One of the current gender issues in gaming is the lack of diversity in female character representations in digital games. To find a solution for this problem, first the current female character representations have to be critically examined and analysed to pinpoint the recurrent issues in them. It is not until then that it will be possible to find ways to improve the visibility and diversity of women in games. In my master’s thesis (Friman 2013a) I examined how characters, especially female characters, are constructed in some of the most popular digital games of 2010 and 2011 (1). During the study I found some remarkable recurrences in the ways women are and are not represented in those selected AAA titles in my data. In this essay I will describe my findings on how female character representations are constructed and interpreted in digital games.
For the purpose of gaining a wider understanding on how digital game characters are constructed, I have also developed a model through which digital game character representations can be examined and analysed. The model is based on five character construction themes: 1. presence, 2. background and role, 3.
participation and goals, 4. speech, and 5. gendering. The model also locates the character construction process to the interactions between characters and between the characters and the player. In addition to the recurrent patterns found in female character representations in my study, I will also describe this model and how it can be used to analyse and improve female characters in digital games.
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