Quote:
Originally Posted by OutOfTheCube
Women are mad that a completely male dominated industry is male dominated. And other women are mad that games that are clearly made to cater towards men are clearly made to cater towards men.
|
It's only male dominated because of the systematic oppression of women as both members of the industry and consumers. I haven't seen any women who are simply upset because there are games catered towards men, but rather as has been identified in this thread, games that objectify and occasionally de-humanise women. Many games treat women as simple objects, background or otherwise, that exist not in the word of the character but simply as an obstacle which must be overcome or a tool that must be utilised in order to progress.
There are games that buck the trend, like the Last of Us, which features 3 strong female characters (with only one male character) that not only play significant roles, but starring roles. Are there women in the game that serve only a purpose that helps/hinders Joe? Absolutely, but there is balance. It's a good step.
Much like gaming being "male dominated," to me that is much like the term "Gamer." It's old and hardly relevant. It's used by an ever-shrinking sect of the community that seeks to hold on to something that simply isn't anymore. "Gamer" at this point is simply "Heavy consumer." Just someone who buys into the industry heavier than others, but certainly not some label that carries any real weight or respectability. In this same way, the industry is "male dominated" simply because a small section of the population refuses to acknowledge women in the light which they deserve.
It's following a slower, but similar arc to the "nerd" world. It's not just males, nor is it just "nerds" who are into things like the Avengers, or Doctor Who. It's growing to be a global and inclusive community.