Bringing a Bikini to a swordfight (Girls and games)

[Vault101]

http://au.pc.ign.com/articles/114/1143124p1.html

I did a thread on the topic of Females in games a while back and this is really nothing new to anyone, but I think its an interesting article nonetheless

I found some of he comments a little annoying though (quote "...no one plays as female shepard" 20% of gamers dosn't count as no-one genius...)

and I know that alot of thease issues to affect both genders of charachters in games (particually body image)

 

[RatRace123]

Yeah I read that article too, they've got some decently intelligent people in the IGN offices, not on the comment boards, but that article brought up some really good points.

 

[Wakefield]

What a great article. Really made me think, and I agree with it (Really love the point about why people see Alyx as the love interest)

Then I read some of the comments... Do I even need to elaborate?

 

[SaetonChapelle]

As for the comments... mm...

I once read an article while getting my major about the media and how it relates to females and those of other races. In said article it states "is there a female or those of a different race in said form of media." If so, is there multiple? And if this is correct, do they converse with one another in an intellectual fashion. There were several others, but the point of it was if these categories didn't fit, than that form of media would not have any focal point toward anyone of those groups.

Now this is old, but I thought it was pretty interesting. I always tend to avoid the female characters in video games, and I'm a female myself. Many of the ones I have (not saying the majority, just the ones I seem to be collecting) have some of the most annoying, dumbest of my gender in existence. Kidnapped, horrible as assistance, or even just a grating, personality.

...sigh

 

[DustyDrB]

Yeah I read that article too, they've got some decently intelligent people in the IGN offices, not on the comment boards, but that article brought up some really good points.

Pretty hypocritical, though. They make that article and have this [http://stars.ign.com/] section of the site. I mean look at the headline for the third feature there. It just says "Boobs".

 

[Eri]

http://au.pc.ign.com/articles/114/1143124p1.html

I did a thread on the topic of Females in games a while back and this is really nothing new to anyone, but I think its an interesting article nonetheless

I found some of he comments a little annoying though (quote "...no one plays as female shepard" 20% of gamers dosn't count as no-one genius...)

and I know that alot of thease issues to affect both genders of charachters in games (particually body image)

It does count as no body when 80% chose the other option. Saying 20% is huge might be valid if there were more than 2 options, but there are not.

 

[RatRace123]

Pretty hypocritical, though. They make that article and have this [http://stars.ign.com/] section of the site. I mean look at the headline for the third feature there. It just says "Boobs".

I said they've got some decently intelligent people working there.

 

[migo]

I was able to think of 10 non sexualised female characters, but it was pretty hard. Mainly because when I looked at my game collection I just plain didn't see any female characters at all. Probably easier to think of sexualised ones too, but it is possible to name 10, unassisted.

 

[Paragon Fury]

I was able to think of 10 non sexualised female characters, but it was pretty hard. Mainly because when I looked at my game collection I just plain didn't see any female characters at all. Probably easier to think of sexualised ones too, but it is possible to name 10, unassisted.

Make a list of 10 non-sexual-ized male characters. Damn near impossible.

Even Gordan Freeman has that whole nerd-hot, savior of the world thing going on for him.

 

[Vault101]

http://au.pc.ign.com/articles/114/1143124p1.html

I did a thread on the topic of Females in games a while back and this is really nothing new to anyone, but I think its an interesting article nonetheless

I found some of he comments a little annoying though (quote "...no one plays as female shepard" 20% of gamers dosn't count as no-one genius...)

and I know that alot of thease issues to affect both genders of charachters in games (particually body image)

It does count as no body when 80% chose the other option. Saying 20% is huge might be valid if there were more than 2 options, but there are not.

while 20% may not count as much its pretty clear that there is a decent size of the fanbase who prefer a female shepard and to say that "nobody" plays as female shepard is annoying

 

[Eri]

http://au.pc.ign.com/articles/114/1143124p1.html

I did a thread on the topic of Females in games a while back and this is really nothing new to anyone, but I think its an interesting article nonetheless

I found some of he comments a little annoying though (quote "...no one plays as female shepard" 20% of gamers dosn't count as no-one genius...)

and I know that alot of thease issues to affect both genders of charachters in games (particually body image)

It does count as no body when 80% chose the other option. Saying 20% is huge might be valid if there were more than 2 options, but there are not.

while 20% may not count as much its pretty clear that there is a decent size of the fanbase who prefer a female shepard and to say that "nobody" plays as female shepard is annoying

I guess I could see that being annoying, but it's all semantics in the end anyway. For what it's worth, I have a female and male Shepard.

 

[FieryTrainwreck]

This topic always spurs a bunch of interesting thought experiments for me.

Like if I took Dragon Age, turned Morrigan and Leiliana into realistically proportioned women, and plopped it in front of my sister, would she be more interested in gaming? Would I be less interested?

Would the industry, as a whole, suffer any loss of sales if every female character lost 1-2 cup sizes and gained 50% more coverage? Does the obvious fixation on T&A actually accomplish anything palpable?

 

[migo]

I was able to think of 10 non sexualised female characters, but it was pretty hard. Mainly because when I looked at my game collection I just plain didn't see any female characters at all. Probably easier to think of sexualised ones too, but it is possible to name 10, unassisted.

Make a list of 10 non-sexual-ized male characters. Damn near impossible.

Even Gordan Freeman has that whole nerd-hot, savior of the world thing going on for him.

Depends on how you define sexualised. Everyone has a fetish for something, but here's my shot.

Khalid - Baldur's Gate (incidentally, Imoen was also a pick)
Mario
Luigi
E. Honda
Ethan Thomas - Condemned: Criminal Origins
Guybrush Threepwood
Zell Dincht - Final Fantasy VII
Alex Kidd
Edward Carnby
Rasputin - Psychonauts

That was only with named characters. It's easier with games where you choose your character's name.

 

[migo]

Good examples of realistic women in gaming: Alyx Vance

No.

Vance may not be any kind of Lara Croft, but she is still overly sexualised. Just presented in a different way- more subtle, a 'girl-next-door' sexual.

Besides which, this is all really, really old news, a topic of debate that has been absolutely done to death.

Yep, but, Alyx Vance also proves that the stereotype that men are slobbering lechers for big tits is bullshit.

 

[squid5580]

I swear to christfuck I am going to snap the next time I read "sex sells" when this topic comes up. Was Soul Calibur a popular fighting game because of Ivy's tits? No it was a good selling game because it is a good fuckin game. I am so sick and fucking tired of being classed as some pervert because developers understand the fundamental basics of their audience. We want to see things that are pleasing to the eye. Just like when we watch a movie or watch tv. So until every box cover is a bare of huge jiggly boobs you can take that sex sells and shove it up your ass. Because most of the time we aren't going to know about the game's awesome breast physics until WE BUY THE DAMN GAME AND PLAY IT.

 

[Tanis]

Um...it's a male dominated media.
Females with big boobs and overly visualized sexual, DUH.

Same reason why, for the most part, it's like 'Movie Bob' points out more than once...
Most cinema has been made for white boys...because white boys controlled it.

 

[TehCookie]

I swear to christfuck I am going to snap the next time I read "sex sells" when this topic comes up. Was Soul Calibur a popular fighting game because of Ivy's tits? No it was a good selling game because it is a good fuckin game. I am so sick and fucking tired of being classed as some pervert because developers understand the fundamental basics of their audience. We want to see things that are pleasing to the eye. Just like when we watch a movie or watch tv. So until every box cover is a bare of huge jiggly boobs you can take that sex sells and shove it up your ass. Because most of the time we aren't going to know about the game's awesome breast physics until WE BUY THE DAMN GAME AND PLAY IT.

That's because I'm guessing your a hetrosexual male. Now imagine all videogames star sparkly vampires, and a lot of the game has characters stripping for no reason other than to show their 6-pack. It still may be a good game but would you want to buy it, especially if you only looked at the cover and back? Even if you would now think of all your friends, especially if some are new to the medium.