Videogame Heroines

by Andy Lemke
Ah, videogame heroines and their unrealistic proportions and impractical outfits. Erin Hoffman writes of her desire, as well as other female game designers desire, for more realistic portrayals of female videogame characters.

It’s distressing for Hoffman and others to see the variance of appearances of male characters, while female characters are largely homogeneous. She says, “Heroic female characters in games have enormous power. The sheer objective-focused nature of videogames . . . means players uniquely feel the strength and capability of these characters in ways not possible through passive media. The experiential power is mind-expanding.”

Perhaps it’s time for game designers to stop designing for what they think gamers want, and start designing for what they need.
A modest proposal? We think not.