Like any other game,Disney Dreamlight Valleyhas its own pitfalls. These weaknesses range from criticisms in certain areas of gameplay, to content additions, and more. But one ofDisney Dreamlight Valley’s most reasonable criticisms is unfortunately intertwined with the stigma that the simulation genre faces.
While video games can be played by anyone regardless of gender, the simulation genre has been deemed by some as “girly.” This is obviously a reductive, and sexist, way of viewing one of the most diverse video game genres, but the stigma around simulation and cozy games is very much real. Combining the simulation genre with Disney animation, which is of course known for its long run of profitable heroines and princesses, leads to a one-two-punch of “girly” contentin the form ofDisney Dreamlight Valley.Again, anyone can play any game as they see fit, but the fact remains thatDisney Dreamlight Valleyis viewed through this lens.
Disney Dreamlight Valley Is Neglecting Masculine and Gender-Neutral Clothing
In fact,Disney Dreamlight Valleyitself tends to target players with a preference for femininity. The number of masculine cosmetic items, like wigs, costumes, hats, and so forth, is significantly lower in comparison to items typically catered towards women. The lack of masculine clothing shows thatDisney Dreamlight Valleyis surprisingly non-inclusive, leaving players with masculine styles by the wayside. Even gender-neutral pieces areuncommon inDisney Dreamlight Valley, with the game heavily relying on the Disney princess franchise when it comes to designing clothing.
This is despite the fact that Disney properties could easily inspire masculine versions of these costumes. For example, rather than simply adding items inspired by Kristoff, a masculine blue suit to contrast with Elsa’s iconic blue gown could be a great option forDisney Dreamlight Valleyplayers that prefer masculine clothing while still givingFrozena nod.
ButDisney Dreamlight Valleymay not have to rely on Walt Disney Animation and Pixar Studios for inspiration when it comes to new masculine clothing. Aspart of the Wonderland Whimsy update, a set of Jedi robes, a lightsaber hand accessory with an accompanying photo pose, and R2D2 himself will be available for purchase in the Premium Shop.
Star Wars Content Could be the Catalyst for More Masculine Items
It would be unsurprising toseeDisney Dreamlight ValleyuseStar Warsas an avenue to fix the game’s lack of masculine pieces of clothing. After all, a significant number ofStar Warsheroes are male, making costumes inspired by the franchise’s icons, like Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, etc., logical clothing additions ifDisney Dreamlight Valleydecides to travel down this route.
Star Warsis also one of Disney’s biggest moneymakers. Sure,Disney Dreamlight Valleyhas yet to addany characters outside of Walt Disney Animation or Pixar Studios to its roster, but content inspired by properties outside these divisions is commonplace amongDisney Dreamlight Valley’s various clothing, furniture items, motifs, and more. It makes perfect sense thatDisney Dreamlight Valleyhas decided to capitalize on the popularity ofStar Wars, especially when its addition could easily alleviate the criticism the game faces over its lack of masculine clothing.
A more inspired take fromDisney Dreamlight Valley, like masculine designs inspired by female characters or even the Occam’s razor approach of making all clothing present inDisney Dreamlight Valleywearable for all regardless of an avatar’s gender, would arguably be better than simply adding a “boyish” property to the game. Nevertheless,the addition ofStar WarstoDisney Dreamlight Valleywill likely be popular and profitable. Hopefully, this attention will encourageDisney Dreamlight Valleyto add more masculine, and gender-neutral, clothing items to the hit simulation game.
