Tag Archives: Vivienne Chan

Girls, Games, and the Products They Create

Posted on May 18, 2012 by Vivienne Chan

Let me throw a couple of unsurprising claims at you.

1. Many girls play video games.

2. Many girls are geeks.

Neither of these are news to you, I would imagine, because for one thing, you’re reading something written by a girl who meets both those claims. For another, it’s just common sense. That said, a smaller percentage of all girls play video games or have geeky interests than is the case with boys. This might depend on your definition of “geeky interests” (or even “video games”), but basically, more dudes appear to be into it.

Indeed, of the entire “hardcore”/”real” video gaming or geeky interest population, the vast majority are boys. Again, no surprises. So, really, we shouldn’t be surprised that attractive gaming girls or geeky girls are extremely marketable. What does surprise me, however, is how people tend to cash in on it. Continue reading →

Posted in Critical Conversation , Features | Tagged , , , , , , , , ludolingus , , , , | 5 Comments

Putting the “Role” in Role Playing Games

Posted on May 4, 2012 by Vivienne Chan

By definition, Role Playing Games feature gameplay that involves individuals who are each designated a specific role or function within a group. Whether you’re playing a tabletop RPG like Dungeons & Dragons, a single-player RPG like Baldur’s Gate, or an MMORPG like World of Warcraft, each individual avatar has a specific, contained, defined reason for being included in a party.

Leader, striker, controller. Tank, healer, DPS. These are the “primary” role definitions you find in most RPGs. The latter three are collectively known as the “holy trinity” of RPGs. All avatars may have secondary roles or abilities, such as trap finder, negotiator, tracker, pack mule, etc, but by and large their abilities are linked to their primary role definition. A ranger is better equipped to understand nature and a rogue is better equipped to steal or disarm traps, for example.

I argue that there is a link between the massive popularity of RPGs and the way many of us understand our place in the world. Continue reading →

Posted in Features | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Why All My Characters Are Ladies

Posted on April 16, 2012 by Vivienne Chan

by Vivienne Chan I distinctly remember that, over a decade ago, I got my hands on a copy of Might and Magic VII: For Blood and Honor. While I can’t articulate precisely when, how or why I came to own … Continue reading →

Posted in Criticism | Tagged Baldur's Gate 2 , boobage , femininity , Might and Magic VII , Planescape: Torment , | 11 Comments

My Ideal Female Lead

Posted on April 6, 2012 by Vivienne Chan

by Vivienne Chan Ever since I finished playing Bayonetta a few years ago, I’ve had this hazy image of what my ideal female lead in a video game might look like. These thoughts were obviously triggered by all the discussion … Continue reading →

Posted in Criticism , Features | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments