play like a Girl

OF VIDEO GAME CHARACTER IN 2013 WERE FEMALE.

34%

Favorite Video Game Couples:

Ms. & Mr.

Pac-Man

(“Pac-Man”)

30%

25%

15%

9%

21%

Peach & Mario

(“Super Mario Bros”)

Zelda & Link

(“The Legend of Zelda”)

Aerith & Cloud

(“Final Fantasy VII”)

Other

Olivia Abundis | DAI 523 Information Design | Tang Fall 2014

TOP 5 MOST POPULAR FEMALE

VIDEO GAME CHARACTERS:

Number of units franchise has sold.

CHUN-LI

(Street Fighter II/arcade)First female fi ghter in

the Street Fighter series.

SONYA BLADE

(Mortal Kombat/arcade)Only female fi ghter of the original seven Mortal Kombat fi ghters.

JOANNA DARK

(Perfect Dark/N64)Protagonist in fi rst

person shooter created by studio

behind Goldeneye 64

KRIS (Pokemon Crystal/

GBC)The fi rst female

playable character .in the Pokémon series.

JADE (Beyond Good & Evil/

PS2, Xbox, Gamecube)Protagonist of the

critically acclaimed game.

HEATHER MASON

(Silent Hill 3/PS2)First playable female

protagonist in this survival horror video

game series.

LARA CROFT (Tomb Raider/ Playstation)One of the most popular and empowering female characters in gaming.

LUCCA, MARLE,AYLA (Chrono Trigger/Super

Nintendo)Female party members in this cult classic rpg.

JILL

VALENTINE (Resident Evil/

Playstation)Considered one of the greatest female protagonists in gaming

AMY ROSE (Sonic Adventure/

Dreamcast)First game in which Sonic’s pink-haired

love interest fi rst became playable.

CHELL (Portal/PS3, Xbox 360)The silent protagonist behind the Portal gun.

SHEPARD(Mass Effect/ Ps3, Xbox 360)Human protagonist whose gender, looks, skills, and history are all customizable.

FAITH (Mirror’s Edge/ Ps3,

Xbox 360)Female protagonist navigates obstacles

using movements inspired by parkour.

BAYONETTA (Bayonetta/Ps3, Xbox 360)Game’s developers designed its character with a modern style and fashion in mind.

Qq

W

e

Tt

F

1981

LADYBUG (Ladybug/arcade)The earliest known female protagonist in a video game.

MS.PAC-MAN (Ms. Pac-man/arcade) Star of the sub-series of the Pac-Man franchise.

SAMUS ARAN

(Metroid/NES)First human female

video game character. protagonist.

ALIS LANDALE (Phantasy Star/Sega

Master System)First female protagonist in a console rpg game.

PRINCESS PEACH

(Super Mario Bros 2)First Super Mario game where the princess is a

playable character.

1.SAMUS ARAN

(Metroid)

2. LAURA CROFT

(Tomb Raider)

3.ZELDA(The Legend

of Zelda)

4. JILL VALENTINE

(Resident Evil)

5. TIFA LOCKHEART

(Final Fantasy)

THE HISTORY OF FEMALE VIDEO GAME PROTAGONISTS.

YUNA,

RIKKU,PAINE

(Final Fantasy X-2/ PS2)First game in series to feature all female playable characters.

FEMALE PROTAGONISTS IN GAMES

WERE FIRST IMPLEMENTED TO

TRY AND GET YOUNG GIRLS INTO

ARCADE GAMING, AS IT WAS

OBVIOUS THAT THE MAJORITY IN

ARCADES WERE BOYS.”

25%

93%

OF MALE GAMERS PLAY AS A FEMALE CHARACTER WHEN GIVEN THE OPTION

OF FEMALE GAMERS PLAY AS A FEMALE CHARACTER

WHEN GIVEN THE OPTION

AVELINE (Assassin’s Creed III/PS3,

Xbox 360)The fi rst female

protagonist in the Assassin’s Creed Series.

ELLIE (The Last of Us/ PS3)Secondary playable character and protagonist of the games DLC American Dreams and Left Behind

AMANDA RIPLEY

(Alien: Isolation/ PS4, Xbox One)

Daughter of the female protagonist of the Alien

fi lm series.

PRINCESS ZELDA

(Hyrule Warriors/ Wii U)First game in the Legend

of Zelda series in which the princess is playable.

NINTENDO HEROINES

(Super Smash Bros Wii U)Fifth game in Super

Smash Bros series lets players take control of 13 of nintendos female

characters.

NILIN (Remember Me/ PS3, Xbox 360) A mixed race, female character designed to combat the stereotypical white, male protagonist.

LARA CROFT (Tomb Raider/ PS3, Xbox 360)Iconic character was given a new look and personality in this game by the same company behind Final Fantasy.

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

WSuper

Nintendo

A

E

wP

S

Playstation 2

e

RG

2001

Gamecube

Xbox

GameboyAdvance

2004

PSP

Nintendo DS

l

r2005

Xbox 360 H2006

Playstation 3

Nintendo Wii

DT

2011

NIntendo 3DS

PS Vita

t

2012

Wii U Y2013

Playstation 4

Xbox One

FJ

2009

PSP Gop

o

O

Q 1983

Nintendo Entertainment System(NES)

U1986

Sega Master System

I 1988

Sega Genesis

q1989

Gameboy

1981

Intellivision K

1994

Playstation

Sega Saturn

1996

Nintendo 64

1998

GB Color

1999

Dreamcast

1986

1987

1988

1991

1993

1995

1996

1999

2000

2001

2003

2007

2008

2009

2012

2013

2014

!P

Sources:ign.comgeekfeminism.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_Women_Characters_in_Video_Gamesjstationx.com/video-game-diversity-report-2013-14/ giantbomb.com/female-protagonists/3015-2287/

18

42 mil.

57 mil.

61 mil.

90 mil.

mil.

“

play like a Girl

OF VIDEO GAME CHARACTER IN 2013 WERE FEMALE.

34%

Favorite Video Game Couples:

Ms. & Mr.

Pac-Man

(“Pac-Man”)

30%

25%

15%

9%

21%

Peach & Mario

(“Super Mario Bros”)

Zelda & Link

(“The Legend of Zelda”)

Aerith & Cloud

(“Final Fantasy VII”)

Other

Olivia Abundis | DAI 523 Information Design | Tang Fall 2014

TOP 5 MOST POPULAR FEMALE

VIDEO GAME CHARACTERS:

Number of units franchise has sold.

CHUN-LI

(Street Fighter II/arcade)First female fi ghter in

the Street Fighter series.

SONYA BLADE

(Mortal Kombat/arcade)Only female fi ghter of the original seven Mortal Kombat fi ghters.

JOANNA DARK

(Perfect Dark/N64)Protagonist in fi rst

person shooter created by studio

behind Goldeneye 64

KRIS (Pokemon Crystal/

GBC)The fi rst female

playable character .in the Pokémon series.

JADE (Beyond Good & Evil/

PS2, Xbox, Gamecube)Protagonist of the

critically acclaimed game.

HEATHER MASON

(Silent Hill 3/PS2)First playable female

protagonist in this survival horror video

game series.

LARA CROFT (Tomb Raider/ Playstation)One of the most popular and empowering female characters in gaming.

LUCCA, MARLE,AYLA (Chrono Trigger/Super

Nintendo)Female party members in this cult classic rpg.

JILL

VALENTINE(Resident Evil/

Playstation)Considered one of the greatest female protagonists in gaming

AMY ROSE (Sonic Adventure/

Dreamcast)First game in which Sonic’s pink-haired

love interest fi rst became playable.

CHELL (Portal/PS3, Xbox 360)The silent protagonist behind the Portal gun.

SHEPARD(Mass Effect/ Ps3, Xbox 360)Human protagonist whose gender, looks, skills, and history are all customizable.

FAITH (Mirror’s Edge/ Ps3,

Xbox 360)Female protagonist navigates obstacles

using movements inspired by parkour.

BAYONETTA (Bayonetta/Ps3, Xbox 360)Game’s developers designed its character with a modern style and fashion in mind.

Qq

W

e

Tt

F

1981

LADYBUG (Ladybug/arcade)The earliest known female protagonist in a video game.

MS.PAC-MAN (Ms. Pac-man/arcade) Star of the sub-series of the Pac-Man franchise.

SAMUS ARAN

(Metroid/NES)First human female

video game character. protagonist.

ALIS LANDALE (Phantasy Star/Sega

Master System)First female protagonist in a console rpg game.

PRINCESS PEACH

(Super Mario Bros 2)First Super Mario game where the princess is a

playable character.

1.SAMUS ARAN

(Metroid)

2. LAURA CROFT

(Tomb Raider)

3.ZELDA(The Legend

of Zelda)

4. JILL VALENTINE

(Resident Evil)

5. TIFA LOCKHEART

(Final Fantasy)

THE HISTORY OF FEMALE VIDEO GAME PROTAGONISTS.

YUNA,

RIKKU,PAINE

(Final Fantasy X-2/ PS2)First game in series to feature all female playable characters.

FEMALE PROTAGONISTS IN GAMES

WERE FIRST IMPLEMENTED TO

TRY AND GET YOUNG GIRLS INTO

ARCADE GAMING, AS IT WAS

OBVIOUS THAT THE MAJORITY IN

ARCADES WERE BOYS.”

25%

93%

OF MALE GAMERS PLAY AS A FEMALE CHARACTER WHEN GIVEN THE OPTION

OF FEMALE GAMERS PLAY AS A FEMALE CHARACTER

WHEN GIVEN THE OPTION

AVELINE (Assassin’s Creed III/PS3,

Xbox 360)The fi rst female

protagonist in the Assassin’s Creed Series.

ELLIE (The Last of Us/ PS3)Secondary playable character and protagonist of the games DLC American Dreams and Left Behind

AMANDA RIPLEY

(Alien: Isolation/ PS4, Xbox One)

Daughter of the female protagonist of the Alien

fi lm series.

PRINCESS ZELDA

(Hyrule Warriors/ Wii U)First game in the Legend

of Zelda series in which the princess is playable.

NINTENDO HEROINES

(Super Smash Bros Wii U)Fifth game in Super

Smash Bros series lets players take control of 13 of nintendos female

characters.

NILIN (Remember Me/ PS3, Xbox 360) A mixed race, female character designed to combat the stereotypical white, male protagonist.

LARA CROFT (Tomb Raider/ PS3, Xbox 360)Iconic character was given a new look and personality in this game by the same company behind Final Fantasy.

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

WSuper

Nintendo

A

E

wP

S

Playstation 2

e

RG

2001

Gamecube

Xbox

GameboyAdvance

2004

PSP

Nintendo DS

l

r2005

Xbox 360 H2006

Playstation 3

Nintendo Wii

DT

2011

NIntendo 3DS

PS Vita

t

2012

Wii U Y2013

Playstation 4

Xbox One

FJ

2009

PSP Gop

o

O

Q 1983

Nintendo Entertainment System(NES)

U1986

Sega Master System

I 1988

Sega Genesis

q1989

Gameboy

1981

Intellivision K

1994

Playstation

Sega Saturn

1996

Nintendo 64

1998

GB Color

1999

Dreamcast

1986

1987

1988

1991

1993

1995

1996

1999

2000

2001

2003

2007

2008

2009

2012

2013

2014

!Pq

Pq

Sources:ign.comgeekfeminism.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_Women_Characters_in_Video_Gamesjstationx.com/video-game-diversity-report-2013-14/ giantbomb.com/female-protagonists/3015-2287/

18

42 mil.

57 mil.

61 mil.

90 mil.

mil..

“