Planet Arcadia examines arcade entertainment across the 20th century and looks at the current state of play, which has been shaped by the introduction of digital technologies. This segment examines the fascinating intersection between games and gender, drawing on a variety of talking heads from the arcade world: Disk Magazine editor Steve Polack, Computer Age journalist Lisa Mitchell, cinema studies lecturer Angela Ndalianis, and everyday players.

The experts reflect on how skewed social values can be coded into a game's manufacturing and, in turn, limit or influence the pool of players. Racist and sexist views can be built into the design of characters and the gameplay, while also entrenching stereotypical ideas of femininity and masculinity. With the rise of arcade fighting games Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter, the interviewees comment on a recent increase in fluidity when it comes to players and the avatars they select. A precursor to the boom in popularity of kickass action heroines in the 1990s and 2000s, female game avatars were growing popular among players, regardless of their gender.

The clip also reflects Planet Arcadia's bold visual quirks: during the interview segments, looping archival footage plays in the background, showing women shooting guns and strongmen from the past. The striking visuals reinforce the segment's point about the age-old strictures and surprising fluidity of gender roles.