So...it took me a little bit to get the headline, but I got there, in the end.

I don't know, but it sure gets you laughed at here if you try it. Filterpwnage!

Boobies !

I'm upset at the number of seconds it took me to get that headline.

I had to click the link to get it.


And just look at Chell in Portal.

It isn't necessarily bad, but it's certainly cheap. Metroid didn't need Samus to strip at the end of the game. People would've played the game anyway, but who's complaining they put it in there? OTOH, the DoA franchise doesn't have much left going for it besides T&A.

Both gourmet pastries and Twinkies contain sugar, and both have their markets. Many prefer the latter, but that and the inclusion of sugar isn't proof the forrmer is lower quality.

I think I was understanding the point being made and then I saw the pic of the character in question and was like why is her neck so thin and her breasts as big as her head? Are they going with Aeon Flux character designs now?

dragonchild: It isn't necessarily bad, but it's certainly cheap. Metroid didn't need Samus to strip at the end of the game. People would've played the game anyway, but who's complaining they put it in there? OTOH, the DoA franchise doesn't have much left going for it besides T&A.

Pretty much. I think the quote about Wombraider and Lara Croft's breasts getting larger as the popularity of the series declined is pretty insightful.
For comparison, Skyrim (and Fallout 3) has many female characters and (with the small exception of the New Vegas Club Gomorrah), they're fully clothed and not showing huge cleavage, and the popularity of the game certainly isn't suffering. Rather, they both have a large female consumer base, too.

rjakobi: hen I saw the pic of the character in question

yeah, that pretty much cinched it for me.

I watched the Bioshock Infinite demos, and yes she is showing some cleavage, but that J's because she is wearing a corset that lifts and separates, which isn't really too far fetched for the time period. Yeah, I'm sure most women were a little more demure in day to day life, but I'm sure you could find simiar examples of period dress on Masterpiece theater.

That said, not every woman in a video game has to be cartoonishly porportioned. Elena from Uncharted, for example, is quite attractive without looking all Lara Croft.

People play games as a release from the stress of dealing with the bullshiat of life. We don't want games full of normal, semi-attractive women, who lead boring lives. If we wanted to see that, we'd turn off the game and talk to our wives and girlfriends.

imontheinternet: we'd turn off the game and talk to our wives and girlfriends.

that's nonsense-talk.

I don't know if they're bad for video games, but they're GREAT for cosplay.

Theaetetus: For comparison, Skyrim (and Fallout 3) has many female characters and (with the small exception of the New Vegas Club Gomorrah), they're fully clothed and not showing huge cleavage, and the popularity of the game certainly isn't suffering. Rather, they both have a large female consumer base, too.

Yeah. One day a lead developer is going to insist his/her drooling modeling department develop a proportioned and sensible female cast who are dressed appropriately to their environment, station, and needs (rather than be clearly competing for "most likely to die of hypothermia and/or sunstroke, or an arrow to the knee").

(Before someone brings up FemShep, I'm willing to grant (some) benefit of the doubt to Miranda of ME2. She's made it very clear she's actively cultivating every advantage she thinks her body gives her. Samara, though... The prosecution rests.)

I'm all for eye-candy in its time and place, but FFS. Grow the hell up, developers.

TFA: Question is, what kind of game developer wants to be Benny Hill?

*Raises hand* Yes, please! Being able to make people laugh while surrounded by beautiful women sounds great to me.

In would also like to add that the video game industry treats objects like women, man.

MooseUpNorth: Theaetetus: For comparison, Skyrim (and Fallout 3) has many female characters and (with the small exception of the New Vegas Club Gomorrah), they're fully clothed and not showing huge cleavage, and the popularity of the game certainly isn't suffering. Rather, they both have a large female consumer base, too.

Yeah. One day a lead developer is going to insist his/her drooling modeling department develop a proportioned and sensible female cast who are dressed appropriately to their environment, station, and needs (rather than be clearly competing for "most likely to die of hypothermia and/or sunstroke, or an arrow to the knee").

For those talking about Lara Croft, it appears that they are scaling back her proportions for the reboot, and putting her in less skimpy clothing (no booty shorts).

Hi guys!

I blame Frazetta and Valleo. I would guess that most of the contemporary computer game artwork can trace its history and influences back to fantasy artwork from the 40s onward. And you aren't really seeing a whole lot of demure shrinking violets in that artwork.

Sangi: I blame Frazetta and Valleo. I would guess that most of the contemporary computer game artwork can trace its history and influences back to fantasy artwork from the 40s onward. And you aren't really seeing a whole lot of demure shrinking violets in that artwork.

And thank the gods for that!

Theaetetus: For comparison, Skyrim (and Fallout 3) has many female characters and (with the small exception of the New Vegas Club Gomorrah), they're fully clothed and not showing huge cleavage, and the popularity of the game certainly isn't suffering. Rather, they both have a large female consumer base, too.

That's certainly evidence it's good, but a more challenging analysis would be a game that has T&A and is popular. The presence of T&A doesn't make a game bad, nor does the lack of it make a game good.

I think the T&A is more a symptom than a problem. The only thing TFA's author got right is that it's just the last refuge of a desperate project. Like a shiatty cook -- when it doubt, add sugar. A shiatty game is a shiatty game, but going for a high-brow audience doesn't mean T&A is taboo because gamers aren't prudish as a demograph. I've generally found (straight) female gamers are quite forgiving of T&A as long as the female characters are interesting -- or, at least, badass.

Not as bad as IGN is to braincells.

I liked Daggerfall, where you could actually strip your character nude. Started plenty of female characters to have fun with.

When movies stop doing the same, then we'll talk.

Buncha hypocrites.

FTFA: "an ogling fool, a vile, drooling slob chomping on onion rings at Hooters, cracking poor jokes. It's douchey and uncool."

Should I read into the fact that the author relied heavily on the double "o" sound? After all, it is the vowel combination most representative of breasts. OO.

(As a rule, fools like this are tools. Totally not cool. If I saw them behaving like an ass (or a mule) I'd challenge them to a duel or throw them into a pool.)

http://womenfighters.tumblr.com/


Here's a good website that gathers women fighters in reasonable armor.

Oh hey, this subject again...

MoronLessOff: forums.vr-zone.com

She's alright but she could stand to lose a few.

/sharp knees
//

dragonchild: I've generally found (straight) female gamers are quite forgiving of T&A as long as the female characters are interesting -- or, at least, badass.

True, but how much of that is because there aren't really any options? Almost all games show T&A, so if you're a female gamer who doesn't want to be stuck with marginalized crap, maybe you sigh or roll your eyes, but you forgive, since you want to play. Additionally, there's a lot of social pressure on female gamers to forgive that stuff, certainly from their counterpart male gamer friends.

If you had two versions of the same game, one with ridiculous cleavage and the other without, or if you had a "cleavage mode" setting, I'd bet they'd be a lot less forgiving... or at least, while not vocally expressing disapproval for the above-mentioned social reasons, would not choose the T&A mode.

Theaetetus: Almost all games show T&A, so if you're a female gamer who doesn't want to be stuck with marginalized crap, maybe you sigh or roll your eyes, but you forgive, since you want to play. Additionally, there's a lot of social pressure on female gamers to forgive that stuff, certainly from their counterpart male gamer friends.

Pfffft, like most males in video games look like the guys who play them? Movies, video games, the cover of romace books even, are fantasy. The character models are going to reflect that.

Lumbar Puncture: Theaetetus: Almost all games show T&A, so if you're a female gamer who doesn't want to be stuck with marginalized crap, maybe you sigh or roll your eyes, but you forgive, since you want to play. Additionally, there's a lot of social pressure on female gamers to forgive that stuff, certainly from their counterpart male gamer friends.

Pfffft, like most males in video games look like the guys who play them? Movies, video games, the cover of romace books even, are fantasy. The character models are going to reflect that.

You can't seriously argue that there's equal pressure on men to maintain certain levels of attractiveness as there is on women. I mean, come on.

Theaetetus: Lumbar Puncture: Theaetetus: Almost all games show T&A, so if you're a female gamer who doesn't want to be stuck with marginalized crap, maybe you sigh or roll your eyes, but you forgive, since you want to play. Additionally, there's a lot of social pressure on female gamers to forgive that stuff, certainly from their counterpart male gamer friends.

Pfffft, like most males in video games look like the guys who play them? Movies, video games, the cover of romace books even, are fantasy. The character models are going to reflect that.

You can't seriously argue that there's equal pressure on men to maintain certain levels of attractiveness as there is on women. I mean, come on.

Equal pressure? No. A lot of pressure? Sure.

When's the last time you saw a shirtless guy anywhere in the media that wasn't in insanely good shape (or, the rare funny fat guy.)?

scottydoesntknow: If you're gonna jump on them about Samara, might as well do it about them creating an entire race of sexually advantageous aliens.

Yeah, about that...

scottydoesntknow: MooseUpNorth: (Before someone brings up FemShep, I'm willing to grant (some) benefit of the doubt to Miranda of ME2. She's made it very clear she's actively cultivating every advantage she thinks her body gives her. Samara, though... The prosecution rests.)

Miranda is supposed to be the perfect person physically (she is a straight test-tube baby) so she accentuates that to her advantage like you said. Samara is an Asari, and that's an entire race that uses their sexuality to their advantage. She looks no different than any other Asari you meet (hell the Asari ambassador dresses exactly the same). Some argue they can change a person/alien's perception of them to always look attractive to that race (a constant beer goggle effect). If you're gonna jump on them about Samara, might as well do it about them creating an entire race of sexually advantageous aliens.

I would also add that Miranda is probably one of the more hated characters. It doesn't help that Miranda is simultaneously incompetent and immortal during the Suicide Mission*.

/However, you CAN abuse that quite a bit. During my true Suicide Run(no upgrades, everyone disloyal just for kicks), I just used her for everything, and then during my "Huh, I wonder how many people you can save under those conditions" (5 if you don't mind losing the crew, have DLC characters, and have very specific people at Hold The Line) playthrough, I used her for the second fireteam, because even disloyal Miranda will survive.

* Meaning that if she's the one in danger, she's immortal or not allowed to take the position at all, while if she'll get someone else killed (see: Biotic on the Long Walk), she'll get them killed all the time loyal or not. The only way to get her killed is to take a disloyal her to the final boss or pray that she gets killed at Hold The Line (which probably means that at least one other person died with her).

Theaetetus: For comparison, Skyrim (and Fallout 3) has many female characters and (with the small exception of the New Vegas Club Gomorrah), they're fully clothed and not showing huge cleavage, and the popularity of the game certainly isn't suffering. Rather, they both have a large female consumer base, too.

Right up until you take their armor, at which point they're left in underwear...

WinoRhino: FTFA: "an ogling fool, a vile, drooling slob chomping on onion rings at Hooters, cracking poor jokes. It's douchey and uncool."

Should I read into the fact that the author relied heavily on the double "o" sound? After all, it is the vowel combination most representative of breasts. OO.

(As a rule, fools like this are tools. Totally not cool. If I saw them behaving like an ass (or a mule) I'd challenge them to a duel or throw them into a pool.)



Is jealous

/hot

HallsOfMandos: WinoRhino: FTFA: "an ogling fool, a vile, drooling slob chomping on onion rings at Hooters, cracking poor jokes. It's douchey and uncool."

Should I read into the fact that the author relied heavily on the double "o" sound? After all, it is the vowel combination most representative of breasts. OO.

(As a rule, fools like this are tools. Totally not cool. If I saw them behaving like an ass (or a mule) I'd challenge them to a duel or throw them into a pool.)

[surbrook.devermore.net image 427x393]

Is jealous

/hot

I suddenly crave peanuts...

mekkab: I had to click the link to get it.


And just look at Chell in Portal.

Yeah, I hear ya. :-) Such a sexist portrayal of women in the HL universe, I mean look at Alyx Vance in HL2...


/Actually think Alyx is one of the best looking females in gaming
//She looks like a real person, and that helps (always reminded me of Rosario Dawson)

Theaetetus: Lumbar Puncture: Theaetetus: Almost all games show T&A, so if you're a female gamer who doesn't want to be stuck with marginalized crap, maybe you sigh or roll your eyes, but you forgive, since you want to play. Additionally, there's a lot of social pressure on female gamers to forgive that stuff, certainly from their counterpart male gamer friends.

Pfffft, like most males in video games look like the guys who play them? Movies, video games, the cover of romace books even, are fantasy. The character models are going to reflect that.

You can't seriously argue that there's equal pressure on men to maintain certain levels of attractiveness as there is on women. I mean, come on.

How much of the average male audience have the same physicque of the men in movies, television, video games, comic books, covers of fantasy books, etc? It is fantasy. I'm not arguing about the societal pressure of to be attractive, only that the women in videogames are no more or less objectified in the way they look than their male counterparts, and I'd like to think most women have better self esteem than to judge their own level of attractiveness compared to a set of big digital tits.

If their self esteem is that low than they might want to stay away from the magazine racks full of womens magazines that show a lot of cleavage with the model on the cover of them (with tips on how to please your man on page 40).

Lumbar Puncture: How much of the average male audience have the same physicque

physique, bleh.

Wow, it seems like only last week... oh, it was!

Misogyny? In my video game? It's more likely than you think:

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...and BioWare is a big part of this article too.