4. They’re encouraging positive changes in the gaming industry

Human sexuality is great and all, but some video game developers and publishers just take the “sex sells” adage too far. Gravity-defying breasts and attire so skimpy they look like they’re made of noodles? Stuff like that may make a 14-year-old boy’s palms sweaty. But for the rest of us, there’s a point when the line is crossed and “sexy” becomes “wtf are you kidding me???”

But with the acknowledgement that near half of the gaming population is female, the industry is starting to aim for a less sexist portrayal of women. Lara Croft now looks like a real human being as opposed to a polygonal inflatable sex doll. In Heroes of the Storm, StarCraft’s medic no longer speaks like she’s spouting lines for a porn shoot. Even Mortal Kombat X’s female warriors look less like ninja strippers and more like real, proper fighters.

The industry is also becoming more inclusive. 2015’s Assassin’s Creed Syndicate boasts a female protagonist, which is a far cry from the previous year’s Assassin’s Creed Unity, which is notorious for its lack of female avatars. This year’s Call of Duty: Black Ops III gives players the option to play as a female soldier.

The gaming industry workforce is still largely male-dominated. But more and more women are taking on artistic, technical, and supervisory roles in some of the most well-known game development studios. You can read about five of them in our article, 5 Really Cool Women in the Gaming Industry.