Counter-Strike: Source is a computer game developed by Valve in October of 2004. The game focuses on the battle between two forces, terrorists and counter-terrorists, in various scenarios involving bombs, hostages, or just eliminating the opposing team using the large variety of weapons available. It perfectly fits within what Laurel describes as, “...the chasing, shooting, fighting, exploding, hyper-male world of games” (Laurel 17). The game focuses entirely on the conflict between the two factions, taking “...this physical violence into a symbolic realm. Rather than beating each other up behind the school, boys combat imaginary characters, finding a potentially safer outlet for their aggressive feelings” (Jenkins 341). There is no exploration beyond initially memorizing a handful of maps, and the only variety in gameplay is the selection of objectives, although even if there are hostages to be rescued, just eliminating the enemy team will result in victory. Counter-Strike: Source focuses upon fast reflexes and accuracy, and death means waiting until the end of the round to play again, which can be frustrating to those who are still learning.
As a first person shooter, the game relies heavily on certain skills, such as “...mastery of quick reflexes and an ability to solve complex spatial rotation problems in real time” (Fullerton 2). These spatial rotational skills are important, and studies suggest that they are “...actually more difficult for women and girls to master” (Hegemony 4). This focus on a predominately male skill-set fits Laurel's believe that, “The whole industry consolidated very quickly around a young male demographic – all the way from the game-play design to the arcade environment...” (Laurel 23).
However that is not to say that games designed with female players in mind do not exist. Some game companies, such as Purple Moon, focus entirely upon the female demographic. One of Purple Moon's games was Secret Paths, which “Unlike twitch-and-shoot boys games, Secret Paths encourages us to stroke and caress the screen with our cursor, clicking only when we know where secret treasures might be hidden” (Jenkins 351). It focuses upon exploration instead of fighting, having the player set the pace instead of being driven by combat. There are other games that decrease the importance of fighting, such as the Japanese game Oukami, or 'great god'. In this game the player controls a white wolf named Amaterasu, the Shinto sun goddess. Although the game includes combat, “...the Goddess bonds with the denizens of the world, sows seeds of good will by giving them food and gifts, leaves a trail of flowers in her path, and brings dead things to life with a Japanese sumi-e brush...” (Fullerton 7). Instead of focusing only on combat, the game adds in constructivist gameplay elements which “..seems to resonate with female players...” (Fullerton 7). Although the video game industry does focus on male players, there are an increasing number of games that attempt to present themselves as more interesting to female players than the generic first person shooter genre does.
Bibliography:
Fullerton, T., Morie, J. & Pearce, C. (aka Ludica) (2007). "A Game Of Ones Own: Towards a New Gendered Poetics of Game Space." In Proceedings, Digital Arts & Culture 2007, Perth, Australia, September 2007.
Fron, J., Fullerton, T., Morie, J. & Pearce, C. (aka Ludica) "The Hegemony of Play." In Situated Play: Proceedings of Digital Games Research Association 2007 Conference. Tokyo, Japan, September 2007.
Jenkins, Henry. "Complete Freedom of Movement: Video Games as Gendered Play Spaces" The Game Design Reader, ed. Salen, Katie and Eric Zimmerman.MIT Press:Cambridge, MA, 2006. 330-363.
Laurel, Brenda. (2001). Utopian Entrepreneur. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2001.
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