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Defining Pink Games: The comparable analysis of the design, experience and visual representations in boys’ and girls’ games / LUCY LLOYD
Swansea University Author: LUCY LLOYD
Abstract
The Girl Games Movement emerged in the 1990s with the aim to create appealing girls’ games to engage and maintain the female market with technology and video games (Ochsner, 2015). The success of Barbie Fashion Designer (1996) provided optimism for the movement; however, the same success could not b...
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Swansea, Wales, UK
2024
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| Institution: | Swansea University |
| Degree level: | Master of Research |
| Degree name: | MA by Research |
| Supervisor: | Evans, Leighton |
| URI: | https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa68447 |
| Abstract: |
The Girl Games Movement emerged in the 1990s with the aim to create appealing girls’ games to engage and maintain the female market with technology and video games (Ochsner, 2015). The success of Barbie Fashion Designer (1996) provided optimism for the movement; however, the same success could not be replicated, and the market persisted to be heterogeneous, embracing masculinity and rejecting femininity (Fron et al., 2007; Cassel & Jenkins, 2000). The gender divide between players has been defined by Chess (2017); male players are Player One, and other minorities, in particular the female gender, are Player Two. Player Two are often seen as counterparts in all areas of video gaming from game design to gaming culture. Often femininity is associated with passive consumption and gender assumptions that influence the design of video games that are marketed towards feminine player bases. When feminine representation is depicted in video games, it is often designed as a counterpart to the masculine representing avatars and perpetuates beauty standards and feminine ideals. Despite there being video games uniquely designed for feminine player bases, the concern remains that their design is based on binary gender assumptions and stereotypical depiction. The video games designed for feminine player bases are referred to as pink games, however, there is no clear definition of what the video games constitute. The aim of this research is to analyse and compare the designs of video games that are published by Outright Games to establish the characteristics and overall definition of what makes a video game a pink game. The video games analysed were divided into two categories: (1) boys’ games: Ben 10: Power Trip (2020), Hotel Transylvania: Scary-tale Adventures (2022), The Last Kids on Earth and the Staff of Doom (2021), and Trollhunters: Defenders of Acadia (2020), and (2) girls’ games: Bratz: Flaunt your Fashion (2022), JoJo Siwa: Worldwide Party (2022), L.O.L. Surprise! B.B.s Born to Travel (2022), and Rainbow High: Runway Rush (2023). MDA Framework was implemented to understand the video games designs from a mechanic, dynamic and aesthetical (fun) perspective. Further, the Elemental Tetrad was included to provide an analysis of the sound and visual aesthetics, narratives and technology that create the player experience. And lastly, the visual analysis of the feminine representing avatars was conducted to establish themes of gender assumptions and stereotypical depiction. The results indicated that a pink game is a low-risk video game that encourages expression and fellowship with simple mechanics from which minimal dynamics emerge. The visual experience engages players through a cartoon art style with a feminine colour palette, depicting familiar experiences influenced by the Western world whilst engaging players with depictions of technology, mediums, and communication tools. Feminine-associated interests such as beauty and fashion are fundamental themes through the narrative and avatar design, with females representing avatars possessing complete agency throughout gameplay and often preforming stereotypical behaviours associated with gender roles. Where diverse representation emerges through physical appearances, there are themes of beauty standards and ideals that Western society influences embedded into avatar designs. |
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| Keywords: |
Girl Games Movement, Pink Games, Video Game Design, Players’ Experiences, Avatar Representation |
| College: |
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences |