Choose a computer based or console video game to review. Spend some time exploring the various features of the game/software. Examine the narrators, graphics and characters. Consider what population/gender that game appears to be marketed towards, and what population utilizes it.
Provide your analysis by typing directly into the document (available in the content section).
1. List the name of the software being reviewed, subject of the software, date of publication/release.
World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King. It's a MMORPG (Massive Multiplayer online role-playing game) It released November 13th, 2008.
2. List the creators of the game and their gender, if possible.
The three main creators of World of Warcraft are Jeff Kaplan, Rob Pardo and Tom Chilton. All men. The game is created by Blizzard Entertainment, who in 2012 had as many as 4000 globally working on Blizzard titles.
3. What grade level/age is this software written for? If analyzing a video game, what rating has it been given?
The game is rated T for Teen; but many children, teens, adults play World of Warcraft. I've even played with people who were retired or seniors.
4. Is the protagonist in the software/game a male or female? If there are multiple characters, please indicate the gender of each. Please provide a physical description of main male and female characters.
While there are good and bad guys in the game, you the player choose a opposing faction. Either Horde or Alliance which side you think is the bad guys are really up to the player. The Alliance side tends to be more human based designed: Humans, Gnomes, Dwarfs, Nightelfs. While the horde side are more fantasy type archtypes: Trolls, Orc, Tauren (Kind of Cow like people), Bloodelfs, Undead. There are many reoccurring characters through out its branching storylines that extend from expansion to expansion. In Wrath of the Lich King the story mostly follows two female characters Sylvanas Windrunner and Jaina Proudmore. Sylvanas is known as the banshee queen and the ruler of the undead race. She is heavily armored and carries with her a bow and arrow which she uses to destroy her opponents. Jaina is also armored but only really on her shoulders she is a mage character who tends to be more ranged attack. Her midriff and breast are open to the player's eyes.
5. If there is a narrator, is the narrator a male or female?
The narrator is the player.
6. Review the dialogue for gender stereotyping. Please indicate what item(s) you found and why the item(s) is specific to gender stereotyping.
N/A
7. If examining a game, please describe the primary plot of the game. Please analyze plot and any secondary themes for sexism.
In terms of the two main characters Jainas story pertains to her following Arthas the Lich King, who was her once lover and friend. She is on a quest to see if she can still connect to him before he takes the throne and loses himself. Sylvanas is also after Arthas but instead as a horde character she is on the hunt for him, to get revenge for previous plotlines in the Warcraft lore. So on one hand a female is shown in a role of strength while one female is shown as a object of the mans desire.
8. Do the graphics show all characters as active doers? If not, explain.
Because the player has control of their own individual avatars both male and female characters are seen as active doers unless the female character is stuck as a healing class (see last question for more details)
9. Were the experts or authorities on the subject matter makes, females, or both?
Within the game many of the authorities in the world were male characters but there are many leading female characters in the game.
10. Does the software/game offer positive images of males and females. Please explain.
I think the game provides positive images of male and females in the game. However I do think that some of the female characters appearances can be considered sexual.
11. Overall, on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest), what score would you give the software you reviewed in representing males and females, and including females in the subject matter? Please give justification of your score.
I think id give World of Warcraft Wrath of the Lich King a 7/10. I believe Blizzard does a good job-presenting woman within their lore there is a lot of story behind each of the characters and many of the female characters are in a role of strength
12. Do you think it is important to have equal representation of males and females in computer software material/video games? How would you think this would affect you as a learner/player?
I do believe it is very important. If you look at the game industry the past couple of years or games over the past 40 years or so you see the same archetypes over and over. Damsel in distress, the overly sexualized badass female.
13. Please provide any further observations and a summary of your analysis of the game/software reviewed.
Since wow is an online game you run into all sorts of people during your playtime. Which can be really cool but also there is a lot of toxicity within the communities. For example when you run a dungeon it is typically comprised of 5 people, a tank, a healer and three damage characters. More than often enough the healer tends to be a female player. And to no surprise men tend to play the tank character that is typically in charge and the leader of the group. On a few occasions I have played with some female players who played the tank role but they often were self-conscious of leading the group or the other players in the group harassed her. Many male players also pretend to be females in game to receive gifts and favors from other players.
I'm not sure if you covered in class as I missed one of the days were video games were covered but a very interesting controversy in the gaming industry was the gamergate controversy and Anita Sarkeesian. She created a series of youtube videos that became very public in the eyes of the community of gamers she was harassed and even received death threats with her videos Tropes vs Women in Video Games.