We Don't Play Nice
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The difficulty in explaining misogyny in video games stems not from lack of examples, but from an intense over-saturation of examples. The threatening comments made online, the sexual harassment at gaming conventions, and the objectification of female video game characters are just some of the reasons women feel unwelcome in the gaming community; a community where they make up 48% of the consumers. The IGDA Women in Games Special Interest Group works to foster a community of women interested in gaming and place more women in game development jobs. There is a lot of work to be done towards equality in gaming, and that starts with reminding women that there is a place for them in this industry.
This concept, of an advocacy campaign for female gamers/game developers, was created in response to a school project studying the importance and impact of Advocacy Posters in a modern context. I chose to cover a subject that is both contemporary (video games) and familiar (sexism). The basis for my poster lies in the stories of both female gamers and game developers and in the simple fact that nearly half of gamers are women and less than a quarter of game developers are women.
