In Conclusion

       I can't believe my blog is finally coming to a close. I tackled several video game companies and just thought I would go over a few main themes. While traditionally video games have not had good female representation, this has changed in the last decade. Some companies have done better jobs than others with evolving with the times. The worst offender in my opinion is "NetherRealm" studios which has horribly sexist characters with over the top revealing clothes for their female characters. But, not all companies are like that. Many companies like "Level-5" have well designed characters of both genders. Companies like "Nintendo" have some sexist games, and some that are not sexist at all. In the future I hope that video games will continue to evolve and that we will eventually be in a place where there is no sexism with games or the community. I hope that you have enjoyed reading my blog posts!

Level-5

       Level-5 studio is one of my favorite companies. I think "Yo-Kai Watch" is such a fun game, it really takes me back my childhood. The third game, not yet released in America, has the player switching between two protagonists, one female and one male. I thought this was a really cool idea, especially since one character is in America and one is in Japan. It allowed the player to get a really unique experience.

       I haven't played any of the "Dragon Quest" games so I do not have much to say about that series, but I have played some of the "Ni No Kuni" and "Professor Layton" games. These games are all amazing! "Ni No Kuni" is very tragic and also very beautiful. The game is so much fun and one of the best experiences I have ever played. Similarly, "Professor Layton" is visually stunning. I've never had or heard a complaint about these games from people of either gender. These games are for a younger audience, so they are not sexualized like other games. In conclusion these games are refreshing and enjoyable for people of all ages. 

Ubisoft

      Wow! I was so surprised when I started this post to see how many games are actually made by "Ubisoft." Best known for the "Assassin's Creed" and "Rabbids" franchise this company is also responsible for "South Park: The Fractured But Whole," "Far Cry,""Rayman Legends,"as well as other smaller titles. They also have made many video game adaptations of board games such as "Monopoly."
      "Assassin's Creed" mostly takes place in the past, so it is a little hard to judge based off of characters. From what I have played of the games, the earlier games are filled with well thought out characters who are very interesting. I don't really have much I can say about the game, besides the fact that they are fun and present interesting characters. I have heard that this goes downhill in some of the newer games though.
       The "Rabbids" series is another game that is fairly gender neutral, and in my opinion a fun franchise. I recently picked up a copy of "Mario and Rabbids Kingdom Battle," and the game is so much better than I could have expected. The games are well thought out and enjoyable. They are very silly, but I have always enjoyed playing them.
       The "South Park" games are of course sexist and offensive. I do not think this reflects on "Ubisoft" though. Since it is a video game adaptation of a tv show, a lot of the inappropriate comments and actions come from the source material. The game itself is fun, but relies heavily on shock value. Overall, Ubisoft does a pretty good job with their female characters. Their games are fun to play, and while they're not all my cup of tea I think that they are fun games.

Activision-Blizzard

      I'll be honest I am not a fan of Blizzard. Everyone I know loves the game "World of Warcraft" and I just can't get into it. I also don't really like "Call of Duty" so I'll admit that I wasn't looking forward to this post. Acitivision-Blizzard is overall a solid company that has big names including "Skylanders," "Destiny," and "Overwatch." They also makes phone games such as "Candy Crush" that I will not talk about in this review, since they are not as interesting.
       While none of these games are really for me, I know that they are popular for a reason. The gameplay is solid for all of them. For the most part all of these characters have well designed armors and solid gameplay, I have one major complaint about the female characters. They almost all have the same base design. It is a little annoying when all the girls look really similar, but the males have unique designs. That being said, overall this is not that bad.  Overall, while not for me the Activision-Blizzard games are all solid.

Insomniac Games

        I'll admit that I'm VERY biased on this one. I am so excited for the new "Spider-Man" game that "Insomniac Games" is already high on my list. Not to mention "Ratchet and Clank" is one of my favorite franchises of all time. So needless to say, I tend to enjoy the game play and story of "Insomniac Games." 

        The other big title from this company is "Spyro," which is one of the best trilogies of all time. I have so many memories of playing all their games. Best of all every title I have played from this company have always treated their female characters with respect. The girls never feel like sex objects and overall the dialogue quality is consistent with each character.

       Another title from the company that I would like to talk about is "Song of the Deep." This game is seriously beautiful and features a girl trying to save her father. The story is so pure and the game is so much fun. Overall, I think "Insomniac Games" does a great job of representing characters of both genders and producing fun games for people of every gender.

Capcom

      This week I want to talk about "Capcom." This company is best known for the "Street Fighter" franchise, which are a series of fighting games. I will confess that I'm honestly not a big fan of "Street Fighter." While I usually love fighting games, this one just isn't my favorite. Its nothing against the mechanics or story, it just doesn't stand out to me.

      Other games by "Capcom" include "Devil May Cry," "Mega Man," and "Resident Evil." I ADORE "DEVIL MAY CRY." The game play is really fun and I really like the story. Plus Dante, is a super funny character that keeps the story interesting. I also really like "Mega Man" and "Resident Evil." These are both solid series that are fun to play.

    "Capcom" also makes "Monster Hunter." I will leave this game off of the rest of my summary,but I do want to write a bit about this game. This is one of the few franchises that I actively hate. I have so many friends who love these games, but I just can't get into it. 

      Overall, "Capcom" does a pretty good job with female characters. "Devil May Cry" tends to have overly sexual characters, but since this goes for all of their characters I have no real complaints about it. "Mega Man" is a fun game that has well written characters all around. And "Resident Evil" is the same way. 

      "Capcom" wouldn't be that bad if it wasn't more "Street Fighter." While not all of the characters are bad Cammy and R. Mika are both overly sexual for the sake of being overly sexual. This is a common problem in many fighting games. While these two are not the worst examples, I think they bring down the quality of the game. In general though "Capcom" is pretty good with their female characters and do make fun and enjoyable games.

The Sad Truth

                This week I wanted to talk about something different. Usually, I’d review a specific game company and how they portray their characters. But I want to talk about the industry today and how horribly toxic it can be. Yes, I know that not all men are awful. That not all companies are horrible. That this isn’t always the norm. But the toxicity needs to be addressed.

                I’ve always loved video games and tabletop games. I prefer video games, so that’s what I decided to focus on for this blog, but I want to talk about both for a minute. I have experienced “you can’t play that game, you’re a girl” type comments since kindergarten. I have dealt with store owners assuming that I have no idea what I’m talking about.

                But recently it feels like this type of behavior has increased. My favorite game store’s owner made sexual comments to me a few weeks ago. Guys at my local club suddenly seem to think I’m not a person, merely the “girlfriend” of a gamer. And it sucks. It starts to feel like I can’t be a gamer. I get tired of fighting. Of having to prove that I actually do play the games.

                My point is that it’s a hard industry and a hard thing for people to get into. I think it is horrible that people want to be cruel to people trying to get into these things simply to make themselves feel better. I don’t understand why the industry is remaining as toxic as it is now.

                I honestly feel burnt out. I’m tired of having to defend myself. Of being treated like I don’t know what I’m talking about. It seems like I can’t even like anything without being told I’m wrong or can’t because I’m a girl. While I suspect this type of behavior from the 60+ crowd, I am getting it from every age group. The industry is going to suffer as long as this happens, and I don’t know how to fix it.