Feminist critic Anita Sarkeesian has faced both praise and criticism for her efforts. But thanks to a wildly successful Kickstarter campaign (which was actually strengthened by both the love and hate sent toward the project), Sarkeesian has been able to start her new YouTube series, Tropes vs Women in Video Games.

In Tropes vs Women in Video Games, Sarkeesian hopes to dissect what tropes are prevalent in the gaming industry, bring some understanding as to why they exist, and hopes to encourage stronger, more empowered, more honest depictions of female characters in gaming.

In the first episode, which you can see below, she dissects the Damsel in Distress trope, explaining why it exists, the biggest examples of the trope (you probably already know the top two), and what can be done to evolve the trope into something new.

No matter how you feel about diversity in games, it would be nice to see a reversal of roles where Princess Peach or Zelda have to save Mario or Link. Let us know how you feel in the comments below.

[Big thanks to Kotaku for their coverage on this project].

http://www.youtube.com/embed/X6p5AZp7r_Q