She Got Guns – Female games characters a relaxed discourse

Every now and again I go YouTube surfing and I spot a video that really resonates with me is some way. This happened recently when I watched ‘She Got Guns’ (below). We contacted the video’s maker and she explained to us why she made the video and what it’s like to be a female gamer pining for that ever elusive strong female playable character.

You can view the – really cool – video below and the full story behind it – which is a total hoot to read and with some very valid points – after the jumperoo.

Hmmmm why did I make the video, hmmmm why, why…… Well, as ever with me it’s a whole combination of things all spiralling together and suddenly, usually late at night and usually with the involvement of harmless fizzy pop. It all sort of comes together. I really like the song, I guess that’s the  first thing – I found it while looking for Josie and the Pussycats (keep with me) on youtube, they’d popped into my head for some reason… I found someone had made a very cool edit of ‘Chick Habit’ called Pussycats – Tarantino style. Quentin had used the tune in his film Death Proof, which is a deliberately self styled B-movie. It’s fabulously fun and has his hip-tino soundtrack rattling along for the ride.

 

I’ve played online games for quite some years now, been in three gaming squads and generally had a lot of fun. These have predominantly been the retreat of the ‘guys’, initially I
was seen as a must have mascot. There was a time when having a ‘girl’ in your squad was seen as important… someone to cook and clean maybe (grins) so, I stayed and put up with the occasional teenage/stupid comment – as I could easily shoot at them if it got too annoying (note: I play fps games – I don’t actually have a gun)

I have had many a discussion with quite a few people about the lack of female game characters. When I play a game I want to associate with my onscreen persona – if that sounds silly, then I’m sorry but it’s the way I prefer to play. I don’t want to have to assume the role of some thick necked, thick headed, thick lump of guy – who lumbers around echoing with grunts and smart ass quips (Oh we hear you!! .Ed). I also don’t wish to play GTA4 as a dismal low brow street hood who has all the elegance of damp cardboard and the manners of an irritable goose. Although, the game, like its predecessors, is a visual treat of biscuit tin proportions – I just wish there was an option to play a Nikita  – original film version, sorry America, didn’t like the remake – (hey great taste Bridget Fonda is no Anne Parillaud! .Ed) character. Maybe a Thelma, or even a Louise. Ripley in an earlier incarnation, even a Rosie Perez meets Lara Croft character squawking ‘Hey I’m walkin’ here, wat da f*cks s’matter wit-chew, want me to pop a cap in your ass?’…

 

It seems we can sort of handle ourselves in film (reasonably well) we can run, jump, chase, shoot guns, fight, blow stuff up, drive cars without care, wreck shopping centres, go mad, crazy and have lots of fun… without being endlessly portrayed as distorted caricatures and/or dumb f*ck-bunnies (unless the film is TankGirl – m’rah, let it go Kat, let it go).

So, yes, why did I make the video – well, it’s a cheeky slap (if anyone was looking) in the general direction of games companies. There is an ever growing amount of female gamers out there (somewhere) that want to play games without being patronised by some boardroom demographic or recent ‘survey says’ routine. I don’t want especially ‘devised for women’ games I just want to be treated fairly, from the viewpoint of a world that realises there are both men and women in the military. That we can (more or less) perform the same job, fight the same enemy, kick the same ass, punch the same villain, crash the same bus packed with explosives into the same prototype passenger airliner, travel through the same space and time in a tiny blue box (with out forever being the ‘assistant’).

 

So give me my game character, my persona, my equality and lets go wreck a virtual city together. Yay!!!!! ohhh cake, wait, its chocolate – okay, look… I’ll catch you up. 

As a footnote I’d like to add that research tells games designers and games companies that we (as a female collective) want more realistic/reflective characters in games. It seems one of the first is Faith from the upcoming “Mirror’s Edge” title from EA/Dice – I also made a video edit of this too (reminded me of Run Lola Run, a film I adore), anyway I posted it around and an American guy friend of mine said ‘Yeah, for sure, looks an amazing game but why is the girl so ugly?’  – well, it made me giggle.

Be sure and check out the following Faith video also by GDK

11 Responses to “She Got Guns – Female games characters a relaxed discourse”

1. Eden says:

   August 12, 2008 at 3:00 pm

   Really nice videos.
   I enjoyed the choice of music, it really worked well. Thanks for highlighting them
2. Saz says:

   August 12, 2008 at 6:58 pm

   That is a cool vid. The editing was sweet as. I didn’t know who some of the women were but they all looked really cool.
   I have a question to, does anyone know what the song used in the video is. thanks.
3. Brianna says:

   August 12, 2008 at 9:31 pm

   LOL @ without being endlessly portrayed as distorted caricatures and/or dumb f*ck-bunnies
   Why don’t developers understand this issue, is it really so difficult for them to get their tiny little pre-pubescent minds around?
   Thanks for the article and clips.
4. Sora says:

   August 13, 2008 at 3:41 pm

   Hahaha I agree about the GTA4. I got it but didn’t play it really because I didn’t feel like playing as a guy for once :/
5. Zefbot says:

   August 14, 2008 at 8:41 pm

   Great video and I loved your interview as well. Every new poll I ever see reported seems to show increases in female gamers (and not just so called ‘casual’ gamers, not that there’s anything wrong with that) so please start reflecting this in games. And no, that does not mean pink coloured how to put on skanky make up for 8 years olds.
   I recognised all the women characters in that video but I have to admit I was waiting for Linda Hamilton to make an appearance. Otherwise I think all my favs were covered.
6. GodDarnKat says:

   August 15, 2008 at 8:49 pm

   Hey hi hi, thanks for your comments, really happy my edit raised some smiles. It seems, for whatever reason, people sorta get my point.
   Eden: The music is – Chick Habit by April March (from the Tarantino film DeathProof soundtrack). Its a great tune
   Sora: If you look at 0:24 – I think you may recognise a certain miss connor, reloading her pump action.
   I missed lots of people, mainly because I couldn’t find suitable clips.
   Thanks Angela for thinking my rambling rambles make suitable articles.
   bang, bang, boom….GDKat
7. Patton says:

   August 20, 2008 at 10:15 am

   Well thought out reasonings. I wonder if you’re familiar with a couple of games that Monolith did a few years back? No One Lives Forever 1 and 2 both starred a confident capable woman who was not your typical boy’s fantasy game girl. Worth taking a look at.
8. Thefremen says:

   August 21, 2008 at 11:52 am

   @Patton:
   Monolith was awesome about making games that at least had unique premises and settings. SHOGO, NOLF, etc.
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