Women in Games, Part 2: The Bad Girls’ Club

In Part 2 of his series of essays on women in games, the Governor discusses Tomb Raider, Metroid, and Perfect Dark:

"When discussing the topic of female characters in gaming, the conversation tends to revolve around the female heroes of the video game world, and the questions that are asked generally focus on the significance of these characters. We wonder if there are enough female heroes in video games. We question whether such female heroes can fairly be called strong, physically, emotionally, and mentally. We analyze what sorts of messages about gender and equality are being conveyed by games starring female heroes. The Internet abounds with plenty of thoughtful (and some not so thoughtful) explorations of the significance and meaning of characters like Lara Croft (Tomb Raider), Samus Aran (Metroid), and Joanna Dark (Perfect Dark). What is often missing from this conversation, however, is any significant discussion of the role of gaming’s female villains."