Grand Theft Auto IV promotes heteronormative hierarchical distinctions between femininity and masculinity through its framing of female and male bodies, its presentation of women as objects of the male gaze, and its encouragement of players to adopt and play a hypermasculine role. It is vitally important not to exclude race, gender, or sexuality from discussions of video games, because, as Leonard (2006, p. 84) states, this "contributes to problematic understanding, even defective, video games and their meanings. role in contemporary social, political, economic and cultural organization. Instead, as gamers, we need to engage in a conversation about video games and, as Jenkins writes, we need to "find a way to move beyond our existing categories and re-invent new kinds of games." virtual play spaces” (1999, p..