investiGaming is a publication of the Serious Game Design group in the Department of Telecommunication, Information Studies, and Media at Michigan State University, 2007
This gateway is partially supported by grant supported by grant 0631771 from the National Science Foundation.
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Author: Douglas, C. A., Dragiewicz, M., Manzano, A., & McMullin, V.
Date: 2002
Source: Off Our Backs, 32 (3/4), 6
Full Text Link:
Available from ProQuest at (http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=111557716&sid=2&Fmt=3&clientId=3552&RQT=309&VName=PQD)
Keywords:
ethnicity, characters, avatars, gender
Abstract:
A study conducted by the child research organization "Children Now" found that only 16% of human characters in top-selling video games were females. When female characters did appear in video games, they mostly portrayed as bystanders (50%), more likely to scream, and less likely to be fully clothed than male characters. No Latina characters appear in the most popular video games, and the few Black women who appeared in games were overwhelmingly portrayed as victims of violence: 86% of Black female video game characters are violently harmed in the games.
The study also found that almost all of the heroes in the games are white. Blacks and Latinos are usually portrayed as athletes, and Asian men are often portrayed as wrestlers.
-info from The Black World Today, 12/20
Copyright Off Our Backs, Inc. Mar/Apr 2002
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved
Related Study: Fair Play? Violence, Gender and Race in Video Games by Children Now (http://www.investigaming.com/index/full_record/fair_play_violence_gender_and_race_in_video_games/)