Public graduation presentation, Sjoerd van Midden
- Using Pokémon Scarlet and Violet to Find Out How Non-cis Video Game Players Want to Be Represented in Video Games
- Date
- Friday 30 June 2023
- Time
- Address
- Gravensteen building
Pieterskerkhof 6
2311SR Leiden - Room
- 0.11
- Language
- English
- Access
- Public for everyone
- Duration
- 50 minutes total
Are You a Boy or a Girl or Something in Between? Using Pokémon Scarlet and Violet to Find Out How Non-cis Video Game Players Want to Be Represented in Video Games — Sjoerd van Midden
Queer representation in video games is gaining more interest in the last couple of years. However, there is still a lot of discussion about whether this representation is done appropriately or not. Especially when it comes to non-cisgender representation which isn’t researched often even though it is very important. That is why this research tries to fill in the gaps by asking ‘How do non-cisgender people want to be represented in video games?’. I, a cisgender man, try to understand the concept of gender and talk with non-cisgender people through interviews and questionnaires about their opinion on this question. Then I will analyze and discuss their answers with the help of gender theory to see what people mention as being appropriate and inappropriate representation. Though there can not be one right answer, I hope this can still be a guide for game developers and help improve future non-cisgender representation.
Thesis advisors: Maarten Lamers & Isabel Hoving (Leiden University Centre for the Arts in Society)
Presentation
Media Technology MSc graduation presentations follow a classic conference format. Each student presents their work in 20 minutes. With the primary advisor acting as a conference session chair, the presentation is followed by a moderated public discussion.
Public Discussion
Although everyone can ask questions in the discussion (~15 minutes), the right to ask the first questions is for the two invited critics. These were personally invited by the graduate to read their thesis before the presentation, and to formulate one or two questions for the discussion. Ambitious students have been known to invite high-profile academic critics.