Sensitive Topics in the Gaming World: Feminists, LGBT, Gender Roles

A gaming community that has never been tolerant of anyone. Changing the political paradigm in the very approach of creating video games is often perceived as an encroachment. Meanwhile, the demographics of computer games in the public space are frequently considered biased. The stereotype of the “male industry” emerged in the 80s, with the advent of advertising for arcade games and the first consoles in the United States. The eighties in advertising were saturated with the gender division of goods, so games were interpreted by marketers as entertainment for boys. It’s not that someone denies the existence of female gamers, it’s just that they are frequently perceived as exotic.

Since then, a lot of things have changed: games are no longer advertised as purely children’s or male entertainment, there are so many genres that, perhaps, everyone can choose the game to their taste. However, there are still many stereotypes about video games as purely male entertainment. This is especially true for online games, which cannot be told about the audience of the best online casino in Canada. Let’s review what is the real distribution of players by gender in the gaming world.

Demographic issues

The reality, according to the Pew Research Center and Earnest, is very different from public perception. Women make up 48% of the gaming world. Another 2% are non-binary people. The fact is that only 6% of the total population of women play video games. For men, this is 15% (because there are simply fewer men). And this argument is often followed by another, which is more difficult to oppose something as specific as statistics – many women play mobile or casual games, which to many seem “fake”. Meanwhile, “real”, and “hardcore” games are still occupied mainly by men, and they serve, accordingly, men’s interests.

The stories of feminists destroying games have to deal with two factors:

1. In the social activism context, criticism of games as “white” or “male” fantasy has indeed become popular in recent years.
2. The gaming industry itself has begun to look for new ways to express itself, speak to new audiences, and grow up in general.

Of course, critics do not always understand the context in which the criticized game exists, especially when they did not play it. For example, there is a legendary story with a critique of the absence of black characters in the game Kingdom Come: Deliverance, which takes place in 1403 in Bohemia and focuses on deep historical realism. But just in case, there are a dozen allegedly opposite stories in which feminists, non-binary people, or any other minority “threatens” games.

So, for example, when the world saw the sequel of Mass Effect, criticism of all aspects of the game was deserved. But technical criticism has been mixed with manipulative remarks that because the game offers ample opportunities for role-playing for an LGBT character, the problem is in the gay lobby and SJW. In fact, Mass Effect Andromeda is a terrible game. If it was completely heteronormative, it would not be better.