Posted by Kromey at 1:33am Jan 12 '10So today's Penny Arcade got me thinking: There's a marked double standard in gaming when it comes to characters.
A male character, such as Ryu or Marcus Fenix, is usually (and in fact expected to be) the epitome of the stereotypical over-testosteroned steroid-abusing body building superman. Put more eloquently, because the character is a man, it's acceptable and in fact encouraged to exaggerate his features.
If a designer takes the same approach with a female character, however, he's making her into a sex object and demeaning women. Why the double standard?
A male character, such as Ryu or Marcus Fenix, is usually (and in fact expected to be) the epitome of the stereotypical over-testosteroned steroid-abusing body building superman. Put more eloquently, because the character is a man, it's acceptable and in fact encouraged to exaggerate his features.
If a designer takes the same approach with a female character, however, he's making her into a sex object and demeaning women. Why the double standard?
Double standards in gaming - Kromey