[Professor S]

I think your ability to play semantics isn’t quite as graceful as you think it is. “Becoming increasing ubiquitous” implies modernity, because they are increasing in modern times. As for confusing “heroic” and “hypermasculine”, every legendary myth I posted was both heroic and hypermasuline. Paul Bunyan was a giant to chopped down entire forests with a single blow from his axe. Doesn’t get much more hypermasculine than that, unless he picked up a few ladies at the bar afterwards. Also, traditionally heroic figures ARE hypermasculine simply because female heroic figures were few and far between (patriarchal, but true). The idea of male masculinity is built on these tales of heroism.

I’m not saying that the grunting ogre doesn’t exist in gaming, but I think you are taking few notable modern examples and trying to create a ubiquity that simply doesn’t exist while ignoring the history of the grunting ogre in masculine media content. After all, Conan the Barbarian was invented in the first half of the century.

Is it a stereotype or even a genre? Perhaps, but the explosion of social and casual gaming as well as modern intelligent heroes like Drake and even Master Chief prevent the ubiquity you claim. Let’s not even mention the Japanese RPG androgynous ladyboys or Link who is still very popular and runs around in tights and a pixie cap.

FUN!