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Gaming Industry has been long dominated by male characters. Historically, most video games depicted women in some stereotypical and one-dimensional roles— like the damsels in distress, sidekicks or hypersexualized figures. However, in the past decade a significant shift was seen in the representation of the female characters. It has been particularly within the Indian video games.
With the gaming world evolving. It reflects upon the increased diversity among players and the developers. Who have now started to craft multidimensional and nuanced female characters. Who break free from traditional stereotypes. Accounting for such change, the article here will explore the shift’s importance, highlighting some notable examples of female characters. Who are strong and now are seeing a stronger representation within Indian gaming.
Female Creators, Gamers and Characters on the Rise
Traditionally, gaming was viewed as male-dominated. However, the narrative is changing. As per Lumikai’s 2020 report, Asia today is the fastest-growing female gaming market. The year also marked a remarkable 19% increase in the number of female gamers in the gaming market. As of India, there has also been a rise within female gamers, by approx. 43% of the total gamers in the country. Affordable internet access and smartphone proliferation played an important role in encouraging women to engage in gaming, primarily via mobile games; after all, these are less intimidating and more accessible. Than traditional console/PC games.
With more and more women entering the ecosystem. As both the creators and players, the gaming industry saw a corresponding shift within the portrayal of female characters. Now, women are taking on prominent roles in game development— the creation of storylines, designing the characters and making some important decisions which impact the overall gaming experience. It led to the demand for an authentic and inclusive representation as the female developers did understand the requirement for well-rounded and diverse characters who reflect upon the aspirations and lived experiences of the women.
Challenging the Gender Stereotypes in Characters Design
For many years, the female characters were relegated to the roles. It emphasized only their physical appearance and not their complexity or agency. The hypersexualized character designs, the impractical clothing and the exaggerated body types were some common features, that detracted from the relevance of the narrative. Some characters like Tomb Raider’s Lara Croft and Mortal Kombat’s Kitana, they got celebrated for the skills and strength. However, the hypersexualized image of theirs, it quite often overshadowed the contribution they made within the story.
Gender stereotyping problems within Indian video games remain similarly prevalent. Female characters are often portrayed as secondary figures, or they are confined to passive and traditional roles. They get cast as daughters, caretakers or mothers or even portrayed as helpless damsels in distress, thereby perpetuating the outdated gender norms. Such a depiction fails in capturing the agency as well as the complexity of modern women. It furthermore limits female characters’ potential to inspire players or even reflect on the real-world diversity of theirs.
Fortunately, today, there is a growing movement that’s challenging such conventions. The game developers are now pushing back as against the tired stereotypes. They are creating the female characters who remain independent, and strong. These female characters, they do not exist as the accessories to the male protagonists. But instead they are central to story, with their challenges, motivations and their own goals. Such shift, it is transforming the way the players are viewing the female characters and the role they are to play within the video games.
Female Representation Is Important
Representation is important not just in visibility terms but even in authenticity of how the female characters get portrayed. In the past, the lack within meaningful and diverse representation of women in video games made it quite difficult for female players to see themselves getting reflected within the medium. For many years, the women remained either depicted in stereotypical and shallow ways or were absent, and it alienated many people from the gaming community.
With the evolving gaming industry, which is now more inclusive, there is a need for accurate and diverse representation. Female characters who have complexity and depth can break the barriers that traditionally excluded women from the gaming culture. When the players see themselves reflected within the characters they will be controlling, they will see a sense of ownership and connection within the game. It, in turn, will encourage many women to engage with gaming, such as players, designers, developers, and creators.
The Indian game developers are, in particular, well-positioned for creating diverse as well as culturally relevant women representations. With the country’s gaming industry growing, it is important that the female characters get portrayed with respect and the depth they deserve instead of just relying upon outdated stereotypes.
Notable Indian Female Characters
Over the years, many Indian female characters have broken free from stereotypes, thereby showing potential for authentic representation within Indian video games. Few such characters stand out for their complexity, strength and influence within the gaming world.
- Farah- Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Farah is one of the most iconic and earliest Indian female characters in video games. She is an intelligent and skilled warrior who plays a crucial role in the plot, thereby aiding the Prince in the navigation of Deadly Sands of Time.
Farah isn’t some mere damsel-in-distress. She is actually far from it. She is the key figure within the story’s narrative— having her own motivations and goals. As for her design, its powerful and regal, yet realistic. It avoids any kind of hypersexualization that is quite often seen within the characters of the video games.
- Symmetra (Overwatch)
Born in Satya Vaswani, Symmetra is the game’s heroes. She is a very well-crafted Indian female character who uses her light-bending powers to combat her enemies. As for the design, she wears a combination of some traditional Indian clothing with a high-tech, futuristic twist, showcasing the blend of advanced tech and cultural elements at the same time.
Being the woman of science and a skilled architect, Symmetra comes with both power and intelligence. She offers a very strong representation of an empowered and modern women within video games.
- Lakshmi Bai (Order 1886)
Lakshmi Bai’s character takes its inspiration from the historical Indian queen, Rani Lakshmi Bai, who was and still is a standout example of a culturally significant and strong female character. The character’s outfit within the game combines traditional Indian elements along with the warrior-like, practical armour that reflects upon Lakshmi Bai’s formidable nature within the game’s narrative.
Including Hindi dialogues and some cultural references within the game even solidifies the characters role, being the powerful representation of the Indian women within the context of the global gaming.
Female Representation Future in Indian Gaming
Despite all the made progress, there still remains much work to be done on the female’s representation within Indian video games. With the gaming landscape continuing to evolve, Indian developers now have the opportunity for pushing gender representation boundaries with creation of complex, more diverse and some authentic female characters.
Female representation future within Indian gaming today lies in the hands of the next generation of creators. Initiatives taken like in Pathbreakers and Lumikai, supporting female developers is essential to encourage more young women to enter the industry and then influence the future game development direction. It is only by fostering an environment wherein there remains heard the voice of women. Which is valued, that Indian gaming will be able to create an inclusive and diverse gaming culture. It would be then a reflection of the rich complexities of the female identities.
Final Words
Female character representation within Indian video games today is undergoing a transformative shift. With the number of female developers and gamers rising. There is an increasing demand for empowered, authentic and multidimensional female characters. Such a shift isn’t just reshaping gaming’s landscape but even offering the players an inclusive environment, irrespective of gender.
As the creators and developers continue to bring in efforts to move beyond the stereotypes while embracing diversity. The female representation future within Indian gaming will continue to look bright. Moreover, the prioritization of creating stronger and more relatable female characters. Will lead to change in the Indian gaming industry and make it promote inclusivity, thereby empowering female players worldwide.
