Patch 1.3: Minor Bug Fixes
SO I'M GETTING MARRIED.
That is all.
Patch 1.3 addresses some minor big fixes that will eventually lead to major updates.
In the last few decades, we have seen a shift in the representation of women in video games. One could make the claim it is because of the amount of outcry the gaming community's had over the last decade. Another could argue that diversity sells in the media industry and companies have come to realize that.
From television series, to video games, having a diverse cast of characters who each bring their own spice to the table appeals to a wider audience.
Even if you ignore the evidence, it's easy to see this from a logical perspective. Media sells the best when the multiple consumer appeals connect to the characters they see. Different uses and gratifications come to play here.
The audience can connect to the character of their gender.
Sex
Political views
Humor.
Hell even what they enjoy eating.
These factors play heavily on how consumers watch television and play video games.
If a company is publishing a game, it would make sense to appeal to multiple gratifications so they can bring in the biggest audience.
Gaming is definitely no longer tailored to a male audience. It cannot be considered a male dominated activity.
In Australia alone, out of the 65% percent of Australians that play video games regularly, 47% of them identified as female.
Due do a large audience that gaming companies want to appeal to, this has cause a shift in the gaming community.
The incident between Felicia Day and Ryan Perez is a prime example of this.
Ryan Perez, a writer from the gaming news site Destructoid, took it to twitter to express his skepticism (to put it lightly) of Felicia Day and her significance in the video game community.
His compete disregard for Day's work in the gaming community was a representation of how engraved masculine beliefs are in the video game industry.
Now, as person who was a big fan of her role in The Guild, I found his rant particularly interesting. He questioned her legitimacy among the gaming community, calling her merely "A booth babe" and "Just a personality."
It wasn't long before the internet rallied against Perez, with both male and female figures in the gaming community criticizing Perez for his comment. In the end he apologized for his comments, but it opened up the seemingly never-ending conservation of female representation in the video game community. Comparing to the last decade the video game industry and its representatives are quicker to come to the aid of women than before. This alone a positive step forward.
Video game companies as well have begun to address this issue by making changes to sexualized characters; Lara Croft is good example of this.
For a moment, let's break this Lara Croft down.
Geez, the things that women goes through in her video games are hilarious to me. What's more hilarious is how his does it in the outfit she wore.
I guess infections from cuts and bruises from unknown sources just weren't a thing in her previous games.
Her hips were bigger than her shoulders. Her waist was practically nonexistent.
In 2013, her creators made her appearance more "realistic."
She wore pants!
Her attire was more conservative. Her body proportions were more evenly distributed.
This I feel was a big step in giving women accurate representation, minus the whole dungeon crawling.
Of course there is still a ways to go. Women in the video game industry still fear speaking out of fear of being undermined and misinterpreted. What is happening however is an increase in those who are willing to join the discussion and defend the misrepresented.
It can only go up from here.
6 down, 94 to go.
That is all.
Patch 1.3 addresses some minor big fixes that will eventually lead to major updates.
In the last few decades, we have seen a shift in the representation of women in video games. One could make the claim it is because of the amount of outcry the gaming community's had over the last decade. Another could argue that diversity sells in the media industry and companies have come to realize that.
From television series, to video games, having a diverse cast of characters who each bring their own spice to the table appeals to a wider audience.
Even if you ignore the evidence, it's easy to see this from a logical perspective. Media sells the best when the multiple consumer appeals connect to the characters they see. Different uses and gratifications come to play here.
The audience can connect to the character of their gender.
Sex
Political views
Humor.
Hell even what they enjoy eating.
These factors play heavily on how consumers watch television and play video games.
If a company is publishing a game, it would make sense to appeal to multiple gratifications so they can bring in the biggest audience.
Gaming is definitely no longer tailored to a male audience. It cannot be considered a male dominated activity.
In Australia alone, out of the 65% percent of Australians that play video games regularly, 47% of them identified as female.
Due do a large audience that gaming companies want to appeal to, this has cause a shift in the gaming community.
The incident between Felicia Day and Ryan Perez is a prime example of this.
 |
| Ryan Perez |
His compete disregard for Day's work in the gaming community was a representation of how engraved masculine beliefs are in the video game industry.
Now, as person who was a big fan of her role in The Guild, I found his rant particularly interesting. He questioned her legitimacy among the gaming community, calling her merely "A booth babe" and "Just a personality."
 |
| Felicia Day |
It wasn't long before the internet rallied against Perez, with both male and female figures in the gaming community criticizing Perez for his comment. In the end he apologized for his comments, but it opened up the seemingly never-ending conservation of female representation in the video game community. Comparing to the last decade the video game industry and its representatives are quicker to come to the aid of women than before. This alone a positive step forward.
Video game companies as well have begun to address this issue by making changes to sexualized characters; Lara Croft is good example of this.
Geez, the things that women goes through in her video games are hilarious to me. What's more hilarious is how his does it in the outfit she wore.
I guess infections from cuts and bruises from unknown sources just weren't a thing in her previous games.
Her hips were bigger than her shoulders. Her waist was practically nonexistent.
In 2013, her creators made her appearance more "realistic."
She wore pants!
Her attire was more conservative. Her body proportions were more evenly distributed.
This I feel was a big step in giving women accurate representation, minus the whole dungeon crawling.
Of course there is still a ways to go. Women in the video game industry still fear speaking out of fear of being undermined and misinterpreted. What is happening however is an increase in those who are willing to join the discussion and defend the misrepresented.
It can only go up from here.
6 down, 94 to go.
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