Poll: Does sex appeal influence your decision to purchase a game?

[Casual Shinji]

I'm gonna be honest and say probably.

I think it's impossible to say sex appeal doesn't influence your buying decision unless you're asexual.

This doesn't mean you're simply buying it only for teh sexy, but it draws your attention. Whether we like it or not, sex tends to do that.

 

[Asuka Soryu]

For me, if there's sex appeal, there's less of a chance I'll get the game. Usually sex appeal is used to make a bad game sale.

 

[dr_what]

I've certainly bought games that feature scantily clad women or men with abs that indicate 1000 daily sit-ups, but I can honestly say that it's never been a factor in my determining to buy a game. The last four games I've purchased in order of oldest to most recent are :
-Tokyo Jungle
-Devil May Cry HD collection
-Borderlands 2
-Bioshock(Yes I'm aware I'm very late to the party !)

and to be honest, with the notable exception of the DMC HD collection, there's a notable absence of sex appeal within the games. Bought them all soley based on reviews.
OT: Sex sells, but not to everyone

 

[Kyber]

It does, i usually dislike games where the women all wear skimpy armor and and act slutty, especially if the protagonist is a woman.

 

[m19]

I voted no. But I would be lying if I said I don't appreciate it sometimes. New Lara is pretty appealing.

 

[A Weakgeek]

I wasn't aware we were only discussing game covers. Videogame marketing nowdays is so much more isn't it? Trailers, gameplay videos etc. For example, the new catwoman was a major part of Batman: Arkham city marketing, but she wasn't featured on the cover.

But then the question becomes, how many people bought Arkham city because Catwoman was in it?

Had she not have been, I'd certainly still have bought it. And personally, my choice for buying that game came more from a I want to glide around and break thugs arms whilst shouting "I'm BATMAN!" perspective. Rather than a Catwoman looks pretty fit perspective.

Sex sells. There's no questioning that. But what does it sell? An Anne Summers lingerie line? Probably. A £40 10-15 hour sink hole of flashing lights and violence? Probably not.

It doesn't need to be the factor that finally sells the copy. If they can get your attention for a few seconds more with some sex appeal, it has already influenced you by making you pay attention to the other marketing.

Also sometimes, albeit rarely, you can even use sex appeal to sell your games indirectly. The whole sex controversy surrounding ME2 for example.

But it needs to be a factor. I wouldn't say catwoman did make me pay anymore attention to it than I already was doing. I mean, it was a damn Rocksteady Batman game. I was already giving it my undivided attention.

Catwomans involvment was a complete non issue for me. I did enjoy her sections in the actual game when it came out. Because it was a nice break from batmans gameplay. Other than that, if she hadn't have been involved at all I don't think it would have made a lick of difference.

Also, I wouldn't call the ME2 controversy sex appeal. It involved sex, but it wasn't sex appeal.

Well, if you're so sure, who am I to argue. Congratulations, provided you speak the truth, your a smarter consumer than most.

Judging from the few people agreeing with me in this thread, I think its fair to say I my first post had some truth in it. Some are affected by it and don't notice, while there may be some who are so adept at resisting manipulation that they are completely unaffected.

EDIT: Also, while it may not be there for blantant T&A, the inclusion of sex scenes in ME do count for sex appeal in my book.

 

[BlazeRaider]

Sex appeal influences which pornographic material I select from this glorious internets, but not much else. I find when looking up a game a quick wiki search gives a nice review, much more then any cover art.

 

[BBboy20]

Gloria from DMC4 was the closest thing to that mindset.

Otherwise (and that I was going to get DMC4 anyways), no.

 

[Kinitawowi]

Predictably enough, it depends on the context.

A lot of the gratuitously fanservicey games are at least poking fun of themselves while doing so, and I went through a point about six months ago of worshipping those games. Final Fantasy X-2 is wall-to-wall, but it is completely aware of that fact and has a laugh with it. Sure, that doesn't alter the fact that the fanservice is very blatant, but it does provide it with a context other than just "TITTIES!".

Bayonetta is similar. Completely aware of the character's sexual presence, but having so much fun with the idea that the game itself is enjoyable enough.

I'm led to believe that the same can be said for DOA:XBV, and I did attempt to purchase that recently (CeX couldn't find the disc). Not gonna lie though, its reputation does mean I did almost feel like I was going to have to say "I'm only buying it for the articles" or trying to find another game I sort-of-wanted-but-didn't-really to hide it behind.

Plus, let's be honest here - I'm a dude who likes women. If I'm going to spend an entire 40+ hour game staring at a pixellated arse, it might as well be a nice arse.

So yeah. Games that are fanservicey but aware of it and having fun with the idea? I can get in on the gag. Gratuitous fan service for the sake of fan service? If there's a good enough game to back it up, sure. Otherwise, I'm not going to buy a game on the strength of fanservice alone.

 

[lacktheknack]

Yes.

If all you can offer me is sex appeal, then I'm LESS likely to buy the game.

As seems to be the case with everyone else in this thread.

 

[Alandoril]

Not even remotely. In fact it has nothing to do with what games I purchase.

 

[00slash00]

no. its pretty fuckin sad if you're buying a game because it has sexy women or men in it. the idea the sexualized women sell games doesnt mean that people see ivy on a box and instantly purchase the game. it simply means it draws their attention

 

[jdogtwodolla]

I used to think about buying games with heavy sex appeal in high school, but I always came to the conclusion that they probably weren't good purchases.

 

[RicoADF]

It's said that female characters in games are overly sexualised in order to appeal to male gamers and hence sell more copies. But being a male gamer myself I just don't understand it. That is pretty much last on the list of my priorities when it comes to buying a game. So I'm curious to see what others think.

Shallow sex appeal characters turn me off a game. I was never a fan of tomb raider for that reason, however the reboot has interested me as she's shown as an actual person and not just "look titties". When I play a game I want fun gumeplay and a great story (sex appeal almost always misses the later and often the former).

 

[Mikejames]

In games where you have a choice of companions, do you choose to spend most of your time with the ones who you find visually unappealing?

I think this may be a case where people tell the advertiser, "No, I never buy products based on product placement or brand familiarity" and the advertiser smiles and nods because he knows his numbers say something very different.

Well, I did tend to favor these

over these.

But I hardly speak for everyone.

 

[Aesir23]

It does, actually. If there's so much of it that it seems to be the main focus of the game or of its marketing then it only persuades me not to buy that game.

Attractive characters are nice but when you have scantily clad characters running around everywhere then it's just too much.

Maybe it's just that I'm not the target audience for all the fanservice that currently exists in gaming but from the looks of things not too many males will buy games based on sex appeal either.

Also, is it odd that one of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to games in recent years is unrealistically jiggling breasts? They're boobs, not jello!

 

[Quazimofo]

Like others have stated, if fanservice is played up too much, I'm likely to be repelled from buying the game. For example, I have heard good things about Bayonetta, but have not played it. Why? Well...frankly, the cover just is too blatant. It's almost to the point where you are embarrassed at the thought of taking it out of the store.

Yeah, the embarrassment at such a blatantly sexy game (which was a bigger deal when it came out because i was younger and less comfortable with sexuality), and the caution at excessive fanservice which made me think the game may be a poor copy of others in its genre. Of course, upon further inspection, it looks like a hell of a lot of fun, and i'm going to pick it up sometime in the next week or so.

But to answer the poll, yes, sex appeal does tend to influence my decision to purchase a game. It does so by making me want to purchase said game less. Perhaps its my own personal stigma attached to it, because I firmly believe true beauty lies in modesty, or the complete lack of it (i.e, skanky dresses and stuff that is supposed to be sexy is bleh, but modest clothing, or literally no clothing (the complete lack of modesty) is where beauty may lie) and so when i see these unnecessarily flashy things it makes me think the game is campy all over.

 

[D-Class 198482]

I have never played a single Tomb Raider game ever.
How's that for an answer?
Captcha: THE VIRUS THAT CAUSES SHINGLES MAY ALREADY BE INSIDE YOU
Fuck you, Captcha.

 

[Epic Fail 1977]

I think the attractiveness of the protagonist matters to most gamers even when the protagonist and gamer are both straight males. I mean show me the AAA game where you play as a fat ugly guy? It doesn't exist.

It's like in movies. "Guy movies" often have a muscular square-jawed hero and (almost invariably) a plot that finds some excuse to take off his shirt so he can flex his six pack. You can try and pass it off as "beefcake for the ladies" but trust me, your GF does not give a crap about watching that movie and only says otherwise to keep you happy.

Don't worry, it doesn't make you gay any more than women's magazines being full of women makes them lesbians. It's just human nature. If you're going to have an avatar onto which you project yourself, you're generally going to want it to look good.