ABSTRACT
The dynamics of gender and sexual identity impact the production, circulation and signification of video games in myriad ways. In Latin America—and indeed in all regions and contexts—these dynamics are made manifold through their intersections with complex questions of class, race, ethnicity, nationality and cultural identity, among others. Likewise, the numerous approaches to analyzing gender’s impact on games from development to reception demonstrate the ways gender remains a key consideration—whether as a stumbling block or a passageway to more meaningful gaming experiences—for all facets of video games’ meaning. In contemporary Latin America, for example, gender affects games on the levels of women’s underrepresentation in the video game industry workforce; in-game depictions of gender and lesbian/gay/bisexual/trans/queer (LGBTQ) identity; online communication and harassment; the shifting player demographics of the 21st century; marketing strategies calculated to appeal to the gendered desires of imagined gaming audiences; the formation of gender- and sexuality-centered gaming communities on social media; and the effort to close the “gender gap” among eSports (professional competitive gaming) participants. Given the multivalent nature of the topic, this chapter will focus on several key aspects of the relationship between gender and video games in Latin America: first, representation, identification and gender in games; next, gender and player demographics in Latin America; third, the gender dynamics of Latin American game development; and finally, intersections of gender and gameplay in 21st-century Latin America.
