As Video Games become more mainstream, it comes as no surprise that some may feel that there are representation and social issues. In this article, I am going to cover what it means to truly represent a person, or persons, and dive into the social issues that can arise due to the lack of inclusivity and diversity.  

Video Game Representation

Traditionally, there has been very little representation in video games, specifically around the communities of LGBTQ, minorities and women. This kind of under representation can lead to marginalization, especially when an individual may be trying to enter the world of gaming for the first time. Feeling misrepresented can be off putting, especially when this form of entertainment is supposedly diverse.  

There have been a few noticeable tropes with regard to the subject mentioned above, that is over-sexualization of female characters that can lead to the female audience feeling disgusted and unwilling to play the game. Furthermore, there are a few one dimensional characters that are constantly used in video game storytelling. This kind of character showcase and the development seen throughout the video game, especially when they may be a character of color, can make the game feel shallow and leave a bad taste in the player’s mouth.  Learn more about representation here or here!

Social Issues in Video Games

On the same note, under-representation of some social groups can cause social issues. On example is that of people of color being shown as stereotypical of that race or ethnicity, as opposed to those of deep and complex characters that are more than just the color of their skin. Another example is how games showcase South American and Spanish communities as cliches rather than making the played delve deeply in to their rich cultures. These patterns put on display throughout videogames can do damage almost on the same level as that done in real life as they continue to reinforce stereotypes and continuously marginalize communities.  

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References:

Representation Photo: Gamers With Glasses

Social Issues Photo: Game Quitters

Feature Image: Gamespot

Representation Article: Easy Sociology

Second Representation Article: Rock and Art