All you gamers out there will be interested in this article. This article talks about how the way female characters are created (e.g., consistently dressed in revealing clothing & very sexualized) promotes a sexist gaming culture. Emboldened after reading Lean In, one executive spoke out against this and resigned from a high-profile position in protest.
In better news, Halo 4 developers have stated they will start banning players who make “gender-specific slanderous comments” and are working to promote a less sexist online player’s community (which is important from a moral grounds and business perspective too if they want to expand their customer base).
As a gamer myself I find this article truly disheartening. I’ve always loved playing videogames and even considered trying to get a job in the “gaming world”. This article and Meagan Marie’s blog brings many sexist issues to light. “Gaming” has always been thought of as a “mans” hobby or pastime, however there are many women breaking through this gendered norm. It is sad to see that women are not treated with the same respect as the men however this seems to be the harsh reality of most institutions. The situations Marie explained in her blog are instances of sexual harassment, more specifically hostile environment harassment. Hostile environment harassment is unwelcome behavior of sexual nature that interferes with a person’s ability to do work. I hope that Marie’s blog inspires others to take a stand on this negative behavior women are dealing with in the gaming world.