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From Barbie to Mortal Kombat: Gender and Computer Games takes a critical and passionate approach to an often overlooked aspect of digital technology -- women and the gaming industry. The growing fear that women (girls in particular) are falling through the cracks of computer literacy has prompted a number of feminists, academics, and programming professionals to question the role gender plays in computer games and to search out inventive ways to promote the assimilation of women into this predominantly male industry. As we become increasingly dependent upon the computer, women are finding their way back into the digital world, and the market is beginning to notice.
This book is a collection of academic essays and interviews that seeks to facilitate the discovery and creation of a girls’ place in a boys’ world. Although the tone of the essays is somewhat formal, it is still highly engaging. And it may be of particular interest to programmers seeking to create a domain that consciously appeals to girls (as well as boys).The narrative construction of From Barbie to Mortal Kombat is divided into three sections, which, when taken as a whole, reveal the nature of this book to be a dialog, not an answer.
"Part One: The Girls’ Games Movement" is a series of essays exploring the relationship between gender and technology. Many conflicting views are expressed within these pages. Some authors merely argue for more games with stronger female characters, while others are preoccupied with the psychological complexities of technological design. However, all of them reflect the limitless ways to create a space for women in the computer game industry.
"Part Two: Interviews" (the most fascinating section, in my opinion) is a collection of interviews with leading women in the industry, from game creators and programmers to marketers and entrepreneurs, all of whom share a love of technology and a desire to reach "the untapped market" -- girls. This section reads very quickly, and gives the reader a real sense of the dynamic changes taking place in the world of computer games. We hear from all sides reporting on strategies they have adopted in a concerted effort to attract and accommodate a female audience. Again, dissension is commonplace, as some professionals argue the value of "pink software" and others fear the somewhat "separate but equal" approach that many companies are taking in the production of their games.
"Part Three: Rethinking the Girls’ Games Movement" is a second round of academic proposals presenting ways to alleviate the "gendering" of digital technology, such as participatory design, and using the computer as a tool of self expression. As Justine Cassell points out, "today’s end users may not have the same goals or practices as the designers of their technology." (305) Allowing users to become an integral aspect of the design process is one way, some argue, to truly incorporate women gamers into the industry. Of course, the real test is whether this discourse can successfully move out of the theoretical realm and into the world of practical application.
Some of the success stories of computer games available today for girls are reviewed in this book. "Barbie Fashion Designer" (the first girl’s game to find mass market success) incorporates the play activities (i.e. dressing up dolls) that many young girls participate in on a daily basis. "Chop Suey" is an example of a game that reflects a narrative quality many girls enjoy. It represents an exploration of the psyche, where the goal is not to conquer, but to discover. Sega’s "Nights Into Dreams" is meant to appeal to both sexes, with an androgynous character and a "plot" that involves both action and exploration. And finally, games like "Mortal Kombat" and "Tomb Raider," which were arguably created for a male audience, have an underground follow of women who find these games challenging and empowering - and whose participation in such games is helping to deconstruct the stereotype that girls don’t like violence in video games. The stage is set for an industry-wide explosion of games for girls, and the market is just beginning to present girls with choices. As it turns out, girls’ tastes are as varied as boys’.
If you’re looking for a compelling snapshot of the computer game industry framed in gender relations, then you’re sure to enjoy this book. From Barbie to Mortal Kombat is not a technical explanation of how these games are created and implemented, but it does provide some insight into the recent surge of girls’ games, and the direction they’re headed. True, the reader is left to wade through academic hypotheses on gender and technology, some industry bashing from the inside, and a general torrent of opinions and speculations flowing through this book. But it is an exploration well worth the time and effort.
From Barbie to Mortal Kombat: Gender and Computer Games reflects a diverse range of ideas about the relationship between computers and gender. This book is a nice reminder that it’s easy to enter into discussions of process and programs, forgetting that the construction of these inanimate objects and applications affect people in very personal ways.
-- Amy Lincicum
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Explanation of ERCB rating scale: No stars = unacceptable, 1 Star = marginal, 2 Stars = average, 3 Stars = above average, 4 Stars = exceptional.