IN CASE YOU MISSED IT…

Women in Games highlights the articles that have caught our eye over the past few weeks…

No great shock, but new research has revealed that male video game characters have twice as much in-game dialogue as women characters. The biggest ever study into this area has been published in the Royal Society Open Science journal and makes for interesting reading. Via The Conversation

Sadly, more reports of discrimination against women within games studios… Gamesindustry.biz reports on a lawsuit against Super Free Games

Men getting annoyed at ‘wokeness’: Following Miller Lite’s brilliant spoof ad which took aim at the beer industry’s history of using scantily-clad women in marketing, Unilad reports on a backlash from conservative males – including senior Trump advisor Stephen Miller….

More worryingly, the New York Times reveals that extremism is finding ‘fertile ground in chat rooms for gamers’, highlighting that games platforms and associated social media sites are particularly vulnerable to extremist groups such as the self-named ‘incels’.

The destroying of women’s reproductive rights continues in the US, with the BBC highlighting that legislators in the US state of South Carolina have passed a bill that would ban nearly all abortions after around six weeks of pregnancy – before most women know they are pregnant.

In the UK, the TUC organisation has highlighted the gender pension gap, asking why women are working for the equivalent of five months a year without a pension.

The cost of ambition: New research finds almost 90 per cent of women worldwide are penalised and undermined because of their achievements at work. A fascinating (and depressing) read via Women of Influence

In happier news, Blizzard has confirmed the sexuality of two Overwatch characters this Pride Month, according to Eurogamer

 Ariel was always a role model, but the live-action Little Mermaid makes her stronger, says Polygon, asserting that the character doesn’t get enough credit for breaking the Disney Princess mould

And talking of Tinsel Town, how sexist is Hollywood? That’s the question asked of Geena Davis by the New York Times. You can guess her answer…

If you find something you’d like to share with the Women in Games community, email lisa.carter@womeningames.org. We’ll credit you for the find!