(Week 4) Beware: “The Princess Peach is PMS-ING”

Beware: “The Princess Peach is PMS-ING”
(Playing with Fire: Trouble in Super Macho World?-Gonzalo Frasca)

While I don’t play a whole lot of videos, that is my son’s department and he does it so well, and I better mention that my daughter also plays them, just not a total die-hard like her brother. Even so, I do know some about Super Mario and Princess Peaches; I actually played it some back when I was younger. And it would be safe to say that my amount of video play time didn’t even come close to the time my brothers spent playing them.


I noticed while reading: Playing with Fire: Trouble in Super Macho World? –Gonzalo Frasca, that the article seem like it was mostly about the Author informing the reader’s about his dislikes (his opinions) of those “Fantasy centered Video Games”. And that he really seems to look forward to playing game: The Sims, when it came about. It seems that it likely because it had a more realistic touch-kind of feeling to it.


The games out there tend to make people either be that neat, outgoing, active and nice person (like the characters in The Sims game), and then there’s the games that take the opposite effect and make them seem more like Rambo (male), or look and like a Cyber-Bimbo. Which is not realistic at all, it seems like a never ending challenge to making the games lifelike (realistic) and fun at the same time. It must be a headache for the video game designers, I am glad that at this moment that this is not my job.


Now onto my Princess Peaches, what a gal dressed up in pink, looking so pretty and dainty like. But, watch out for the “Female Mood Swings”. And what a typical example of stereotyping of women, we are just a bundle of nerves and need some big bad strong male to save us from the evil out there. And Females get all emotional, pouting, all hell breaks loose, fire out her nose per say. But, Males don’t throw fits, or pout. They just jump up and knock their lights out.


That is such a plate of baloney going here. I happen to know a few female’s (one is my older daughter, who do not just pout and act all emotional when she upset or someone makes her mad, let alone try to hurt her. She will knock their lights out in a heart-beat, and she is a little short thing (5’2) but with a good right cross. So it’s not just Males who knock you out. Then there’s another interesting factor: They never mention that “Males” can have mood swings and emotional up and downs, and yes I did say (oh my, going say it again) “Males”.


And it shouldn’t be so shocking that we play Video Games, because hey we are out there working on cars, we like Sport’s Games (Boxing, Wresting, etc) as well as like to play them as well. What Males don’t realize and understand is that they Females play Video Games; just we’re more selective on what we play, how long and why. And it looks like the Video Game World is actually getting that.


With the number of Female who plays Video Games is increasing every day, spending money right there along with their Male counterparts, game designers have had to wake-up and get on the move. Start improving the games out there, especially female characters. Because as we all know, there is big money to be made here and let’s not lose a single dollar by being stupid.


And it seems like they are trying to do so because in Super Mario, Princess Peaches is being portrayed in her own video: “Super Princess Peaches”. Now while it’s great she has her own game to star in, they need to watch out the image she portrays to the public especially young children. They need to remember that children tend to imitate what they see and hear.


Because while “Pretty in Pink” sounds all sweet and great, it’s not the image I have in mind for Females. But, at the same time seeing Females portrayed as either a “Prostitute”, and it seems like these particular characters are strolling along and being beaten up when they Male character is mad or broke.


Then there are those videos games such as: “Tomb Raider”. Where they Females as lead characters who shoot, roll, jump and kick like their Male counterparts, except that they larger than life size breast and jump with every step that they take.


Until recently I hadn’t notice just how really sexism the games out there were. Then since taking this class I have spent more time watching the video games that my son plays, and have noticed just how the females were being portrayed. To be more eye catching to the Males playing them and so very outrageous stereotyping of a Female, as well as so unethically wrong to say the least.


Gaming has increased in the younger Male population and I pretty sure this is part of the reason as to way it has. This seems so disturbing as well as so immature of the gaming world (players as well as designers/inventors) out there. I can only hope that the children as well as adults who play these games remember that Females are not either one in real life: Pretty in Pink (helpless, dumb etc) or Cyber-Bimbo (prostitute, suppose to be beat etc).


Gender will be somewhat of an issue for awhile, but hopefully will start to improve over time as more and more Females are involved with gaming and such.

Week 3 (Game Studies): Lara Croft Feminist Icon or Cyber-Bimbo?

Week 3:
Game studies: “Lara Croft: Feminist Icon or Cyber-Bimbo “?

Thesis (Claim and Reason):
Gender in Video-Computer Games, is something that we need to really wonder about and understand how it was portrayed in the games of “Past” as well as in “Today’s”. The changes that have occurred over time could be compared to being considered almost like an Evolution format.

On the average it had been said that girls and women are less involved in video games that are boys and men, and when they do play, they often prefer different games. Of course, that was then and this is now. On the average the number of males vs. females playing videos has risen over the years. Mainly, due to the evolution of the female characters in a lot of the ever popular videos games out in today’s world.

Over time there has been research done on exploring the likes and dislikes of the female gamer, and they discovered that the amount of female gamers have risen from 33% to over 45%. That is almost having the gamers out there in today’s world. So, today’s game players are no longer overwhelmingly male dominated.

It had been noted that females may tend to regard contemporary computer games (even those designed for male players) as “sites for female participation and resistance to societal gender roles and conceptions of masculinity and femininity”. But, while they are trying to per say increase the female role as an icon as well as a gamer, it is doing more harm than good.

Section I:

Claim: The Meteoric Rise of Lara Craft: she has changed over the years into a supposedly stronger female, and never looks like the normal next door neighbor girl.

Evidence: All of the females that have either portrayed “Lara” in the movies, or video games (such as physical shape, voices etc) have never been anyone else other that someone who is in great shape. Angelina Jolie (Tomb Raider movies-2001 and 2003), Jill de Jong (2007), Karima Adebibe (2007) are just a few of them. It has been said that the raising status of Croft as a sex symbol in the video games (due to the increasingly gratuitous artwork and advertisement) as being detrimental to the character, who has gained more attention from her appearance than her tough-as-nails spirit and determination.

Section II:

Claim: There are supposed to be some major changes happening with “Lara”, why does it seem like it will be worse that better before it’s over.

Evidence: It has even been stated that she would undergo a redesign and become more “demure” in Tomb Raider: Legend for the sake of becoming more appealing to female gamers. However, it has been said that some of the outfits that she wears in this game are more revealing than outfits seen in previous games, with many of them showing her cleavage and/or midriff (although most of the available outfits are fairly modest). It seems like she is being design to portray like “Eye and Thumb Candy for the boys out there”, vs. as a strong dependable , seeker of the truth, both large and small that it has been said she was suppose to be doing and continues to this day.

Section III: Dealing with the opposition

Twenty-five years ago video games were something that guys played (mainly kids and some adult males), in today’s world the landscape is shifting. While the gaming world is pretty much male dominated, there is a large and growing population of female gamers out there.
Video game companies need to improve the attention to the designing of the games more, because per research it has been shown that the female gender (gamers) are shelling out almost as much money as it’s male counterparts.

Mainly because if we continue to cater to the existing (male) players, we’re never going to grow, thus decreasing the possibility of that Pot of Gold increasing more than it already is and that could mean the possibility of losing billions.

The first thing that the gaming companies need to understand is that male and female gamers are wired differently. They need to understand that women are looking for a quick fix, a game that they can hop in and out of with relative ease. Spending time trying to improve the characters abilities is more a male thing. Thus they need to be creating a more realistic heroine and not a scantily clad Tomb Raider.

Conclusion:

Now supposedly, here is this intelligent, beautiful, athletic woman, who also happens to be named on Game Fly’s List of Hottest Chicks Ever (2008), as well as honored with a star on the Walk of Game (2006) and even made the Guinness World Record as being recognized as “Most Successful Human Video Game Heroine. And on a poll held by MSN in 2008 of who was the most Iconic video game character, in which Lara came in 3rd but actually drew with Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog.

With all of this going on, why is she allowing them to portray her as a Cyber Bimbo? Lara Croft is considered by critics and fans alike as one of the most significant game characters in popular culture as well as the most famous female video-game character (which we know as she has been names in the Guinness Book of Records).

Yet, she has allowed them to dress her like a “Bimbo”, as well as being portrayed seemingly in an increasingly bloodthirsty manner (in the first two sequels of the series), and also not giving Lara the option to avoid lethal force against human characters. But it was said that they did a subplot in “Anniversary” where Lara mentions feeling guilty that she was forced to kill for the first time. According to Toby Gard (the original designer), he was stated as saying; “We wanted to make Lara’s first kill more meaningful”. Yes, let’s make her seem more human, and not just a killing machine like the rest of the video world.

We need to improve on all video games, and especially the ones with female characters. Females need to be portrayed as strong, independent and yet intelligent. Not all females go around killing people or dressing like Bimbos. They should try to make it a bit more realistic.

A very important way to reach females (as gamers) as well as the men out there is to create realistic heroines, not damsels in distress and certainly not scantily clad Tomb Raiders. In today’s world women and girls both are put off by the misogynistic treatment of females, where they are often nothing more that bikini-clad digital eye candy.

Games like the ones today; that have their female characters portrayed in this fashion, tend to lead the men in the world to assume (stereotype) all females that they have come in contact with and any that they will come in contact with in the near future. This could end up causing more harm than good for females in today’s world, where we have enough to deal with.

Week 2: Those nasty Importance/Influences of Literature in Video Games: “To Be or Not To Be” (that is the question)

The synthesis of these articles is that each one addresses one form or another on the importance and influences of “Literature in those video games out there. The articles may not have the same opinion of how literature is portrayed in video games, but the concepts of the articles are very clear.

A Video game must have some sort of story in it, thus literature comes into play. It has been said throughout time that you need literature in order to start (create) a video game. They will involve fiction, non-fiction, or even those really great mythical creatures (such as Unicorns, Ogres, etc). You will notice that they can be produced (or in some cases reproduced off of) books, those popular movies, and I have noticed even off of some histories events.

And sometimes those books or movies will be educational and most likely will be fun to read or watch. Also, if it’s a really good one it will leave you hanging at the end, not wanting it to stop. Some will be a series or have a sequel, and you will go crazy waiting for the next one to come out.
And both videos and books have equality in them: with Video games each action helps you to create more of a story line thus creating the need to see what is behind the wall/around the corner. In Books getting you to turn the pages and not wanting to put it down till you finished it (even if it’s late at night).

The great thing about video games, you’re writing the pages in the virtual book because it documents every step you take. You can pick and choice the options, you are in control per say. The games pretty much is never ending, and if you’re not careful you can become addicted to it and forget to eat and sleep. Videos end up becoming your only connection to reality and life in general.


With being able to write those virtual pages/books is sometimes a great thing, because as they said in the CBS article; “Human beings are storytellers; it is part of our genetic makeup. From cave paintings to mind-numbing advertisements and the mental catheter that is television, tales are told”. And it even went on to tell us: “We are compulsive storytellers, spending millions of dollars and many years of our life creating new ways of sharing those narratives. Whole industries have been birthed through the desire to tell stories”.


This is so true, many of a story can be found on a video game. Some are war games, driving games (motorcycles, cars etc). This is why these have similarities to literature, just as Books on Tapes have their connections. Now while there is so much money being spent to create Video games as well as prompt them, it can also be said; millions are being on a yearly base on playing the games, with children as well as adults spending their hard earned money on them.


Now, don’t think that I don’t like video games (from the little bit that I have ever played on them). In my personal opinion they have some educational as well as personal value to them. Educational wise: they help you to increase your math and science skills, just like we saw Steve Wiebe do in Donkey Kong. They help with hand and eye coordination, learning how to think and re-act on your feet per say. It can be interesting to see who wins; you or the machine/game. Plus it can actually help keep children out of trouble. I rather see my teenage son playing video games vs. running the streets.


Now this can also depending on the child or adult, because with some of the games being a bit to the extreme in the violence department and even somewhat gross. They could cause issues/problems later in life. So, I feel that if we monitor the games and our children (as well as the adults around us playing video games)who play them, we should be able to nip any problems in the bud.

Week 1: Those Games We Play.......King of Kong

That video clip/movie that we got to watch in class was so great; it was a great example about the games we play. It really got down to the nitty gritty about the ins and outs of video games. Especially in regards to what people go through to be the best they can be out there. Especially in the one and great video out there: “Donkey Kong” (where you climb up ladders and fight the monkey to save the lady, and earn all those great points/high scores).

And watching the villain “Billy Mitchell", mess around with the good guy “Steve Wiebe". Billy came off as such a prejudice jerk (Similar to being the monkey-Kong) and Steve is a really simple nice guy (like Mario-the hero in the game). Billy also comes off like he thinks he is such a Hero (like Superman or Mario). When in reality he was really such a self-centered person (like Kong) who thought that the rules didn't apply towards his playing.

Look at Steve; who had such low esteem about himself and ten getting laid off from his job at Boeing (where he was an Engineer, he then later went on to become a Science Teacher). With video game playing, he found something that he felt good at (he used his math and engineer skills) and was very good at, thus he built up his confidence in himself and went on to bypass Billy's high score and that "Jerk (Billy of course) tried to make it seem like Steve had cheated, and worked on getting the officials from Twin Galaxies not to accept it.

Billy has his great friend and protégé "Brian Kuh" to go investigate it (where they discover the board was provided by “Roy Shildt, who is Billy’s nemeses for years/unknown to Steve of course). They work it till they get Twin Galaxies to state that "No video entries are valid". (But, hmmm how did Billy enter his; "Wow via video" and they took it as gold, even when there was all that fuzziness on it)
This man "Billy", wears interesting ties (that everyone think that they are betokening American Patriotism) all though the video (these actually stem from his 1999 race to become the first person to achieve a perfect score of Pac-Man-I discovered this fact during my research on this video) he is portrayed through the movie is as an over bearing "King of Video's" with a wife that is slightly well endowed. Then there is Steve; poor man who lost his job, and is so stressed out on making something of himself and taking care of his family, his wife is running around all stressed out chasing Steve and their children all over the place. And even with all the head games and such done on Steve, he made it to the top. While interestingly; Billy's kids are never really seen in the video nor does he ever really play at the championship play off's.
With all that Steve Wiebe had to go through just to be recognized as one of the "Top Video Game/Donkey Kong Player's it's a amazing show of faith and determination of what someone can do if they want to. He fought hard and got his place in the spotlight, even through was just brief moment in time. Because of course “Billy Mitchell" had to rush out and proof that he was the King of Video Playing. And imagine this, he (Billy) was allowed to enter in a video of his playing and accomplishing the higher score. Wasn't it interesting how fuzzy and not realistic like that the video was and hmmm, they had of course accepted it as a valid entry and score.
But, the ending of the video was the best of all; it showed that there are still some honest people out there in the world. When Wiebe learned that the Guinness World Records wants to publish several Twin Galaxies records-including Mitchells latest score, and he gather his family travel all the way to Hollywood Florida, near Mitchells home to challenge him in a public competition. But, of course Mitchell refused to accept it and Wiebe failed to surpass a million points (he went ahead and played anyway). And Day (the head of Twin Galaxies), went ahead and finally acknowledges Wiebe's integrity and credibility. Posting his (Wiebes) scores and making him officially a high score contender in the game of "Donkey Kong". Giving him the credit he deserved and had for a long time.
The rivally between Billy Mitchell and Steve Wiebe continues on even in today’s world. Wiebe has made four (4) well published attempts at regaining the Donkey Kong title. They were on 08/19/2007, 03/06/2008, 07/17/2008, and the most current one was 10/2008 at the 2008 E for All Expo, where he was close in regaining the title (he scored 1,00,200 in front of a large public crowd-making this the 2nd time a 1 million point score has been made in public). Steve is planning on attempting again to beat Billy's record (and regain the title) at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2009 on June 2nd, 2009 from the Los Angeles Convention Center.
The event will be officiated by Twin Galaxies Rep's and will be on National Cable Television. They will be on-hand for this historic first time live airing on national television of a World Record attempt, and will be airing on the G4 Network.
Twin Galaxies is the official scorekeeping organization for the world of video and pinball games! Recognized as such by Guinness World Records, numerous films and television shows, and the

Twin Galaxies is the official scorekeeping organization for the world of video and pinball games. And they are recognized as such by Guinness World Records.