AuthorTopic: Big boobed characters in video games  (Read 125307 times)

Offline Carnivac

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Re: Big boobed characters in video games

Reply #10 on: January 17, 2013, 12:19:45 pm
If video game characters where in it to make sense of their surroundings, Mario would take a bus to Bowser's castle instead of walking, or he would stay home and call the police to report a kidnapping.

The Mushroom Kingdom has a bus service?  My own town barely has one.
And I think if Mario reported it to the police mentioning pipes that go to other worlds, jumping on turtles and that a princess was kidnapped by some big lizard thing they'd think him nuts...
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Offline PixelPiledriver

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Re: Big boobed characters in video games

Reply #11 on: January 17, 2013, 01:22:05 pm
 :lol:

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Offline Carnivac

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Re: Big boobed characters in video games

Reply #12 on: January 17, 2013, 01:48:08 pm
  ;D

His eyes are creeping me out a bit.
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Offline Ymedron

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Re: Big boobed characters in video games

Reply #13 on: January 17, 2013, 01:50:29 pm
Much of this boob-discussion is colored by people being afraid of having the designs they like getting taken away.
Even in MMO:s where you get an option to play a female, often times they don't give you the chance to wear the clothes you want. (Aion, Tera?) Its like they are scared that people will not play the overly sexualized characters. :l

It wouldn't be such a problem if both sides were exposed and treated in a similar way. Im sure most of you can distinguish between a powerful male and a sexual male. I've seen a lot of people claim that males are objectified just the same way, but the difference is that the male character is intended to look badass while the female is intended to look lust-inducing.

If a male character whose only clothes were stripper armor or codpieces would be inappropriate, would it be right to have females who have the equivalent type of armor?
So I guess I just want there to be an equivalent amount of sexualization of both genders, and preferably an option that isn't for those who aren't impressed by it such as myself.

Until then I just play male characters.

Edit: And yes, Im actually saying that sex is not a positive thing to everyone. There are people who have no interest in sex or courtship. It'd be nice to have a choice for those people too.
« Last Edit: January 17, 2013, 01:55:17 pm by Ymedron »
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Offline Helm

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Re: Big boobed characters in video games

Reply #14 on: January 17, 2013, 02:23:20 pm
I am startled by how off-base I find most statements in this thread.

The sexual objectification of female characters in videogames is rampart. Sexism is a huge problem. Most males who try to underplay it cannot look at things without their gaze being coloured by their male privilege. I do not have the time to engage point by point with anyone, I'll just keep this because it's really startling:

"Thinking back to the first Tombraider... I really thought it was refreshing and new and wasn't over-done."

And I'll just post this here.





Offline rikfuzz

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Re: Big boobed characters in video games

Reply #15 on: January 17, 2013, 02:26:10 pm
Much of this boob-discussion is colored by people being afraid of having the designs they like getting taken away.
Even in MMO:s where you get an option to play a female, often times they don't give you the chance to wear the clothes you want. (Aion, Tera?) Its like they are scared that people will not play the overly sexualized characters. :l

It wouldn't be such a problem if both sides were exposed and treated in a similar way. Im sure most of you can distinguish between a powerful male and a sexual male. I've seen a lot of people claim that males are objectified just the same way, but the difference is that the male character is intended to look badass while the female is intended to look lust-inducing.

If a male character whose only clothes were stripper armor or codpieces would be inappropriate, would it be right to have females who have the equivalent type of armor?
So I guess I just want there to be an equivalent amount of sexualization of both genders, and preferably an option that isn't for those who aren't impressed by it such as myself.

Until then I just play male characters.

Edit: And yes, Im actually saying that sex is not a positive thing to everyone. There are people who have no interest in sex or courtship. It'd be nice to have a choice for those people too.

I totally understand the distinction between power-fantasy and sexual-fantasy, and understand some games might be found offensive for some people, but I don't see the gratuitously sexualised characters that often, it actually seems to be becoming a bit of a niche, and seems self-aware when it does appear (Lollipop Chainsaw, Skullgirls).  And again, in my limited anecdotal experience the girls I know seem to enjoy that aspect of them at least as much as the boys. 

I definitely understand wanting a choice, I just feel like there is plenty of choice and variety out there (granted I don't know much about MMOs). And if you really see an unfulfilled approach to game design, make something to start the trend!

Offline Ymedron

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Re: Big boobed characters in video games

Reply #16 on: January 17, 2013, 02:44:57 pm
http://crowsy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/tera03uc3.jpg
The first image on the google search when you google Tera.
Compare the two female characters and male characters.
I don't really have much else to argue with you, it is pretty impossible to change peoples' opinions on the internet.

Though lastly... Your last point boils down to "You can't criticize if you can't make better." I know it is worded nicer, but criticism should not be qualified by the track record of the person who says it. I want to make a game, but there are a lot of steps between then and now. The industry shouldn't have to wait for a potential developer to start a trend. It's not too much to ask developers and gamers to think more carefully, is it?
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Offline Crow

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Re: Big boobed characters in video games

Reply #17 on: January 17, 2013, 04:23:00 pm
A few more points of my own: the way I see it, females are generally quite an "issue" in games, even today. They either do not appear at all (which is just as problematic in my opinion) or are often over sexualized. Games like TERA and the like just do what they think is best for the game: create something appealing for the mostly male audience. We can see that didn't work, though, as they just recently shifted to free to play. Or, to put it differently, they failed horribly with their subscription concept. Which is probably because the game itself is bad, and only the characters are appealing. So, obviously, that doesn't "save" a game. And yet it is done fairly often, when it just isn't required. No women at all in games (take Call of Duty and the like as an example) also tends to be very boring. I mean, why the heck not, anyway?

One more thing: oversexed females in games that don't need them, or where it's not the selling point, at all. Take The Witcher 2 and look at Triss. Quite an interesting and rather solid character in the game and story, but also with a huge rack, among other "features".. and scenes. Of course, a sexy character here and there shouldn't be a problem, eh? Well, what do you think?
« Last Edit: January 17, 2013, 04:25:33 pm by Crow »
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Offline rikfuzz

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Re: Big boobed characters in video games

Reply #18 on: January 17, 2013, 04:50:11 pm
http://crowsy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/tera03uc3.jpg
The first image on the google search when you google Tera.
Compare the two female characters and male characters.
I don't really have much else to argue with you, it is pretty impossible to change peoples' opinions on the internet.

Well, I wasn't saying it doesn't exist, I was suggesting it's not unavoidable if you choose to, and that mainstream audiences are not really all that swayed by this kind of treatment.  At least I certainly don't think it's a necessity to generate sales; it's one 'tactic', sure, but I think as a trend it's in decline, making room for a little more variety.  :y:  (I put tactic in quotes because I'm not sure how much is a conscious sales tactic and how much is people just making what they like).

Though lastly... Your last point boils down to "You can't criticize if you can't make better." I know it is worded nicer, but criticism should not be qualified by the track record of the person who says it. I want to make a game, but there are a lot of steps between then and now. The industry shouldn't have to wait for a potential developer to start a trend. It's not too much to ask developers and gamers to think more carefully, is it?

Apologies if that's how it sounds, I'm not disregarding your criticism at all. In fact I'm working on my own games, as a lot of us here are, so it's pretty interesting to hear.  I do genuinely want to encourage you to make your own stuff too, especially if you think it's different to the industry norm.

Offline Seiseki

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Re: Big boobed characters in video games

Reply #19 on: January 17, 2013, 05:42:37 pm
If you look into a typical magazine aimed towards girls you'll see both sexualized men and women.
Personally I think if a game sexualizes it's characters it should do it for both genders since that's only fair.
But the majority of gamers would probably be too uncomfortable with that, which pretty much points out just how biased it currently is.

I think gamers are a bunch of jerks in general.
And as games become more mainstream more jerks will become gamers.
People are intolerant, sexist, bigots and that's why you see these outrageous reactions when someone points out that all these characters with big boobs might be an issue.

In the end, since the majority of gamers want this the industry will keep adjusting their content to match their expectations, to sell games.
And it's not a democracy, it's consumer demand, capitalism. But if the industry want to attract more females they need to change.

Though lastly... Your last point boils down to "You can't criticize if you can't make better." I know it is worded nicer, but criticism should not be qualified by the track record of the person who says it. I want to make a game, but there are a lot of steps between then and now. The industry shouldn't have to wait for a potential developer to start a trend. It's not too much to ask developers and gamers to think more carefully, is it?

I don't think that's fair, the point to me reads more like "do something about it" and not "keep quiet if you can't do better"..
And it can be applied to any criticism about certain genres or tastes not being represented, "too many shooter games!", "well.. DO something about it!".

We could argue if games are at a point where they need to appeal to everyone in a democratic fashion and I'd say if they don't it's their loss.
Of course we can criticize them for it and it would be valid, but we still can't force new trends unless consumer demand changes or the companies decide to pursue a wider audience.
« Last Edit: January 17, 2013, 05:54:37 pm by Seiseki »