As many may have noticed, there is a growing debate about the place of the woman in video games.
An article recently caught my attention, http://www.polygon.com/features/2014/10 ... MediaREDEF
At the end of the article a very good point is brought up; these diatribes against the damsel in distress and lack of female agency in video games do not offer practical examples of how developers should forage forward. "If not that, then what?" is the question of many a frustrated middle-grounder.
Should we get rid of tied up characters altogether? Should be give them more agency by not always gagging them, or depicting effort-ful escape attempts?
Would having men in this situation more often help to nullify the stereotype?
In the comments section this gets addressed;
"If it was a male instead of a female, would it be degrading to men?
Oct 24, 2014 | 3:30 PM Reply
IAmUnanimousInThat
Yes. People should be treated more than glorified rugs. It’s bad writing and just laziness.
But in the case of men vs. Women, men are given a variety of roles to play in media like video games. Women are almost always forced into this roles. In the case of men, it’s degrading. In the case of women, it’s degrading and a trend."
Is being tied up really that degrading? If it's for the entire narrative, perhaps so. But what if it's just a part of the overall work? Doesn't this just demonstrate how no one is entirely in control of their fate at all times?
Any thoughts?