Depiction of females in Video games, Graphic Novels and Animation Part One: Video Game Industry

Depiction of females in Video games, Graphic Novels and Animation

 Role models or Sexual exploitation?

In the graphic industry there have been issue about how women characters are treated. There are characters that are treated as sexual icons. But I also want to show that there are great female role models in the industry too. *51-57  

This image is of Jennifer Simpson from Clock tower First Fear *1

Consoles this game appeared on and when was it released:                                                                             

September 14, 1995(SNES version)*1

March 28, 1997 (PC Version)*1
July 17, 1997 (PSX version)*1
December 9, 1999 (Wonderswan)*1
August 3, 2010 (Wii Virtual Console) *1

Publishers: Human Entertainment *1

Developers: Human Entertainment*1

Illustration by Yuki Kiyama *2

Basic summary of the game: You are stalked around a big mansion by a serial killer. You can’t defend yourself, your only defences is hiding from the killer. *1 

  

Jennifer is a character who plays the role of both the damsel in distress and heroine. Her story is about her adoption together with her friends Laura Anne and Lotte, when the orphanage closes, by Ms Borrows and taken to live in her mansion “Clock Tower”. At first everything seems normal while she was looking round the mansion then she hears her friends scream. She returns to find that they are missing. At first she thinks it’s a prank until she see one of her friends being murdered. This game involves choices which created different experiences in the game and endings. This is a creative move specially to use on players for the time it was made. It makes the player think about the choices they’re about to make and the consequences that come with them. This character shows what a normal person would do if they were in this kind of situation, this is shown through the panic meter which shows a portrait of Jennifer.  The facial expression and background of the portrait changes from bold facial expression with a blue background to distressed with a red background. I think this makes the player relate to the character because she shows natural emotion to what is happening around to her.*1,2

I asked on the clock tower wiki web page to see what the fans think of this character, I asked questions such as “what do you think of the character?”, “Is she sexual exploitation or female role model?”. I had a reply from the head creator of the website Username: Alexshepard*1. He said overall that the character is clever, brave, loyal to her friends and a strong female character therefore a good role model. He has the same opinion as me and has basically backed me up with what I have said in this article, I also found a review on this game with the same opinion as me which is on The guys with glasses.com.*1,2  

Image is of Bayonetta from Bayonetta*4

Consoles this game appeared on and when was it released:

 8^th January 2010(Xbox 360)*7                                                                                                                                8^th January 2010( Playstation 3) *7                                                                                                                     Publishers: Sega*7                                                                                                                                                       Developers: Platinum games*7                                                                                                                                Illustrator: Mari Shimazaki*7

Basic summary: Hack and slash game (Hack & slash games are games that involve you fighting in small fights quarters) You are a witch that has made a contract with a demon to kill angels.*5,6

Bayonetta is the protagonist of the game even through its displayed in an unusual concept. The bad guys in this game are angels that at first have an angelic appearance but that just a façade they have an outer layer which is like porcelain and once it’s destroyed it shows a grotesque appearance of muscles. The game involves around Bayonetta and finding her forgotten past. Her personality is strong minded and very sexual.*5,6

Mostly they talk of her physically appearance her legs are unusually long for her body which is said by reviewer Zero Punctuation. Zero Punctuation*9 and reviewer Wundergeek*8 both say that this games over emphasis of the sexual appearance of Bayonetta is offensive to women. Wundergeek*8 basically calls her an empty shell of a character, she just there for the creators sexual fantasies, negative stereotype and misconceived notions of the female gender. This is an opinion that I agree with, I have played the game myself and I think it’s basically a hack and slash game that looking for ways to sell large quantity through sexual exploitation. It does this by giving men what they want, which is basically a character that personifies their sexual fantasies and desire all into one. It is a good game with good game play spoiled to a degree by its sexualisation. Devil May Cry is a similar game which has a stereotypical man character with almost the same personality and also created by the same gaming director “Hideki Kamiya”.   The worst part of his game which is also summed up by Wundergeek is that for her finish attack she basically strips she is only covered by strands of her hair; she even uses some of the weapons as a stripper pole. Hideki Kamiya says that this is his ideal women and says some very sexist comments which you find more on www.gomakemeasandwich.wordpress.com*8. Overall this character is “2D”, she only really in the game for sex appeal.*8,9