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The virtual census: representations of gender, race and age in video games

University of Southern California, USA, dcwilliausc.edu

Nicole Martins

Indiana University, USA

Mia Consalvo

Ohio University, USA

James D. Ivory

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, USA

A large-scale content analysis of characters in video games was employed to answer questions about their representations of gender, race and age in comparison to the US population. The sample included 150 games from a year across nine platforms, with the results weighted according to game sales. This innovation enabled the results to be analyzed in proportion to the games that were actually played by the public, and thus allowed the first statements able to be generalized about the content of popular video games. The results show a systematic over-representation of males, white and adults and a systematic under-representation of females, Hispanics, Native Americans, children and the elderly. Overall, the results are similar to those found in television research. The implications for identity, cognitive models, cultivation and game research are discussed.

Key Words: age • comparison • consoles • content analysis • gender • identity • race • population • ratings • videogames

New Media & Society, Vol. 11, No. 5, 815-834 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/1461444809105354


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