The issues surrounding gender diversity in gaming have had a long history that continues to this day. Video games have typically been associated with men and boys because of the stereotypes surrounding “what men like,” leading to many of the biggest games catering directly to that demographic and alienating plenty of non-cis-male gamers. This opened the gates to rather nasty commentary around Aloy's appearance earlier this year, once again sparking the debate of how women "should" look when they are represented. In recent years, however, steps have been taken to make gaming a much more inclusive place. After today’s Opening Night Live, it’s clear that, now more than ever, women are beginning to be embodied in a much more prominent and realistic way.
The 2021 Gamescom Opening Night Live presentation had an exciting number of women leads in the games it showcased, and championing gender diversity is an exciting step in the right direction in a predominantly male-led industry. Bringing a more diverse group of people to the table is always a good thing and it seems like game studios are beginning to catch on and put women in the spotlight for many of the biggest games of the year.
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The Excitement of Seeing Women in Games
The ability to see someone who looks like you on screen in video games is a privilege that’s often taken for granted by men who play games. After all, there’s no shortage of male protagonists in gaming, so white men never have to look hard to see themselves represented. Women, on the other hand, have struggled to get similar screentime since the start of the medium, which is why today’s Opening Night Live was so exciting. Major titles like Saint’s Row, Marvel’s Midnight Suns, Call of Duty: Vanguard, Horizon: Forbidden West, and Halo Infinite all prominently featured women in their trailers and announcements today which was a first for many of the series. Call of Duty: Vanguard is one of the most interesting points to note: for one, its publisher Activision is being sued for its harassment of women in the workplace, and its female protagonist is voiced by Laura Bailey, the actress behind The Last of Us 2's Abby, an important milestone for strong female images in gaming.
Many major studios have shifted their focus in recent years to cater to multiple audiences of different gender backgrounds and it’s an exciting change to watch. Although there’s still a long way to go until women can feel entirely comfortable in the gaming space, it’s nice to see that there’s been an effort for more gender representation in recent years. It’s important to note, however, that representation doesn’t just stop with gender as gaming’s history with things like race also has a long way to go. There are more women being featured as main characters in video games than ever before, however, most of them are white women. This isn’t to discredit the work being done on bringing more representation to the industry but make a point that there’s always more that can be done to bring diverse backgrounds to the proverbial gaming table.
The Importance of Having Women Behind the Scenes
In addition to championing gender diversity on screen, it’s also extremely important to champion gender diversity behind the scenes. It’s great to see women cast as leads in games, but if the writers and developers behind the characters are all men, then the actual perspective that adding a woman to the game’s lead cast is lost. As the Activision-Blizzard lawsuit rages on, it’s hard for many Call of Duty fans to feel entirely comfortable with praising Activision for its woman lead in Vanguard while the company is sued for its gross misconduct and horrific leadership, highlighting the outrageous but typical environments women in the industry often face.
At the end of the day, having fictional women featured on screen is a great thing for representation, however, if real women aren’t a significant part of putting them on that screen, then a level of authenticity is quickly lost. Gamescom's Opening Night Live was a hopeful view into the future of women in gaming and hopefully, the trend of inclusion, proper representation, and equality continues upward from there.
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