The Truth About Women in Video Games: Sexism, Fan Service, and Representation

Women in video games are a very controversial topic for many reasons. We all love a beautiful female character to play as or look at in games, and I don’t believe anything is wrong with that. However, the issues arise when it comes to respecting women as an integral part of the gaming experience, not just fan service. Throughout the gaming universe, there are endless games that parade curvy, sexy, busty female characters (LOL, Overwatch, ZZZ, and many, many more) as an integral part of the game’s experience. These characters are skimpily dressed, often revealing incredible amounts of bare skin, and animated with unrealistic physics. We all know ridiculous jiggle physics when we see it. It can be argued endlessly that these designs and animated choices aren’t designed to be predatory or sexist, but no matter what you believe there is no question that the role women play in these games distorts the vision of real women in the eyes of male gamers.

Stellar Blade and Toxic Male Gaming Culture

There is maybe no greater example of the dominance of toxic masculinity and male gamer culture than the “controversy” surrounding the game Stellar Blade. As a simple description, Stellar Blade revolves around a sexy woman in very little clothing kicking ass. Again, I don’t want to be misconstrued as a prude woman who doesn’t want women to be sexy in games – I’m perhaps the opposite. As a lesbian woman, I love a good sexy female character, but there is a difference between sexy women in the eyes of female gamers and their male counterparts. Stellar Blade was ripped apart upon release, not for story reasons or anything that could be considered “game-breaking” – it was because of censorship. Specifically, the censorship of the female lead. She was not as exposed as some players had hoped. That’s the only reason. The over-sexualization of female characters is so important to some gamers that they created a petition to have the game go back to the sexualization promised to them before release. That’s where the root of this problem lies, in my opinion. Women are not seen as people or “playable characters”. They are seen as sex objects. Do yourself a favor and read the comments of men about the controversy in Stellar Blade, and you’ll see exactly how they feel about women.

The Gaming Industry’s Discrimination Problem: How Female Employees Are Affected

There may be some of you that believe that I am creating a non-issue, or that I’m being dramatic. “There is nothing wrong with sexualized characters!” Some of you might think, and to an extent, I agree. Sexiness isn’t the issue. The issue is that the over-sexualization of female characters extends so far into the real world that it affects not only female gamers but also female employees who work on the games that you love. 46% of gamers identify as women, and 60% of that female demographic feels misrepresented by the female characters in the games they play. That is an unbelievable amount of women who feel that the women in games they play are overtly sexual, designed solely for the male gaze, and underdeveloped as realistic characters. But it’s not just female gamers who feel this way – female employees do as well. Anyone who is well-versed in the history of gaming culture probably knows about the allegations against the gaming company Activision Blizzard. They have been accused of promoting a “frat-boy” culture that makes their female employees feel discriminated against. In some cases, female employees even claim to have been sexually assaulted and/or harassed in the workplace. Their claims were initially not taken seriously by the company, and although they were eventually forced to pay restitution to the employees who were found to either be affected by the discriminatory atmosphere or suffering from pay inequality, there is no major improvement in the culture of the video game industry for female employees. 

How Can We Improve Female Representation in the Gaming Industry?

This is the part of the article where I start to sound overtly negative. There are many things that can be done to help improve the lives of female employees, but the amount that actually will be done in the foreseeable future is a hard question to answer. For those in the United States, it is easy to see how careers for female employees will only get more difficult to manage. The rise of right-wing ideology and the attack on DEI policies will make it incredibly difficult for qualified women to get hired in positions in the video game industry and outside of it, which will make the male-to-female proportions of employees only more lopsided. However, there are still solutions that employees can take to help combat the ever-increasing sexist climate of the workplace. Women can join female-oriented unions, band together with other discriminated groups, and demand equality and fair treatment in the industry. Not all of America is dismantling its DEI policies, so businesses that embrace equality can be a much better option for employment opportunities. 

It’s a difficult time for us women in the gaming industry, but there is always hope for a brighter future. What do you think about the representation of women in video games? Share your thoughts in the comments below and join the conversation!