8 Ugly Problems About Gender Representation The Gaming Industry Won't Admit

5. Diverse Body Types Are Hard To Come By

This point I'd say is fairly equally weighted against both genders, and it's about time we got to see a change in the usual bodies we've come to expect to see when we pop our discs in our console of choice. Before I progress I'd like to clarify that Bulimia.com's article whilst well intentioned, missed the point of the debate completely. It went viral earlier this year for photoshopping various female gaming icons into a more 'believable' mould, and though it's undeniable that developers have often relied on flawless athletic bodies to market their titles (often in an overtly sexualised manner), it is damaging to suggest that one body type is more 'accurate' than the rest. Everyone should be able to feel comfortable in their own skin, irrespective of their size or shape. It is also true that in most titles, playable protagonists find themselves in physically challenging environments. Lara Croft for example has trained herself to her physical peak to embark on her adventures - it makes sense for her to be slim and toned (just look past the initial perverse origin of her large bust). In physically demanding adventures, logic would dictate that athletes take centre stage. Men aren't exempt of this problem either, as typically 'skinny' or overweight body types are often looked past altogether in the cream of the crop of gaming's most successful releases. This is where gaming treads a fine line between fantasy and reflection, and what the medium's intentions should be when portraying the human experience comes into question. Stories are told almost as an escape, but occupying the same reality of following yet another physically fit male around as he does battle with enemies means that the medium is lagging behind other more respected industries, which more often than not have been at their greatest when portraying a varied cast of characters. There's a large place for the fantasy, but it's time reality took a precedent in places too. I vehemently believe that video games are comparable to film and literature in the way they tell a story, but they need to do better to convince others of that belief as well.