Misogyny in the Gaming Industry
Faculty Mentor
Jacy Richardson
Mentor Home Department
Digital Media
Short Abstract
The masculine culture surrounding video games has led to a gender gap and the harassment towards women in the industry. This research looks into where this masculine culture comes from, and why women have faced hostility within gaming. Looking at a historic context, the toxic masculinity stems from multiple ideas such as the hypersexualization of female characters originating from stereotypes and tropes, displaying women as objects for men’s pleasure. This is further developed within the video game community as the idea that video games are created for men and by men only continues to spread. With women being viewed as the “outsider,” there have been fewer women pursuing a career in game design as such ideals still exist in parts of the community. Using accounts from women in the game studio describe their experience entering the industry, showing both the good and ugly sides of games. While there is a gradual change in the inclusion and diversity within the gaming community and industry, there are still many obstacles existing today.
Category
Art and Humanities
Start Date
5-4-2024 10:20 AM
End Date
5-4-2024 11:20 AM
Location
D.P. Culp Center Room 219
Misogyny in the Gaming Industry
D.P. Culp Center Room 219
The masculine culture surrounding video games has led to a gender gap and the harassment towards women in the industry. This research looks into where this masculine culture comes from, and why women have faced hostility within gaming. Looking at a historic context, the toxic masculinity stems from multiple ideas such as the hypersexualization of female characters originating from stereotypes and tropes, displaying women as objects for men’s pleasure. This is further developed within the video game community as the idea that video games are created for men and by men only continues to spread. With women being viewed as the “outsider,” there have been fewer women pursuing a career in game design as such ideals still exist in parts of the community. Using accounts from women in the game studio describe their experience entering the industry, showing both the good and ugly sides of games. While there is a gradual change in the inclusion and diversity within the gaming community and industry, there are still many obstacles existing today.