Gaming and Feminism

Originally posted by ScreamPaste
shrug Wouldn't sparing her the violence because she's a young, traumatized woman actually be sexist and perpetuate the flawed idea that female protagonists need to be treated more gently?

I'm speaking solely on the subject of the game beating her up, here.

Ummm, yes, you're right. Showing a capable woman succeed in a game without having her run around in a bikini is one of many types of iterations that a real feminist would want from a video game. "Men aren't the only ones that can overcome both physical and mental hardships: women are strong, too."

In most video games, the protagonist role is some iteration of a strong male that must overcome the odds. That's the sexist part that people are trying to change. While it may be true that even twins (one male and one female) will have a massive difference in physical capability (assuming both train just as hard and eat just as well), this doesn't mean that you cannot have a physically and mentally strong female lead your games. Sure, even in twin studies of untrained siblings, the males were significantly stronger (and the strength gap becomes much more pronounced if they are trained athletes), we can still have strong female leads in games that do some major ass-kicking.

Originally posted by dadudemon
Ummm, yes, you're right. Showing a capable woman succeed in a game without having her run around in a bikini is one of many types of iterations that a real feminist would want from a video game. "Men aren't the only ones that can overcome both physical and mental hardships: women are strong, too."

In most video games, the protagonist role is some iteration of a strong male that must overcome the odds. That's the sexist part that people are trying to change. While it may be true that even twins (one male and one female) will have a massive difference in physical capability (assuming both train just as hard and eat just as well), this doesn't mean that you cannot have a physically and mentally strong female lead your games. Sure, even in twin studies of untrained siblings, the males were significantly stronger (and the strength gap becomes much more pronounced if they are trained athletes), we can still have strong female leads in games that do some major ass-kicking.

That's just biology. I don't think the fact that they're twins makes much of a difference.

While there may not be as many female protagonists in gaming as many would like, I think there have been great strides in female characters in gaming in general. Particularly when it comes to supporting characters.

Games like Walking Dead, Mass Effect, Half Life 2 and the recently released Last of Us all have exceptional female characters with depth and personality. And while these characters I'm referring aren't the 'lead' character, they are arguably more important. Look not further than Half Life 2. While you control Gorden Freeman, and he's technically a protagonist, he is barely a character. You are not meant to project any emotional attachment to him. That designation belongs to Alyx Vance, she's meant to be the character the player connects with. The same goes for The Walking Dead with Clementine and The Last of Us with Ellie. You don't control these characters, but they're just as important, if not more so, than the characters you control from a story telling perspective. They are the catalysts for emotional investment in the story.

I still say Lieutenant Mira in Space Marine is the toughest woman in any video game.

Originally posted by -Pr-
I still say Lieutenant Mira in Space Marine is the toughest woman in any video game.

Originally posted by -Pr-
I still say Lieutenant Mira in Space Marine is the toughest woman in any video game.

Originally posted by NemeBro
Never played Snake Eater I take it?

I did, my point still stands.

Originally posted by ScreamPaste
You wouldn't be far off. T'was a nifty inclusion.

👆

Originally posted by -Pr-
I did, my point still stands.

Also fat.

Fite me irl

Originally posted by NemeBro
Well it is pretty self-evident that you're wrong, though.

Also fat.

Fite me irl

😂

Originally posted by NemeBro
Well it is pretty self-evident that you're wrong, though.

Also fat.

Fite me irl

Originally posted by -Pr-
😂

(in a Nature and Wildlife Narrator's voice)And now we observe an alpha and a beta's interaction behavior. Look at the beta's submissiveness to the alpha's control assertion.

he wishes it was that easy.

This is messed up: http://flygirlgamers.com/game-on-ladies/

Props to the girl who spoke up and started talking shit back.

That's what is going to get women accepted in the gaming community. Win, then talk mad shit.

It's a shame he didn't tell us what their gamertags are. I'd love to give them shit.

Originally posted by Tzeentch._
Props to the girl who spoke up and started talking shit back.

That's what is going to get women accepted in the gaming community. Win, then talk mad shit.

The opposite, actually. I've gotten about 20 friend invites from topping the leaderboard in Dawn of War 2.

Whenever there's some shit-talking in the chat about being a girl, it's usually retracted by the end of the game.

I should try it. See how well the Chivalry community takes to a girl gamer having the consistent top score.

It's a lot of fun, tbh.

I get so much praise, even when I'm playing just average.

Whore.

I do more to integrate women into video game society in 15 minutes of gameplay than most actual women do in the entire lives.