Why does sexism persist in the video games industry?

[Jazzy]

Is creating female video game characters too much work?

That might sound like a rhetorical question, but it was actually one of the main topics of discussion at this year's E3 conference - the video game industry's biggest event, which ended on Thursday.

The issue arose after James Therien, technical director at European gamemaker Ubisoft, told trade publication VideoGamer that the latest instalment of Ubisoft hit Assassin's Creed would not feature any playable female characters because it would have "doubled the work".

The reaction was swift - and negative - especially when a former Ubisoft developer questioned how much work would be involved.

"The message from the industry is that men come first," says Jayd Ait-Kaci, a gamer from Canada who started the hashtag #womenaretoohardtoanimate, which was picked up widely.

Reaction to Ubisoft's decision on social media was primarily negative
"#womenaretoohardtoanimate when you throw all your efforts into putting them in situations where their clothes are strategically ripped off" wrote @emilyrwanner.

But what left many scratching their heads was that Ubisoft had already included female assassins in earlier instalments, and that the firm has emphasized diversity, tapping actress and gamer Aisha Tyler as its host at E3.

Full article

So what's going on: is the video game industry progressing - or regressing - when it comes to female representation?

 

[McConnaughay]

Mirror's Edge.
Bayonetta.
Tomb Raider.

The idea that they are regressing is ridiculous. The thread asks a question, but the title gives an answer. Why does sexism persist in the video-gaming industry? It doesn't.

It most certainly isn't where it SHOULD be. However, female characters have become more and more in-depth over the years. Lara Croft went from being balloon-chested to an actual force to be reckoned with from the perspective of storyline depth. The Last of Us, BioShock: Infinite, and The Walking Dead game have all had extremely well-done female characters.

---

Is it possible that what he said was taken out of context? Like, adding another character would have literally meant TWICE the work? They've had a female Assassin's Creed game after all. It was on the Vita, but they at least experimented with the idea.

 

[Sinon]

From a work standpoint, it would double the workload. Only male characters means you'd only need a single base model; male and female means you'd need to make a male base and a female base, and all the additional stuff to it. Then there'd be the whole hiring additional voice actors, capture actors (I forget the term for it, but it's the suit with the balls they use for movement and whatnot, like CGI)

The idea that they've done it before so they can do it again doesn't really hold water, as Liberation wasn't a core title to begin with; it was a handheld game which meant visually less work outright.

Also, there are plenty of games with great female main characters. Pretty much my favourite at the moment is Beyond: Two Souls. Passable game, but brilliantly-written and the main character is damn near perfect.

 

[McConnaughay]

The idea that they've done it before so they can do it again doesn't really hold water, as Liberation wasn't a core title to begin with; it was a handheld game which meant visually less work outright.

I didn't say that. I said that they did it before so it's wrong to assume that it's a matter of sexism and that they have at least considered having a female assassin. And yes, Beyond: Two Souls had a very enjoyable story.

 

[Evil Eye]

At worst it's stagnating.

Maybe a better question would be "Why does sexism persist?"

I didn't say that.

You didn't, but they did.

But what left many scratching their heads was that Ubisoft had already included female assassins in earlier instalments, and that the firm has emphasized diversity, tapping actress and gamer Aisha Tyler as its host at E3.

 

[Dee]

The gaming industry isn't progressing or regressing, it is stagnant. It is stuck in the mindset that they will only take a leap if they know a certain piece of content will sell well, and that's why we're seeing a lot of prequels and sequels, spin-offs, your typical white-ish male in this 20s/30s whose only job it is to save the day. Sure, we get the occasional main protagonist who is female, but developers are afraid to waste time and money on a model that's proven not to sell.

I think it's a two-way road, though. If the consumers asked for something else, the developers and publishers would be more open to give it. That's just the way the industry works. Like, for instance, people love and want Starbucks. That's why you see so many Starbucks on every street corner. That's why you see so many people holding a Starbucks cup, so many empty ones in the trash. There's a demand for it, so the company gives what the consumer wants because it knows its product will sell.

Now, how things will change in the gaming industry is a different thing. I'm not quite sure how to fix this idea of sexism that feels so rampant. But gaming was originally intended to target young males, so it makes sense that they would stick to the model that worked and is still "working".