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Do our favourite games represent us?

Do the biggest videogames represent the diverse communities playing them? Let’s take a closer look.

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Games are made for young boys and played almost exclusively in bedrooms. Hey presto! We’ve heard that one before. But wait – as many as 42% of gamers in the UK are female, and that number rises to 52% in France[1]. Not to mention, the average age of a gamer in the US is 34, a stat that’s closely mirrored across the UK and Europe[2].

So why do we still think that gaming is a male hobby, and a young male hobby at that? Perhaps it’s the games, in their blinkered approach to storytelling, that are helping to peddle this stereotype. And, whether it’s the latest Nintendo Switch games or classics of yesteryear, do the biggest video games represent the diverse communities who are actually playing them?

To find out, we decided to take on a spot of analysis. In focus, big-budget (“AAA”) titles from the last twenty years. To keep the analysis manageable, we focused on the biggest and the best: games that have made a mark at E3 (Best of Show, Best Console Game, Best PC Game) and games that have been nominated for the grand prize at The Game Awards, the industry’s Oscars equivalent.

Ranking the games

How did we rank them, you ask? Games were awarded points for female characters in prominent positions; for exploring LGBTQ+ plot points or themes; for mixed race characters prominently placed in the story; and for disabled characters or references. Games that featured all white male casts and nothing else scored badly.

Check out the method behind the madness by consulting our diversity in gaming methodology.

Key findings

Our diversity in gaming study is stuffed full of interesting findings. Check out the full campaign by following the link above.

Pushed for time? Here’s a selection of standout stats:

  • Male protagonists in games dominate, but the last 10 years has seen an 189% increase in playable female characters.

  • Game covers continue to put men first. Only 11% of covers have women as the focal point of the cover, or with a share of the focus.

  • Proper ethnic diversity is still lacking. Only 3% of Game Award nominees (2003-2018) have featured a person of colour as a default protagonist…

  • …That said, Canada gets diversity right more than any other country…

  • …And what’s more – diversity is improving. Since 2012, nearly half of all games have featured diverse casts, LGBTQ+ themes or characters of colour – as opposed to 26% pre- 2012.

  • Game consoles tend to play host to less diverse games than PCs.

What the experts had to say

We worked with a selection of diversity experts to get their take on the industry.

Adam Campbell, co-founder of POC in Play, discusses ethnic diversity.

“On screen, I would say [diversity] has definitely improved somewhat. We’re seeing far more people as a reflection of society represented in games.

“However, there’s a long way to go. Representation still feels incomplete and inconsistent. We’re still also hard pushed to find those protagonists that are not the stereotypical Indiana Jones or tough bald male type, so ‘diversity’ is the exception rather than the rule.”

Jay-Ann Lopez, founder of Black Girl Gamers, reflects on the state of empowered female characters:

“Female characters have historically been hyper-sexualised for the male gaze in gaming. You can observe this with the various representations of Lara Croft. I do not believe there is an inherent problem with women being viewed as sexy. However, when it is the only version of women shown, it strips us of our depth and limits us to serving as purely visual objects. Still, there are more and more holistic and nuanced female characters appearing within games.”

Ian Hamilton, an accessibility expert, would like to see more disabled characters in games.

“Representation of characters with disabilities is still rare, and although there are some notable exceptions, when present it is often handled badly. [Representing disabled players] is often simply not on people's radars. And when it is, fear of handling it badly can put people off.”

Alayna M Cole, managing director of Queerly Represent Me, talks about LGBTQ+ representation.

“In triple-A titles (AAA), there is a slow journey towards increased representation of diverse sexualities, but it's still slow and largely incidental. There's still a lack of evidence for major publishers that diverse casts of characters will sell to games audiences; there is a lot of historical proof that straight white male protagonists do well on the market, and without enough evidence showing other characters can also succeed, many companies are relying on this 'safe' approach.”

Ultimately, however, the experts agree: things are getting better. Look no further than *The Last of Us II, *one of the biggest PS4 games coming out in the next year, which is set to feature a female LGBTQ+ lead. In fact, the industry seems to be taking diversity seriously. With time, here’s hoping that the enduring stereotype – that only young white men play games – will fizzle out.

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[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_and_video_games

[2] http://www.theesa.com/esa-research/2019-essential-facts-about-the-computer-and-video-game-industry/

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