The virtual census 2.0: A continued investigation on the representations of gender, race, and age in videogames

Abstract

This study revisits the original four research questions of Williams et al.’s “The Virtual Census: Representations of Gender, Race and Age in Video Games” to investigate if mainstream videogame representations have changed over time. In addition, this study expands on the original by including a fifth question examining the intersection of representations within videogames. Using a sample of the top 100 best-selling boxed videogames of 2017 from four console platforms, this study compares its findings to the 2017 US Census demographic estimates as well as to findings of the original study. The results of the study are similar to those of the original, but the intersectional analysis shows an over-representation of white adult male characters, specifically, and an under-representation of Black female characters of any age group. This study discusses potential reasons for the slow progress made in videogame representations and the need for more intersectional analyses on videogames.