While it may not seem very obvious point blank, the women that are featured in video games have a large affect on the gaming business. Afterall, would the Dead or Alive games ever sell if it weren't for the girls' scant outfits? Why was Tomb Raider able to crank out so many sequels? Wasn't it Chun-li who forced hordes of gamers to spend loads of quarters in the arcade? These pixelated vixens hold a lot more weight in game sales than most gamers take note of. So, the question isn't their importance in games, but their portrayal. Would games sell if the girls were in normal outfits? Would the Mario have had nearly as much success if the roles were reversed? In this an analyzation of women's roles in games as well as their affect on the industry, we will see how they have come, and if they really do help sell games...
 
PART 2
 
The 90's is when women really started to get more exposure. The Final Fantasy games allowed for strong characters such as Terra, Rydia, and Celes to make a name for themselves; however they always played second fiddle to the male characters. In a bold step for fighting games, Chun-Li stepped into the fray in Street Fighter: World Warrior, showing the gaming community that she could take Ryu and just how powerful her thighs of steel really are. The awesome thing: both of the series' maintained staying power. Chun-Li is still one of the most easily recognizable characters in gaming, and any Final Fantasy game is a high profile release.
 
The Playstation brought us into a world of solid 3-D gaming. Video game characters could finally be properly displayed in all their physical glory. In PS's early days, two characters came about who would ultimately change the role that women played in video games forever. These two ladies are by far some of the most popular characters in the business. Starring in the Resident Evil and Tomb Raider games, Jill Valentine and Lara Croft both deserve their own chapters in the video game business.
 
Let's start with Jill. She was actually dressed like a police officer (well, in the first game at least), solved puzzles and took on monsters with the best of ‘em. She also reversed the "save the princess" theme by saving the lives of two male characters. The original Resident Evil sold approximately 2,750,000 units, as well as spawned numerous sequels, movies, and books, proving that a strong female could take the lead in a video game. She remains one of the icons of the series. Famitsu magazine recently released an ad for Resident Evil 5 that suggests that Jill is dead, which sparked an uproar from outraged fans who didn't want their beloved Jill dead (just google "Jill Valentine Dead" to see). Although the last Resident Evil game Jill actually starred in was Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, which sold 3.5 million copies (maybe due to Jill's less than appropriate zombie battling gear).
 
Someone could write a novel on Lara Croft. That's why the whole next part will be dedicated to how this busty woman saved a company, became a multi-million dollar empire, and the dream girl of millions of teenage boys.