http://kotaku.com/the-problem-with-the-casual-cruelty-against-women-in-vi-1626659439
The latest Tropes vs. Women in Video Games video from scholar/critic Anita Sarkeesian looks at what she calls the women-as-decoration trope in latter-day titles. Sarkeesian breaks down how the trope gets used both in the games themselves and in marketing campaigns meant to sell them. Part of what Sarkeesian finds problematic about the trope is that, in game narratives, these background women's inclusion in the story don't contribute anything meaningful to the story but are rather designed to elicit shock or titillation. The games often don't offer players or main characters any investment in these encounters other than simply playing out a quest line
Seeing scenes from GTA V, Assassin's Creed II , Far Cry 3, The Witcher, Red Dead Redemptionand other games stacked one after the other does highlight how prevalent this device is in AAA video games writing. Chances are if there's a woman in a game's side mission—especially if it's a female sex worker—something terrible is going to happen to her, just to drive home just how screwed-up a particular character or gameworld is. Yet, even when compared to reactions to her prior releases, some people's responses to the video convey a lack of appreciation for discourse, with some resorting to harassment and threats. Sarkeesian says she's had to contact the police.
This video received particular signal-boosting from several high-profile directors and game designers, like Joss Whedon and author William Gibson.
But not even well-liked game developer Tim Schafer left unscathed after recommending Sarkeesian's video. He was also met with similar vitriol:
