Trabajo de Fin de Grado (code 31099) Degree in English Studies Session 2020-21
Student’s first name Noelia Sáez Felipe Student’s surname
DNI 48804863-J Title of your TFG An analysis of language and gender stereotypes in video games
First name and surname José Belda-Medina of your Tutor
Abstract In the video games world, we often observe several stereotyped patterns between female and male characters, related to their image, personality, and language. The main objective is to analyze these patterns and compare them between characters.
Quantitative data was gathered through the analysis of eight videogames that are new, world-famous and there is a presence of female characters and a survey completed by 111 young people to evaluate their level of awareness regarding gender roles, as well as the language that these characters use. The results show that video games explicitly or implicitly have differences in gender roles and sexist factors that influence the identity of the female characters and the respondents were fully aware of gender stereotypes. However, a significant part of them decided to continue playing these games, although they demanded a change in the videogame industry.
Video games, gender roles, stereotypes, awareness, Thematic key words submissive and assertive language.
INDEX
1. Introduction ...... 1
2. Women’s role in video games...... 5
3. Objectives ...... 9
4. Methodology ...... 10
5. Analysis of language and gender in video games ...... 13
5.1.1 Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End ...... 13
5.1.2 Final Fantasy XV ...... 15
5.1.3 Horizon Zero Dawn ...... 17
5.1.4 The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild ...... 18
5.1.5 The Shadow of the Tomb Raider ...... 20
5.1.6 Kingdom Hearts III ...... 22
5.1.7 Final Fantasy VII: Remake ...... 24
5.1.8 The Last of Us 2 ...... 26
5.2 Data analysis...... 27
6. Conclusion ...... 35
7. Acknowledgement ...... 38
8. References...... 38
1. Introduction
Video games are a sector that has significantly increased over these decades. As Díez et al. (2004) say, video games have been transformed into a global mass phenomenon since the 80s. This phenomenon is due to many factors; thanks to reducing the digital divide and the boom of technology, video games are easier to find and play.
Gómez (2013) explains that video games started in the United States in the 40s for military purposes. Notwithstanding, the first video game whose purpose was to enjoy was created thanks to the scientific Willy Higginbotham at the end of the 50s, who created an interactive tennis game to commemorate the annual day of the visitor. Some years later, the MIT student Steve Russell created a video game for two people whose main objective was to destroy the other player, monitoring the speed and direction while driving a spaceship and trying to avoid the solar gravity. This game is known as Space Wars (Diez et al., 2004).
After these phenomena, the video game industry had to wait until 1966, when the father of video games, Ralph H. Baer, created the first console that could be used with a TV. Some years later, the company MAGNAVOX bought Baer's technology and developed the video game Odyssey (Diez et al. 2004). However, as Gómez (2013) says, it was not until the beginning of the 70s when Nolan Bushnell, known as the father of the video games industry, developed Computer Space, a game for one person. Moreover, he and his partner Ted Dabney started the first video game company of history, Atari. This company created the first successful arcade game, Pong. Thanks to this moment, the video game industry grew significantly until
1984, when there was a minor crisis that Nintendo exceeded with the creation of the
Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) (Gómez, 2013). It is at this moment when the video games thematic becomes more complex and diverse, and with the increment of
1 the technological usage in our homes and the development of technology, the video games industry has grown successfully to become one of the most important enterprises in the world.
Nevertheless, after looking at the video games history, we need to think about who plays video games. Rodríguez et al. (2002) explains in the book Jóvenes y videojuegos: Espacio, significación y conflicto that when we try to define the video games market is absolute to say that is a male one. Even though there is a progressive growth of women in this industry, the contents are made by men and for men's fantasies and desires because they are the central public of this market. Kit Gittleson
(2014), in her article "Why does sexism persist in the video game industry?" explains that most video game developers are men, and they tend to create things that are similar to things they see, so there is a feedback loop. Díez et al. (2004) explain that it is not only that video games are made by men, and for men, something that reinforces the male behaviour and their conduct, but video games also respond to social structures and ideologies that are seated in our cultural and social context, with incitement to sexism. Moreover, Díez et al. (2004) paraphrase Etxebarria (1996), saying that contributing the explanation that video games are not neutral because many authors coincide on the detection that there is a different treatment in male and female roles, something that reinforces the concept of sexual differences. In fact, men are the ones that are predominating the Internet, and there is a significant digital divide between women and men (Gómez, 2013). Gómez (2013) explains with Cecilia
Castaño's (2008) words that this problem has nothing to do with access or computer skills. The problem has to do with the male dominance in the strategic areas of education, investigation and occupation of science, engineering, and ICTs and with the low presence of women in higher jobs.
In this research project, we will not investigate the role of women as gamers or developers but the presence they have in the video game industry as characters. This
2 project was born to analyse the language of female characters in video games and compare them with male characters in order to find if there is a use of sexist language and other parameters, such as the Bechdel test because we found a lack of information on this topic. Although numerous investigations examined the image and personality of the characters, we could not find any research project that analysed the characters' language in a complex manner. Another motivation found is the lack of recent studies on recent games, observing if there has been an evolution between 2000 and 2012 and those created between 2016-2020. It is because of this reason that we propose to explore video games that have been published recently, between 2016 and 2020.
Moreover, the video games analysed in this project are from different cultures, being the American culture, the Japanese culture, and the Netherlands culture. This amalgam of cultures will show the cultural differences between them whilst they create new video games. The video games studied are as follow in this table:
Video Description Characters Developers Platforms
games analyzed
Uncharted Nathan Drake, a retired Elena and Naughty PlayStation
4: A Thief’s treasure hunter, lives happily Nadine Dog 4
End (2016) with his wife Elena Fisher
when his brother Sam appears,
whom he believed dead.
Together they will begin their
last adventure searching for
Henry Avery's treasure and
will face different and
dangerous challenges.
3
Final Prince Noctis and his friends Lunafreya Square Enix PlayStation
Fantasy XV travel to defeat the Empire and Cindy 4, Xbox
(2016) after the attack on his One,
kingdom. Microsoft
Windows,
Stadia
Horizon Aloy begins her trip to Aloy and Guerrlla PlayStation
Zero Dawn discover her origins and the Games 4, Microsoft
(2017) explore the world that is Matriarcha Windows
beyond the Nora tribe. l Tribes
The Legend Link awakens after 100 years Zelda Nintendo Nintendo of Zelda: of Ganon's Cataclysm to defeat Entertainme Switch, Wii
Breath of him and save Hyrule. nt Planning U the Wild &
(2017) Developme
nt
The Lara Croft starts a new journey Lara Croft Crystal PlayStation
Shadow of in the search for the Dynamics, 4, Xbox the Tomb Ceremonial Dagger and the Eidos One, raider Silver Box to save the world Montréal, Microsoft
(2018) from different catastrophes. Nixxes Windows,
Software Mac OS
Classic,
GNU/Linux
Kingdom Sora and his friends start a Aqua and Square Enix PlayStation
Hearts III journey for worlds based on Kairi 4, Xbox One
(2019) Disney and Pixar to defeat
4
Xehanort and end up with
darkness.
Final Cloud and his partners fight Aerith and Square Enix, PlayStation
Fantasy against Shinra and Sephiroth Tifa Square Enix 4,
VII: to save the planet. First PlayStation
Remake Developme 5
(2020) nt Division
The Last of Ellie, together with Dina, Ellie and Naughty PlayStation
Us 2 (2020) embarks on a trip in search of Abby Dog 4
revenge in which they will face
different dangers and will see
the evolution of the characters
concerning revenge and other
topics. Table 1: Video games analyzed
2. Women’s role in video games.
Several authors suggest that women had no place in the video games world until recently. However, when women began to have some relevance, the first female characters began to appear, their image was utterly distorted. As Díez et al. (2004) affirms, the image of women in video games has traditionally been mistreated with ferocity. Moreover, their appearance and attitudes, behaviours, and representation of them as human beings have also been mistreated. As Bertomeu (2005) explains, their primary and secondary presence and the fact of being a property of the male protagonist produce a devaluation of women due to the fact that they are women, and that is gender-based violence. Díez (2014) says that if we understand the concept of “gender-based violence” as being violence perpetrated against women by being female, such violence is indeed represented repeatedly and systematically in the world of video games.
5
From a historical video game perspective, it is not until 1986 when Nintendo published the Metroid saga, whose main character was Samus Aran, the first female protagonist of the video game industry. Before this moment, female characters appeared as mere secondary characters, with a submissive and passive role. In the case of Metroid, we could only know what the main character was like when we finished the game as a gift. Indeed, the first female character that was able to have its own video game ended up being a delight object and a sexual fantasy for the male audience, since when she takes off her armature, she shows a beautiful, slender, and sexy body (Moisés, 2017). Another of the most important examples is Lara Croft, from the Tomb Raider saga, which until 2013 was a completely sexualised and masculinised character. The first image of Lara Croft, until 2013, started from the idea that in order to achieve success, women should be similar to men in brutality and violence, imitating a male model that in some cases has been considered gender equality (Díez, 2009). Notwithstanding, Lara Crofts’ evolution will be analysed in her corresponding section. In this sense, it was found that female characters can appear in two ways: Being the protagonist’s objects or represented in a masculinised role, strong and powerful, but highly sexualised. Bertomeu (2005) explains that the assimilation of the male model is also gender-based violence since they are shown as implacable warriors but full of erotic connotations.
Different classifications have been created about female characters, being the best known of these three categories. Firstly, Perrault et al. (2016) paraphrase Glick &
Fiske (2001), showing two types of sexism: hostile and benevolent. On the one hand, hostile sexism suggests that women seek to control men through sexuality; here, we have sexualised characters, and their representation is as a sexual object for male pleasure. On the other hand, benevolent sexism considers women as pure, weak, and needing protection from men. In the second place, Yvette (2011) explains that Dietz
(1998) categorised this type of female roles in four categories: Sexy object, victim,
6 female subject, and hero. Finally, Díez et al. (2004) catalogued sexualised female characters in three models:
1. Masochist model: who are passive and submissive women, who are victims,
who must be rescued, the ones who are in a second place, complementing the
male character with a fragile image. They are patients but live and die
depending on men.
2. The sadistic model: women playing the “virile archetype”. They behave like
men but with exaggerated female physical attributes. Even in these cases, their
function is at the service of men using their “charms”.
3. The” barbie” model: consumerist women, superficial, decorative, focused on
the image and appearance. This model reproduces the most traditional
stereotypes about women. These video games were created in order to attract
women to the video game market. (Díez et al. 2004).
Although there are different categorisations, the roles criticised are the same.
This research work will focus primarily on characters that represent the masochist and the sadistic model. All these facts lead us to ask ourselves why the representation of women in video games has always been so stereotyped, with roles that do not represent women in real-life and yet, everything points to a cultural and social factor. As Jenson & De Castell (2013) explain, culture has its gender norms, which are inseparable from the circulation of longer power dynamics. According to
Bègue et al. (2017), sexism is generally embedded in a mesh of cultural beliefs and grounded in social and institutional practices. Moreover, Díez et al. (2004) explain that:
7
This [the role of women in the video games industry] is a social issue, not something linked to the private
decisions of those individuals who “consume” video games or the people responsible for them (usually
families). Responsibility comes before these products reach the market. Many structural and social
problems are currently being silenced in public and political discussion, and this is one of them. Attempts
are made to invoke individual choice and the consumer’s right to freedom of choice, as if stopping people
playing video games were something related to these issues.
Our society and culture promote those female roles continue to build in this way. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why video games companies do not want to take the responsibility, as Díez (2009) mentions, the multinationals and distributors of video games are unlocked from their responsibility for video games, moving this issue to the consumer, who has to be the one who chooses in this supposed free market. Consequently, if video games tend to gender-based violence is because we live this problem daily in our culture. Moreover, this is a globalised problem since sexism appears in all the world. In this way, we find that, for instance, Japanese companies create video games where the women are hypersexualised and being closed to hentai. As Díez (2009) says, Japanese law allows the representation of the genitals of children because they are not sexually mature. Nowadays, in internationally famous and Japanese video games, we almost do not find hentai, but we can appreciate that female characters tend to be erotic and secondary to satisfy the men’s demands.
Furthermore, thanks to these elements, a true rejection arises in women gamers.
According to Gómez (2013), there are three main reasons for women to feel a rejection towards video games, being that they are excluded from very young ages, the contents are not designed for them, and they are stigmatised by doing something that is supposed to be within the men’s world. All these produce that there remains a digital divide between men and women. As Sauquillo et al. (2008) say, we are still distant from getting the ICTs a resource for gender equality. As Bertomeu et al. explain (2005), video games benefit from ICTs in homes and other places since
8 technologies are a source of knowledge that offer great opportunities. However, we need to be alerted to access differences and combat digital divides between countries, economic wealth, and gender. This gap is added as all the inequalities that women suffer since we should not forget that is not an isolated problem, but it has to do with other factors such as social class, the origin country, the richness level of the country, etc. Furthermore, all these points remind us that the problem is a cultural one, and it is the duty of everyone to be alert of the values represented in video games and to try to raise awareness to modify the video game market to demand more inclusive video games that permit children, boys and girls, to enjoy it equally.
3. Objectives
The general objective of this research paper is to investigate the different roles between women and men in video games, their image presentation and the linguistic difference between female characters and male ones to observe if there is still a sexist pattern in the video games world.
The central point of this work focuses on women, focusing on video game female characters and video players. We will also compare these differences (roles, images, and language) with the male characters to observe their differences.
Moreover, we will study these elements in new video games because this investigation's significant interest is to know if there are still sexist patterns nowadays.
In addition, this research project focuses on young adults between 18 and 30.
The reason for this is to analyse the knowledge and awareness of young people about this field and to observe who dedicates more hours to play video games and which are the habitual genres among them.
9
The specific objectives are as follows:
1. To analyse women's different roles as main characters and as secondary
characters and their position in the chosen video games.
2. To compare these roles with the male characters' roles in order to explore if
differences between them.
3. To observe the differences between the images (appearance, clothing,
representation) of female characters and male characters.
4. To analyse the language between female characters and male characters, in
order to see if there is sexist language and "micromachismos": generic terms,
separatist terms, the usage of assertive and submissive language, etc.
5. To reflect and provide alternatives to avoid sexism, especially sexist language
in the roles of male and female characters.
4. Methodology
A quasi-experimental methodology was used to collect data for our analysis. Firstly, the data are from primary sources, in this case, videogames. The election of video games will be described below. This element allows us to know first-hand the characters and mechanics of video games, something essential in order to understand and complete the analysis. The second element is bibliographic support. For this, there has been a search and reading of documents, articles, research papers, and investigations about the topic, which permits us to know in a better way which kind of studies have been written of this field and how we can go beyond these articles.
Finally, the third element is the survey, which will be realized to young people between 18 and 35 years of old to know the situation of sexist language in
10 videogames as well as the women's perspective in general terms and the level of awareness of the video players about this issue.
Diez et al. (2004) described that until that date, most of the investigations related to gender in video games were limited to the analysis of video game covers or applying questionnaires to know the users' opinions. Along with the publication of Jóvenes y Videojuegos: Espacio, significación y conflictos (2002), La Diferencia Sexual en el análisis de los videojuegos (2004), a new field of research was opened, since for the first time the investigators analyzed how the characters were like: Their appearance, their image, their clothing, their behaviour, the difference between roles, etc.
From that moment, different investigations dedicated time to this issue, and they were developed over the years, thus discovering the sexist profiles that were assimilated in the video games world beyond their covers (Bertomeu et al., 2005;
Sauquillo et al., 2008; Díaz, 2009; Díaz, 2014; Gómez, 2013; Perrault et al., 2016;
Moisés, 2017, etc.). Notwithstanding, these research projects were focused on the appearance and image of the characters, and in a less measure on the psychology and the evolution of the characters, despite the fact, there are some exceptions (Sauquillo et al. 2008; Perrault et al. 2016, etc.). Thus, in the research, for a bibliography to sustain the hypothesis, we found a remarkable lack of research that analyses the language of video games. Moreover, a major part of investigations was realized between 2002 and 2017, which shows a lack of new investigations on video games.
On the other side, the analysis of video games parts from the hours dedicated to playing. A significant part of the time was dedicated to playing the selected video games to understand the characters and have a better context for language analysis.
The criterion for the selection of video games is as follows:
11
1. Release date: We will analyze games developed between 2016 and 2020 to be
categorized as recent or new.
2. Popularity: The games are internationally famous.
3. Culture: The video games publishers are from different cultures. We will
observe the cultural difference in the development of these games. The
participant cultures are American culture, Japanese culture, Canadian culture
and Netherland’s culture. These elements will mean that we will find
differences from the American, European, and Asian cultures.
4. Platform: We will focus on video games for PlayStation 4, Xbox One,
Nintendo Switch, Wii U and PC.
5. Genre: We will focus on RPG and action video games, including their
subgenres, due to the fact that these are the more popular genres.
6. Women's apparition: We consider that in order to make a language analysis of
the female players, they must appear a minimum of two female characters.
Finally, this research project is exploratory and experimental. The experimental part will be developed through a survey. This survey will be completed by people between 18 and 35 years of age because they are more dedicated to playing video games. In this way, we will focus on the perception the young people have in video games and their level of sexist awareness in this field. Through all these elements, it is expected to accomplish the objectives that will be fulfilled in the conclusion after we realize when carrying out the analysis.
12
5. Analysis of language and gender in video games
5.1.1 Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End is the last game of Nathan Drake’s saga. According to
Moisés (2017), Nathan has turned into a mature character and has settled down.
However, some circumstances make that this character starts his adventures again. It is this journey the one it is going to be analyzed.
There is one generic term in the game, which is “right-hand man”. Moreover, some separatist terms influence the identity of female characters, which are the terms
“lady” and “girl” to refer to adult women with a derogatory tone. In addition, there are some terms considered as sexist language. The first one has to do with a male character named Gustavo, who asks Nathan to “fight like a man”. The second one has to do with Nathan’s brother, Sam, who answers what he will do after being in prison with “to find a warm body to sleep next to me”. This concept offers a sexualization and a reification of women.
Regarding assertive language, male characters are more used to it. Nate sentences usually end up with “no guts, no glory”, “I got this”, or “I’ve this under control”. Male characters are the ones who express more vulgar words and insults.
The most frequent are: Holy shit, damn it, asshole, god damn it and son of a bitch.
This one insult has a profound sexist base. On the other hand, apologies and thankfulness are equated, even though the apologies are more frequent in female characters, especially in Elena’s case.
Elena is Nathan’s wife. She is a non-playable secondary character whose function is to accompany the man character. She can be categorized in the masochist model of Díaz et al. (2004) due to being a secondary character, complementing the
13 protagonist and establishing some motherhood roles to take care of Nathan.
Regarding her language, she is far from having assertive language because she tends to make dubitative pauses like in “I’m just… wrapping here” or “So, I was thinking…”. She also overuses the term “so” and reaffirms her apologies. However, this submissive language disappears when she gets angry with Nathan, speaking with direct speech and assertive language, like in “Try me” or “You just didn’t have the nerve to face me. Again”. Nevertheless, this assertive language appears one time.
In the rest of the game, she has a submissive language, although she also speaks with vulgar words sporadically, which are bullshit, damn it and shit.
The case of Nadine is the opposite. She represents the sadistic model of the
“virile archetype” without sexualization (Díez et al. 2004). Nadine is strong, powerful, with a solid and cold character, and her behaviour reminds the male characters because she is the only woman in a men world. Usually, she has to demonstrate her worth to not to be questioned and, even though she is the strongest character in the game, she is at the man’s service until the end of the game, when she betrays him. Her language is far away from being submissive, being entirely assertive. She never hesitates in her speech and has a direct conversation, such as in
“I’m not in the mood for games”, “I’m not here to negotiate”, or “That’s if I don’t finish you myself”. However, she does not use vulgar terms nor insults, but she uses irony instead.
In conclusion, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End is a game focused on the male sector in which there are many differences among the characters. Although the female characters are powerful, they are always at the man’s service, allowing sexist attitudes and behaviours reflected in facts and language.
14
5.1.2 Final Fantasy XV
Final Fantasy XV is a videogame that has generated an intense controversy due to the fact that Hajime Tabata, developer of the video game, communicated in an interview the following:
Speaking honestly, an all-male party feels almost more approachable for players. Even the presence of one
female in the group will change their behaviour so that they'll act differently. So to give the most natural
feeling, to make them feel sincere and honest, having them all the same gender made sense in that way.
The world might be ready to see the curtain lifted on what boys do when girls aren't around, when they
come out of the tent all prim and proper. That's kind of the idea behind it… we think, male or female
player, that everyone will feel a certain connection and bond with the four characters." (Zorine Te,
2015).
According to Moisés (2017), this only reinforces the myth that men and women cannot be together if there is no erotic desire because the only female characters that appear and have a certain relevance are Noctis’ fiancée, and a hypersexualized mechanic.
Several generic terms were found regarding the language, describing humanity as "mankind" and people as "men". Referring to vulgar words and insults, they are all said by male characters, something logical since the presence of female characters is practically inexistent. The more common are damn, what/who the hell, fool, ignorant, damn you and son of a bitch. It should be noted that the last insult is profoundly sexist. Moreover, there is the presence of terms that influence the identity of female characters. This is because male characters refer to their vehicles as "she", which means woman's objectification.
15
Concerning assertive language, it is used by male characters when they have to fight against enemies. The more frequent are: got it, give it you all!, I expected more of a challenge, show him who’s the boss and give 'em hell. The submissive language is found in female characters, even though sometimes male characters speak about their feelings and are shown as suffering, especially Noctis.
On the contrary, female characters show different roles. On the one hand,
Cindy is the group's confidence mechanic. She is a hypersexualized character, created only to please the male eye. Despite being a mechanic, the player cannot see her at no time working in the car. However, the only option where she can be seen working is when she cleans the car, showing obscene and completely unnecessary postures. In terms of language, Cindy is the only one who uses an accent similar to southern, eliminating letters and dragging some words. This accent is associated stereotypically with the lack of intelligence, which shows us that this is not a coincidence; since her dialogues do not contribute to anything, she is just a mere object for men's delight.
On the other hand, Lunafreya represents the masochist model of Díez et al.
(2004) to the point where she sacrifices to protect Noctis. A curious fact is that she also uses the generic terms mentioned previously. The central part of her dialogues refers to that she wants to be near Noctis and her duty as Oracle, which is to help the main character. All this is reflected in a submissive language that does not contribute anything to the character's personality. In conclusion, Final Fantasy XV is a video game that is far from being considered inclusive and diverse, assuming gender roles that objectify female characters or are used for the mere advance of the main character.
16
5.1.3 Horizon Zero Dawn
Horizon Zero Dawn is a video game that seemed to take a step in inclusiveness and diversity. The video game is formed by different tribes, in which there is no hierarchy between male and female characters since everyone can exercise the same roles, as long as they are prepared to exercise them. We can observe that the Nora tribe is matriarchal, and the matriarchs are respected and form an essential role in the tribe.
Moreover, the deity of the game is a goddess. However, we can appreciate some patterns that have to do with gender and sexist language. First, the presence of generic terms such as "men" referring to escorts or guards, "Vanguardsmen" and "chairman" instead of "chairperson". Vulgar words and insults are scarce, and the more common are: damn, damn him, idiot, bastard or stubborn. Male and female characters say these insults. Although no separatist terms are appreciated, there is a term that influences the main character's identity, which is "girl", with a derogative tone when she is a young adult.
Moreover, the characters have a neutral tone with an assertive tendency.
Notwithstanding, although women have a presence in the game, the central part is seen in the Nora tribe. When Aloy has to interact with characters from other tribes, they are usually male characters, and they talk about female characters in superior positions, as it is the case of Ersa, Captain of the guard. However, we will not see her exercising because she is kidnapped, and when Aloy finds her, Ersa gives the important information to advance in the story and dies.
Regarding Aloy, the player decides how to answer, forming her personality, which can be compassionate, neutral or aggressive. In general terms, Aloy has assertive and direct language, usually using irony. However, she receives orders from
Sylens, the one that will be her partner during a large part of the game. He will tell her
17 everything that she has to do to advance, and she will accept her commands to know her origins.
In conclusion, although the game is indeed quite inclusive and diverse, specific patterns are appreciated, such as the need to have a male partner who will guide the protagonist or that important characters out of the Nora tribe are predominantly male characters. Referring to language, generic terms that should be in disuse are appreciated.
5.1.4 The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Breath of the Wild is the last published game of the famous saga The Legend of Zelda. In this video game, Link has spent 100 years asleep and wakes up to defeat Ganon, who for 100 years has been contained by Princess Zelda. The player will not see Zelda until the end of the game, except in the memories that Link must unlock. In these memories, Zelda looks more like an investigator than a princess. The goddess's power resists, and her personality evolves because she is no longer a passive and useless character that has to be rescued in previous deliveries. In addition, the characters of this video game are equal, being the Champions two male characters and two female ones, with their personality.
Notwithstanding, it can be seen some role patterns among them, being the male characters more assertive, being this the case of Revali and Daruk, and the female characters more submissive, such as is the case of Urbosa and Mipha. Especially
Mipha, who represents the masochist model (Díez et al., 2004), is a secondary character with a submissive language, whose dialogues are about Link. Examples of this are: "Ruta, we've found a way to be useful to Link. And… the other Champions, of course" or "I was… I was always willing to heal your wounds. […] No matter how
18 difficult this battle might get… If you, if anyone ever tries to do you harm… I will heal you".
Consequently, no generic terms, separatist terms, insults, nor vulgar words have been found. Notwithstanding, female characters use apologies and thankfulness more often.
Zelda is a very different character from other games. In this one, her divine part is the least developed, just in order to protect Link and seal Ganon at the end of the game. Regarding her language, a duality was found. She shows assertive and direct language with everything that has to do with defeating Ganon. Moreover, she has a strong personality and is critical of what she does, watching for her privacy and for being useful without the need for a man, like in this dialogue "It appears that this structure was designed to be exclusively accessed by the sword's chosen one. But designs can always be worked around. [Appears Link] I thought I made it clear that I am not in need of an escort. It seems I'm the only one with a mind of my own. I, the person in question, am fine, regardless of the king's orders. [Link follows her]. And stop following me!"
However, when Zelda speaks about her divine power or Link, the submissive language appears, full of hesitations to show her insecurities like in this dialogue
"What if… one day… You realized that you just weren't to be a fighter. Yet the only thing people ever said… was that you were born into a family of the royal guard, and so no matter what you thought, you had to become a knight. If that was the only thing that you ever were told… I wonder, then…. Would you have chosen a different path?". In addition, Zelda represents still the masochist model (Díez et al., 2004) since she needs to wait for Link to defeat Ganon. Regardless of her evolution, she is a secondary character because she is patiently waiting for the hero, and she would die for him.
19
To conclude, the central part of Zelda's speech has a guilty sentiment, full of pressure, although the male characters do not have that pressure. Breath of the Wild is a video game that has evolved positively, especially with Zelda's character.
Nevertheless, some patterns show stereotyped roles that have to do with the characters’ language.
5.1.5 The Shadow of the Tomb Raider
The Shadow of the Tomb Raider is the last videogame of the Tomb Raider saga.
According to Moisés (2017), at a narrative level, Lara has been the only woman in a world of men, except for sporadic female characters no playable. D la Paz (2019), showing that Lara rarely could fight hand-to-hand, just using her weapons. Lara has different scenarios where she explores ruins, jungle and forests and defeats big animals, dark entities, and human enemies and in other games of the same style, the male characters can fight hand-to-hand, which is a helpful tool to defend themselves.
Moreover, Lara Croft has suffered different modifications towards the years, being at first sexualized. However, in her modifications, her large hair, voluptuous body, and pistols usage have always been maintained. (Moisés, 2017). In 2013, Lara suffered a radical change because the saga was remade, turning her into a more complex character. As Perrault et al. (2016) in Maccallum-Stewart (2018) words, although Lara Croft was depicted as powerful and intelligent, she was also compassionate and kind, blending stereotypically male and female characteristics to create a character that reinforces a sense of gendered tension.
Although Lara usually has male behaviours because on many occasions has been defined as someone cold, lonely, reserved, and adventurous, characteristics usually referred to male characters (Moisés, 2017), in the new games and especially
20 this one, Lara is also worried and kind. She depends on her friends, in this case,
Jonah, in order to advance. According to Perrault et al. (2016), her dependence on her friends makes that she is not autonomous. The significance of the submissive traits of females in early games may influence the occasional humility of female characters in new games. Moreover, female characters that appear in the game are secondary, and they are used as a tool for Lara to achieve what she was looking for. When they are no longer helpful, they do not almost appear (Abby) or die (Unuratu).
Regarding the language, we can find a generic term said by Lara when she is a kid, referring to herself as a “hero” instead of a “heroine”, which shows that her references are male. On the other hand, the usage of insults and vulgar words is unbalanced because there are only three women, and the only one that uses these words is Lara. The more common are shit, damn and damn it, whereas the male characters say shit, fuck + noun, damn, asshole and son of a bitch, being the last one completely sexist. On the other hand, Lara uses thankfulness and apologies, showing herself as a human character.
In general terms, male characters have assertive language. The exemption is
Jonah. Female characters have a more assertive language than in the previous games.
In the case of Lara, we can see a mixture of submissive and assertive language. On the one hand, Lara has a typical male discourse, characterized by a direct and brave speech when she has conversations with other characters and also when she is alone.
Notwithstanding, the concept of a cold and lonely person is still present, as she mentions in “I’m not really used to crowds”. Moreover, she is sometimes apathetic, not connecting with the emotions of others. However, even though we have seen that
Lara has an assertive language, she also has a submissive part, which has to do with a feeling of constant blaming that remembers to the female role of the guilty woman,
21 as when she says: “I failed. Worse… […] A man like that… We- we have to stop him!
It’s all my fault”.
However, at the end of the game, she shows an evolution, resolving this point.
Lara Croft is a character that has evolved positively. Nevertheless, some patterns show an implicit ad subtle sexism. Moreover, she is still the woman in a world of men because all the women that appear do it sporadically or die. A curious fact is that there are never women among the mercenaries. This implicit sexism is reflected in the behaviour and also in the speech of the characters.
5.1.6 Kingdom Hearts III
Kingdom Hearts III is the game that ends Xehanort’s saga. In previous video games,
Sora and his friends have had to confront numerous dangers as keyblade wielders. In this video game, values as fellowship, teamwork and the importance of friendship are transmitted.
In general terms, all characters speak about their feelings. No generic terms and separatist terms that influence the identity of female characters were found. The main characters do not insult or use vulgar words. Nevertheless, we do appreciate gender roles, such as Sora’s insistence in protecting Kairi. Although many Disney characters appear, we will focus on female characters from the Kingdom Hearts story,
Kairi, apparently, an essential character who is not playable and secondary and
Aqua, occasionally playable.
Aqua is a strong and powerful character, consumed by darkness, which she has to be rescued. Here comes the classic cliché in which the male character must rescue the female one. Her language also expresses the need of being rescued by someone:
“I reached this shore after endless wandering. Waited forever for help to arrive. But
22 no one ever came”. Moreover, Aqua has an attitude close to maternal with her friends, feeling obligated to rescue them, although, in the end, the male characters are the ones who have to rescue her. This example is the case of Ventus, who, after being asleep for ten years, wakes up only to rescue Aqua when she was trying to rescue him.
Regarding her language, Aqua’s language is simple. She is a grateful character who also apologizes, showing a neutral language between the submissive and assertive, that only appears when she has to defend her friends, such as in: “Now, let our friend go!”
On the other side of the coin, the case of Kairi is more extreme. During the previous video games, Kairi has been a secondary and passive element, the motivation for Sora to undertake his trip in order to rescue her. In this last game, she was supposed to have more relevance, but she again has been a passive character, with few dialogues, and most of them focused on talking about the main character. A curious fact is the first thing she says in all the game, in a letter for Sora that she never sent, is an apology: “I’m sorry I left without saying goodbye”. And later, she expresses that her motivation is being like him “I’m trying to become a keyblade wielder like you”. Nonetheless, it was not possible to see her evolution and learning process.
Notwithstanding, she tries not to be a passive character, saying, “No more waiting for you to come back from your adventures” or “left me keep you safe”.
However, all her dialogues are focused on being the partner of Sora, practically without having her own identity, which shows a submissive language with a passive role, identified with the masochist model of Díez et al. (2004).
23
In conclusion, the female characters of the group are scarce; they represent two of ten characters and constitute roles that are passive and submissive or protective towards the male characters, especially Kairi since Aqua has her video game. As it can be seen, this shows that the game is far from being inclusive and diverse.
5.1.7 Final Fantasy VII: Remake
Final Fantasy VII: Remake is the last video game of this saga. It is a remake of the famous Final Fantasy VII, which came out in 1997, and it constitutes an improved version, both in visual and narrative elements; since the characters are better developed, they have more dialogues and personalities are more complex than in the original. Especially female characters. However, despite being a new game, we have observed some crucial elements that have to do with language and gender.
First, we find separatist terms, such as "landlady" instead of lessor or property owner, "swordsman", "one-man army", and "salesman". We cannot consider them as generic terms since they are addressed to male characters in the game. However, they are separatists because they do not use a neutral form. All this has to do because there is an absence of female characters in the army called SOLDIERS. It was also found terms that influence the identity of female characters, such as "princess" to refer to Aerith and "baby" to refer to Tifa. We highlight the sexist comments that are in the section of Wall Market, being these the following: "she's what he likes, all rolled into one sweet package", "Seriously, Les, she's not half bad! With a little work,
I bet she'd clean up real nice" and "the leftovers [referring to Tifa and Aerith] are all yours", among many other comments of this style.
There is a huge difference in their language regarding the male characters in comparison with the female ones. On the one hand, Cloud is the classic male character, cold and lonely, who is also brave and strong. Barret also has assertive
24 language, full of vulgar words and insults. The assertive language more shared between them is: Go ahead, nothing to me, you got this, etc. And the vulgar words and insults are: Damn, goddamn, bastard, shit, asshole, stupid, bitch and son of a bitch. These last two have a sexist condition. Female characters do not insult or say vulgar words, except for Aerith, who will say a single time "shit".
As for the female characters, Tifa represents the sadistic model of Díaz et al.
(2004), a hypersexualized fighter. Her language is neutral with a submissive touch since even though her speech is brave and without hesitations, she also speaks about her feelings and emotions. It is necessary to highlight a comment when she was younger, where she said, "If I'm ever in trouble… Promise you'll come to save me", showing in this way a submissive language responding to the cliché of woman in need for men's help. Aerith, on the other hand, represents the masochist model (Díez et al., 2004). She is the companion of the protagonist, represented in a pure way that corresponds to the benevolent sexism of Perrault et al. (2016).
Nevertheless, her language is also neutral with a submissive touch since her discourse is elegant and polite and firm. Notwithstanding, Aerith asks Cloud to be her bodyguard, and in order to play him, she promises him a date. Another submissive element is when her dialogues are focused on the preoccupation for the main character and the other members of the group. Notwithstanding, both Aerith and Tifa make clear that they wish to be autonomous characters, showing an assertive language that will be refuted since Cloud will end saving both on some occasions.
Regarding thankfulness and apologies, they are equated. In conclusion, Final
Fantasy VII: Remake is an improved video game towards the original, and although sexism is condemned in the game (Corneo as an enemy), some sexist patterns are still shown, as mentioned above.
25
5.1.8 The Last of Us 2
The Last of Us 2 has the record of awards for the best game of the year. It has won prizes such as best storytelling, best visual design, and best audio, among others.
This video game is the continuation of The Last of Us, only that this time the main character is Ellie, whom her girlfriend Dina will accompany her in order to take revenge on Abby, Joel's murderer. The three main characters are women, and there is a balanced proportion between female and male characters and other inclusive factors, such as the active presence of different ethnic groups and the LGTBIQ+ collective.
Regarding the language, no generic terms have been found. However, we have found the active presence of "bitch” and "son of a bitch” insults, which are sexist. The presence of insults and vulgar words is equal among female and male characters, being the most common: goddamn, fuck, little shit, shit, fuck you, fuckers, motherfucking/motherfuckers and asshole. As for terms that influence the identity of female characters, we find that sometimes they refer to musical instruments such as
"she": "She's yours". On the other hand, the submissive and assertive language is not clear between characters, being something neutral, since they all show concerns, doubts, and emotions, but they are also brave and powerful.
Consequently, Ellie and Abby are strong but not invincible. They show their doubts, their pain, but also courage and intelligence. Their language is neutral. Both say insults and vulgar words, but they also show their concerns and fears about their partners.
26
The only negative point of the video game is that both characters' starting object make their vengeance trip is Joel. Although he is entirely secondary in this game because he is murdered in the first part, he is essential in history. Without him, the story would not make sense since he is the protagonist in the previous game.
Notwithstanding, all women were integral to the game's narrative (Perrault et al., 2016), showing powerful characters and features associated with the female and great diversity. Definitely, The Last of Us 2 is an excellent example of the positive evolution of video games.
5.2 Data analysis
The technique that has been used in order to produce this quantitative investigation is a survey made in Google Forms. This survey has been realized by 111 people who reside in Spain, and they have had to undergo questions about their gender, age, access to video game resources in technology, technological affinity, English level, video games in general, diversity and inclusiveness in the video games previously analyzed as well as the level of awareness and language awareness they have about video games. With the realization of this survey, it is expected to observe the level of awareness among young people who have responded and compare it with our analysis.
The survey was answered by 111 people, of which 70.3% are identified with female gender, 28.8% with a male one and 0.9% with non-binary gender. The highest age range has been the one shown below:
27
8 3 2 Less than 18 Between 18 and 22 Between 23 and 26 26 Between 27 and 30 More than 30 72
Figure 1: Age
The technology access is varied, having the 49.9% of the respondents a computer at home, 36% tablet, 89.2% smartphone and 7.2% video game consoles. The frequency in which they play video games is also varied, showing that 21.6% do not play video games, 27.9% play rarely, 15.3% sometimes, 16.2% usually, and 18.9% always.
Regarding their technological affinity, it can be observed in the following graph. The tablet is the tool that is least used and the computer the most one.
80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 More Less than Between Between Between Between Never than 5 an hour 1-2 hours 2-3 hours 3-4 hours 4-5 hours hours PC 0 3 9 19 12 17 51 Phone 0 3 13 16 25 21 33 Tablet 74 19 6 6 4 2 0
PC Phone Tablet
Figure 2: How much time do you usually spend each day with your computer, mobile and tablet?
28
The usage given to these tools seems to be different among the respondents, being the computer 88.3% used for academic purposes, 81.1% for entertainment, a
37.8% for social networks and communicating, 79.3% for practical purposes, 25.2% for creative purposes, a 70.3% to make purchases and 1.8% for working. On the other hand, 39.6% use the mobile phone for educational purposes, 84.7% for entertainment,
95.5% to use social networks, 74.8% for practical purposes, 26.1% for creative purposes and 45% to make purchases.
The social networks, channels, and forums that users use more are represented in this graph:
90 77 80 70 60 48 50 41 44 44 40 34 27 30 17 18 20 14 10 9 8 10 10 4 10 3 0 2 1 0 0 3 1 1 1
0
IGN
VGR
GOG
Origin
Itch.io
Steam
Twitch
Discord
NeoGaf
Youtube
Wikias of… Wikias
Supercell
Xbox Live Xbox
3DJuegos
Battle.net
Gamespot
Epic games Epic
PS Network PS
Videogamer
MMPORG.com UbisoftConnect I do not use them do I not use
Figure 3: Do you use some of these social networks, channels and forums for topics related to video games?
As for the English level, it can be showed in the following table. 45.9% of the respondents, however, do not have any official language certificate in their possession.
29
60
50
40
30
20
10
0 A1 A2 B1 B2 C1 C2 Reading 7 5 16 24 48 11 Writing 8 12 15 33 37 6 Listening 7 7 18 20 46 13 Speaking 10 9 17 34 34 7
Reading Writing Listening Speaking
Figure 4:English level
On the other side of the coin, 38.7% respondents have passed between 10 and 15 years studying the English language; 34.2% have spent more than fifteen years; 23.4% have studied between 5 and 10 years and a 3.6% of the respondents have studied less than five years of which 89.2% have not gone to bilingual schools in English.
Moreover, they were also asked if they had gone to extra English lessons and their answers are shown in the following graph:
Never 1 year Between 2 and 3 years Between 3 and 5 years More than 5 years
20 31
9
24 27
Figure 5: Do you attend or have you attended extra English classes outside of school? How long in total?
30
Regarding the usage of video games, the users prefer the following consoles to play video games:
Wii/Wii U 27%
Switch 18.9%
DS/DSi 32.4%
PlayStation 33.3%
Xbox 8.1%
Computer 51.4%
Smartphone 58.6%
Tablet 15.3%
Table 2: Consoles
Notwithstanding, 24.3% of the respondents never play video games, 23.4% play less than an hour in a week, 21.6% play between one and three hours per week, 8.1% play between four and six hours and 22.5% play more than six hours per week. The video games are usually played in Spanish and English, corresponding to 34.6% of the respondents.
After knowing their age, English level, their access to technology and their video games affinity, they were asked about the diversity and inclusiveness. They were proposed to value how inclusive and diverse were the video games that were analyzed in the previous section, showing that the majority part of the respondents had not played the, However, those respondents who had played the video games analyzed catalogued The Last of Us 2 as the most inclusive and diverse video game.
At the same time, Final Fantasy XV was the least inclusive and diverse. Many of the respondents answered “moderate”, not showing agreement or disagreement, something that shows us the lack of awareness of these video games.
31
Not inclusive at all Not inclusive Moderate Inclusive Very inclusive I have never played it
80 70 71 70 69 67 67 70 64 59 60
50
40
30 24 21 19 18 20 19 20 13 14 10 11 1010 12 10 10 1111 7 9 9 9 7 8 10 4 4 5 5 4 4 5 6 4 1 3 3 2 3 2 3 1 0 Uncharted 4: Final Fantasy Horizon ZeroBreath of the The Shadow Kingdom Final Fantasy The Last of A Thief's End XV Dawn Wild: of the Tomb Hearts III VII: Remake Us 2 Raider
Figure 6: In your opinion, indicate on the scale the degree od diversity and inclusiveness of the following video games, with 1 = not at all inclusive and 5 = very inclusive.
The following question was to value a series of affirmations that are shown below, showing that the 64 respondents do not mind if a character is female or male,
91 are aware of the gender and cultural stereotypes in video games, albeit 44 of the
111 respondents do not mind playing those video games. Regarding the language, 39 respondents do not know how to observe generic terms, 46 did not know how to identify terms that influence the identity of female characters in video games. In addition, 75 people seem unpleasant if they see sexualized female characters in video games, but 47 would continue playing them, 44 would not know what to do 20 would stop playing them.
32
Completely agree Agree Moderate Disagree Totally disagree
I believe that in the world of video games, women are 26 18 40 represented as inferior characters to men. 11 16 I consider that women are often secondary characters 35 16 37 in video games (companions of the protagonist,… 1013 I think that women are often sexualized in video 60 6 36 games. 3 6 I think that women are often stereotyped in video 56 7 36 games. 6 I believe that, in general, video games contain 29 22 43 significant role differences. 5 12 23 I consider that in general video games are sexist. 21 35 16 I believe that in general video games are neither 9 33 38 diverse nor inclusive. 11 20 I think that video games in general contain an 16 39 44 ethnocentric vision. 1 11 I think video games in general contain cultural 22 25 57 stereotypes. 34 I think video games in general contain gender 33 21 49 stereotypes. 35 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
Figure 7: Rate the following statements on a scale from 1 to 5
Totally disagree Disagree Moderate Agree Completely agree
70 64 60 60 54 51 48 47 50 43 44 46 44 37 40 39 40 35 36 31 28 31 30 24 21 22 2019 20 2222 2021 20 14 15 15 16 1011 11 11 1011 12 13 9 8 6 9 9 6 8 7 10 42 2 32 4 4 0
Figure 8: Rate the following statements on a scale from 1 to 5:
Moreover, in the following graph, it is shown that 71.2% of respondents believe that male characters are the ones that use more vulgar words in video games, 82.9% think that male characters are the ones whom most insult, a 54.1% believe that female characters tend to be more thankfulness and 61.3% believe that female characters
33 apologize habitually. In addition, 54.1% assume that male characters use assertive language whilst 70.3% suppose that female characters use submissive language.
Furthermore, the respondents were also asked about the ambition of female characters to achieve their goals, in which 40.5% answered that they only help the male character to fulfil their objectives, 27% think they talk about their ambitions, and they accomplish them, and 14.4% believe that female characters speak of their ambitions, but they do not fulfil them. The remaining 18.1% do not know, or they believe it depends on the game.
Finally, the respondents were asked an open question to give their opinion about the gender stereotypes present in video games. The more common comments are divided into three blocks, being the first one that the sexualization of female characters is intolerable nowadays, the second is that video games have stereotypes because of a male demand and cultural background and the third one is that the industry is changing and is developing video games with a higher level of inclusiveness and diversity. As it has been observed, the survey results coincide with the video game analysis previously made. Today, sexist patterns are still seen in the roles of the characters and their language, something that has to do with demand and cultural factors, but it seems that the industry is developing characters more elaborate, diverse, and with critical thinking.
34
6. Conclusion
Due to the analysis and survey carried out before, we can see the level of awareness that users have about sexism in general terms in video games and how this issue influences the language of the characters. On the one hand, we can see that a major part of female characters is in a lower position than that of the male characters, such as the case of Elena, who only acts as a companion of the protagonist or Lunafreya and
Cindy, characters that appear to be sacrificed to save the main character or be a mere sexual object. Moreover, Zelda helps the protagonist defeat the enemy, Aqua and
Kairi, who are partners of the main character, especially Kairi and Tifa and Aerith, who accompany the protagonist on their journey. However, there are also female characters who act independently, as is the case of Aloy, Lara Croft or Ellie. Despite this, different patterns in their roles that have subtle sexism have been evidenced, such as the construction of a female character with the many attitudes associated with the male characters or the use of submissive language in female characters and assertive language in male ones. Moreover, the male characters appear strong and powerful, using assertive language that shows their courage and willpower. Heroes that must save their female companions or save the world, as is the case of Sora in the first case or Noctis in the second one.
In addition, it has been observed that in the analyzed games, there is sexist language at different levels since most of them have generic terms, separatist terms or terms that influence the female characters, as well as insults and sexist terms. Even those that have been catalogued as inclusive and diverse, as is the case of The Last of
Us 2, have more than one of these elements. On the other hand, the language is very different between female and male characters, usually using submissive language for female characters and assertive language for male characters. Although the language is relatively neutral in some video games, it is also contradictory since the female
35 characters talk about how autonomous they are, but later the male character must save them.
The stereotypes presented in the language of submissive characters are also represented in their clothing, being the most notorious one in Cindy's case, whose representation was completely sexualized and objectified. She is a secondary and passive character in the narrative, but also in linguistics terms.
However, it seems that there has been a positive evolution in recent years, developing more elaborate video games, being much more inclusive and diverse where female characters have active roles, being protagonists or characters with significant relevance, being no longer passive or submissive characters. In particular,
The Last of Us 2 has been the most inclusive and diverse game analyzed in our analysis.
Regarding the survey conducted, most players do not play video games, which reinforces the digital divide discussed previously, showing that the world of video games remains a world of men, although with the pass of time in a minor measure, since there are more women playing videogames. On the other hand, it has been shown that even though the respondents are fully aware of the gender and cultural stereotypes that exist, a large part would continue playing the video game in question, showing that the narrative of the game is more important than the stereotypes, which shows us that there is still a long work to do. However, most respondents commented that they were against these stereotypes and that they must disappear.
In this way, the video games world is in constant change and evolution, and since there is more demand for the female sector and other groups such as the LGTBIQ+
36 collective, video games are starting to offer realities that represent those collectives, showing another step to equality. Although video games are still being created for men’s delight and fantasies, it seems that there is a considerable change in the video games industry. In terms of language, we can see that there is also an evolution, creating the dialogues of female characters more diverse and complex, showing a neutral language that allows the character to have their own personality.
Notwithstanding, this investigation reflects a series of limitations. On the one hand, few video games have been analyzed to have a deep and critical analysis, and on the other hand, only 111 people answered the survey, which allows us to analyze a short part of the young population. Moreover, only the female characters of eight video games have been analyzed, having a lack of information about the female video game developer or female gamers. For future research, this research line could be opened in several directions, such as investigating a deeper linguistic analysis on many video games that are new and famous. To create a survey that reaches more people to have a more detailed analysis and the analysis of the role of women as gamers or developers or how these sexist elements influence the self-esteem of gamers.
Finally, in order to try to avoid the use of sexism and gender stereotypes in video games, a series of recommendations are proposed to improve language in the video games world:
❖ To limit the use of assertive language for male characters and submissive
language for female characters, using a neutral language for both in order to
create a complex personality of the character.
❖ To prevent a significant difference in vulgar words and insults between male
and female characters.
37
❖ To prevent a considerable difference between thankfulness and apologies
between female and male characters.
❖ To avoid the usage of generic terms and separatist terms or terms that influence
the identity of the female characters.
❖ To avoid the usage of sexist insults.
❖ To incorporate a more inclusive and diverse language, typical of complex
characters with their own personality.
7. Acknowledgement
Thanks to all the respondents, as well as those teachers who helped in the completion of this work and those who offered to pass the survey.
8. References
Bègue, L. Sar, E., Gentile, D. A., Bry, C. (2017). Video Games Exposure and Sexism in
a Representative Sample of Adolescents. Frontiers in Psychology, 466(8), 1-7.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00466
Bertomeu, M. A. (2005). Violencia y sexismo en los videojuegos. Instituto Andaluz de la
Mujer. https://bit.ly/3ueG5PQ
Díez Gutiérrez, E.J. (2009). Sexism and violence: socialization through video games.
Feminismo/s, 14(3), 35-52. http://dx.doi.org/10.14198/fem.2009.14.03
Díez Gutiérrez, E.J. (2014). Video Games and Gender-based Violence. Procedia – Social
and Behavioral Sciences, 132, 58-64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.04.278
Díez et al. (2004). La diferencia sexual en el análisis de los videojuegos. Instituto de la
Mujer (Ministerio de Trabajo y Asuntos Sociales).
38
Gittleson, K. (2014). Why does sexism persist in the video games industry. BBC.
Retrieved from: https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-27824701
Gómez Miguel, A. (2013). Mujeres y videojuegos. Estudio sobre roles, actitudes y
representaciones de las mujeres en los videojuegos. [Master Thesis, UCM].
https://bit.ly/3bNhQCh
Jenson, J. & De Castell, S. (2013). Tipping Points. Marginality, Misogyny and
Videogames. Journal of Curriculum Theorizing, 29(2), 72-85.
Moisés Toro, D. (2017). Sexismo en los videojuegos. Reproducción de un modelo de
Desigualdad Social a través del Entretenimiento. [Master Thesis, UNED]
https://bit.ly/3vhm2la
Paz Rodríguez, L. (2019). La imagen y el rol de la mujer en los videojuegos: desafíos entre
estereotipos, rechazos y discriminaciones. [Bachelor’s Degree Final Project,
University of Valladolid] uvadoc.uva.es/handle/10324/37376
Perrault, M., Jenkins, J., Perrault, G. & Creudeur Morrison, A. 2016). Depictions of
Female Protagonists in Digital Games: A Narrative Analysis of 2013 DICE
Award-Winning Digital Games. Games and Culture, 1(18), 2-18.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1555412016679584
Rodríguez, E. (2002). Jóvenes y videojuegos. Espacio, significación y conflictos.
Injuve-FAD. https://bit.ly/3fDYDnA
Sauquillo Mateo, P., Ros Ros, C. & Bellver Moreno, M. C. (2008). The role of gender in
video games. Revista Electrónica Teoría de la Educación. Educación y Cultura en la
Sociedad de la Información, 9(3), 130-149.
Te, Z. (2015). Final Fantasy 15 Director Talks About The All-Male Party and Bringing
Type-0 To the West. Gamespot. Retrieved from: https://bit.ly/2RIM5mK
Yvette Wohn, D. (2011). Gender and race Representation in Casual Games. Sex Roles,
65(3), 198-207. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-011-0007-4
39