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Graduate class presentation for The Industry, Science and Culture of Video Games (CMGT 537) taught by Dimitri Williams at the University of Southern California. Slides on themes from Tristan Donovan's Replay: The History of Video Games chapter "We Take Pride in Ripping Them to Shreds (Chapter 21)". Topics covered include structural and hardware changes in the 1990s in video game consoles that spurred gaming audience changes, including the entrance of more women into core gaming and new genres. I compiled those slides with content from classmates Abby Wei, Jose Sorto, Josué Sandigo, Quan Zhou, Savannah Wu, and myself.
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We Take Pride in Ripping Them to Shreds
Replay: The History of Video Games by Tristan Donovan
Chapter Presentation by: Abby Wei, Bessie Chu, Jose Sorto, Josué Sandigo, Quan Zhou, Savannah Wu
Evolution of Game Consoles ● Nintendo & Sony (1991)
o Paranoia
o Parting of Ways
● Nintendo & Philips (1991)
o Philips CD-i
● Panasonic 3DO (1993)
o FAILED
● Sega Saturn (1994)
o Cautious
o No risk / No reward
Virtua Fighter
● Nintendo 64 (1996)
o STILL Cartridge based
Sony PlayStation● Ken Kutaragi pioneered Sony Entertainment Group
● Sony Playstation (1994)
● Sony exploded with the help of Namco
o Ridge Racer
o Tekken
● Psygnosis
o WipEout
● Tomb Raider
● Final Fantasy VII
“Sony had reshaped society’s attitude to video games with its effort to reach a more mature audience.”
Shifts in Technology Leads to Changes in Gaming Audiences
Name this video game character
Then (PS1 Edition) 1996 Now (PS4 Edition) 2013
Riot grrl movement
Timeline of Female-Oriented Games
A Shift in Attitudes: Females and GamingBefore 1990s:● Games targeting boys ● Women players regarded as transsexuals● Girls’ mindset, tools of entertainment
In the 1990s:● Female characters, eg. Lara Croft, Samus (Metroid)● Girl-targeted games, fashion games, board games→ casual games● Market attitude shift-- Third-wave feminism
After 2000● New platforms, new target audience● Women developers gaining recognition● Women players in core games - PMS Clan as
movement● Gender equality topics
o Problems: “girls as inferior players?” oversexualization of female characters/gamers workplace harassment unequal pay in industry
A Shift in Attitudes: Females and Gaming
Changing Audience Landscapes“The maturation of video games from toys to home entertainment was
aided by game developers’ increasing attempts to cater for older teenagers and adults.” (p.274)
● Video games became being perceived as entertainment for adults
–First video game ratings in 1993
● Horror game as a genre (powered by 3D)
–Resident Evil
–Alone in the Dark
–Silent Hill
–Resident Evil 4
● Stealth games
–Metal Gear Solid
● Other genre games
–Gran Turismo
Horror as a Genre
The Revenge of Sony
“The likes of Tomb Raider, WipEout, Metal Gear Solid, Gran Turismo and Silent Hill
were perfect reflections of the image Sony sought to give the Playstation - that it was
not a kids’ toy but a desirable piece of consumer electronics.” (p. 277)
Discussion Questions● How did hardware changes help usher in new genres, such
as survival horror, games for women, etc? ● How did Nintendo lose out in its focus on younger
audiences? ● Did Lara Croft have a lasting impact on gender in video
games? What is her legacy? How Aerith’s death in Final Fantasy VII play into this as a contrasting trope?
● How does the Girl Power movements of the 1990s parallel with with what’s happening in #gamergate 2014?
● How else have other structural changes in gaming impacted gender and genre formations in today’s landscape?
