A New Beginning

After speaking with many friends and professors this past year, all of them being from different, backgrounds, beliefs, and cultures, I found myself being too limited in my topic and research. There are so many stereotypes in the world that are used in designing video game characters. There are so many other cultures and races that are poorly represented or not represented at all in video games. I found this discovery shocking yet exciting and a relief because I did not feel alone anymore. This thesis can act as I voice to those who are afraid to say what they have been feeling for many years.

THESIS ABSTRACT

For years video games have been a source of entertainment and inspiration mainly because of the characters. Character development plays an important role when drawing the audience into the video game world. If a player can relate to a video game character it makes the experience of the game much more enjoyable. What happens when a player can not find a single character in a game that he/she can relate to? One reason is because many video game characters are extremely stereotypical in their appearance and their behavior. Where does the stereotypical inspiration for a character design come from?

The media has always served as our main source of entertainment, and whether we know it or not, it has also played a major role in defining what we eat, drink, how we dress, and how we live our lives. It has also been our main source for information. Most people assume how other cultures or races act from watching television. The research gathered in this study does not just touch on racial stereotypes because that is just one small part. It touches on gender based stereotypes, body weight stereotypes, and sexual orientation stereotypes as well. This study discusses the natural assumptions we all make about a person, place, or thing, based on our own background and beliefs. This study examines the media’s influence of these stereotypes and observes how we use these stereotypes to interact with people and even how we view ourselves.