Recently, video games have become a very popular medium of entertainment. According to the Entertainment Software Association, about 59% of Americans are gamers, and of that percentage, females make up 48% (2014). But despite the almost equal numbers of male and female gamers, there is not equal representation of male and female characters in video games. Not only are most of the main characters in video games male, but also the many male characters encompass a variety of character types, while female characters just fall under a few types. Due to the popular nature of video games among the population, these seemingly small disparities can help to feed into society's gender roles.
Female Character Representation
Video games tend to be dominated by male characters, main or supporting. In a study conducted by Friedberg in 2015, seven of the ten randomly selected role-playing games (RPGs) studied featured male protagonists, while two featured female protagonists, and one allowed the player to choose. Jansz and Martis observed that video games with female protagonists usually featured male supporting characters as well (2007). Dietz found that 30% of the games analyzed in her study did not have any female representation at all. Little female character representation can also be found in games other than the RPG genre. For example, the very popular Nintendo video games series "Super Smash Bros". In the games, players are able to choose characters to play to fight against one another. Although all the characters are virtually equal in ability, regardless of gender, only nine of the main playable characters are female, while twenty-eight are male ("Characters").
By providing fewer female characters in video games, gender roles are reinforced. Many games, especially role-playing games, involve the basic plot going through a "hero's journey", which usually involves completing a quest. Having fewer female protagonists in games suggests that they are mostly unfit to be "heroes", unfit to fight and to participate in the action, which is also demonstrated by the small number of female characters in the fighting games "Super Smash Bros".
Female Character Types
Another trait commonly seen in video games is that the female characters tend to be limited to just a few character types. The most common trope used in video games for female characters is the "Damsel in Distress" trope, in which a character is in severe danger and must be swiftly saved ("Damsel in Distress"). This trope is usually used to put the story in motion, kick-starting the main character's quest. After the quest begins, however, the focus switches to the main character, and the damsel falls flat as nothing happens to her (unless the damsel is more integrated into the plot line than the initial danger). The most well-known video game "damsels in distress" are Princess Peach in the "Mario" games and Princess Zelda in the "Legend of Zelda" series ("Damsel in Distress: Video Games").
Female characters also tend to fall under the trope of helping the main character make progress in their quest. Friedberg found that six out of the ten studied video games had female characters that fall under this trope (2015). Although they are important in that they help to move the plot forward, these female characters provide the main character with (minimal) advice and support and may not do much else. After helping out the main character, these type of characters fall flat as well as they tend to disappear or continue to provide the minimal support they have always provided.
A couple examples can be found in the RPG game "Bioshock". In the game, the main character Jack must defeat the man who manipulated him into killing the leader of the city of Rapture ("Bioshock"). To gain abilities to defeat enemies, Jack must collect ADAM, a substance that the protagonist can only obtain from either rescuing or killing young girls called "Little Sisters" ("ADAM"). After collecting ADAM from a Little Sister, the girl does not appear again as she is no longer useful to the player. Jack is also aided by Dr.. Brigid Tenenbaum who provides advice and helps Jack to escape certain dangers ("Brigid Tenenbaum"). However, Dr. Tenenbaum only directly interacts with Jack for a few times, and just her voice is heard for most of the game. If Jack angers her by killing the Little Sisters instead of rescuing them, she begins to speak coldly to Jack and eventually ignore him ("Brigid Tenenbaum").
Gender roles are also reinforced when the roles of female characters are limited. The few roles that female characters fall under match with the stereotypical view of what a woman should be like: passive, thinker, emotional, weak, and subservient. Although there is great variation among women in the real world, limiting female characters to the stereotypical traits, players can be influenced to believe and only "see" the false image of women that is presented to them in video games,
Video games are an entertainment medium enjoyed by all ages, especially children. But when they are exposed to the portrayal of female characters that stick to traditional stereotypes and gender roles, children take these stereotypes and gender roles as example. As more video games help to reinforce these views, children then perceive the portrayals of female characters as normal and realistic, applying these images to their own lives.