Debate Hour: Is Gender Poorly Represented in Video Games?

Representation of gender is always a big discussion within any media format. Video games have always had some issues with representation. However, discussions in the community are helping game companies recognise this.

Designs and representations in certain video games can become problematic to the player. There are games which avoid the stereotypes of genders. Sometimes designers can't help but apply them to their designs.

Let's look at the debate that has spanned the video game industry for a long time and how people from both sides feel about it.

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Gender IS poorly represented in video games

Video games in the industry can suffer from a lack of variety in representation. From females only seen as sexual objects to males who have extreme violence. Transgender characters also suffer with little to no representation.

Players who take this side often believe that the industry needs to work harder on this. The swing goes all ways, with representation for all genders being limited.

Typical representations of female characters include:

• The mother figure
• The love interest

Typical male representations include:

• The hero
• The violent and aggressive villain

And with little to no representation of transgender characters, players may feel a little isolated. After all, relatability to characters is what helps to sell video games. A more inclusive lineup will provide more fans.

Gender ISN'T poorly represented in video games

This side of the debate is usually argued with more recent video game releases. There has been an influx recently of strong female characters coming to the gaming world. Perhaps with recent gender progressions in the real world, this is finally translating to the gaming scene.

The issue with satire in games is also something which is brought into this debate. Current video games have an element of woke about them. And the best way to put out the wokeness is with satire. Hyper-exaggerated representations of gender are used to show how silly the ideas are.

What is the conclusion?

With both sides of the debate having compelling arguments, where do you stay in the debate? Do you think that the games industry must be better, that everything is fine, or somewhere in the middle?