Informing men how aggressive male archetypes in video games misguides their ideals of male identity.
In 2020, the video game industry was a 135-billion-dollar juggernaut. Some of the best selling game franchises of all time include Call of Duty, God of War, and Grand Theft Auto. Each of these series has something in common: aggressive male archetypes. Choose Your Character explores why these types of male characters are so prevalent, and what impact they have on men of all ages.
The deliverables for Choose Your Character include both print and digital advertising, as well as an interactive website. By running ads in GameInformer, which enjoys over 6 million global subscribers, it’s guaranteed to reach the vast gaming community. The website was designed to be both interactive and educational, with a light-hearted tone to keep the viewer interested.
I began by looking at this problem through the lenses of psychology, sociology, and media. These lenses gave me insight into why men are drawn to video games, how they interact with each other; both in-person and online, as well as how the video game industry has situated itself as the gatekeeper to what is considered acceptable male behavior.
