Kratos by Deviantart user Ninjatic: http://fav.me/d35j3vd
Although I originally had no idea what this blog would focus on, I have spent a lot of time writing about women in the industry. Seeing as though the #Gamergate controversy began in August 2014, it has been a wide topic of discussion. #Gamergate concerns the misogyny and harassment of women in video game culture. Last weekend, I read an article in the Boston Globe which talked about how game developer Brianna Wu was forced to flee her home because of rape and death threats she received as a female developer in the industry. Brianna Wu, a software engineer and founder of Giant Spacekat, a company which makes games with female protagonists says:
“I won’t let women be bullied out of one of the best fields on the entire planet.”
However, it is important to remember that although #Gamergate is targeting female game critics and developers, like Wu, the movement is also telling us that females are the only ones manipulated in video games. We tend to forget that men are also idealized in the gaming industry as well.
We are comfortable acknowledging the manipulation of women, but we rarely examine how men’s bodies are represented and commodified. This is clearly evident in the gaming world. In the above image, the hyper-masculine character, Kratos, from the God of War series is featured with his signature “Blades of Athena” and “golden fleece.” Pay close attention to his chiseled, shirtless, body.
In accordance with this, we can determine that both men and women are represented as stereotypes in the gaming world. The male body can be seen as chiseled, shirtless, and buff; their muscles bulging out of their sleeves.
So what is the hype over the sexualization of women in the gaming industry? Men get it too.
Who are your favorite hyper-masculinized characters?
Lyfe in Pixels 