FIFA 10 and Tomb Raider

In terms of representation and avatars for FIFA 10, I don’t believe FIFA 10 perpetuates stereotypes. The avatars are the players on the field in FIFA 10. Although the user switches players, the avatar can still be considered to be relatively the same since everyone the user can play as is a professional soccer player. I don’t think stereotypes are perpetuated because each character is modeled after the real person of that character in real life. Characters in the game are modeled after their real life counterparts in regards to cleats, accessories, hair, face, skin color, height, and skill in comparison to other players. Therefore, if anything, the avatars in FIFA 10 serve as homage to the real life players that they represent. To the best of my knowledge, FIFA 10 does allow the user to customize their own player in regards to the categories mentioned above. This can have a dramatic effect on gameplay since most users name the newly created characters after themselves, creating more interest in the game.

I feel that Tomb Raider perpetuates stereotypes through its avatar, Lara Croft. The stereotype created by Lara Croft is what society deems as the perfect female: skinny, good looking, and breasts that are too big for her body type. A game would typically not sell that if its main female character had only average proportions and average looks. This Lara Croft character is the type of character we see on the cover of magazines and on starring on television shows. Even though most women are not like this, this is the stereotype of what the perfect woman is, as deemed by society. Tomb Raider, unlike FIFA 10, does not allow the user to create a customized avatar.

Going off the Lara Croft stereotype, I remember playing a beach volleyball game for PS2 in which all the characters were female and, like Lara Croft, all characters had perfect bodies. This game would never have sold if the characters were male. Also, I recently played Heavy Rain. One of the main characters in Heavy Rain is a female. There is a scene where she showers naked. I believe this also contributes to the Lara Croft stereotype because, like Lara Croft, and the beach volleyball players, this woman also had a perfect body and great looks. This stereotype is not fair (in essence, it says that every woman should look like a Barbie doll), but this is what sells because this is the stereotype that our media society has created.