Video Gaming: Representations of Masculinity

The research on the representation of masculinity in video games reveals a preponderance of violent and militaristic characters in terms of action and game-play activity. In terms of body image, representations of men in video games tend to emphasize bodybuilder physiques over other types of muscle tonality. However, there are important differences in representations of masculinity when different video game genres are examined. Role-playing games, first-person shooting games, sports games, and strategy games have developed somewhat different kinds of representations of masculinity.

The history of video games as a medium is rooted in military applications of computer technology developed during the Cold War. There is still a relationship between the video game industry and the U.S. military in terms of simulation and computer hardware research and development. Many of the most popular games that have been created have had military-inspired themes because of these historical and cultural roots of video game development. The dominant representation in these types of military-inspired games has come to be known as militarized masculinity. Militarized masculinity is a form of representation in which video game characters perform violent action through combat with the intent to conquer and defeat enemies. These representations are tied to military principles of honor, sacrifice, and heroism when they are associated with a player's avatar. Additionally, militaristic and other uses of violent force are the dominant ways to accomplish goals, such as defeating violent enemies, to progress through many video games and ultimately win them.

Digital artists who create militaristic masculine characters use the aesthetic style that is representative [Page 410]of hypermuscular or “hard” bodies. This style was originally developed in Hollywood action films in the 1980s, often associated with characters played by actors such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, and Sylvester Stallone. The aesthetic is also similar to superhero body types found in mainstream comic books produced by such publishers as DC Comics and Marvel. One example of a militarized masculine representation in video games is Chris Redfield, the paramilitary hero of the Resident Evil video game franchise. Redfield has huge biceps and forearms, with pectoral muscles that are barely contained by his tight-fitting, army-green shirt. He has a strong jaw and the close-cut, brown hair associated with the military. Most of the franchise games situate Redfield among a horde of infected mutant creatures, and he must use military-developed weapons to survive. The various weapons he uses adorn his hypermuscular body. He carries pistols in side holsters, while a rifle, machine gun, shotgun, and machete are slung over his back. This combination of the hypermuscular body and the weapons used to kill and otherwise perform physically violent acts creates the dominant representation of masculinity in video games. Militarized masculinity is also tied to heterosexuality, although many games do not feature romantic story lines.

Not all video games are alike, however. Video games are categorized into genres, and there are in many cases differences in the representation of masculinity based on these genre distinctions. Most first-person shooter (FPS) games involve representations of militarized masculinity. Two of the most influential and best-selling video game franchises in this genre, Call of Duty and Halo, rely on militaristic representations of men in combat. In genres that simulate sports, the type of masculine representation in video games is typically carried over from the culture of the sport being simulated. In wrestling games and ultimate fighting games, the representation of masculinity is based on the extreme forms of macho behavior developed by World Wrestling Entertainment. These representations also emphasize the use of hypermuscular bodies as weapons. In the racing games, representations of masculinity are tied to the cultural notion that cars, motorbikes, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), snowmobiles, and off-road vehicles (ORVs) are associated with men who race but also practice mechanics by fixing, upgrading, overhauling, and tinkering with their racing machines. Thus, in video game franchises such as Midnight Club and later releases in the Need for Speed franchise about street racing, most of the main characters are men who compete to have the fastest, flashiest, and most exotic cars with the best engines, shocks, tires, and transmissions. Electronic Arts develops and publishes a number of games based on the world's professional sporting leagues, such as the National Football League, National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball, and leagues that are part of Féderation Inernationale de Football Association (FIFA). The major trend of representation in these video games is to make the video game characters look exactly like sports figures in terms of facial features and body physique. The representation of masculinity in professional sports video games is associated through ultrarealism with actual sports stars such as Tiger Woods, Tom Brady, Christiano Ronaldo, and LeBron James, to name a few. Furthermore, representations of men playing professional sports involving physical contact can be seen as offering condoned and sanctioned forms of competitive violence among men.

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