Diverse Players: Representation in the modern age of games
In this blog post, I will be looking at game representation through the lens of diversity. Gamer: Whats in a name. Oxford Reference defines "gamer" in a straightforward, uncontroversial manner: "A person who regularly plays videogames. Gamers can be casual or hardcore depending upon the degree of commitment they exhibit." However, the stereotypical depiction of "gamer", is generally that of a white male. "Although recent research indicates that most people do not believe in the “isolated, pale-skinned” image any-more (Kowert et al. 2014), the gamer image seems to remain strongly associated with being male (Shaw 2010)" (Paaßen, Morgenroth and Stratemeyer, 2016, p. 1). Diversity in games. There have been recent strides in the past couple of years towards more diverse gaming spaces, that do not fit the gamer stereotype. From a non-binary character in Battlefield 2042, to Senua, a woman character from Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice. (Rogers, R. 2
