While people of many cultures play video games, that diversity is not usually reflected in the games themselves. White male characters dominate in the majority of popular games, while non-white characters often play the traditional supporting roles of sidekick or villain or else are confined to a narrow range of genres.

A 2009 study by the USC Annenberg School for Communication, "The virtual census: representations of gender, race and age in video games. New Media Society," found that only 3 per cent of all video game characters were Hispanic, and none of those were "playable" characters. Nearly all other identifiable groups except white men were under-represented as well; one exception, African-American men, appeared in proportion to their presence in the population but were confined to a narrow range of game genres such as sports titles and games tied to celebrities such as 50 Cent. Another 2009 study, "Playing with Prejudice: The Prevalence and Consequences of Racial Stereotypes in Videogames," found that African-American characters were more likely to be represented as villains and were often given particularly frightening characteristics.
 
The interactivity of video games makes them a powerful medium for the negative messages that stereotypes can convey. Using the Talking to Kids About Racial Stereotypes handout (right sidebar) as a guide, parents should discuss negative racial portrayals with their children. Talk to them about what a stereotype is, why game developers use them, how racial stereotypes influence the way we perceive people from different ethnic backgrounds, and what steps can be taken to challenge negative portrayals.

By refusing to purchase or rent games that contain racial and gender stereotyping, consumers can send a powerful message to the industry. Raising awareness of the effect negative stereotyping could have on their bottom line may influence game developers to become more sensitive to negative portrayals in their games.