Trinity34
01-06-2005, 07:19 PM
Getting the Girl: The myths, misconceptions, and misdemeanors of females in games.
by Zoe Flower
It was 1996 when a little development house out of the U.K. finished work on a lush new adventure game featuring a brunette archeologist named Lara Croft. It was a defining moment for me as I watched her strut seductively across my screen and into the sex symbol status that would turn the gaming world on its head. Fast-forward eight years through the evolution of next-gen hardware, multimillion-dollar budgets, and massive acceptance of games in pop culture. Still, Lara Croft continues to personify an ongoing culture clash over gender, sexuality, empowerment, and objectification. It was while standing in my first-ever ladies' room line at E3 2004 as I pondered the Playboy bunnies, the return of Leisure Suit Larry, and the slew of buxom virtual ladies headlining each booth that I questioned whether the industry had evolved at all.
It might seem like a simple puzzle to solve trying to understand why female representation in videogames - whether it's as characters, developers, or gamers - is important. But it seemed the more questions I asked, the more elusive the answers became. And it wasn't long before my own stereotypes were called into question.
When I requested an interview to discuss Cyberlore's Playboy: The Mansion, I never even considered that the senior designer on the Sims-style project might be a woman - one pregnant with twins, in fact. As I expected, Brenda Brathwaite has a lot to say about females in today's games. But I can guarantee it's not what you might expect.
"If you're going to animate breasts, animate them properly," admonishes Brathwaite. "The breasts in the original Dark Alliance drove me nuts. If my breasts moved like that, I'd go to the doctor... or call an exorcist."
While this industry veteran shows a sense of humor and perspective concerning her work, there are many who won't find the idea of creating a Playboy magazine simulator funny. "I suspect that those who feel it's a gender controversy have probably not seen an issue of Playboy magazine. They have it stereotyped," suggests Brathwaite. "I find that Playboy is a celebration of women and goes out of its way to be respectful. On Playboy: The Mansion, we were committed to making a good, tasteful game."
I got a similar response regarding Majesco's BloodRayne; Rayne, coincidentally, just appeared in Playboy's "Sexiest Game Characters" spread. And here too, the product manager for the goth queen was herself female.
"If you don't have the gameplay to back up the character appeal, T&A will only get you so far," effuses Liz Buckley. "BloodRayne resonates very well with our target audience of males ages 17 to 34, but Rayne has a huge female following as well. I think that's attributable to her strength and attitude - it's definitely empowering to play as her."
So if it's all about personality, why bother with the heaving bosom and leather chaps? It turns out Rayne was an ugly duckling before her transformation to voluptuous vixen. "Initially, Rayne had a militant, dark gothic look. She was a brunette with tight buns in her hair and a very severe body line," explains Buckley. And I even found myself admitting I'd rather play the "extreme makeover" version of the vamp.
Maybe it's not a crime to sex up the leading ladies, particularly if they retain some character development. But what about Vivendi's upcoming Red Ninja, which claims to incorporate sexuality as a gameplay mechanic, allowing main character Kurenai to seduce unsuspecting guards?
"It's a challenging concept to attempt when body language and atmosphere are confined by things like polygon limits," admits Associate Producer Melissa Miller. "Early on, we conducted a focus test specifically with female gamers. They liked the concept of Kurenai but felt she was showing too much skin with short kimono. Once we justified the need for some sexiness with the seduction mechanic, they bought into Kurenai completely and were really excited about playing her."
Producer Yozo Sakagami of Namco's Death by Degrees, featuring Tekken's Nina, expressed a similar design challenge when trying to achieve what his team calls "functional beauty in combat." It turns out that Nina's bikini and catsuit are more than just eye candy. "The outfit designs were based on ease of movement and variation in appearance," states Sakagami. "Depending on whether an attack connects with bare or clothed skin, the resulting damage differs."
Right. And are female gamers buying into it? "We've received favorable reactions from women toward Nina in this game. We were surprised because these women saw in Nina the character image we had hoped to create but feared we hadn't attained. Intangible elements such as these can easily be obscured while developing a game."
With such a positive response to stereotypical female protagonists, I began to question whether it was possible to design a strong female character without the requisite augmented body and sexual references.
"These types of character designs are not necessary; it is an easy way out," argues Ubisoft's Tyrone Miller. "Beyond Good & Evil shows us that you can convey the same strength and likeability in a female character without having to use blatant sex appeal."
Interestingly enough, BG&E's protagonist Jade is the brainchild of game designer Michel Ancel (Raymond, King Kong). "Rumor has it that Ancel's wife actually served as the main inspiration and muse for Jade's look and personality," informs Miller. "Ancel wanted to create a realistic lead character with a persona that players could connect to and identify with. As you play the game, you really develop an attachment to her."
So with men designing approachable leading ladies of realistic proportions and women enthusing over the feminine aspects of Playboy and goth queens, I realized that the issue might have less to do with gender and more to do with how sexuality is perceived in today's games.
"It's wrong to single out female characters when their male counterparts are usually just as superficial," argues Amy Hennig, game director of Naughty Dog. "We seem to be at that 'naughty' stage, where some developers are testing the limits to see what they can get away with. Games aren't considered just toys anymore, but we haven't matured beyond juvenile titillation."
Karin Yamagiwa, 2D-texture lead for Sucker Punch (Sly Cooper) points out, "Sexuality can be powerful, but it depends on how it's used. Games like Rumble Roses... some of my female friends find them a bit offensive, while others find them hilarious. Is it for boys to ogle? Of course! But I also know plenty of men who are embarrassed by it."
Anna Kipnis, a programmer for Double Fine Studios, adds, "Games can have story elements and amazing gameplay that can appeal to people regardless of gender. I believe that is what game developers should strive for, and perhaps not enough do."
Aletheia Simonson of Sony CEA's product evaluation group agrees. "Games for women are there; the hurdle is getting a woman who has never played a videogame to try one. It will probably be some time before the game equivalent of the romantic comedy is a blockbuster hit," she explains.
Well, one developer seems to have combined gender equality with mass appeal. EA Maxis' The Sims franchise has laid claim to a whoping 50 percent female audience. And it's not as if this series is without its gender stereotypes and sex appeal. One look at The Urbz: Sims in the City reveals a prevalence of thong panties and revealing clothing. So just whom is this game meant for?
"Were we planning to entice the male? Well, it does make them look twice in the office!" jokes Virginia McArthur, lead producer on The Urbz Handheld. "But you will find when women play, they tend to choose the hip low-riders, as it really fits in with the culture of the location."
As for the secret of The Sims' success, McArthur answers confidently: "When we brought The Urbz to consoles, we realized that what keeps females interested in our products is the customization and real-life interactions and scenarios they can play out as an Urb. Female players on consoles wanted to spend more time socializing and unlocking items and outfits; they wantd to spend less time on motives and watching animations."
But isn't it generalizations like those above that have been packaged into the dreaded concept of the "girl game"? "It's silly and patronizing to think there's some magic 'girl game' formula, that if the box is pink and there's shopping in the game, girls will buy it in droves," warns Naughty Dog's Hennig, who believes this stereotyping disenfranchises girls all the more. "In general, I think women prefer games that include exploration, problem-solving, customization, and nonlinear play. When we incorporate these elements into our games - whether it's GTA or The Sims - we're going to attract a wider demographic."
However, despite the recent growth spurt of women making and playing games, there remains a great divide between male and female gamers. Many women report feeling intimidated, whether it's because of an overwhelming amount of product on store shelves or the often aggressive behavior of other gamers. It's no secret that it can be tough to become part of the hardcore online community, even for the most talented players.
In an attempt to bridge the gender gap, Ubisoft has created and funded a fully female gaming team known as the Frag Dolls, a group of hardcore twitch gamers with panache who play Splinter Cell and Rainbow Six. At first impression, this could be taken as a marketing gimmick by Ubisoft to attract more males to their products. Not true, claims the publisher.
"We're creating role models for a whole legion of girls out there who may have been too intimidated to play games online - or even play at all," explains Ubisoft's online community manager, Nate Mordo. "For those who have bemoaned the fact that in-game heroines have tended to adhere to a certain template, I think that more women playing games means that we'll see more games that cater to this newly diverse audience."
The Frag Dolls are looking to debunk the myths associated with girl gamers and help support other women looking to play. But it's still naive to think that all gamers are treated equally: One visit to the girl team's forums ( www.fragdolls.com ) demonstrates the uphill battle to convince male gamers that girls are worthy adversaries and teammates.
So it appears, in fact, that publishers are finally accepting the existance of the once mythical female market. However, whether the industry can mature and evolve to capture their interests still remains to be seen. What I can guarantee is a sentiment echoed by every woman I spoke with: The more women that get involved, the more power they have to evoke change from within, it may take time and effort, but I don't know anyone who ever said getting the girl was easy.
Official U.S. Playstation Magazine, Issue 88, January 2005. (http://opm.1up.com)
Transcribed by Trinity34.
by Zoe Flower
It was 1996 when a little development house out of the U.K. finished work on a lush new adventure game featuring a brunette archeologist named Lara Croft. It was a defining moment for me as I watched her strut seductively across my screen and into the sex symbol status that would turn the gaming world on its head. Fast-forward eight years through the evolution of next-gen hardware, multimillion-dollar budgets, and massive acceptance of games in pop culture. Still, Lara Croft continues to personify an ongoing culture clash over gender, sexuality, empowerment, and objectification. It was while standing in my first-ever ladies' room line at E3 2004 as I pondered the Playboy bunnies, the return of Leisure Suit Larry, and the slew of buxom virtual ladies headlining each booth that I questioned whether the industry had evolved at all.
It might seem like a simple puzzle to solve trying to understand why female representation in videogames - whether it's as characters, developers, or gamers - is important. But it seemed the more questions I asked, the more elusive the answers became. And it wasn't long before my own stereotypes were called into question.
When I requested an interview to discuss Cyberlore's Playboy: The Mansion, I never even considered that the senior designer on the Sims-style project might be a woman - one pregnant with twins, in fact. As I expected, Brenda Brathwaite has a lot to say about females in today's games. But I can guarantee it's not what you might expect.
"If you're going to animate breasts, animate them properly," admonishes Brathwaite. "The breasts in the original Dark Alliance drove me nuts. If my breasts moved like that, I'd go to the doctor... or call an exorcist."
While this industry veteran shows a sense of humor and perspective concerning her work, there are many who won't find the idea of creating a Playboy magazine simulator funny. "I suspect that those who feel it's a gender controversy have probably not seen an issue of Playboy magazine. They have it stereotyped," suggests Brathwaite. "I find that Playboy is a celebration of women and goes out of its way to be respectful. On Playboy: The Mansion, we were committed to making a good, tasteful game."
I got a similar response regarding Majesco's BloodRayne; Rayne, coincidentally, just appeared in Playboy's "Sexiest Game Characters" spread. And here too, the product manager for the goth queen was herself female.
"If you don't have the gameplay to back up the character appeal, T&A will only get you so far," effuses Liz Buckley. "BloodRayne resonates very well with our target audience of males ages 17 to 34, but Rayne has a huge female following as well. I think that's attributable to her strength and attitude - it's definitely empowering to play as her."
So if it's all about personality, why bother with the heaving bosom and leather chaps? It turns out Rayne was an ugly duckling before her transformation to voluptuous vixen. "Initially, Rayne had a militant, dark gothic look. She was a brunette with tight buns in her hair and a very severe body line," explains Buckley. And I even found myself admitting I'd rather play the "extreme makeover" version of the vamp.
Maybe it's not a crime to sex up the leading ladies, particularly if they retain some character development. But what about Vivendi's upcoming Red Ninja, which claims to incorporate sexuality as a gameplay mechanic, allowing main character Kurenai to seduce unsuspecting guards?
"It's a challenging concept to attempt when body language and atmosphere are confined by things like polygon limits," admits Associate Producer Melissa Miller. "Early on, we conducted a focus test specifically with female gamers. They liked the concept of Kurenai but felt she was showing too much skin with short kimono. Once we justified the need for some sexiness with the seduction mechanic, they bought into Kurenai completely and were really excited about playing her."
Producer Yozo Sakagami of Namco's Death by Degrees, featuring Tekken's Nina, expressed a similar design challenge when trying to achieve what his team calls "functional beauty in combat." It turns out that Nina's bikini and catsuit are more than just eye candy. "The outfit designs were based on ease of movement and variation in appearance," states Sakagami. "Depending on whether an attack connects with bare or clothed skin, the resulting damage differs."
Right. And are female gamers buying into it? "We've received favorable reactions from women toward Nina in this game. We were surprised because these women saw in Nina the character image we had hoped to create but feared we hadn't attained. Intangible elements such as these can easily be obscured while developing a game."
With such a positive response to stereotypical female protagonists, I began to question whether it was possible to design a strong female character without the requisite augmented body and sexual references.
"These types of character designs are not necessary; it is an easy way out," argues Ubisoft's Tyrone Miller. "Beyond Good & Evil shows us that you can convey the same strength and likeability in a female character without having to use blatant sex appeal."
Interestingly enough, BG&E's protagonist Jade is the brainchild of game designer Michel Ancel (Raymond, King Kong). "Rumor has it that Ancel's wife actually served as the main inspiration and muse for Jade's look and personality," informs Miller. "Ancel wanted to create a realistic lead character with a persona that players could connect to and identify with. As you play the game, you really develop an attachment to her."
So with men designing approachable leading ladies of realistic proportions and women enthusing over the feminine aspects of Playboy and goth queens, I realized that the issue might have less to do with gender and more to do with how sexuality is perceived in today's games.
"It's wrong to single out female characters when their male counterparts are usually just as superficial," argues Amy Hennig, game director of Naughty Dog. "We seem to be at that 'naughty' stage, where some developers are testing the limits to see what they can get away with. Games aren't considered just toys anymore, but we haven't matured beyond juvenile titillation."
Karin Yamagiwa, 2D-texture lead for Sucker Punch (Sly Cooper) points out, "Sexuality can be powerful, but it depends on how it's used. Games like Rumble Roses... some of my female friends find them a bit offensive, while others find them hilarious. Is it for boys to ogle? Of course! But I also know plenty of men who are embarrassed by it."
Anna Kipnis, a programmer for Double Fine Studios, adds, "Games can have story elements and amazing gameplay that can appeal to people regardless of gender. I believe that is what game developers should strive for, and perhaps not enough do."
Aletheia Simonson of Sony CEA's product evaluation group agrees. "Games for women are there; the hurdle is getting a woman who has never played a videogame to try one. It will probably be some time before the game equivalent of the romantic comedy is a blockbuster hit," she explains.
Well, one developer seems to have combined gender equality with mass appeal. EA Maxis' The Sims franchise has laid claim to a whoping 50 percent female audience. And it's not as if this series is without its gender stereotypes and sex appeal. One look at The Urbz: Sims in the City reveals a prevalence of thong panties and revealing clothing. So just whom is this game meant for?
"Were we planning to entice the male? Well, it does make them look twice in the office!" jokes Virginia McArthur, lead producer on The Urbz Handheld. "But you will find when women play, they tend to choose the hip low-riders, as it really fits in with the culture of the location."
As for the secret of The Sims' success, McArthur answers confidently: "When we brought The Urbz to consoles, we realized that what keeps females interested in our products is the customization and real-life interactions and scenarios they can play out as an Urb. Female players on consoles wanted to spend more time socializing and unlocking items and outfits; they wantd to spend less time on motives and watching animations."
But isn't it generalizations like those above that have been packaged into the dreaded concept of the "girl game"? "It's silly and patronizing to think there's some magic 'girl game' formula, that if the box is pink and there's shopping in the game, girls will buy it in droves," warns Naughty Dog's Hennig, who believes this stereotyping disenfranchises girls all the more. "In general, I think women prefer games that include exploration, problem-solving, customization, and nonlinear play. When we incorporate these elements into our games - whether it's GTA or The Sims - we're going to attract a wider demographic."
However, despite the recent growth spurt of women making and playing games, there remains a great divide between male and female gamers. Many women report feeling intimidated, whether it's because of an overwhelming amount of product on store shelves or the often aggressive behavior of other gamers. It's no secret that it can be tough to become part of the hardcore online community, even for the most talented players.
In an attempt to bridge the gender gap, Ubisoft has created and funded a fully female gaming team known as the Frag Dolls, a group of hardcore twitch gamers with panache who play Splinter Cell and Rainbow Six. At first impression, this could be taken as a marketing gimmick by Ubisoft to attract more males to their products. Not true, claims the publisher.
"We're creating role models for a whole legion of girls out there who may have been too intimidated to play games online - or even play at all," explains Ubisoft's online community manager, Nate Mordo. "For those who have bemoaned the fact that in-game heroines have tended to adhere to a certain template, I think that more women playing games means that we'll see more games that cater to this newly diverse audience."
The Frag Dolls are looking to debunk the myths associated with girl gamers and help support other women looking to play. But it's still naive to think that all gamers are treated equally: One visit to the girl team's forums ( www.fragdolls.com ) demonstrates the uphill battle to convince male gamers that girls are worthy adversaries and teammates.
So it appears, in fact, that publishers are finally accepting the existance of the once mythical female market. However, whether the industry can mature and evolve to capture their interests still remains to be seen. What I can guarantee is a sentiment echoed by every woman I spoke with: The more women that get involved, the more power they have to evoke change from within, it may take time and effort, but I don't know anyone who ever said getting the girl was easy.
Official U.S. Playstation Magazine, Issue 88, January 2005. (http://opm.1up.com)
Transcribed by Trinity34.