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How important are video games in showcasing diversity? Can they do it better than other forms of media? Whether ‘diversity’ means eschewing the traditional cis white male protagonist or encountering a broad spectrum of race, gender and relationships, can gaming offer us a safe space to explore topics we might otherwise find difficult in the real world?
Veteran gamer Emily Marlow joins Lucy to discuss favourite RPGS and how they approach ideas of gender. They also touch on religion, the stereotypes surrounding ‘girl’ gamers and the history of the commercial gaming industry.
Games mentioned in this episode include:
- Dragon Age
- The Witcher
- The Elder Scrolls
- Firewatch
- Dishonored
- Mass Effect
- Bioshock
- World of Warcraft
- Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture
Emily R Marlow is a PhD candidate studying religion within video games at the Sheffield Institute for Interdisciplinary Biblical Studies (SIIBS) within the University of Sheffield. Her research has covered games such as Bioshock: Infinite, Mass Effect, DragonAge: Inquisition and The Witcher 3.
As well as her dream of one day perfecting her abilities as a Tracer/Mercy main, she hopes of achieving her life goal of eating “too much” sushi. You can find Emily at her website and over on Twitter.
