NOT YOUR AVERAGE GAMER GIRLS.
GRAND THEFT AUTO
This game is notorious for using women as eye candy and side characters to support the men (both visually and in-game). Here, women take back their game identity by holding items typically used as a signifier of power in many games and real life scenarios: weapons. Notice the men are not carrying weapons, but other accessories, stripping them of physical power and leveling the power advantages over their female counterparts.
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SUPER MARIO
Mario is always in need of saving, and Princess Peach is tired of it. In the alternate world presented in Equal Play, the woman is not passive. She does not internalize the male gaze and does not assume a submissive position. She is in control, she is dominant, and she is, ultimately, the hero. Media, such as this, have the power to challenge traditional gender norms. They subvert popular character cliches and archetypes, such as Sara Bragg's "male hero," and for the first time, allow women to play the liberated female.
DIRECTOR'S CUT
For far too long, the world of video games was thought to be solely the domain of “men”. So, what happens when a female enters the man’s world? When she breaks the “no girls allowed” rule? We seek to answer some of these questions in our latest documentary and culture jamming production, Equal Play.
bad rep
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Is this really necessary? The obvious answer to us is NO!! Images like this in video games shows a clear lack of women on the production side of things and a vacant ploy to appeal to young female gamers. Simply coding previously male characters as "female" using signifiers like bows and the colour pink, is not representation. We demand more! #EqualPlay #NYAGG
THE BOYS' CLUB
Women account for 41% of the gamer population. So why is the gaming industry still considered a "boys' club?". Boys have been taught to occupy the role of subject and to objectify the passive female other, a concept extremely prevalent in gaming (Braggs 93). Women are rarely in empowering roles and are the sexy dominatrix or damsel in distress. We must work towards more inclusive representations.