Gender Stereotypes In Temple Run And Even Cowgirls Bleed Analysis

Representation of gender stereotypes in Temple Run and Even Cowgirls Bleed

In this male driven era, women are perceived to be fragile and submissive. This, in turn, affects the purpose and outcomes of the products offered by the gaming industry. Production companies strive towards games that recognize males as alpha models that control the realms of the universe. Females, if at all included, are recognized as delicate flowers that need to be rescued or as seen as the ultimate prize. In the Sex Roles journal, the authors emphasize, “Female characters rarely appear, and that when they do, they are mostly in a submissive, secondary role” (Jansz & Martis 2007). Gender stereotypes are evident in most AAA games, such as GTA 5 and Temple Run. However, the few exceptions lie within indie games such as Even Cowgirls Bleed where women take the main lead. The representation of gender stereotypes in games is studied through the analysis of Temple Run and Even Cowgirls Bleed.

Even Cowgirls Bleed is an exceptional game published in 2013 by Christine Love using Twine, a platform originally created for lay users to create video games. The

It focuses on a man’s journey, escaping demonic creatures and overcoming physical barriers such as rings of fires and deep pits, to collect coins. The game is highly saturated in color, but favors the common hue of gold. This is evident through the enormous trees that fill that background and the elongated bridge that takes the center of the screen. The most obvious hue of gold is seen through the coins that capture the player’s eye. The developers pay great attention to detail which allows the game to appear more realistic that the typical animated game. Without clear distinctions, it is interesting that players assume the major character is a male. The khaki attire, short hairstyle and manly bag force the player to believe that the character is