I really appreciate your article, my partner and I have talking about this all weekend and its very easy to fall into gender stereotypes. Perhaps its because of the male-dominated game development houses. The idea that we have to protect young girls prevents them as being used in the same way that male characters (like windwaker link) are used?

I gotta say though, I have been stumped on what a little girl would use as a ‘weapon’ in a side scroller type game. Boys I thought, are easy, slingshot, baseball bat, etc., but then I wondered, why would only boys use those things? I don’t know, I think I need to find some focus groups.

Rather, it seemed like you were very close to suggesting that boys don't need to play boys, but girls do need to play girls.
My point isn’t that girls need to play girls, it’s that girls should be represented (for a number of reasons). Who’s behind the controller, in one sense at least, isn’t really important.

Its not just how a girl percieves it, but also how society percieves it too. While a young girl maybe mimicking someone like Brittany Spears, that does not remove the sexual connotations someone else will have when seeing the young girl perform some of her dance moves.

I think a great example is the fact that a company (I belive VS) release a pre-teen thong. Some parents were outraged, yet others defended buying them for their daughters because the children didn’t associate them as sexual (yet didn’t explain why their children where wearing pants so low cut they exposed traditional underwear). Our culture has grown from ignoring molestation (creepy uncles just do that) to sexualizing the children through marketing, advirtising, and fashion.

I think its creepy, but then I love cheddarwurst, so what do I know.

However, I feel like you are making a broad assumption about the lack of young female characters in video games, but I am lame and can’t back it up. Its been forever since I have been in an actuall brick and morter store looking at non-console games. But I think there is a ‘Dora the Explorer’ game (am I on crack?). And then theres Harvest Moon, etc. Of course, I suppose you could argue they aren’t pushed as heavily as DoA, but I still feel like there are games out there.

Hopefully someone will make a Spirited Away type game, I think it would have cross-gender appeal. But I wanted to play devils advocate on the point about hedgehogs not being the target for Sonic. The idea of a main character any medium (movies, books, games) is that there is something relatable, some link between the consumer and the main Character. For some people this is big, for some it isn’t (I personally _hate_ movies where I _hate_ the central character).

So how does that work, if men don’t need to play boys in video games, do women need to play girls? Please don’t think I am arguing against the idea of a female main character, even a company like Pixar has yet to release a movie where the central character is female.

Rather, it seemed like you were very close to suggesting that boys don’t need to play boys, but girls do need to play girls (hopefully I am not making an ass out of myself, thats just something I percieved). I would just love to see you expand on that area.

Sorry for the long post.

You raise a good point though, that all of this sexualized/non-sexualized talk is in the eye of the beholder. And for someone like your daughter, there’s no reason to get caught up in the politics, just the thrill of playing. She certainly seems to be interested in a variety of game play styles. Hope for our next generation!

I like to show her games with a female lead - we’ve been playing the new Tomb Raider off and on and she digs it (she got ahold of two squirt guns and was running around the house doing the dual-pistol thing at one point). The fact that this is a “sexualized” character just kind of goes right over her head. She just sees a chick out there exploring and getting treasure and kicking ass and she loves it. And of course she likes the different outfits - and let’s face it there’s nothing wrong or unwholesome about big boobs - heck her mother has ‘em and they provided some great nutrition early in her life! Imagine that … I’ve always wondered at what point breasts are supposed to go from a symbol of nurturing motherly love to the Devil’s mounds that must be hidden from sight …

Anyway I’m rambling. We’ve also played Beyond Good & Evil, which also has a proactive female lead - which is actually portrayed completely nonsexually. But most games do seem to feature females as “eye candy” - for example something like Dead or Alive. Which my daughter actually kicks much ass on .. and she likes unlocking the different outfits for the girls. So while someone could probably argue that DoA features a crass and exploitative cast of girls used just for some T&A .. well my daughter just sees it nonsexually as girls up there kicking ass in a variety of cool costumes.

I can't help but point out would be Miyazaki's heroines: Brave, inquisitive, charming, non-sexualized preteen girls.
Of course, they’re not game characters, but I see your point. Miyazaki’s preoccuptation with this type of girl has always fascinated me. Call it my suspicious/hopeful mind, but I’m reluctant to say there’s nothing charged in the equation. At the same time, all signs point toward innocence. There must be something I’m missing on that one ;).

100littledolls, your name rocks!

Hey Patrick, I’ll definitely do that. I’m commuting back and forth from Manhattan right now, so my brain is pretty much fried, but give me a couple days and I’ll totally send something over.

Anyway, a little tangential–I love the article. Also, because the mention of Pokemon reminded me: I just plain like it when games let you choose the gender of the protagonist (like in Pokemon), and I enjoy it especially when the game’s plot doesn’t change based on the gender you choose.