– I was pleasantly surprised. People have been asking about this for years, but it never happened. Karoline Nyhammer (25) has played classic Nintendo titles such as Mario and Zelda since she was eight years old and competed at a high level in the fighting game “Super Smash Bros” from the same company. Karoline Nyhammer watched live when Nintendo announced the new Zelda game “The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of the Past”, where Zelda is the main character for the first time. She says that this is something that has been waiting for a long time. Photo: Privat Earlier this year, the Japanese game company released “Princess Peach: Showtime!”. In this game, Princess Peach is the main character in the Mario series for the first time in 15 years. And in June, it was announced that for the first time in the game series “The Legend of Zelda”‘s 38-year-old history, Princess Zelda is the hero of the game, instead of Link, who is usually the main character. 2024 has therefore been dubbed “The year of the princesses” by Nintendo fans. – I definitely think that we see more variation in gender in games that are released today, says researcher on computer games and popular culture, Joakim Johansen Østby, to news. – Nintendo is moving away from old traditions That women should have the main role in computer games has not always been a matter of course. According to an analysis of the biggest game titles that have been launched in the years 1985-2022, only 6 percent of the games have a female main character. Researcher on computer games and popular culture at the University of Oslo, Joakim Johansen Østby, says that he thinks it will become more common to have female main characters in computer games. Photo: Elisabeth Brinch Sand / University of Oslo (UiO) Østby highlights popular major releases from recent years such as “Horizon Dawn”, “The Last of Us part II” and “Tomb Raider” which have used clearly defined female main characters. The researcher believes that Nintendo has not been as good at this. – The fact that Nintendo is now clearly betting on it is a clear sign that they are moving away from old traditions, says Østby. Among others, Østby singles out Ellie from “The Last of Us Part II” (2020) as a clearly defined female main character we have seen in recent years. Photo: NAUGHTY DOG/SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT – There are people crying with joy With game series such as “Mario”, “The Legend of Zelda” and “Donkey Kong”, Nintendo has become the world’s fourth largest computer game company. It has also given them many fans. Zelda and Link from the game “The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks” (2009). Photo: Nintendo – I went online and there are people crying because they are so happy that you can finally play like Zelda. That’s what game expert at news, Rune Fjeld Olsen, says. – You can think that representation has nothing to say, but when you see that type of reception, you realize that it has something to say for some. Game expert at news, Rune Fjeld Olsen, believes that representation in computer games is important for many. Photo: Privat He believes that Nintendo has long been afraid to change the template that has made them one of the world’s largest games companies. – Things have obviously happened at Nintendo that I found exciting and enjoyable. Can create a signaling effect Researcher Østby believes that it is unrealistic that the proportion of men and women in computer games should even out. But he believes that large companies such as Nintendo can create a signaling effect for other game companies. Nintendo is one of the world’s largest game companies. Here from a Nintendo store. Photo: AFP – If you refuse to have female main characters for fear that it won’t sell, then you see that the big ones do it, and thus lead the way as role models. Karoline hopes that good female protagonists can create a more inclusive gaming community. – I think it is very positive for girls who are interested in games, but who do not feel completely welcome in the environment. Published 02.07.2024, at 10.58
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Nintendo prioritizes the princesses in new games – news Culture and entertainment
