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New Thesis Abstract

Characters are what drive the plot in stories and gain the public’s interest in them, directly affecting book, game and theater ticket sales. The influence characters have over the success of the stories in which they exist puts a great deal of importance in the appeal of their design. This is the driving force behind character designs being manipulated into nonrepresentational figures and attempting to grab the interest of a specific consumer demographic, specifically white heterosexual teenage boys, and resulting in a slew of stereotypical characters that embody a powerful white male and, of course, the hypersexualized female. Entertainment media directly affects how people view themselves and the world around them, increasing the importance of pushing diverse designs through the 3D character pipeline to fill current character voids. By recognizing and breaking down these popular character design stereotypes one can evaluate how to conduct subtle shifts in design trends that introduce a more diverse character profile, better representing the individuals that make up our culture. Widening the diversity of character designs in an easy to digest and appealing manner will shift our media experiences to include underrepresented demographics, and will begin to positively shape the attitudes of America’s population towards them. The implications of pushing more diverse characters into mainstream gaming is unknown and can inspire a backlash in the face of change. Developers must be steadfast in their resolve and understand that more important than maintaining brand they must expose themselves to the possibility of short term financial risk, to producing more meaningful experiences and reach a far wider audience interested in experiencing their brand, ultimately turning a greater profit.

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