Ditz

Issue date: 4/28/08 Section: Viewpoints

Media Credit: onedigitallife.com

Videogames have had a relatively short life as far as media goes. In the thirty-some years the medium has existed, it has moved from mere geometric representations (such as Pac Man) to legitimately humanoid representations, to the videogames we see these days, where some even approach realism. Videogames occupy an odd space in our considerations and appraisals in society because they're too interactive to be readily labeled as an art form. At the same time, they come too properly equipped to carry a poignant message to be dismissed as frivolous pastimes.

Videogames raise awareness and prod the sensitivity of the masses in all sorts of ways. In questioning what children are exposed to in terms of story content and violence, we've organized our scruples and beliefs on what is right and what is wrong through ratings systems. When we evaluate the appropriateness of what we're exposed to, we must come to terms with a lot of issues in both society and the game itself. Violence in video games is a problem because of the correlations people see between it and school shootings. Issues of sex and gender are also commonly discussed, even from the early days of the medium.

In the old days (a.k.a. the early 1990's) the Atari 2600 released a game called Custer's Last Stand. The graphics of the Atari, despite what your nostalgia may lead you to believe, were horrible. Basically, large clunky boxes loosely formed what was supposed to be a naked colonel Custer and his protruding member. Reread the prior sentence if you must, but it's true. In the game, you played as a naked Colonel Custer. Why naked? So that you could better accomplish the aim of the game, which was to move to the right side of the screen and have your way with a naked Indian woman tied to a post while dodging the attacks of her angry brethren from off-screen.

It should be noted that this was one of the best-selling games for the Atari, and that it did spark as much of a controversy then as such a game would now. At any rate, it seems clear to me, as it should to you as well, that even without amazing graphics and gameplay (since Custer only moved left or right) a videogame can still be a socially poignant medium that incites reaction and discussion- which is saying something when you really take a look at how bad the graphics used to be. So, if we started off in a medium that has been wholly immature and unrefined in its regard to womanhood and objectification of the gender, have we come a long way? As a proud gamer, I have to say, "kind of." It's a mixed bag, and there are a lot of reasons for both the good and the bad.

First the bad: for some, better graphics mean better boobs. It's a pretty simple equation, just like with television and movies: sex sells videogames. Videogames are a 13 billion dollar a year industry, and that's a large market to try to find the next Final Fantasy for. Hits like that are few and far between, so what better way to move a large audience than with the one thing proven to move large audiences (other than just giving your video game away for free)? Sex, or sexy characters. Tomb Raider was the first proof of this, of course, but there have been other sexy lead females since then and even before Lara Croft. What made Tomb Raider successful over multiple installments was not the well-endowed lead female, but the gameplay and story. Lara Croft was the heroine of her story, and to that end was a huge leap forward from the typical stories of a male hero saving the damsel (poor Mario). Regardless of her endowments, it was still a strong woman leading the story.

Women in videogames tend to be extremely well-endowed, but as far as the issue of physical stylization goes, I have to respond with a "why not?" Videogames are supposed to create a fantasy world, and you are exposed to the designs of the developer within this framed world. The bodies of male videogame leads are subject to the same level of unrealistic expectations, if not more so. Looking at the way the bodies are designed and proportioned is a bit moot since you're dealing with an artists' conception-I doubt there was much controversy even for Renaissance artists who painted and sculpted idealized women, so why is it an issue for video game designers? The biggest problem is one of context when these games are viewed against the backdrop of today's society.

As I noted before, sex sells and as such, we see female characters marketed for their physical appearances. This is most likely because the videogame market is comprised of about 70-30% male-female consumers. Therefore, when you have a developer whose only concern is money, they will often just settle for designing some scantily-clad eye candy. Just like in TV and movies, there is always going to be objectification for the sake of turning a quicker buck. Some quick examples of this are BloodRayne, Trish and Lady from the Devil May Cry series, and the Dead or Alive series. The Dead or Alive series has been noted for its "bouncing factor" due to recent advents of graphics engines. BloodRayne (a femme fatale vampiress) was actually featured as a Playboy centerfold two years ago.

In the videogame realm, though, there's been a lot of progress with regards to female characters and their representation. The market for videogames, it turns out, is actually more sensitive to issues of character representation and objectification. Elena Fischer of Playstation 3's Uncharted: Drake's Fortune is an example of this. She is a female TV reporter following the hero, Nathan Drake, as he hunts for treasure and she hunts for a story to sell. While this seems like a typical setup for a damsel in distress, Elena is no Princess Peach. Though unsure, she readily picks up a handgun and helps the protagonist gun down pirates and monsters in the story. Elena looks like a real woman (proportion-wise) and behaves like one, too. She's not an unrealistic hero, nor is she a helpless woman waiting for the man to come save her.

More and more, the strong, capable woman is becoming typical of videogames in this era. Except in the case of Princess Peach and Mario, the old fashioned damsel in distress is outdated and laughed at in this modern day setting. The only thing left to complain about is the fact that a woman heroine can go into battle against Viking hordes in naught but a bikini, but it's a fair tradeoff since I feel uneasy playing as heroes sporting six packs I know I'll never have.

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