| Session Name: | Beyond the Blue-Skinned Space Babe: Deconstructing the Empowered Asari in 'Mass Effect' |
| Speaker(s): | Alexandra M. Lucas |
| Company Name(s): | Microsoft Cortana |
| Track / Format: | Game Narrative Summit |
| Overview: | Intelligent, thoughtful, sensual. Over-sexualized, objectified, infantilized. All of these terms describe characters among the matriarchal Asari, a monogender alien race in BioWare's 'Mass Effect' series. This presentation examines how the original Mass Effect trilogy's writers built on the traditional Triple Goddess paradigm and the green-(or in this case, blue-)skinned space babe trope to design the empowered Asari. Through the prioritization of such vital features as consent and layered portrayals of female sexuality, attendees will learn how to design more dynamic women characters that challenge established gender stereotypes, create more immersive worlds, and engender broader market appeal. |
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