Motion Capture as a Tool of Empowerment for Female Main Characters

Abstract

In this work, we intend to explore how motion capture technology can be used in the video game industry as a form of empowerment for female protagonists. We aim to highlight video games in which motion capture was used to portray reality and humanity and whose characters challenge both normative patriarchal and sociocultural values throughout the narrative. For this purpose, we will start by examining the portrayal of women in different media to classify the stereotyped form of their performance, further exploring this representation in video games. The case studies will stem from the Tomb Raider series and the development of the character Lara Croft through motion capture, to recent video games that feature female protagonists such as “The Last of Us Part II” (2020), “Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice” (2017) and “Assassin's Creed III: Liberation” (2012). This way, technology can break standards and enhance the details of action and emotion, revolutionizing the stigma associated with the personality and behavior of female characters in video games. We can conclude that several methods can be used in the industry, however, motion capture is the method that stands out the most in large productions for providing realism and immersion into the narrative. With this study, we were able to understand that it is possible to subvert gender stereotypes and how motion capture technologies were used in video games that intended to abolish the stereotypes associated with these characters.