Rethinking Otome’s protagonist : négociation between gendered conventions and players’ expectations is a work of research and creation written during my DESS Design of Narrative Video Games at NAD-UQAC.
The Otome, narrative game centered on romance and destined to a feminine audience, is based on conventions established since the 90s. The feminine protagonist, designed as a projection avatar, is still often marked by stereotypes : passiveness, emptiness, or reduced to a functional role. The audience’s diversification and the growing reflexion about gender in video games lead to rethink this model. This essay invites to analyze this tension between two concepts : stereotype and expectation’s horizon. The aim is to identify how to design a more nuanced and active protagonist, without breaking Otome’s conventions, to renew the experience of this genre while leading it towards nuanced femininity representations.
Under the supervision of a teacher, the goal was to suggest a critical reflexion on a choosen thematic linked to narrative video games. This research project is individual, and includes the making of a prototype to showcase the proven points. This semester-long work qualifies as an introduction to research and to the writing of a thesis.
I am currently working on an english translation, I will make it avalaible here in the future.