Thesis Visual Component(1)

The visual component for my thesis will contain two video game characters. The characters will be one negative stereotypical video game character and one positive version of that video game character. Based on my research I have created a list of stereotypical character traits which will be applied to the negative stereotypical character. From that list I have created a positive list of character traits which will help me in designing the positive video game character. These characters are meant to show that anyone in this world can be of great good or great evil depending on the choices they make. Anyone can be negative stereotypical person or a positive person. It is important to give the player a choice of which personality they can best identify with. My two characters are actually just one character, but they live in two totally different worlds with two totally different personalities. They have different backgrounds, beliefs, and different views on life.

My major source of inspiration comes from the two female characters inside the game Silent Hill 2. This is a survival horror game made by Konami in 2001. The characters are Mary and Maria. The thing is that they are actually the same character, but with two different personality traits. In the game you follow the main character James, who gets a letter from his dead wife Mary, who passed away 2 years ago.



Mary is the average sweet, loving, kind, and devoted house wife. While searching for Mary in the town of Silent Hill, James meets Maria, who looks exactly like his wife Mary, but does not act anything like her.



Maria is a sex crazed woman who loves to show off her body and throw herself at men.

You see the same character with two totally different backgrounds and character traits. The character model is actually the same but when you change the clothing to match their character traits, they become two totally different characters. The character models have subtle changes based on each character’s personality traits as well.