This is a prototype PC Game
Historically, video games have always been built around the male demographic, and as such the industry itself is heavily controlled by men. It’s fine if boys grow up playing video games but a problem if girls want to, and if you decide to play games even as a girl then you are more susceptible to being harassed online. Many games are clearly marketed towards men with big, tough, guys oozing with masculinity in the covers while female characters have disproportionately and overly-sexualized sized bodies wearing barely any clothes All of these instances have happened because men were and continue to be in control of making these games and deciding the direction the video games industry should take, staining its history with blatant sexism which unfortunately continues to be a reality. And even as more women join the business, the industry continues to be overly misogynistic and sexist as recent news expose the mistreatment and sometimes abuse of female workers in major gaming companies such as Riot Games or Blizzard Entertainment. As for personal experiences in gaming, just asking any girl gamer or going online will show how normalized this type of treatment towards women is in the community. With all of these examples of the reality many women face today, it’s a surprise to see the lack of people who have openly discussed or analyzed these experiences or the history which is where our game comes in. We want our players to experience these struggles women face everyday, and by having three different characters we aim to show the injustices in all levels of this industry. Through our gameplay and story, it will not only allow players to see what we face but also reflect on the current state of the industry, see previous games in a new light, and most importantly be open to push for some change, especially for players who aren’t affected by these attacks or perhaps don’t know about it.
PLAY HERE
While our demo isn’t the complete game, there is an underlying story we have planned. In this world, our video game designer just started working for a big company and is tasked with designing a new character for a new game they’re working on, and it so happens that the character she designs will later turn out to be the female videogame character in our main story players will play as. Finally, a video gamer girl who used to play offline console games who just bought a PC is introduced to the world of online gaming and will eventually play the game our designer has been working on starring the female video game character. As previously mentioned, each character will tell their own unique experiences in their respective gaming environments, and while they’re faintly connected with one another through the imaginary game in this world, what truly connects them all together is their shared struggles they face in the video game community just for being women. The story will consist of three “acts'' with the first one being an introduction to each character in their respective world. The second act will have a major conflict that stirs all characters negatively, from a male colleague getting all the credit for your idea to being virtually harassed online. Finally, in the third act a major climax will occur which will lead to all three of our characters taking the same decision: to quit. This ending would sadly be the most realistic and really deliver in emphasizing that because of the way this industry is built, it’s hard for women to succeed in it.
However, in the end it will be shown that a new set of characters have joined, each replacing the previous role: the female intern our designer interacted with has taken her job now that she quit, a new female character is being designed for the games sequel, and our gamers younger sister decides to use her abandoned gaming equipment and start playing for herself. With this final ending, it’s up to the player's interpretation to decide if all of these women will follow the same vicious cycle as before or perhaps break from it and survive, leading towards change.
