I'm super depressed about sexism in gaming...

[Demongeneral109]

Actually, women are pretty under-represented in the industry. There's a lot of women playing games, but not so much making them. Needless to say, there should be more.

I'm pretty sure that a disparity that exists in the computer sciences in general... But since gaming is a more widespread thing its more noticeable. This is more a society thing than a gamer only issue; honestly, i'm pretty sure that the social stereotypes about gamers re-enforce the community bias' in terms of sex; it will balance out eventually. People don't realize that gaming is still a relatively young medium.. even tv was preceded by the cinema, give it a few years.

 

[RedDeadFred]

So umm yeah, this deserved a thread? Yeah, we get it. I think we ALL get it by now, I could have sworn I've seen this posted so many times.

Yes, yes we have. So many times now that I really don't know why I clicked on the topic. The only thing different about this thread and the hundreds of others like it is the title.

 

[Lyri]

No need to crucify you. Seriously, no need to be dramatic. Mistakes are mistakes. I make them too

I do feel a little dumb arguing about agreeing with you.

 

[cherubicwindigo]

No, this kind of thread will NEVER be posted too often. It can only be posted too little, until true equality prevails, at least in the gaming world. I think we still have a little bit of growing to do before that happens, now don't we? Personally, I'm done being depressed. I've been gaming regularly for twelve years but I only ever received harassment and honest-to-god stalking after Xbox Live took off (and I started being honest about my gender). Having to come out of the female gamer closet was one thing, every single damned day I have to deal with some kind of harassment or read about sexism in the industry, or straight-up bigoted articles splashed on major websites. Which is "fun" since my job is to be in the know and I have to wade through that garbage every day. I might have gotten this completely wrong, but aren't games supposed to actually be fun? Did I miss the point?

I am a grown adult person. I would never let anyone get away with being bigoted to my face, for any reason. The cretins who hide behind the internet aren't the ones who upset me, they are damaged and I truly pity them. I'm angry with those apathetic gamers who are pissed at *me* for "being sensitive" about rape/death threats. They're pissed at me for wanting sexually attractive males (from a female perspective) and less hypersexualized female characters. I'm bisexual, I LOVE women but I'm not personally attracted to something that doesn't look human, it's so characterized. I don't want other people to go without their fun, that's not at all what I or anyone wants. We want fracking equality, and for that I'm a "femnazi" I "hate men" (which is ridiculous because I'm feminist) or, best of all, I somehow have loads of free time to study video games just so I can then use more free time to pretend to play them to impress people online... Dammit, I still can't understand that one. What exactly are they accusing us of? I'm literally a genius and I still can't see a shred of logic in that particular jab.

I know for a fact this issue will end someday, it is unavoidable. I still don't have to be happy and silent and wait for sexism to end. It is my job, and the job of all people to speak, scream and sing the injustices of the world until it's equal and nothing will stop me. I will not be silenced because someone posts my address on gametrailers. I will not be convinced that I am less than wonderful because I'm too attractive to be smart or not attractive enough to deserve respect. I'm lucky enough to have grown up and seen the hypocrisy of the patriarchal society who tells me if I shut and be pretty no one will hurt me. I was quiet and I'm very pretty but men hurt me more when they knew I wouldn't tell anyone. Ask my freshman year boyfriend about breaking my finger off the knuckle. That killed my gaming life for a while. Are all men guilty because my dad and two males I dated are abusive to woman? NO! MEN ARE AMAZING BECAUSE *PEOPLE* ARE AMAZING!

Nobody, lest of all me, blames the young white men of this day and age for slavery, patriarchy, or even the current laws discriminating against homosexuals. What they should be responsible for is recognizing that straight white man they don't experience discrimination on the same scale as women and people of color and homosexuals (or the culmination, god help them, homosexual women of color). Would a little, tiny bit of empathy kill you? Would *trying* to look at things from my perspective kill you? Life would be easier if I was a man, statistically. I probably wouldn't have to carry pepper spray to guard against rapists or several forms of identification and a well-practiced smile for the times a male cop pulls me over and questions me about my sex life. Special. Ah, the memories. I could go on about all the times men have hurt me, but women hurt people too, just as much. BECAUSE ALL PEOPLE ARE THE SAME, DUH! People are wonderful and people are terrible. Those in-betweens, those "everybody is so PC these days", those "it's a free country and hate speech is protected" people, they are the ones that scare me. I know why horrible people are horrible. I don't know why so many more people are completely dismissive of my feels, like I'm not even... a person.

I have to deal with sexism in real life like strangers assaulting me, grabbing me, and harrassing/cat calling me and (very special indeed) asking me for date while I'm AT WORK. I shouldn't have to EVER deal with it when I'm trying to have fun. Those who tell me I should "expect it", "get used to it", or just "stop being so sensitive" (because someone called him f*g and a p*ssy once and completely ignored the fact that those insults are slurs against other non-straight-male groups and imply that anything not white, male and straight is "wrong" or "inferior"). I can't only imagine that those people have lived such wonderful, charmed, perfect lives that they can't even comprehend how bad it feels to be discriminated against and dismissed. Little secret, it makes a person feel like giving up and committing suicide rather than live in a world that is so cruel and unbalanced. Because this piddly little sexism we see in the West is nothing compared to what women face in developing and third world countries. Hundreds of thousands of little girls have the genitals cut of sewn up so that they can remain "pure" for their husband (who will not be of her choosing so basically he's her slave owner and rapist for life). Hundreds of thousands of women cannot work, drive, own property, and certainly never express their opinion or they will be 'silenced'. In many places raping or beating a woman isn't illegal and it's perfectly accepted for a husband (ie: slave owner) to 'punish' his wife in any way, even kill her.

You want to know why I have to "complain" so much about the 'small' amount of sexism I face? BECAUSE I CAN! The moment I allow bigots to take away my words, I've already died.

 

[Troublesome Lagomorph]

And you needed to make a thread about this?
All this has been gone over in multiple threads already. We've all been waiting for this to die down so we could go back to talking about something else. This isn't helping.
But as I'm here:
1) It IS some guys. Not all of them. "Vocal minority" blah blah blah.
2) You don't have to justify anything. If people don't buy it, its their problem.
3) Its still seen as a male dominated market. Gotta make some noise, and make it so that you prove that you're a big enough demographic for them to want to let in. Easier said than done, yeah, but it still has to be done or nothing will change. Change isn't just girl's duty, it isn't just men's duty: both have to work for change. For men, its to not be a dick, for girls to make sure they're known and interact with men enough that they become comfortable with it.
4) I think its less "how dare a woman tell us what we're doing wrong!" and more "how dare someone tell us gaming sucks!"
5) I agree, it is stupid to suggest a solution is segregating games.
6) Sucks that girls aren't comfortable at cons. The only way that will change, though, is if men become comfortable with women being their gaming partners. That will have to come later.
Edit: Also: Racism. I often hear that girls don't like to make their presence known because people will be jerks, but same can be said about people with accents. I have a friend who people would always tell him he was a filthy spick/wetback **** and to get off the net whenever he'd speak in game.

 

[wulf3n]

All this has been gone over in multiple threads already. We've all been waiting for this to die down so we could go back to talking about something else.
...
Its still seen as a male dominated market. Gotta make some noise, and make it so that you prove that you're a big enough demographic for them to want to let in. Easier said than done, yeah, but it still has to be done or nothing will change. Change isn't just girl's duty, it isn't just men's duty: both have to work for change. For men, its to not be a dick, for girls to make sure they're known and interact with men enough that they become comfortable with it.

You do realise these two points contradict each other?

 

[Troublesome Lagomorph]

All this has been gone over in multiple threads already. We've all been waiting for this to die down so we could go back to talking about something else.
...
Its still seen as a male dominated market. Gotta make some noise, and make it so that you prove that you're a big enough demographic for them to want to let in. Easier said than done, yeah, but it still has to be done or nothing will change. Change isn't just girl's duty, it isn't just men's duty: both have to work for change. For men, its to not be a dick, for girls to make sure they're known and interact with men enough that they become comfortable with it.

You do realise these two points contradict each other?

I'm saying that its what they have to do. I'm also saying that I'm sick and tired of these damn threads. Basically, what they have to do and what I prefer are not the same.
Also: sexism threads on the Escapist probably won't do a thing anyway.

 

[Denamic]

Lastly the existence of female cons like 'Geek Girl Con' do not prove that 'men should be allowed to exclude women too' They are only there because women feel like they cannot be part of the main scene. If you look at pictures of those cons, sure they aren't as busy as the main cons but there is a significantly different amount of women you see there and in the pictures from the main cons. That is disturbing to me. It suggests that women feel like the main gaming cons aren't relevant or just plain hostile to them.

I understand that male dominated events can be alienating or even intimidating for women, but women not attending them is part of why that is in the first place. And creating cons specifically only for women while denying the right for men to do the same thing is segregation, the most aggressive form of sexism. It isn't productive to tackle a problem by avoiding it and creating a different, possibly bigger problem in the process. Not to mention that the original problem still exists.

 

[wulf3n]

I'm saying that its what they have to do. I'm also saying that I'm sick and tired of these damn threads. Basically, what they have to do and what I prefer are not the same.

So you're saying you disagree with your own opinion?

 

[BRex21]

No, this kind of thread will NEVER be posted too often. It can only be posted too little, until true equality prevails, at least in the gaming world. I think we still have a little bit of growing to do before that happens, now don't we? Personally, I'm done being depressed. I've been gaming regularly for twelve years but I only ever received harassment and honest-to-god stalking after Xbox Live took off (and I started being honest about my gender). Having to come out of the female gamer closet was one thing, every single damned day I have to deal with some kind of harassment or read about sexism in the industry, or straight-up bigoted articles splashed on major websites. Which is "fun" since my job is to be in the know and I have to wade through that garbage every day. I might have gotten this completely wrong, but aren't games supposed to actually be fun? Did I miss the point?

I am a grown adult person. I would never let anyone get away with being bigoted to my face, for any reason. The cretins who hide behind the internet aren't the ones who upset me, they are damaged and I truly pity them. I'm angry with those apathetic gamers who are pissed at *me* for "being sensitive" about rape/death threats. They're pissed at me for wanting sexually attractive males (from a female perspective) and less hypersexualized female characters. I'm bisexual, I LOVE women but I'm not personally attracted to something that doesn't look human, it's so characterized. I don't want other people to go without their fun, that's not at all what I or anyone wants. We want fracking equality, and for that I'm a "femnazi" I "hate men" (which is ridiculous because I'm feminist) or, best of all, I somehow have loads of free time to study video games just so I can then use more free time to pretend to play them to impress people online... Dammit, I still can't understand that one. What exactly are they accusing us of? I'm literally a genius and I still can't see a shred of logic in that particular jab.

I know for a fact this issue will end someday, it is unavoidable. I still don't have to be happy and silent and wait for sexism to end. It is my job, and the job of all people to speak, scream and sing the injustices of the world until it's equal and nothing will stop me. I will not be silenced because someone posts my address on gametrailers. I will not be convinced that I am less than wonderful because I'm too attractive to be smart or not attractive enough to deserve respect. I'm lucky enough to have grown up and seen the hypocrisy of the patriarchal society who tells me if I shut and be pretty no one will hurt me. I was quiet and I'm very pretty but men hurt me more when they knew I wouldn't tell anyone. Ask my freshman year boyfriend about breaking my finger off the knuckle. That killed my gaming life for a while. Are all men guilty because my dad and two males I dated are abusive to woman? NO! MEN ARE AMAZING BECAUSE *PEOPLE* ARE AMAZING!

Nobody, lest of all me, blames the young white men of this day and age for slavery, patriarchy, or even the current laws discriminating against homosexuals. What they should be responsible for is recognizing that straight white man they don't experience discrimination on the same scale as women and people of color and homosexuals (or the culmination, god help them, homosexual women of color). Would a little, tiny bit of empathy kill you? Would *trying* to look at things from my perspective kill you? Life would be easier if I was a man, statistically. I probably wouldn't have to carry pepper spray to guard against rapists or several forms of identification and a well-practiced smile for the times a male cop pulls me over and questions me about my sex life. Special. Ah, the memories. I could go on about all the times men have hurt me, but women hurt people too, just as much. BECAUSE ALL PEOPLE ARE THE SAME, DUH! People are wonderful and people are terrible. Those in-betweens, those "everybody is so PC these days", those "it's a free country and hate speech is protected" people, they are the ones that scare me. I know why horrible people are horrible. I don't know why so many more people are completely dismissive of my feels, like I'm not even... a person.

I have to deal with sexism in real life like strangers assaulting me, grabbing me, and harrassing/cat calling me and (very special indeed) asking me for date while I'm AT WORK. I shouldn't have to EVER deal with it when I'm trying to have fun. Those who tell me I should "expect it", "get used to it", or just "stop being so sensitive" (because someone called him f*g and a p*ssy once and completely ignored the fact that those insults are slurs against other non-straight-male groups and imply that anything not white, male and straight is "wrong" or "inferior"). I can't only imagine that those people have lived such wonderful, charmed, perfect lives that they can't even comprehend how bad it feels to be discriminated against and dismissed. Little secret, it makes a person feel like giving up and committing suicide rather than live in a world that is so cruel and unbalanced. Because this piddly little sexism we see in the West is nothing compared to what women face in developing and third world countries. Hundreds of thousands of little girls have the genitals cut of sewn up so that they can remain "pure" for their husband (who will not be of her choosing so basically he's her slave owner and rapist for life). Hundreds of thousands of women cannot work, drive, own property, and certainly never express their opinion or they will be 'silenced'. In many places raping or beating a woman isn't illegal and it's perfectly accepted for a husband (ie: slave owner) to 'punish' his wife in any way, even kill her.

You want to know why I have to "complain" so much about the 'small' amount of sexism I face? BECAUSE I CAN! The moment I allow bigots to take away my words, I've already died.

I feel the need to beat this dead horse just a little bit further, i cant sleep anyway. In America, you are not statistically more at risk being a woman. The most recent National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) which can be seen right here: http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/nisvs_report2010-a.pdf Page 18 and 19 respectively
showed near parity between women and men forced into sex the difference being that a woman forcing a man to have sex is "other sexual violence" of course this does not count prison rape, which is estimated at around 260,000 a year.
For decades now domestic violence studies have shown parity for years, when analyzing more factors studies usually show women are MORE likely to be an abuser like this one from harvard: http://newscastmedia.com/harvard_study.htm
Yet men get no resources or protection and if they call the police there is a high likelihood THEY will be arrested. Yet when men are victims of both of these things, its either a big joke, or they must have wanted it. Oh and lets not forget that several states will still jail a minor if he was raped by a 30 year old adult woman and cant pay his child support from the resulting offspring.
men are also far more likely to experience virtually every other form of violence from Murders to Muggings yet both of these get special support for women above and beyond what they share with men.
Homelessness, workplace deaths, suicides all disproportionately affect men to an extreme degree yet all have disproportionate amounts of additional support for women.
You bring up the hundreds of thousands of women in the world who get their genitals cut while the USA is launching a campaign to cut up nearly 30 million healthy penises. Much of this in unsanitary third world conditions and often against the will of the victim. But this doesn't matter because girls have it worse, so this can be ignored right?
In fact in the Congo, rape of men is a common tactic:
http://world.time.com/2011/08/03/rape-as-a-weapon-of-war-men-suffer-too/
http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2011/05/do-we-have-the-congo-rape-crisis-all-wrong/239328/
of course its only 22% as opposed to 30%, this TOTALLY justifies the UN putting limits on what aid can be given to men by the few agencies that will offer support and it especially justifies UN sanctioned facilities turning them over to government authorities who will execute them for the crime of homosexuality.

As for me, a person who is guilty of talking with male abuse victims on campus, I have faced threats, harassment and assault. The police wont respond the campus itself ignores it but at least my car insurance company cares as they do a wonderful job tracking down the vandals. Y'know why I keep going? because a few months ago i spoke at the funeral of a man who I only knew online from chats we had about once a month. a man who after facing repeated sexual assaults from someone close to him, who was completely cut out by his friends and family who discarded him like a broken toy and decided life was not worth living. and it pisses me off. Especially when I see people like you speaking about this magical privilege which protects me and men like me. Especially when i see people who say "you don't experience the same discrimination" or "Would *trying* to look at things from my perspective kill you?" because i know that people like you, who pretend to be all enlightened are just as bigoted as the people you hate so much, people like you who cant let anything get in the way that women are the "one true victim class"

 

[Troublesome Lagomorph]

I'm saying that its what they have to do. I'm also saying that I'm sick and tired of these damn threads. Basically, what they have to do and what I prefer are not the same.

So you're saying you disagree with your own opinion?

No, I'm saying that I don't think discussing it here will do anything, and as such think its a waste of time and that we should quit it and go talk about something else.

 

[wulf3n]

No, I'm saying that I don't think discussing it here will do anything, and as such think its a waste of time and that we should quit it and go talk about something else.

So why post in the first place? can't you see the absurdity of perpetuating a topic you wish to see gone?

You bring up the hundreds of thousands of women in the world who get their genitals cut while the USA is launching a campaign to cut up nearly 30 million healthy penises. Much of this in unsanitary third world conditions and often against the will of the victim. But this doesn't matter because girls have it worse, so this can be ignored right?

I assume you're talking about circumcision? I'm not from the US so I don't know the campaign of which you speak, so correct me if I'm wrong...

I don't know if the two acts are really comparable. Don't get me wrong I'm all for the abolition of involuntary circumcision, but one is done in a misguided attempt to help prevent disease, and the other is done as a means of control and oppression.

 

[itsthesheppy]

I'm saying that its what they have to do. I'm also saying that I'm sick and tired of these damn threads. Basically, what they have to do and what I prefer are not the same.

So you're saying you disagree with your own opinion?

No, I'm saying that I don't think discussing it here will do anything, and as such think its a waste of time and that we should quit it and go talk about something else.

You know, nobody is forcing you to post or even read these threads. The title was very clear about what the content was; it was your own choice to poke your head in and read. Perhaps you're not as sick and tired of these threads as you claim.

Spoiler: It's certainly not like the problem is going away.

 

[Treblaine]

.

Lastly the existence of female cons like 'Geek Girl Con' do not prove that 'men should be allowed to exclude women too' They are only there because women feel like they cannot be part of the main scene. If you look at pictures of those cons, sure they aren't as busy as the main cons but there is a significantly different amount of women you see there and in the pictures from the main cons. That is disturbing to me. It suggests that women feel like the main gaming cons aren't relevant or just plain hostile to them.

I don't support segregating women from Game Cons, but I think your making assumptions about what these women(who are we talking about exactly?) are there for.

Well I don't think it's the kind of segregation you're thinking of there, they're not going to go make their own 'girly con' with shirtless firemen and beefy spacemarines, (also Gaymercon oh geez I can't remember the name, don't lynch me.. Keep that con in mind as well because it's pretty much the same sort of community feel they're going for here.) I guess it's more about feeling comfortable in that space, feeling that it's a space where they are safe from the criticism, stares and sexism that comes with attending normal cons. Hmm it's kind of the same dealy as those women only train cars in Japan etc. It's less about a 'no boys' club and more about a place where women are free to relax and not constantly be on edge and watching out for gropers or men trying to take pictures of you constantly (trust me I've been there..). I guess for the while a 'girlcon' is a good temporary solution until the industry and community grow up a bit and learn that women make up to 40% of the gaming population. (sorry if this seems aggro and ranty this issue really annoys the everloving crap out of me)
Also I'll add last time I heard GeekGirl Con wasn't a girls only arrangement, and sadly I've read more than one story about guys attending just to snag the illusive gamer-girlfriend, which probably is ruining both sides' time.

I'm sorry, but the groping and harassment can only be effectively dealt with by involving the authorities, not by segregation.

If a gender segregated conventions are solution the inevitable result is not that it was a free choice by women, but that they were DRIVEN there by the groping that the authorities wouldn't or couldn't do anything about. It will be sold as a freed choice but will soon be seen as a corralled exclusion, it will be seen as a false choice. IF... that is IF the reason for this "segra-con" is to avoid harassment from males.

Going to a -con which is supposedly groping/harassment free just because there are no males there (not guarantee at all really) will not make it any easier to integrate later. Segregation is a problem for how persistent it becomes, how people become dependent on it and then they can't consider going without it.

Groping and harassment can only be effectively dealt with by the authorities, here is my idea that I think is a lot more radical: More Female security guards and bouncers.

It's a lot harder for some harassing jerk to give a rakish smile and say "oh come on, you've tried this once" to a female than a male authority. And I think it would be a lot easier for females to be frank in effectively reporting harassment to a female security officer than a male one who will no doubt be professional but might not have the same understanding or the same TYPE of empathy.

Also, you cannot fairly object to pictures being taken of you, no one can, it's a public place where people are excepted to be photographing and filming everything. Unless it crosses the line to stalking like following around or entering personal space then you cannot possibly expect a no-photography rule. I mean we are living in a world where in any public place you are under 24/7 CCTV surveillance, but what is the problem with being photographed? A photograph isn't going to steal your soul. Same with looking. Especially if you are doing cosplay.

 

[AngelBlackChaos]

No need to crucify you. Seriously, no need to be dramatic. Mistakes are mistakes. I make them too

I do feel a little dumb arguing about agreeing with you.

Everyone feels that way once in a while.

Just kidding.

Seriously though, I think part of it is lot of people DO hide, and it wouldn't have been suprising if I was just another one. But not just females avoid the abuse too. so do gay/lesbian/transgendered and even just guys due to the annoying bits of flaming. I think why women may do it more though, is because on voicechats we re far more easily identifiable.

 

[Vegan_Doodler]

I know we already discussed this topic in another thread but I just wanted to address some points with this post in particular because I can see a lot of logical flaws here.

I bet you are all sitting there thinking 'Oh yay another gender thread!' This isn't a thread about how much clothes female characters are wearing or whatever (Apart from a small comment at the end*) it's about the simple attitude some guys have towards women playing video games.

Fair enough, I thank you for adding the word 'some'.

Like many of you on this forum know I have been playing games for a loooong time. It's my most beloved hobby but I'm not going to sit here and justify myself any more than that.

Firstly I don't know why having ovaries makes you a different gamer. Secondly gaming does not belong to men. Yes the devs often cater to lads over women because of demographic but that does not mean they have some sort of divine right that makes their opinion more valid.

No one is saying that, or more specificity men aren't saying that, douche bags are. These are not the opinions of the majority of male gamers, these are the opinions of the loud mouth dregs of society that aren't in any way inherent to gaming or geek culture.
This is the same thing as saying all feminists are power hungry and want female supremacy just because I've met one person like that.

You see when someone says 'How dare people like (insert woman here) come into our hobby and tell us what's wrong with it! They are doing two things. They are claiming gaming as some sort of medium that only belongs to them and they are depriving someone of the right to an opinion just because they are female.

Again, no one is saying that but there is a point to be had there. Like others have said, any individual that comes in to a group and demands to be accommodated are being entitled. Telling people that they are enjoying their hobby in the wrong way or enjoying the wrong aspects is to confuse your own opinion with fact.
People don't have to enjoy the same things you do and their not wrong for doing so and no one is saying that you have to like Ivy or Bayonetta or anything you don't want to.

Also there is some sort of reaction of 'Why don't you go off and make your own games! Instead of asking men to do it for you.' This works on the assumption that all developers are male and the only people who are allowed to have an opinion about games are people who make them (if that was true forums like this wouldn't exist.)

Yet again no on is saying that but there is another point there, that it is up to the people who make games to decide what they make. The majority of developers are men and they are going to make things that they like, this is no more an attempt to exclude women then a carpenter having a preference for a particular type of wood.

Lastly the existence of female cons like 'Geek Girl Con' do not prove that 'men should be allowed to exclude women too' They are only there because women feel like they cannot be part of the main scene. If you look at pictures of those cons, sure they aren't as busy as the main cons but there is a significantly different amount of women you see there and in the pictures from the main cons. That is disturbing to me. It suggests that women feel like the main gaming cons aren't relevant or just plain hostile to them.[,quote]
Well it dose actually because otherwise that's a double standard. If there is nothing wrong with a 'Geek Girl Con' then there isn't anything wrong with a 'Geek Guy Con'.

Maybe I'm preaching to the converted here,

Little bit.

Escapists tend to be intelligent people,

.............. No comment......................

but diversity in games isn't a bad thing.

No one is saying that.
I for one don't think that any of this stuff is really a sexism or gender issue just a diversity issue. There isn't anything inherently wrong with the female characters that are hyper-sexualised but the fact that it's used a lot is just a sign that people in the industry are focusing on different things and maybe need to add some diversity (though this could be said for a lot of things).

Coolest......Spider-pony.......EVER!

*PS. As an aside I had an idea about adding a toggle to games to change the outfits of female characters (and I guess, maybe even male characters.) That way we can stop women feeling put off by PVC clad nuns without depriving the lads of their eye candy. Seems simple doesn't it. Considering a lot of games already have costume changes I don't think it would be that difficult to implement either. Other methods of reducing sexualisation while not pissing some people off might be more difficult, but one step at a time I guess. One step at a time.

Speaking as some one who is studying Game Design this is actually a good idea but it would be hard to implement into some games.
For the most part a characters design is filled with visual short hand so that the potential player can get what they are about quickly, having to design two different outfits that both symbolise the same thing would be difficult (although I do admit that some of them could do with just raising the neck line a bit) and expensive, the one factor that kills most good ideas in the industry. I don't think it would be something that was impossible to implement though most fighting and super hero games already have things like this.

If you don't want to deal with it then don't. No one is forcing you to come in this thread and have a go at me are they. You could have just ignored it.

Last point, this exact same thing can be applied, and would be just as valid, to people that have a problem with games.

 

[BRex21]

You bring up the hundreds of thousands of women in the world who get their genitals cut while the USA is launching a campaign to cut up nearly 30 million healthy penises. Much of this in unsanitary third world conditions and often against the will of the victim. But this doesn't matter because girls have it worse, so this can be ignored right?

I assume you're talking about circumcision? I'm not from the US so I don't know the campaign of which you speak, so correct me if I'm wrong...

I don't know if the two acts are really comparable. Don't get me wrong I'm all for the abolition of involuntary circumcision, but one is done in a misguided attempt to help prevent disease, and the other is done as a means of control and oppression.

While circumcision itself Both have been done largely on the basis of bad science, often for similar reasons such as "it looks better" "it will stop kids from touching themselves" and "it is more hygienic, prevents smegma". In the USA male circumcision also has the backing of major companies who make billions yearly from the sale of foreskins. There are multiple forms of FGM and even "pinprick" procedures (ceremonial removal of a drop of blood) which remove no tissue are strictly outlawed in the western world despite having far lower risks of immediate and future problems, people comparing the two will often overlook this in favour of accepting the most severe forms. This would be akin to me arguing that the US wants to completely remove the genitals of nearly 30 million boys and men in Africa, its simply dishonest

 

[Lyri]

Seriously though, I think part of it is lot of people DO hide, and it wouldn't have been suprising if I was just another one. But not just females avoid the abuse too. so do gay/lesbian/transgendered and even just guys due to the annoying bits of flaming. I think why women may do it more though, is because on voicechats we re far more easily identifiable.

Yeah people do this a lot these days, especially with more competitive games, I play a lot of DotA 2 and players new and old try to hide themselves from the apparent intimidation that most other players will cause you.
In actuality it is pretty rare that people will just outright flame you on there, of course they do pick up on your mistakes but if you're that bothered then muting and ignoring is easy.

I think the way it is eventually going to be overcome is just through the female population being present in all games and vocally.
Right now it's kind of "lol gurl get ur titz out" because you rarely ever find a female online who lets herself be known as a womanm, eventually all that will go away and just be a "meh another women".