"societal" pressures....society feels like such an abstract idea and that is just thrown around to justify our actions. ...it is a blurred line between what is inate and what are societal pressures

Couldn't agree more!

Ugh, this makes no sense at all. Essentially the video argues that a good, well-rounded female character is one that deals with motherhood and/or society's pressures on women. Really? In the beginning of this video it points out that most video game characters are male but lack any other gender traits. These male characters are not dealing with fatherhood issues, or society's demands on masculinity. So why would a good female character have to deal gender issues specifically? We just want to shoot some bad guys (male or female) and be more than just T&A!

The video presents some nice ideas, but the part with the motherhood was disgusting

I think what he was trying to say with the motherhood bit was that people in games currently seem to think that making a "good female character" must involve biological things about women--and the only one usually focused on is BOOBIES, you know? He says straight off that gender doesn't matter one bit for a good character IE, you could have female Gordon Freeman and Halflife would still be great, and girl!Gordon would still be a good character. HOWEVER, he says that if you WANTED to create a character who explores biological things specific to women, motherhood/childbearing/whatever might be a good topic, since it's almost never handled in games. Off the top of my head, Silent Hill explores it pretty regularly, with men and women both.

I honestly was all ready to get offended over this video, but I thought it was pretty good. The advice given about considering how a character reacts to societal pressure to conform to a role is universal to all good "deep" characters, IMO.

Of course, he still assumes binary gender but I expect that from... the world... at this point.

My initial thought is that most video game characters, male or female, are one-dimensional. That may be a biased opinion on my part. Most of the video games I play generally lack much of a plot. Or, if they do have a plot, they don't really have much character development to speak of. So, I may be neglecting games that are more sophisticated. Nonetheless, it still seems odd to me that anyone would turn to video games for realistic characters or scenarios. This is based solely on anecdotal data but I don't think thats why the majority of people play games. It is escapist fare and the fact that many games are so unrealistic is precisely what attracts a lot of people.

The real crux of this issue, as I see it, is not that games are fantastical but that the fantasy caters to the male gaze. Why aren't there games that cater to the "female gaze" (or whatever the equivalent is)? By that I mean, why don't we see more games with attractive males as "eye-candy" and such (as opposed to the current standard of having female characters serve as eye-candy)? Are there structural forces in the industry preventing this - i.e. most programmers are male? I really don't know. A part of me thinks that males and females may, in general, actually have different modes of determining sexual attraction (for lack of a better phrase). I'm thinking of something like Playgirl magazine. It has never reached the commercial success that Playboy has. What success it has met has mostly been generated by males (it's my understanding that gay males make up the majority of Playgirl consumers). I do have to consider the possibility that males determine attraction through visual cues and physical beauty to a greater than females, broadly speaking.

I really wish there were a transcript of this video. I've seen it linked around quite a few blogs I read, but between the speed that the guy speaks and the electronic pitch distortion, I can't process the narration!

Perfect example is PS3's Heavy Rain from Quantic Dream
SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT:

Only four females in the cast, two are mothers with little screen time, the others are Madison and Lauren. Lauren is a prostitute (as required by law in the gaming world) and Madison is a journalist.

Lauren could have been a drug dealer or a kindergarten teacher, her profession would not have changed the plot line. You don't play from her POV, Therefore why the second leading female in the story had to be a prostitute was senseless objectification.

Madison apparently has a back story as an embedded journalist in Iraq. Funny thing is, they dropped the cut-scene for her flashbacks, which would have provided explanation for her chronic insomnia and bad ass combat skills. Needless to say she's a cool head in a tight spot, but she's missing something, that's right, a lover. So she falls into a relationship that no fan I've encountered finds believable. The coup de grâce for this gamer was watching her strip-tease for a nightclub owner (arguably essential to the plot).

Grudgingly I will admit I enjoyed the game but it could have survived without marketing for a target audience of teenage boys.

So congratulations, forty-something David Cage, and get a life.

Speaking of female characters in videogames, does anyone have any comments on gender in Portal?

There were a lot of references to Metroid: Other M in this video that piqued my interest. Would any gamers like to explain exactly what is so problematic about the game?

Would it make a difference if Gordon Freeman was female? WHY YES IT WOULD.
He and many characters are only male because the expected norm is male. There is no reason why he can't be female, and imagine more characters were randomly female even without exploring motherhood.

JDP: I think Portal is a great example of how the main character can be female and it in no way affects the storyline of the game!

In Halo: Reach, you can choose whether you want your character to be a male or a female and it makes absolutely no difference in the storyline of the game. All it does is change the character's voice (which is rarely heard anyway) and to the best of my knowledge the dialogue is identical in either case. There is also a non-playable female character who is part of the main character's team who is also treated as a normal human instead of being presented in a stereotypical way.

In both Halo and Portal, the main character's struggle is compelling because she (or he, if you choose a male character) is in an extraordinary situation. I think these are both great examples of presenting females as normal rather than other.

I dont get why Samus was a good example of a female character. She just ran around/ jumped around shooting things and you only learn she is a she after you win the game. What issues is she dealing with besides Motherbrain?

Seriously, none of you noticed that all the cartoon people in this video are white?

I would advise girls to look more to projects such as https://aviator-games.in/, I think that the excitement is all people regardless of gender, namely in projects such as aviator-games, you can experience the fullness of his excitement!

I haven't played video games since I was a teenager. What is popular in the world of video games now?

The discussion on female characters in video games is crucial for promoting diversity and inclusivity in the gaming industry. While the video sheds light on the need for more complex portrayals, it's essential to address both biological and social aspects accurately. Exploring casual game art services
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