MR. PAC-WOMAN
Satirical Commentary
![kbrown_MrPacWoman_logo.png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/3877ca_38c12b9298154debbb71b82d64ccfe20~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_600,h_228,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/kbrown_MrPacWoman_logo.png)
I designed “MR. PAC-WOMAN” as a satirical commentary on gender inequity in video game design.
The final project consists of a demonstrative gameplay video I created and a playable application
developed in collaboration with David M. García.
I designed, created the assets, and animated this parody of the classic MS. PAC-MAN game.
Audio: Original music composition by Emmanuel E. Lugo
All additional audio clips are either recordings I created myself,
Creative Commons 0 (acquired through FreeSound) or original to the PAC-MAN game.
Concept
As theorized in Justine Cassell and Henry Jenkins’ 1998 book From Barbie to Mortal Kombat: Gender and Computer Games, computer and video games operate under the assumption that male is the dominant audience gender identification.
MS. PAC-MAN is an example of this; by creating a “girls’ version” of the classic PAC-MAN game, the original becomes firmly a game for boys. The girl version of the game consists of a few color changes and the addition of a bow, lipstick, eyelashes, and a beauty mark.
To point out the meager attempts to make the game appeal to girls and to make clear that the original was designed with boys in mind, MR. PAC-WOMAN demonstrates the opposite. It shows what the classic game might look like if it had been designed stereotypically for girls originally and then adapted minimally for boys.
![MPW_pacman1.png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/3877ca_cac5b058707b4ce78187de8b42ef2e63~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_124,h_110,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/MPW_pacman1.png)
![MPW_mrpacwoman1.png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/3877ca_b4dbfc120b884d2e97182a52c67e14cc~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_107,h_118,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/MPW_mrpacwoman1.png)
![MPW_mspacman1.png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/3877ca_732c48dbc1764f5c99cbbdb6577f5930~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_113,h_104,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/MPW_mspacman1.png)
![MPW_MoodBoard.png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/3877ca_501972f16a0d4b7abc35649bde075611~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_1029,h_487,al_c,q_90,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/MPW_MoodBoard.png)
Mood Board
Visual Research
![MPW_VisualResearch.png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/3877ca_afff91c408654ce892cef2ebdcf7bab0~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_1027,h_521,al_c,q_90,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/MPW_VisualResearch.png)
I used the look of the
8-bit game to imply
that PAC-WOMAN
was the original game
Implementation, Version 1
- Pink character
- Eats little hearts
- Cries when caught by ghost
- Lots of pink, lavender, white
My original intent was to cross-stitch the maze and project the characters/movement onto it.
This would incorporate both technology (essential to video games) and fabric arts (traditionally associated with women).
After some proof-of-concept testing, I decided that this method was not as clear as I'd like and that the medium was not similar enough to the original to be an effective satirical parody.
![MPW_Version1.png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/3877ca_cb5884d045954c8981ac7a072c6c37ef~mv2.png/v1/crop/x_689,y_0,w_892,h_620/fill/w_586,h_407,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/MPW_Version1.png)
![MPW_Version1.png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/3877ca_cb5884d045954c8981ac7a072c6c37ef~mv2.png/v1/crop/x_370,y_560,w_319,h_257/fill/w_210,h_169,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/MPW_Version1.png)
![MPW_Version1.png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/3877ca_cb5884d045954c8981ac7a072c6c37ef~mv2.png/v1/crop/x_679,y_604,w_880,h_213/fill/w_677,h_164,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/MPW_Version1.png)
Implementation, Version 2
![MPW_Version2.png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/3877ca_8948374a20604d4abd19656437821eba~mv2.png/v1/crop/x_9,y_0,w_865,h_693/fill/w_494,h_396,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/MPW_Version2.png)
I next explored the possibility of creating a working video game
- Researched editing an existing game ROM
The Atari 2600 MS. PAC-MAN would possibly be editable, but doesn’t look like the most widely-recognized version of the game (which I want to use, more iconic).
The Arcade version of the game requires ROM editing, which is beyond my scope of skills given time constraints; not feasible
![MPW_Version2.png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/3877ca_8948374a20604d4abd19656437821eba~mv2.png/v1/crop/x_875,y_0,w_586,h_441/fill/w_335,h_252,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/MPW_Version2.png)
Final Implementation
Part 1: Create an animated motion video emulating MR. PAC-WOMAN gameplay
- This method gives me the most control to convey the concept, look, and elements of the game
Part 2: Collaborate with David M. García to create a working computer game
- David will program the game in Unity and I will provide the texture atlas / imagery, concept, and sound effects
![MPW_Version3.png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/3877ca_a339949faa974c26a8b5ec5b557838cf~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_761,h_273,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/MPW_Version3.png)
Research: Texture Atlas Examples
Logo Development
![MPW_Logo1.png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/3877ca_a32f53c95faf4ab993fefe6b17affef5~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_368,h_160,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/MPW_Logo1.png)
Imitate MS. PAC-MAN logo (instead of original
PAC-MAN, because this is supposedly the
MS. PAC-MAN of an alternate, female-centric
design world)
![MPW_Logo2.png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/3877ca_67e86628a73a49c78014575c4d9aab16~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_538,h_195,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/MPW_Logo2.png)
Version 1: Pink elements since the game “was originally designed
for girls,” blues because this version has been “adapted for boys”
![MPW_Logo3.png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/3877ca_071cc766b54745de813657db1c1a216b~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_548,h_190,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/MPW_Logo3.png)
Version 2: Changed color scheme to more “girly” colors in order to make clearer the concept that the game was originally intended for girls (at the expense of alienating boys)
![kbrown_MrPacWoman_logo.png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/3877ca_38c12b9298154debbb71b82d64ccfe20~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_950,h_361,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/kbrown_MrPacWoman_logo.png)
Final Version: Tightened imagery, more closely replicated the MS. PAC-MAN logo, added final details
Asset Development
Final Assets
- More pink and “girly” than original mockups in order to drive home the commentary on the “male as default” theory
Mockups
![MPW_Assets2.png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/3877ca_0a481ff03f484ddba4e148657b5d7834~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_727,h_423,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/MPW_Assets2.png)
![MPW_Assets1.png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/3877ca_43c2712901544344bc6fab5ddfee857b~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_258,h_469,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/MPW_Assets1.png)
Video Design
![MPW_VideoDesign.png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/3877ca_ffe5d2cb7daa48f98b826d8e736e51ea~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_244,h_400,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/MPW_VideoDesign.png)
Typeface
- Originally used Lust Script as the typeface because it embodied the flourishy, “girly” style I wanted, but switched to Ganache because it maintained the same tone but was more legible
Rewards
- Instead of fruit, the reward icons are of stereotypically female imagery like rings, hearts, shoes, etc.
Crying and Patronizing Language
- When PAC-WOMAN is caught by a ghost she cries, reflecting a stereotype of women
- The prompts on screen are either cliché (“You Go Girl / Boy”) or patronizing (“At least you tried!”); this emphasizes the attitude designers generally apply to girl gamers and pink software
Audio Design
Voice-Over Effects
- I recorded myself using a high-pitched voice, imitating the intonation of the Barbie computer games I played as a child
- I edited this audio to raise the pitch of my voice by 16%, making it even more obnoxiously “girly”
Background Track
- The original PAC-MAN features audio that sounds like sirens in the background; this seemed too “high-stress” for a girls’ game, so I wanted to replace it with more bubbly music
- Emmanuel E. Lugo composed an original music loop based on my guidelines for the background music of MR. PAC-WOMAN; the track is written to match the beats of the “waka waka” sound, the notes of the PAC-MAN intro music (which I also used for its iconic melody), and the lighter, more bubbly tone I wanted
Additional Sound Effects
- Additional effects were added; some were original PAC-MAN effects (like the “waka waka”) while other, Creative Commons 0 licensed, effects were used to add to the pink software feel (like a bling when PAC-WOMAN eats a heart icon)
Playable Game
I collaborated with David M. García to create a playable version of MR. PAC-WOMAN
- David programmed the game in Unity to replicate the gameplay I demonstrated in my motion media piece
![MPW_game.png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/3877ca_e804988f7df54c09a7378cf65a9f5745~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_1025,h_409,al_c,q_90,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/MPW_game.png)
Texture Atlas I Created Screenshots of the MR. PAC_WOMAN Game by David M. García