Abstract
Using qualitative content analysis, this research examined the representation of hegemonic masculinity in main male characters in top selling video games from best-selling video game genres in a sample of 4 top selling video games from the best-selling video game genres in the United states. Research into the male representation in video games and hegemonic masculinity in video games are understudied topics in video games. Masculinity or masculinities is an essential topic to research in the social sciences, yet, masculinity does not gain as much attention as femininity. This research attempted to bridge the gaps in previous research regarding the representation of hegemonic masculinity traits in main male characters in top selling video games from best-selling video game genres. This analysis reveals that main male characters reflect traits of hegemonic masculinity through their appearance, the role they play in the video game, their behaviour and interactions with other characters. Additional analysis revealed that each trait of hegemonic masculinity varied across different video games and video game genres in main male characters. Despite the fact that, the representation of hegemonic masculinity being portrayed in video games, it is still an understudied topic. Nevertheless, hegemonic masculinity in video games with respect to other aspects of the media is nothing new.
Keywords; Hegemonic masculinity, main male character, video game, video game genre, qualitative content analysis
