“Objectification” in Video Games
Objectification in video games tends to be a tricky issue. Objectification is described as the process of turning a person into an object, sometimes for reasons that are sexual. However, this tends to be kind of awkward because video game characters aren’t people in the first place. This means that they cannot be objectified in the same way that people are. In a sense all video game characters are being objectified by the player controlling them in the first place.
There are even more issues with sexual objectification specifically. Assuming that one has nothing against the portrayal of the human body, why should they care about scantily clad women in games when ascribed the proper rating? Since we are referring to video games we’re talking about a fantasy world meant to escape reality, not simulate it. As these characters possesses supernatural abilities or dwell within worlds where technology has far exceeded our own, one would not expect them to have traditional social standards applied to them.
To add to this, there remains the idea that women are the sole victims of unrealistic representation in video games. Male characters tend to be just as prone to unrealistic physical proportions as their female counterparts. Whether it’s a hulking Duke Nukem sporting a tank top that is practically painted onto his obscenely muscular body, or a stark naked Solid Snake slithering about it is safe to say that the objectification isn’t restricted to one gender. One may say that the artist didn’t make that character like this with the intention of objectification, but the end result is the same. This means that even though many female characters are objectified under the vague definitions ascribed to the word, you don’t have to look far to find a male character that falls under the same definition.
But does it really even matter? Not in my opinion. Just as there is no evidence of games causing violence, there is no evidence of games causing sexism or self esteem issues in its consumers. Characters in video games dwell within a fantasy reality that does not and should not simulate our own. After all, as far as most people are concerned there is nothing wrong with the human body, and if a game developer wants to make a game exclusively featuring naked people then that is their artistic choice. If you do not agree with how something is portrayed in a game, just don’t buy it instead of trying to force developers to conform to your wants. The human body is not a bad thing and never has been, even if it does have enhanced features. Next time you decide to enter the world of video games, don’t bring reality with you.
