A macho, it is said, believes that he must always prove his masculinity - whatever he personally understands by it. Such definitions allow us to guess why this type of man is so present in video games. Because they fit in with what gamer in traditional game worlds usually do: prove themselves and above all their power.
Hardly any game genre can do without this urge: many games are about self-measurement, dominance. Part of the essence of games at the core is a competition in which only one player remains and can win at the end. For many years, the medium of video games has been a gathering place for quite simple-minded men who were not really intellectually challenging.
But video game stories are becoming more diverse, as is the audience that plays them (read more about games and diversity here). Not only does it mean that as a gamer you slip into the role of strong women more often than before. Even male figures have more depth now. From a leading masculinity slowly peel off the nuances, the nuances.
In our photo gallery we introduce eight types of men, which can be found in many games - from the hypermaskulinen to the queer man.
Men types in video games
The classic hero
Nathan Drake from "Uncharted 4"
If you were to mix all the video game heroes into a single character, the result would be a man like you: white, heterosexual, muscular, the savior of the world or at least the woman. Nathan Drake from the "Uncharted" series does pretty well with this pattern. Even in the deadliest battle he has a smart saying on his lips. He puts away injuries quickly, his flawless body is hardly affected. And though he has become more complex in "Uncharted 4" - especially in the dialogues with his wife Elena Fisher - Nathan Drake still has a good time killing hundreds of people in the course of his adventure.
Slowly, however, the image of the classic video game hero is changing: The modern hero is still tough, but you can empathize with what's going on inside him.
The hypermaskuline man
Duke Nukem from "Duke Nukem Forever"
Upper arms as thick as tree trunks, a chest circumference like an advertising pillar, a face without emotion: the hypermaskuline man is a power fantasy. It is intended to serve male players as an inflated piece of identification and dominates the game world (and often women too) by force of arms and a body that seems invulnerable. These figures show their bared breasts, not as a means of sexualization, but as an incarnation of power.
Duke Nukem from the eponymous series is a representative of this type. Chris Redfield of the "Resident Evil" series also falls into this category - especially when he is punching a boulder until it starts to roll. And then there are Kratos. However, he switched to the category "God of War" ...
The father
Kratos from "God of War"
The father can be seen as a sub-category of the classic hero. This one is particularly endeavored, if also with a male main character an emotional and complex story should be told. Only through the daughter or the son as a caregiver creates a narrative structure that also deconstructs the supposed masculinity a bit.
For example, in the newest installment of "God of War," Kratos is no longer a virile man with indestructible strength and the urge to conquer every woman. He becomes a multi-faceted man through his son's behavior and the questions he poses. "Why are you being like this?" may be one of the strongest questions one can ask a man in a video game. The child in the play thus helps to question certainties.
The queer exception
Iron Bull from "Dragon Age: Inquisition"
Queer is a term for sexualities and identities outside heterosexual structures. Earlier, however, queer was a pejorative term for weird people. Both definitions match this type of character. Because in games there are both queer characters (which are usually described as homosexual), as well as strange men. They behave conspicuously differently - often they are shady, subversive characters. In "Devil May Cry 5" this is the character V, in "Dragon Age: Inquisition" the character Iron Bull.
Gay or bisexual men are very rarely found in video games - possibly because of the developers' concern to deter the male, mostly heterosexual audience. Even queer figures are often secondary characters, they are rare in the center.
The man in comparison
Toad from "Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker"
Toads male characteristics may be difficult to describe for many people. Compared to Toadette, the Nintendo 2003 in the game "Mario Kart: Double Dash !!" occurred. With pigtails and completely in pink, she was staged as a female counterpart to Toad - where Nintendo is not clear on the sex of Toad.
Such visually and appearanceally genuinely sexless figures are in video games a few: think, for example, even to Bomberman or Pac-Man. A bit like the generic masculine of our grammar, these figures stand for the standard, the neutral, to be masculine. The female counterpart then needs loops, skirts, or colors that are perceived as feminine. And it shows how much we think in these gender roles when we have to give a gender to a yellow circle with a mouth.
The parody
Nero from "Devil May Cry 5"
This type of man is a caricature of what makes a man. The propensity to violence is presented in a highly exaggerated manner, underlining the chauvinistic treatment of women or highlighting the aversion to emotions and empathy. In the category "parody" fall many characters who populate the worlds of "Grand Theft Auto" or even Dante or Nero from the "Devil May Cry" series.
One problem with many parody characters is that game developers often limit themselves to simply playing stereotypes without breaking them. As a result, the boundaries to the hypermaskuline man are sometimes fluid.
The Apprentice
Sora from "Kingdom Hearts 3"
The apprentice stumbles into a game. He is not made for an adventure, he builds his skills for it first. He shapes himself through what he experiences. Thus, the apprentice for players is probably the most obvious way of identification.
An example of an apprentice is, for example, Sora from the "Kingdom Hearts" series, who is at the beginning of his physical and spiritual journey in each game and is learning with the player. But even someone like Ethan from "Resident Evil 7" can be seen as an apprentice: Not knowing he gets into an unspeakable horror, in which he is extremely vulnerable. Only in the course of history can he adapt to the circumstances. The apprentice is also to be found in other types of men from games, but this characteristic is rarely emphasized.
The dub
Larry from "Leisure Suit Larry: Wet Dreams Do not Dry"
This guy is a long way from the classic hero. He should often not be an identification figure for the player. Rather, it is the possibility of at least superficially breaking the menace of male figures.
While the classic hero has a well-defined body, one looks in vain the muscles in vain. It consists of seemingly elastic and lanky arms and legs, which he can hardly reconcile. Nevertheless, these men are often desirable figures. This can be seen in Larry's "Leisure Suit Larry" series or in the protagonists of many Japanese role-playing games.
Reading tip from the archive: The games industry is not only diverse, as far as the characters are concerned. In the spring of 2018, we asked five women who are professionally involved in video games about their experiences in everyday life. Their reports can be found here.
Five women - five stories