Video games such as GTA glorify violence against women and fuel alarming male fantasies by rewarding violence and presenting female characters in an extremely sexualised way. Although GTA is technically R18, it is easy for younger kids to access the game by ordering it online.

Dill (2009) explains how playing these types of games can translate violence into people’s lives slowly over time, taking forms from “everyday aggressive behaviours such as name-calling, manipulation, hostility, and backstabbing to sexual assault, dating violence, and domestic violence" (p130). Dill also combatted the belief that video games have no effect on people with evidence from psychological studies. For example, a study comparing people who engaged in violent video games versus those who did not. The participants involved who played the violent video game, were “less responsive to real-life violence” (p129) than those who did not.

An example of the influence Skyrim has had on the video game industry is the creation of modifications made by players able to be downloaded as features on the game. Although many are relatively harmless, such as customised armour or unlocking more areas on the map, we see a sexual fantasy of sorts emerge through modifications concerning female characters.

Implications of sexualisation - a brief summary

Women characters in video games are often relegated to secondary or non-playable characters. And if they are a main character, while they may have all the capabilities of a male action hero - their sexuality becomes a defining feature (Behm-Morawitz & Mastro, 2009). There has been a specific study done that suggests when women are over-exposed to sexualised female video game characters, their own self-worth and confidence to succeed in the real world decrease (Behm-Morawitz & Mastro, 2009).

Gaming has always been presumed to be a man's world but 48% of gamers are females (Bailey, 2017; PP: 1). So when game developers are predominantly male it creates problems around character design in which females are sexualised but also becomes a problem of representation in terms of the playable female protagonist. Not seeing protagonists who look like you can often be a reason to be put off from playing them which can lead to a loss of a whole audience and market. When you do see a protagonist who isn't a cis male, the chances are there are stereotypes in which the characters fall into of getting pregnant and having a family, needing to be saved or being fetishised for simply existing.