ABSTRACT
In 150 video games analysed in a large-scale content analysis, male characters were found to represent 85% of all video game characters, with only 15% of characters representing female identities; these researchers also found that 41% of the games surveyed did not include any female characters at all. The reasoning being that while men get thrillers and noirs and sci-fi and crime novels and space operas (however light), and women seem to get the leftovers. The worst end of the pink-cupcakes-and-shoes books, the ones where gender stereotypes might as well be straitjackets and all the men are ‘hunky’ and all the women are in need of a makeover and some gin with their girlfriends and there is almost never any kind of plot except a woman is having a hard time and she simply needs to ‘find herself’. Which means to get drunk or buy better face cream.
