Gender Inclusive Design and the M rated title

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Gender Inclusive Design and the M rated title

• Sheri Graner Ray
• Sex and Video Games Conference
• San Francisco, CA
• June 9, 2006

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Sheri Graner Ray

• Started in games in 1990
• Worked with such companies as Origin/EA, Her
  Interactive, SOE, Cartoon Network and others
• Author of Gender Inclusive Game Design Expanding
  the Market
• Co-founder and Exec. Chair of Women In Games
  International
• Hard Core Gamer (20 hours a week)

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A Short History of Female Sexuality
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Ancient times

• For most of ancient history, women were
  considered chattel.
• In ancient Greece, women were called Gyne which
  means to bear children.
• In ancient Rome, women were considered unclean
  and hetrosexual sex was primarily for procreation
  only.

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The Middle Ages

• The Church referred to all women as
  temptresses. Joining of bodies with the
  temptresses ensured a man's damnation
• Intercourse should be passionless, purposeful and
  for procreation only
• The Church enters into debates over whether women
  have souls.

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• Rules for Sexual Relations
• SEX IS FORBIDDEN...
• WHEN A WOMAN IS MENSTRUATING, PREGNANT, OR
  NURSING
• DURING LENT, ADVENT, WHITSUM WEEK AND EASTER WEEK
  
• ON FEAST DAYS, FAST DAYS, SUNDAYS, WEDNESDAYS,
  FRIDAYS AND SATURDAYS
• DURING THE DAYLIGHT
• IF YOU ARE NAKED
• IF YOU ARE IN A CHURCH
• UNLESS YOU ARE TRYING TO PRODUCE A CHILD
• THERE SHOULD BE NO FONDLING. NO LEWD KISSES. NO
  ORAL SEX. NO STRANGE POSITIONS.
• WASH AFTERWARDS.

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1559

• The clitoris is discovered by Renaldus
  Columbus of Padua

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Victorian Era

• Females were expected to be modest, submissive,
  and chaste
• Society encouraged the belief women had no need
  for sex
• Cases of hysteria become pandemic
• First vibrator invented
• Self treatment for hysteria was available through
  the Sears Roebuck catalog

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Early 1900's

• Dr. Sigmund Freud's research into sexuality was
  considered revolutionary.
• Havelock Ellis proclaimed women had strong erotic
  needs.

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20th century

• Kinsey's Sexual Behavior in the Human Male and
  Sexual Behavior in the Human Female shocked the
  world with the assertion that women were as
  capable of orgasm as men.
• Masters and Johnson's research disproved Freud's
  theory of female orgasm.
• Nancy Friday's My Secret Garden revealed that
  women have sexual fantasies very similar to men's.

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Myths and Misconceptions

• Women don't want sexually oriented entertainment
• Women are afraid of computers
• Male characters are just as exaggerated as female
  characters. Women just need to get over it.
• We can make an adult game for men and then just
  flip the genders for the women.

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WARNING!!

• The following information is based on broad
  population generalities. It is highly likely you
  will know of someone that does not fit exactly
  into these profiles.
• (If you are female and you are in the audience
  todaythen that person will most likely be you!!)

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Women don't want sexually- oriented entertainment
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• Borders bookstores has seen a double digit
  increase in the sales of erotic romance
• Erotic romance is the fastest growing segment of
  the romance book genre - Harlequin, Harper
  Collins, Berkley and Kensington all now have
  erotic romance lines.
• Erotic romance is now readily available in
  mainstream bookstores

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Women are afraid of computers.
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Gender differences in learning
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Gender differences in learning

• Male
• Explorative
• Risk takers

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Gender differences in learning

• Male
• Explorative
• Risk takers

• Females
• Imitative
• Modeling

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Most software tutorials today are designed for
explorative learning styles
Modeling learners are often mistaken for
fearful.
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Solutions

• Ensure tutorial employees modeling and imitative
  learning styles as well as explorative
• Use educational software for examples

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• Male characters are just as exaggerated as female
  characters. Women just need to get over it.

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• Avatar \Avatar"\, n.1. reality An image representing a user in
  avirtual reality space.

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We need a hero!
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• Because they represent heroes, male and female
  avatars will often exhibit exaggerated physical
  signals of youth strength, and fertility/virility

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Youth, Strength and Fertility/Virility
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Youth, Strength and Fertility/Virility

• Males
• Large Shoulders
• Slim waists
• Slim hips
• Large arms and legs
• Long, thick hair

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Youth, Strength and Fertility/Virility

• Males
• Large Shoulders
• Slim waists
• Slim hips
• Large arms and legs
• Long, thick hair

• Females
• Large Breasts, place high on the chest
• Slim waists
• Round derrières
• Long thick hair

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• Very often female avatars also display
  exaggerated physical signals of sexual
  receptivity.

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Physical signals of sexual receptivity

• Red, full lips
• Heavy lidded eyes
• Heavy breathing (usually indicated by a slightly
  open mouth)
• Erect nipples

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Physical signals of sexual receptivity

• Red, full lips
• Heavy lidded eyes
• Heavy breathing (usually indicated by a slightly
  open mouth)
• Erect nipples
• Male game characters RARELY display these traits

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Solution

• Sexualize your male NPC characters
• Allow your players choice in the appearance of
  their avatars while they may like to look at
  sexualized images, they may not want to be
  represented by one

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We can make an adult game for men and then just
flip the genders for the women.
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Gender differences in stimulus response
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Gender differences in stimulus response

• Males derive physiological response from visual
  stimulus

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Gender differences in stimulus response

• Males derive physiological response from visual
  stimulus

• Females derive physiological response from
  tactile and emotional stimulus

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Most games today, including adult titles, rely
primarily on visual stimulus as a motivation to
continue play and/or as a reward
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2005 Bloodrayne appeared in Playboy
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What about humor?
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What about humor?

• Do not use humor that puts down or degrades
  females.

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Solution

• Provide emotional as well as visual stimulus in
  your games to encourage repeat play experience
• DO NOT trivialize the importance of the emotional
  input
• Use sexual humor with caution

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How can we make adult games that appeal to women?

• Provide them with content that can be procured in
  a mainstream location
• Provide titles that employ modeling/imitative
  learning models
• Use sexualized male NPCs, but provide choice in
  avatar creation
• Use emotional (romantic) stimulus as well as
  visual
• Use humor with caution

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What if my player is female?

• Sheri Graner Ray
• Sex and Video Games
• San Francisco, CA
• June 9, 2006