The Gamer Identity & The Representations of Gender and Race in Games

Metagame Book Club: Game Studies. "The Gamer Identity & The Representations of Gender and Race in Games " by Sherry Jones. Published Nov. 3, 2014. Last Updated: Jan. 14, 2019.

**This page was first published on the Metagame Book Club.

Image Source: Female protagonist from an unknown game title mentioned on indiegames.com.

Image Source: Female protagonist Elizabeth from the game Bioshock Infinite.

Image Source: Female character Princess Peach saves Mario in Donkey Kong Pauline Edition.

Image Source: African American protagonist Lee Everett from the game The Walking Dead.

Welcome to Week 1 of Track 1: Game Studies!

We are starting off this reading track with a very timely and important discussion about the gamer identity, and the representations of gender and race in games. In recent years, game studies scholars have applied gender and identity theories to understanding games and the communities that form around gaming. As you already may be aware, the gamergate controversy is influencing the world of gaming, and the persistence of this brewing controversy has prompted many responses from both game journalists and game studies scholars.

Our first week of readings will cover perspectives from both academics and game journalists: 1) the scholarly texts will provide historical context on the need to redefine the gamer identity, and on the way gender and race are represented in games; both issues have been discussed in length long before the gamergate controversy has begun; 2) the game criticism articles will address the changing demographic of game players that has contributed to a shift in the gaming culture, and address some issues that potentially initiated and fueled the gamergate movement.

Below are several articles that I have organized under specific sections/themes. Please feel free to choose which texts you would like to read from each section/theme to learn about the issues at hand (please know that you are not expected to read all of the texts!). We will have a live discussion on some of the issues and theories mentioned in the reading materials at the #Metagame Book Club G+ Community website on November 9th, 5pm MT (use this nifty time zone converter to figure out when the live discussion will occur in your time zone). Join our G+ Community to receive the latest notifications of upcoming webinars and discussions.

Enjoy the readings! Onward~

-- Sherry Jones (Track 1: Game Studies Facilitator)

The Gamer Identity & The Representations of Gender and Race in Games

Welcome to Week 1 of Track 1: Game Studies!

**This week's recorded live streaming video is published at the end of the page.

Academic Scholars on Gamer Identity

Academic Scholars on Representations of Gender and Race in Games

Game Critics on Gender Representations in Games & the Gamergate Controversy

Video Series by Anita Sarkeesian (Central to the Gamergate Controversy)

Recorded Live Streaming Video (Review of This Week's Readings)

Game Studies and Education Series Playlist (Fall 2014)