“And The Strange Thing: Your Life Could End Up Changing While You’re Dancing Through"♫ (late Post)

https://instagram.com/p/BVcTr7MBLzw/

now that trump has tiktok, twitter, facebook and insta in his pocket, get ready for a massive wave of internet censorship. one of trump's greatest weapons has always been misinformation; it's going to become harder and harder to spread facts and criticism going forward. posts that aren't made invisible will be magically ignored by the algorithm. dissidents will have their accounts deleted and voices erased.

this is a suppression tactic. this is another stage of fascism.

Make sure to follow me on Twitter at @Liliecgurll705

Women in Video Games

1. Super Mario

Princess Peach is a huge cultural icon, being one of the longest lasting characters within the Nintendo franchise. But unlike other characters in every mainline Mario game, Princess Peach’s main role is to be rescued. Princes Peach has to be kidnapped within the first 15 minutes of the game. And the rest of the game is about saving the damsel in distress who is dependent on the male lead (Mario). Princess Peach’s image is self-explanatory, depicting a stereotypical appearance of a princess. She is portrayed as a fragile, delicate character that needs to be protected. She carries no weapons only a parasol that acts as an an accessory to complete her signature pink girly look. Princess Peach’s name also says alot about her character. The fact that her name is “Peach” is used to degrade her to the status of a mere object, as if she is not a human being.

2. Grand Theft Auto V

Grand Theft Auto V gives a prime example of discrimination against women in video games. The game’s portrayal of women is viewed as uncreative props ready to be used, leered, harassed, and killed just for the gamer’s experience. While males are the main characters in the game, women are scarce and underrepresented. Despite not having any women main characters, the game also sexualizes them, allowing players to purchase them and use them in any way they like. The women in the game wear skimpy clothing that barely covers their body. They are illustrated to have a thin waist, curvy hips, and big breasts. However, women are not just sexualized but also physically abused and objectified. The game encourages players to kill the women and even rewards them for doing so. They are shown as housewives, while others are seen as prizes to be won – a very old-fashioned perspective. The game is clearly misogynistic and celebrates abuse, prostitution, and sexual assault.

3. Hachi Koi

Another game introduced in the Nintendo franchise is Hachi Koi. Hachi Koi is a game about touching girls, the male protagonist is set with a mission before he dies, he wants to be able to love every woman that has romantic feelings for him. A highlight about this game is that the creator went out of the stereotypical role for a female character, creating different types of body shape. Even though the creator created different body shapes, the main purpose of the game is to let users pick out their ideal type, to place their sexual desires upon. Hachi Koi created their content upon sexualizing their characters allowing users to touch any female character they pick, and giving them the task of fulfilling their sexual desire by tying them up or applying lotion to the character’s body. The game’s representation of women within Hachi Koi is degrading and humiliating.  

4. The Witcher 3

The Wild Hunt is the third franchise to The Witcher, a role playing video game that is based upon the fantasy series novels by Andrzej Sapkowski. The game follows a playable character named Geralt who is trying to find his adopted daughter, Ciri. Ciri is a strong girl with extraordinary powers that can destroy the world yet, she is not trusted and is allotted a man (Geralt) to protect her. In addition, many women are portrayed as monsters and creatures, obstacles created for Geralt to fight and overcome. They take the form of beautiful naked women, who use their beauty to seduce their prey in order to attack and kill them. The Witcher’s universe is oppressive towards women, by marking women’s physical appearance as a sexualied weapon to seduce men and grab the attention of  male gamers. As a result, women aren’t just being sexualized but also depicted as evil beings that are predators and men are their prey/victims. This representation of women corresponds to the numerous stereotypes of women seen within thousands of famous video games.

5. Horizon: Zero Dawn

Horizon: Zero Dawn, the game takes place in a post apocalyptic world into the future, it is a third person action game that follows the story of a woman named Aloy. Women are equally represented in the game, whether they’re a protagonist, antagonist, warrior, or leader. Where in many other video games women has the stereotypical role or sex objects. Horizon: Zero Dawn moves past the typical male and female role by focusing on the characters personalities. With this focus on mind they made all their women characters distant and different. Adding color to different women characters along with different body shapes and personalities. The game’s representation of women challenges tradition, by grouping male and women characters in tribes where both of the genders share power and spiritual beliefs. In the game, gamers also get to experience side quests, meeting different women from different tribes who are also represented as a strong symbol for women. This type of representation shows that women in video games don’t have to be male to be significant. With their strength and motivation these characters are able to make a difference within the world, even if they’re not the main. With Horizon Zero Drawn players aren’t given a single female hero but a whole collection of different women that play hero’s within their own world. This representation should be an example of how every woman should be shown and treated within every video game within the gaming industry.

6. Mortal Kombat 11

Mortal Kombat is an arcade fighting game that was created by Midway Manufacturing. The game allows players to choose any character they like to fight. In recent years the creator of Mortal Kombat wanted to empower women representation within the game. He chose to dress the characters appropriately and created them as equally strong, while some are even more powerful than male character withins the game. The art director of Mortal kombat said,”Our design is just getting more mature and respectful. You’re not going to wear a bikini to a fight. You’re not going to be showing so much skin. I think it’s just what the game is about: You’re going in to fight for your life, and you’re not going to be wearing such scantily clad items.” This type of representation of women should be followed by other games as well. Not only that but the game contains one of the most playable female character unlike other fighting games.

 7. Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice

There are games that let players pick a female character as main, but it is even more rare to see a female character as a default player, Ninja Theory does just that. In the game we follow Senua of Hellblade, she is one of the strongest female characters that has emerged into the gaming world. The game narrative involves Senua struggling with psychosis, players watch as Senua overcomes her darkest demons. Moreover, Ninja Theory does an amazing job at making Senua realistic by having Senua wear armor and war paint. Senuas clothing shows signs of wear, tear, blood, and mud. The proportions of Senua’s body show no sign of sexual features. The game rejects stereotypes and the notion that female characters must adhere to patriarchal expectations. Furthermore, the game shows that Senua is not defined by her ailment nor her gender, Seuna is a true representation of how female characters should be represented within the gaming world.

Don't ignore my story

"My family lived a simple, stable life, filled with hope and hard work. Father Youssef worked every day to provide for his family, his wife, and his three children. They owned a small house that provided them with security and warmth, and the children went to school, carrying their dreams of a better future.

But, in a tragic moment, war came and destroyed everything. Youssef and his family lost their entire home, leaving only ruins that held their painful memories. Youssef's source of livelihood was gone, and his children were deprived of education, their most basic right. Now, the family lives in poverty, facing a severe shortage of basic necessities such as food, shelter, and medicine.

Despite these difficult circumstances, Youssef has not lost hope. He believes that goodness still exists in people's hearts, and that your support can make a huge difference in their lives. My family desperately needs your help to secure treatment for the children, provide safe shelter, and send them back to school.

Every donation, no matter how small, will serve as a ray of hope. Lighting the path for the Youssef family to a better future.

Thank you to everyone who is helping support this family as they struggle to rebuild their lives.

gofundme.com

Donate to Youssef and his family need your support., organised by Kirsty Watson

I am kirsty, I am from England, I met Youssef through volunteer work with Ebon… Kirsty Watson needs your support for Youssef and his family

verified by..@90-ghost

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Blog post 10 - Representation of women in games

The way women have been represented in video games has evolved significantly over the years, often reflecting societal and cultural changes. The portrayal of female characters has gone through a complex transformation; however, challenges and criticisms still persist.

History of representation

In the early years, female characters were often portrayed in a stereotypical manner, with a common portrayal being the damsel in distress trope such as Princess Peach and Zelda, where they would later be the reward or prize for the male protagonist.

In the 80s the 90s, we see iconic characters who broke away from traditional stereotypes like Samus Aran, who was a strong independent character whose gender was hidden to be a surprise reveal to players. Lara Croft is another example, however her design featured very unrealistic proportions which would be adjusted in later games.

In the 2000s, despite progress there were persistent challenges and some instances of regressive representation. Many games continued to objectify and sexualize women, for example Grand Theft Auto III (2001) and every instalment since has featured women as sex workers.

The gaming industry continued to grow and with it so the demands for better representation. In the 2010s we got to see some complex characters such Ellie from The Last of Us (2013), who had depth and were central to the narrative.

As we reached the 2020s great strides had been taken towards better representation. We got games with strong, well executed female protagonists such as Aloy from Horizon Zero Dawn (2017) and Horizon Forbidden West (2022). We also saw examples of complex and believable female protagonists in indie games like Madeline from the game Celeste (2018).

Examples

Lara Croft is a character we were first introduced to in Tomb Raider (1996) and while she was a strong female character, there were many criticisms about her appearance, especially in earlier iterations. Her design focused on exaggerated and unrealistic physical proportions which contributed to the objectification of women in games and reinforced harmful beauty standards, furthermore the focus on her sexualised appearance overshadowed her character depth. Eventually she got a complete redesign in the reboot to the series Tomb Raider (2013), where she is a well-proportioned, more suitably dressed protagonist who also becomes more a fully realised character with flaws, who learns and is overall just more human.

The GTA series of games has often been talk of controversy for the way it glorifies sexual harassment and violence against women characters. In many GTA titles female characters are often objectified and reduced to hyper sexualized roles, such as sex workers like mentioned above. The games frequently depict scenes with derogatory language as well as violence against women, this reinforces negative stereotypes and misogynistic behaviour, as well as contributing to a culture of sexism amongst the gaming community. The larger concern, however, is that the exposure to these things can cause it to become so normalised that when instances of violence and sexual harassment occur in real life, people won’t be as shocked or empathetic about it.

A decade before Lara Croft in Metroid (1986) we were introduced to Samus Aran, who stands out as a positive example of female representation. Her surprise reveal at the end of the game broke the gender norms by showcasing a woman as a powerful and capable space bounty hunter. Since then, she has been consistently portrayed as strong character, her narrative not being driven by damsel-in-distress scenarios or romantic situations, but instead by her battle against threats and the pursuit of justice. Then as the series progressed, she became a well-rounded character with depth and resilience, whose legacy has consistently helped challenge stereotypes surrounding female characters.

Aloy, the protagonist of Horizon Zero Dawn (2017) and Horizon Forbidden West (2022) is a more recent example of positive female representation in videogames. She defies the traditional gender expectations as a skilled and determined hunter in her post-apocalyptic world and is defined by her intelligence, resourcefulness and sense of justice. Her narrative doesn’t revolve around romantic plots but rather a quest for knowledge and understanding of the world she inhabits. Her design is also a great part of her character, not being objectified or sexualised so players connect with her through her personality and abilities. She is a testament to the gaming industry’s ability to create diverse and empowering female protagonists, and the popularity of her character only proves this, setting a standard for future portrayals of women.

What can be done?

Challenging stereotypical representations of women requires diverse character creation by developers which will help ensure depth beyond their appearance. This is something I aim to achieve in my field of 3D modelling, making sure that I avoid exaggerated features and prioritize authenticity in the physical appearance.

There will need to be a large collaborative effort from developers, players, and the industry as a whole in order to create positive change on this matter. Celebrating games that break the traditional norms will incentivize developers towards more of these narratives, and there are also certain discussions that need to be had within the gaming community about gender representation and awareness, as well as education on these matters in order to create positive change.

An interesting example of change is the recently revealed next instalment in the GTA series, which features a female protagonist called Lucia. This is a huge step for Rockstar Games, especially considering the above-mentioned history and controversies and even though the game isn’t set to release till 2025, it will be interesting to see the depiction of Lucia and other female characters in the game.

Bibliography

CORE DESIGN. (1996) Tomb Raider. [DISC] PlayStation. London: Eidos Interactive

CRYSTAL DYNAMICS. (2013) Tomb Raider. [DISC] Xbox One. London: Square Enix Europe

DMA DESIGN. (2001) Grand Theft Auto III. [DISC] Xbox. New York City: Rockstar Games

GUERRILLA GAMES. (2022) Horizon Forbidden West. [DISC] PlayStation 4. San Mateo: Sony Interactive Entertainment

GUERRILLA GAMES. (2017) Horizon Zero Dawn. [DISC] PlayStation 4. San Mateo: Sony Interactive Entertainment

Harris, W. & Phillips, R., 2023. 23 Best Video Games With Female Protagonists. [Online] Available at: https://www.thegamer.com/best-video-games-female-protagonists/#night-in-the-woods [Accessed 29 December 2023].

Harveston, K., 2023. A Brief History Of Female Representation In Video Games. [Online] Available at: https://headstuff.org/topical/female-representation-in-video-games-history/#:~:text=History%20indicates%20that%20women%20began,good%20example%20of%20that%20trend. [Accessed 29 December 2023].

MADDY MAKES GAMES. (2018) Celeste. [DISC] Xbox One. Vancouver: Maddy Makes Games

NAUGHTY DOG. (2013) The Last of Us. [DISC] PlayStation3. Santa Monica: Sony Computer Entertainment

NINTENDO R&D1, INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS. (1986) Metroid. [GAME] Nintendo Entertainment System. Kyoto: Nintendo

Williams, H., 2020. How Horizon Zero Dawn Moves Beyond The Strong Female Character. [Online] Available at: https://www.kotaku.com.au/2020/08/how-horizon-zero-dawn-moves-beyond-the-strong-female-character/ [Accessed 29 December 2023].

Remember, we don’t stop boycotting until Palestine and its people are free.

Your Stanley cup is not worth the lives of innocent children.

Bringing this back because I feel like I don't have the talent for storytelling or drawing...

There's this one series (Lunette Precure) I had that I want to bring back as a novel but I'm not sure if I should due to the toxic experience I had with making a series, I remember I had this precure fanseries called dream skies precure when I was 13-14 and the experience I had while trying to make it was awful, a lot of people bullying me into changing the character designs, people calling it terrible when I never even got started with the first episode (and they could've ignored it if they didn't like it), stealing my characters just to make hateful shit and more (and there was very little criticism to help improve it btw), I was like 13-14 with low self confidence and decided that i should just cancel it and nothing changed.... Nowadays when I come up with a new series, I always worry if it's not good enough and that I need to change something about it (I'm 17 now and still struggle)

September Release(s).

Hiya!

Here’s what I have in store for September! For now i have 5 items but there might be more since i’m still in the process of converting the Cerise Hair to Toddlers and Kiddo’s. All items are BGC! See below for links to posts (that get updated through the month) and release dates!

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