Does sexualization in video games really sells?

[WoahDan]

Its never been much of an influence on me, but I cant speak for other people.

Personally I don't think it is as much of a factor as marketing has convinced developers it is though,think about it of all the big sellers which actually have sex as a main focus? It just occurred to me that it's not actually all that many.

HALO? Nope, Cortana's cheescakification is as sexual as it gets and she's on-screen for like 10 minutes total across all the games. COD:MW/BO? Nope, albeit that's because there are no women in the games full stop. Gears? I haven't played Gears so couldn't say, but from what I have seen not really. Skyrim? Nope,at least not in the game as it was released. Mario/anything Nintendo releases? Big Nope. Almost all casual games? Nope. Minecraft? Nope. Half-Life? Undertones but its not a focus. Pac-Man? Nope. Tetris? Nope. Sonic? Not in any of the games that count. Kinect adventures? Nope. The Sims? Present, but not what I would call a focus. Gran Turismo? (which I didn't realise is as popular as it is) Nope. FIFA? Nope. Damn near all sports games for that matter? Nope. Angry Birds (which I refuse to believe is that popular, according to wiki it has sold more than every non-casual game combined)? Nope. Final Fantasy? Nope,romance yeah but sex itself? Not really, not in any of the ones that have sold enough to make this list anyway.

I just went through Wikipedia's list of best selling video-games and the only 'big' franchises (which I define as containing a game that has broken double-didget millions)that contain sex as a main focus are: GTA (no surprise), and possibly Final Fantasy (which I don't count). It seems to me that sex is the refuge of the second stringer, your games that still need to attract more customers, the truly big names don't need that shit.

Wow, this industry is much less sexualised than I had realised, score one for gaming I guess.

 

[Vault101]

the oral scene in Secret world didn't affect my decision to purchase at all.....AT ALL *cough*

 

[Master_of_Oldskool]

I seem to recall a study saying sexualized marketing actually decreases the likelihood of a sale, because the consumer will typically go "Ooh! Boobs! (Or possibly abs, but we're speaking specifically about games here, and do you know of any developers who market their games by sexualizing male characters?)" and then forget what the product was, having been too distracted by the sexy to notice the product itself. Of course, I found that study through a Cracked article, so it's probably best to take that with great fistfulls of salt.

 

[chadachada123]

I think that it doesn't work, because I'm personally somewhat insulted and turned off by the majority of sexualized game covers;

 

[Zhukov]

I don't know if it sells (I would love to see some numbers on this... somehow).

However, it sure as hell does gain attention and in the world of marketing that's kinda the next best thing to a guaranteed sale.

Let's face it fellas, if you're browsing a shelf or looking down a list of games and one of them has a hot (or attempted hot) chick on the cover wearing three postage stamps and some string then you'll look at it and you'll probably read the title. You might roll your eyes, you might think "oh come on, that is such blatant pandering", you might resolve to never buy a game that has to resort to such cheap tricks, but when all is said and done, your eye will be stopped, if only for a moment.

 

[Some_weirdGuy]

I guess it might work on the principal that if something gets peoples attention enough that they'lll pick it up off the shelf, even if it's only their dick that told them to do it, that it's more likely to then get bought then a game that doesn't even get a second glance.

('any publicity is good publicity' type mentality, and i guess it must work to some degree otherwise it wouldn't keep getting used?)

 

[Olas]

If anything I'm generally deterred by games with scantily clad females thrown in without good reason. It's just low brow in my opinion and usually indicates that the game is lacking in one or more other departments, therefore trying to use bewbies to compensate for it's overall shittyness. So ya, I avoid those games like the plague. I'm pretty much asexual though so take that with a grain of pepper

 

[clippen05]

Bayonetta, Something with an "O" Bikini samurai, and the recent Lollypop Chainsaw. I'd say it sells. Flameshield up before people tell me they liked the gameplay of those games (Maybe in Bayonetta but the other two... eh... but then again, I haven't played them)

 

[SenseOfTumour]

Sure it gets attention, but, as with BMX XXX, if said titties are attached to a bucket of shit, it's not going to guarantee sales.

I would however, suggest that this stuff will increase as we move more into online stores, as people will be able to buy gratuitously pervy games without the shame of queueing up at the store to buy Leisure Suit Larry or Lollipop Chainsaw.

I don't know if shame it putting it too strongly, but I'd be kinda embarrassed to buy Lollipop Chainsaw in a regular store, even if it's a great game, it's hard not to look like you're buying something for the tits.