Are sexualised women in games insulting to male audiences too?
- Thread starter Prometherion
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Hell yes it is insulting, I tire of seeing sex selling things not actual quality. I want an epic and involving story or some fun game play, not females with ridiculous anatomy.
It's doubly annoying when it's a genuinely good game but they still slip the sexualisation in there, it make you feel embarassed for enjoying the game since everyone will think you're in it for the tits. /sigh
It's doubly annoying when it's a genuinely good game but they still slip the sexualisation in there, it make you feel embarassed for enjoying the game since everyone will think you're in it for the tits. /sigh
To quote Moviebob, Aesthetic beauty does NOT equal ObjectificationPrometherion said:
Well yeah, sex sells. so does fear, guns and Robert Pattinson, what makes boobs so different?
You have fallen into the same trap your railing against. by going on about things being condescending, you too are treating women as objects, to be set aside and respected. I'll get to the point; Do you know what kind of person complains about sex in vidjagames? stupid ones, ones with ridiculous opinions that are based around their own self inflation, the kind of person that thinks they can write a self defense book because they don't get attacked everyday, deluded enough to believe that it is because they are special, but too stupid to realize they are making a fool of themselves. these people get media attention BECAUSE they are making a fool of themselves, and people even stupider listen and then follow suit. this is how this shit started.
boobs, are BOOBS, men like them because it is their goddamn predefined job to like them(if you aren't straight don't take offense, I'm not trying to shove everybody into a box here). Businessfolk paying a well trained 3d modeler money to feed his family to make a rockin' set of tits is OK, and them putting tits on their box art for people to see to boost their sales so their games don't suck so much next year, that's OK too. (want evidence? SouthPeak have actually gotten pretty damn good these days).
Know what's not OK? THIS.
This infuriating campaign against the "over sexualized" video games that everybody seems to think is a massive call by the shadow patriarchy in order to completely degrade women and push up their sales to dumbfounded drooling men. Let me ask you a question: Would you have had a problem with this if there wasn't so much media controversy surrounding sex in video games?
So to wrap things up, no, no no no, no, no no. You need to evolve past this idea that sex=bad and take a perspective look on your opinion of women. there are plenty of "normal" women in video games, if you haven't come across them then why are you on The Escapist? Alex Vance, or Jade from beyond good and evil, well known, how about Alexandra Roivas? (eternal darkness).
Maybe, just once. I would like hear an article on "parent of five and famous anti-sex-in-games member, realizes that nobody gives a fuck."
Ideally speaking, sexualized women and men have their place in games as they add as much to the variety of the cast as any other type of character.
However, nowadays they're just used as cheap tease porns to suck in the audience that gets a boner when it just sees a female looking in their general direction, and I don't like to feel like I'm part of this target group. Porn has its place, but not in the games I want to play. Well, maybe it would have if the game was centered around it, but the characters we talk about here are used for entirely different reasons, I think I don't need to narrow it down like a lawyer so no loopholes pop up, you all have an idea of what I'm talking about.
I enjoy my female characters that are equal to men, to the point where nobody has to ever prove in any way that they're as capable as the other gender. Pointless objectification is flat-out disrespectful in my opinion. Doesn't matter which gender, but women are more often struck by this for reasons that are boring to list and I think we can all think of enough reasons. And they are pointless. Just for marketing strategies mostly. It's happened often enough that there was a superb game, movie or whatever, but at some point there's a pointless sex scene someone edited in, hoping someone would buy it for this. Think of the huge Mass Effect deal. Tho I partly doubt Bioware planned on doing it like this.
So, yeah, it's insulting and I wish we could all grow up and produce some kick-ass female characters that are neither tomboys nor some stupid high-heel-wearing lipstick-smearing whip-users. We need more characters like Zoey from L4D in my opinion, that had a good mix.
However, nowadays they're just used as cheap tease porns to suck in the audience that gets a boner when it just sees a female looking in their general direction, and I don't like to feel like I'm part of this target group. Porn has its place, but not in the games I want to play. Well, maybe it would have if the game was centered around it, but the characters we talk about here are used for entirely different reasons, I think I don't need to narrow it down like a lawyer so no loopholes pop up, you all have an idea of what I'm talking about.
I enjoy my female characters that are equal to men, to the point where nobody has to ever prove in any way that they're as capable as the other gender. Pointless objectification is flat-out disrespectful in my opinion. Doesn't matter which gender, but women are more often struck by this for reasons that are boring to list and I think we can all think of enough reasons. And they are pointless. Just for marketing strategies mostly. It's happened often enough that there was a superb game, movie or whatever, but at some point there's a pointless sex scene someone edited in, hoping someone would buy it for this. Think of the huge Mass Effect deal. Tho I partly doubt Bioware planned on doing it like this.
So, yeah, it's insulting and I wish we could all grow up and produce some kick-ass female characters that are neither tomboys nor some stupid high-heel-wearing lipstick-smearing whip-users. We need more characters like Zoey from L4D in my opinion, that had a good mix.
I would say yes they are, but the relative difference in damage done (arguably) renders that line of inquiry somewhat moot. It is certainly insulting to most gamers, but then sex in the media sells, and game companies have historic precedent to back that up, unfortunately. Things with the major companies seem to be shifting, however.
And to others, no one is denying that men are not sexualized in video games (many characters are), but again, the relative damage done could be argued to be less than when it is done to women, given the historic nature of sexualized imagery in the media and how it has, for the most part, been incredibly problematic for women, and less so for men. Certainly, I think it could be argued that the pressure to look a certain way is felt less by men, as a general rule (how many fat husbands get paired with hot wives in sit-coms, for example).
It isn't an easy subject to take on without stepping on someone's toes though, and I am sure I am inviting a slew of anger unto myself, since there seems to be this strange trend of men these days getting all up in arms over slight victimizations that are perceived to be some sort of epidemic against men, at the hands of all these evil feminists. But then again, I'm cynical.
And to others, no one is denying that men are not sexualized in video games (many characters are), but again, the relative damage done could be argued to be less than when it is done to women, given the historic nature of sexualized imagery in the media and how it has, for the most part, been incredibly problematic for women, and less so for men. Certainly, I think it could be argued that the pressure to look a certain way is felt less by men, as a general rule (how many fat husbands get paired with hot wives in sit-coms, for example).
It isn't an easy subject to take on without stepping on someone's toes though, and I am sure I am inviting a slew of anger unto myself, since there seems to be this strange trend of men these days getting all up in arms over slight victimizations that are perceived to be some sort of epidemic against men, at the hands of all these evil feminists. But then again, I'm cynical.
With how easy a Google search for boobs will render you any shape and size of ta-ta's you want to see, You would think developers would kinda lay off a bit.See the new Tomb Raider.However just cause a woman has large breasts doesn't mean they are over sexualized.Its what they are wearing that does that.
Bayonetta is a good example of a game that I keep hearing good things about, but the over sexualization makes it hard for to go out and get it. The whole pandering thing makes me uncomfortable and makes not want to play it because I'd rather not have to try explain why I'm playing it for the game and not the chick who gets naked to use her powers.
It bothers me when it's handled poorly. Women can be sexy without being complete caricatures of a bad porn video.
It sure offends me!
even if being offended by the masses of idiots who'll buy terrible games on the authority of tits makes me pretentious
but the hoppip in me
D) says dont worry, these games aren't taken seriously!
the fact that they're every one i know of is terrible just shows that people who buy games for sex appeal are in the minority
Aditional:
even if being offended by the masses of idiots who'll buy terrible games on the authority of tits makes me pretentious
but the hoppip in me
D) says dont worry, these games aren't taken seriously!the fact that they're every one i know of is terrible just shows that people who buy games for sex appeal are in the minority
Aditional:
well saidsravankb said:
It's not that many games that has this kind of sexualisation, its just the mainstream consoley rubbish that has this as it sells like hotcakes in the US to the 9-15 yr olds that play on their Failbox.
Men can access this in much easier ways.
I did get very annoyed that every boss in mgs4 was some young Teen boobgirl. That was just stupid, i kind of overlooked it as some Japanese perv trick, as they seem to do that alot in their mediums.
I don't have a problem with characters looking good in games, but when they over exaggerate the angles and cutscenes its just annoying.
God of war shows that sexs obviously sells. But i dont resent that game as it has historical relevance and fit pretty well into the setting.
Mgs 4 bosses all being young girls and being War veterans and child soldiers, is just batshit insane.
mgs 3 tho with Eve fit pretty nicely and did not provoke me.
Men can access this in much easier ways.
I did get very annoyed that every boss in mgs4 was some young Teen boobgirl. That was just stupid, i kind of overlooked it as some Japanese perv trick, as they seem to do that alot in their mediums.
I don't have a problem with characters looking good in games, but when they over exaggerate the angles and cutscenes its just annoying.
God of war shows that sexs obviously sells. But i dont resent that game as it has historical relevance and fit pretty well into the setting.
Mgs 4 bosses all being young girls and being War veterans and child soldiers, is just batshit insane.
mgs 3 tho with Eve fit pretty nicely and did not provoke me.
It's not only insulting, it's completely useless. Tits can't make a bad game better.
Look at some of the more iconic women in games; Alyx Vance, FemShep, Jedi Exile, Samus Aran, etc.
They don't need breasts with the displacement of a WWII frigate to be awesome, quite the opposite. (Yes the ZeroSuit, is basically spray-paint but w/e most of the time Samus is in power armor.)
And it's not just video games that struggle with this. Go look at Games Workshop's products. Right now. 80% of them are white males. The Sisters of Battle's "power armor" looks more like a leather corset.
But to get back on the subject at hand, I don't even think over-sexualised women help game sales, quite the opposite. More often than not they're there to cover up for poor game design. People talk about how the actual game is terrible and the few that wants it for "LOLTITSKTHXBY" just pirates it instead.
On a side-note, I have yet to be disappointed by a game character voiced by Jennifer Hale.
Look at some of the more iconic women in games; Alyx Vance, FemShep, Jedi Exile, Samus Aran, etc.
They don't need breasts with the displacement of a WWII frigate to be awesome, quite the opposite. (Yes the ZeroSuit, is basically spray-paint but w/e most of the time Samus is in power armor.)
And it's not just video games that struggle with this. Go look at Games Workshop's products. Right now. 80% of them are white males. The Sisters of Battle's "power armor" looks more like a leather corset.
But to get back on the subject at hand, I don't even think over-sexualised women help game sales, quite the opposite. More often than not they're there to cover up for poor game design. People talk about how the actual game is terrible and the few that wants it for "LOLTITSKTHXBY" just pirates it instead.
On a side-note, I have yet to be disappointed by a game character voiced by Jennifer Hale.
I don't mind there being sexy girls in games, I do mind them being sexy to sell the game.
See, a character can be sexy but fit into the game with "sexy" as a characteristic that makes up a part of her.
When it's her sole defining characteristic, I get turned off, big time.
See, a character can be sexy but fit into the game with "sexy" as a characteristic that makes up a part of her.
When it's her sole defining characteristic, I get turned off, big time.
Sexualization isn't insulting to anyone[footnote]Well, maybe some conservative Christians or something.[/footnote], objectification is.
They really aren't the same thing. Bayonetta was literally sexualized to hell and back, yet she was written as a character who was only empowered by it, who remained in control all the way, aggressively pursuing her own desires. Female sexuality done right, depicted as completely equal to the male one.
Meaningless tripe like X-blades is of course insulting to everyone. I knew better than to buy stuff like that when I was 12.
They really aren't the same thing. Bayonetta was literally sexualized to hell and back, yet she was written as a character who was only empowered by it, who remained in control all the way, aggressively pursuing her own desires. Female sexuality done right, depicted as completely equal to the male one.
Meaningless tripe like X-blades is of course insulting to everyone. I knew better than to buy stuff like that when I was 12.
I don't have a problem with sexualized female characters in videogames. The problem for me comes when that is all there is to the character. Having a character who is just there to jiggle her breasts and ass at the player is where I, as a player, get annoyed. I want some character to the characters. Having a character who is more than just a set of T&A combined with jiggle physics. I want someone with a character, someone I can relate to not a not purely visual, physical level.
Being a heterosexual female. jiggling boobs and butts do nothing for me. You know what does? The Characters from Team Fortress 2. Why? They have personality. I have seen the Machinima videos, and they give the characters a world of background and yes, character, that make them attractive to me (not all of them, I will admit). I'd take them over jiggleboob physics girl with enormous ta-tas #2067 any day.
Being a heterosexual female. jiggling boobs and butts do nothing for me. You know what does? The Characters from Team Fortress 2. Why? They have personality. I have seen the Machinima videos, and they give the characters a world of background and yes, character, that make them attractive to me (not all of them, I will admit). I'd take them over jiggleboob physics girl with enormous ta-tas #2067 any day.
It's obvious that a game aimed at young men is going to have lots of sexy women. I don't take videogames seriously and I don't take developers' often half-assed and transparent efforts to seem cool seriously, either.
