GameCareerGuide Feature: The Creation Of Appealing Female Characters

Author: by Staff

Why are most female game characters cut from the same cloth? SMU Guildhall masters student Shaylyn Hamm asks this question in her thesis project -- and answers it, with new female Team Fortress 2 designs. In the introduction, Hamm examines the goals of her masters project. "For my project-in-lieu-of-thesis, I explored the creative process of distinctive and appealing female game characters through the design and creation of two characters: female versions of the Medic and Heavy Weapons Guy classes from the game Team Fortress 2. I refined my characters throughout the course of the project through feedback gathered from several different gaming/art communities on the internet. By responding to the comments and suggestions that were common among different ages, genders, and gamer types, I was able to create characters with a broad appeal. This design approach could be helpful to industry professionals in the creation of female characters that are marketable to both men and women gamers." As Hamm observes, "The majority of game developers and the target audience for many popular and successful games are male. Therefore, it makes sense from a profit-oriented standpoint to create female characters that are, above all else, overtly sexual by design. The idea that "sex sells" is very common, and is applied to nearly every facet of the entertainment industry." However, her perspective is that "If female video game characters were designed with more subtlety, variety, and gender-neutral appeal, perhaps more girls would be interested in trying out and enjoying genres of games that normally only accommodate the male gender. Just as many female gamers find the TF2 characters unique and charming, diverse and compelling. Additionally, female characters need not turn off or alienate male gamers." To delve further into the topic, Hamm examines characters from popular series such as Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter, as well as games that take a very different approach -- Half-Life 2 and Mirror's Edge. Using survey data and historical inspriation, Hamm's new designs for the TF2 characters are both tremendously different from most female characters in games, and fit perfectly within the world of Valve's game. Hamm's thesis, which includes a link to a document containing her full survey data and high-res art, is live today at Gamasutra's education-focused sister site, GameCareerGuide.