MS4:Representations of women in Video Games

1) Who was the first woman video game character you can remember? Describe her.

Lara Croft , from the Tomb raider games and films. She is an independent woman who wears tight fitting clothing to show of her 'assets' and goes on adventures missions that include combat and bloodshed. Lara Croft has many different representations. She is shown as a strong, independent female that can hold her own and is fearless. However she is also shown in a sexualised way through her clothing e.g the hot pants and tight fitting top which are used to attract the male audience.


2) Who was the first woman you knew that played video games? Describe her?
The first woman that I know who played video games is one of my best friends from secondary school. She has a 'tomboyish' nature and has a very unique personality. She is a shy person but is not afraid to voice her opinon. Chloe is very interested in mostly cartoon games e.g Pokemon and kingdom Hearts, however she does enjoy games that include combat and fighting e.g the Call of Duty franchise.


3) Do you think the woman gamer felt she was ‘represented’ in the character you described? Why, why not?
I think that the woman gamer (Chloe) would feel she was represented in the character of Lara Croft because they are both strong headed woman and are not afraid to stand up for themselves  The character of Lara Croft also tends to have a range of good fighting skills and so does Chloe. However Chloe would not wear the types of clothes that the Lara Croft character is associated with.


4)Can you think of another female character that this woman would feel is a representation of her? Why?

Another female character that Chloe would feel representation of her would be Lightning from the Final Fantasy franchise because she is the main protagonist who tries to save the people who are close to her, which is what Chloe would do. She also carries weapons and Chloe is interested in weapons, especially the ones that you can carry e.g blades. The character Lightning is also smart and independent, just like Chloe.