This is the gaming industry I love. It never went away. It gets periodically drowned out, but I've promised myself that I'm going to remember this experience the next time I feel alone so I won't feel so intimidated. Obviously that's a bit easier to say now, since a lot more people in the gaming industry know that I exist now. Moving forward, I can analyze stuff without feeling so wounded. I'd love to find a way to help others do the same.

While I was preparing this wrap up, Stephen Totilo at Kotaku wrote a piece based on Anita Sarkeesian's "brand new" list of things she wants the gaming industry to change.

So let's look at that list, because there are some notable improvements. I'd like to see Anita move away from the Tropes vs. Women format and into something more solutions-based. Granted, this is Totilo's take on Sarkeesian's talk, so we'll assume all of this stuff is preliminary. According to Totilo, Sarkeesian acknowledged the rough quality of the concept. I think that means there's an opportunity to improve it. Onward!

Avoid the Smurfette principle

Don't have just one female character in an ensemble cast, let alone one whose personality is more or less "girl" or "woman."

Yes! I'm very pleased to see Anita stepping away from the "Ms. Male Character" mess and focusing on a much more salient point. This is precisely the refinement I wanted to see on this issue! Great start!

Trishka has a strong sense of character.

Now I want to clarify, something like avoiding the Smurfette principle is a guideline, not a rule or a quota. It's difficult for certain types of games to shoehorn women in because they take place in real-world inspired situations where women are the minority. There are also games that succeed in having a great lone female character. Bulletstorm, for instance, had only one main female character, but Trishka was hardly a stock female trope. She had a personality that was distinct and made sense in the context of the game. The Smurfette principle isn't an automatic kiss of death. It's just something to be cautious of because of the inherent extra pressure it places on a female character.