I believe that this is a negative representation of masculinity as it tries to create a radical image of how men should look (when this is unrealistic for the majority). I think it would have been better if my male character challenged this stereotypes and used a positive counter type to try and shape the way that men think of themselves and how they see women.
Whereas on the other side of the cliff where the female is positioned, she is seemed to be further away from the edge showing she is less capable and more likely to get in danger so has to stay at a safe distance. As shown in the feminist frequency videos about “damsel in distress”, a women’s main purpose in a game is to keep the plot going by the man needing to assist the woman.
Futhermore, usually the clothing which the female is wearing is tighter and more objectifying. In my game the female is wearing non-revealing clothing but more protection than the man still suggesting she is weaker but not sexualising her. Sexualising women in video games is unacceptable as it normalises dangerous attitudes towards women and increases the sexual violence threat towards them: “52% of Hispanic people studied believed there was a link between violent video games and real-world violence.”- Levelling up article.
Games cover sketch
