Does Gaming Affect your perception of women?

[evilneko]

And look at how in so many games, gender is purely aesthetic. And even in games where it's not, the differences aren't really meaningful.

[Trandoshan]

You know, (I say this purely for the thought) the fantasy perception of females by males (being, women being damsels in distress and males needing to accomplish all roles in life.) was culturally and lawfully enforced up until the woman's movements of the 1900s and previously Native American culture. So in reality, males have been trying to force that fantasy ideal on women throughout history. It wasn't until the 70's (?) that women openly served in militaries around the world or held jobs (WWI) that men previously held in times forgotten.

 

Perhaps the 'gaming perception' of women is basically man's way of coping with his inherent loss of dominance in society... hmmm....

[RedVexHK]

I think games like Mass Effect show Fem Shepard as a gutsy hard as nails but intelligent and feeling woman. you can play her as a cold hearted you know what.. or a smart sensual,strong intelligent woman. not just some skinny pile of boobs and bum and no brains. Aran Samus makes Women seem more real.. beautiful and still intelligent and asskicking... but still she has a vulnerability that marks her as human.. I think game developers still cater to teenage boys and adolescent 20-30 something men..but they are learning fast women play games too and want a strong female character not just some decorative fluff.

I think I see women as I always see them... strong,wonderful intelligent people...mostly filled to overflowing with love and compassion......and hopefully a love of cats.. *smiles*

[Maharg67]

Depends on the game.

 

There are an amazing number of computer games and a very wide range of ways that women are portrayed right from the cleavage showing bimbo to the scary girl to soldier women and many others.

 

Games are evolving to become richer and the increasing number of women, girls playing games will have an effect on games or so one would hope.

[ultima209]

No, it does not. Alot, no, all games have attractive heroines. These heroines may not be attractive to everybody, but I believe they can be easily argued as attractive. In reality, a majority of women are not attractive as the heroines in games. Women in video games are meant to appeal to the audiences to sell the game. They are easier to understand because the audience needs to understand what the heck is going on. Women in real life are complicated to describe.

[AliasTheory]

Me? No. Gaming does not affect my perception of women in real life at all. I don't expect any more or less because of what I've seen. Games are games. They aren't real.

 

I'd like to say though (don't want to get TOO off topic)...video games could have a very profound impact on female players and their sense of self. I say female players mainly because females seem to be a lot more self-conscious about their appearance, but guys equally so. Just look at Fallout 3 Nexus. Bethesda's engine is capable of some pretty amazing graphics, and other games even moreso as we progress into the future. Plenty mods on here allow you to play Barbie doll and you could make the perfect person with too many clothes to try out. As I posted on one particular picture recently...I said something along the lines of "Wow. She looks too perfect; no wrinkles or anything." How does such an appearance influence women? This can also branch off to ideas of weight loss and other diet programs. Even anorexia and such. People could be trying to achieve an image that is next to impossible to achieve. Hell, I could make someone look skinnier with a few clicks in Photoshop. Think any of those pictures in magazines are unedited? Not really. Lots of pictures are edited to bring out certain features to make people look better than they should.

 

Video games could just very well be an addition to the many other mediums that are projecting distorted realities and changing the way we think about ourselves. In all cases, it must be said again that none of it is 100% real.

[DELiSH]

Gaming hasn't changed my perception at all.

 

The facts of life is that some women are strong, independent and willful. Others are demure and weak willed. Some are slutty and some are not. Many times it's a mix.

 

If anything, games might contribute positively, in my mind anyways, rather than negatively. I don't see it as degrading if a woman is barely covered by highly impractical armor. It's just fun, and for a guy it's nice to look at. The fact that she can kick ass and still survive just proves how vastly superior she must be to the heavily armored guys ;)

 

People sometimes forget that almost all games are made for one express purpose: To have fun. The minute people stop having fun and start attaching all kinds of moral/religious/ethical labels to the medium, is the minute they ought to take a long vacation and think about the meaning of life.

 

I'm still waiting for Warrior Babes from Planet Hip VS the Horny Cheerleader Coalition. After all, why not?

[Burnagirl]

 

If anything, games might contribute positively, in my mind anyways, rather than negatively. I don't see it as degrading if a woman is barely covered by highly impractical armor. It's just fun, and for a guy it's nice to look at. The fact that she can kick ass and still survive just proves how vastly superior she must be to the heavily armored guys ;)

 

People sometimes forget that almost all games are made for one express purpose: To have fun. The minute people stop having fun and start attaching all kinds of moral/religious/ethical labels to the medium, is the minute they ought to take a long vacation and think about the meaning of life.

 

I'm still waiting for Warrior Babes from Planet Hip VS the Horny Cheerleader Coalition. After all, why not?

 

Absolutely agreed ....

 

The Horny Cheerleader Coalition have got batons right ? If so, then that should be a pretty good game ... although Melee isnt really my strong point ... I prefer sniping, blasting, exploding, just like the myth that females like hearts and bunnies and cutsey pie little dolls wiff liddle pink noses.

And yeah, you're right, games are just for fun ...

[grannywils]

Yep, I have to agree with both Delish and Burnagirl on this one. I'm a feminist type person of the first order. But let's be real here. Games are to have fun. You can make of your character what you will. I play primarily role playing games. I suck at fighting but do the best that I can. I play about 50/50 males and females as my lead characters. My females are always strong and capable, and they can handle themselves just as well as my male characters (sort of like me in real life). If there are guys (or women) out there who play female characters in other ways, thats what floats their boat, as they say. These are games, and they're meant to be fun. I enjoy them, and I'm not about to interfere with anyone else's enjoyment of them. We have plenty of time to fight that sort of fight in the real world. I play games to relax and destress, thank you very much. Nuff said.

[Aurielius]

 

The Horny Cheerleader Coalition have got batons right ? If so, then that should be a pretty good game ... although Melee isnt really my strong point ... I prefer sniping, blasting, exploding, just like the myth that females like hearts and bunnies and cutsey pie little dolls wiff liddle pink noses.

And yeah, you're right, games are just for fun ...

 

In my limited experience women are the far more deadlier of the two sexes, so it would be foolish in the extreme to take seriously how they are portrayed within a gaming context. Men think that they overtly control the world and women find it convenient to let them blunder on with that misconception.