- Joined
- Jun 18, 2002
- Messages
- 28,544
Tags: Witcher, The
No, not fisting, feministing. <a href="http://community.feministing.com/2008/12/subtle-sexism-analyzing-the-wi.html">It has an editorial up about the collectable sex cards in The Witcher</a>. Their solution is to ask for gay sex:
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<blockquote>You do get something for your various sexual encounters: sex trading cards. After a sexual encounter, you obtain pin-up trading cards to represent that sexual conquest--players, collect them all! (mass-printed cards, authentically medieval, right?) The idea of "collecting" women you have sex with (proof of your masculinity?) is really troubling to me. And by having sex with all the women available, you have a complete collection of woman-objects. Having sex with all the women you are able to, thus, becomes a goal for the character, even if the "reward" for doing so is negligible (bragging rights?). As one gamer suggested , "Women are COLLECTIBLE." Commodification at its finest.
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Not only do you acquire cards representing each woman you bed in the game, but the sex is at times a reward for your in-game accomplishments. One example I was given is that in a quest to save several prostitutes, after you have rescued them sex is your "reward" from them. I wonder, is their sex a reward because they are prostitutes , and therefore their sex is seen to be "worth" something, because it is seen to have a dollar value? Or is it just that women become sexually available to men with good behavior? Or that sex is the most important reward a woman can give? Any of these options are problematic.
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[..]
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But what is the function of its inclusion of the option of sex into the storyline if not for the purpose of pursuing the mini-game? It is easy to say, You lose nothing by not doing it so just don't do it; it is just as easy, however, to say If absolutely nothing would be lost on the game without it, why have it at all? The "optional" defense seems to me to be a farce. If nothing else, it excludes anti-sexists and non-juveniles from participating in all aspects of the game.
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[..]
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The women who offer you sex are limited to the young, shapely, and beautiful , natch; at the same time, you are also limited to having sex with women . This makes me pause--for a feature that is considered "optional," thereby theoretically inconsequential, how come sex with men is not an option? I can hear the objections from the homophobes now. But for those men out there in game chat board world who say it shouldn't be big deal for a woman to play a male character, and to have to have sex with various women to complete the full game, then what would be the "big deal" for the het men playing that character to have sex with men to complete the card set? Take this forum response from a guy: "Besides do you imagine cards for that sex minigame with guys? Ughh...I dont even want to think about it ... " Homophobic much? Male-centered much?
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[..]
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And another thing: in the game, you as the male protagonist can choose whether or not to have sex with the women, but they cannot choose not to have sex with you--you will never hear a "no." They may not suggest sex unless you do/say/buy/pay "the right thing", but you won't hear a rejection. This to me is another problem, not just in this game but in any games with sex. It's further a problem that in the gaming industry, protagonists continue to be male and sexual conquests continue to be female; it is a reiteration of porn logic. In this logic, men get to choose their sex object from a virtual infiniti of sexually desirable, always available women who don't get to choose back.
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</blockquote>
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Yes, what The Witcher needs is collectable male sex cards!
No, not fisting, feministing. <a href="http://community.feministing.com/2008/12/subtle-sexism-analyzing-the-wi.html">It has an editorial up about the collectable sex cards in The Witcher</a>. Their solution is to ask for gay sex:
<br>
<blockquote>You do get something for your various sexual encounters: sex trading cards. After a sexual encounter, you obtain pin-up trading cards to represent that sexual conquest--players, collect them all! (mass-printed cards, authentically medieval, right?) The idea of "collecting" women you have sex with (proof of your masculinity?) is really troubling to me. And by having sex with all the women available, you have a complete collection of woman-objects. Having sex with all the women you are able to, thus, becomes a goal for the character, even if the "reward" for doing so is negligible (bragging rights?). As one gamer suggested , "Women are COLLECTIBLE." Commodification at its finest.
<br>
<br>
Not only do you acquire cards representing each woman you bed in the game, but the sex is at times a reward for your in-game accomplishments. One example I was given is that in a quest to save several prostitutes, after you have rescued them sex is your "reward" from them. I wonder, is their sex a reward because they are prostitutes , and therefore their sex is seen to be "worth" something, because it is seen to have a dollar value? Or is it just that women become sexually available to men with good behavior? Or that sex is the most important reward a woman can give? Any of these options are problematic.
<br>
[..]
<br>
But what is the function of its inclusion of the option of sex into the storyline if not for the purpose of pursuing the mini-game? It is easy to say, You lose nothing by not doing it so just don't do it; it is just as easy, however, to say If absolutely nothing would be lost on the game without it, why have it at all? The "optional" defense seems to me to be a farce. If nothing else, it excludes anti-sexists and non-juveniles from participating in all aspects of the game.
<br>
[..]
<br>
The women who offer you sex are limited to the young, shapely, and beautiful , natch; at the same time, you are also limited to having sex with women . This makes me pause--for a feature that is considered "optional," thereby theoretically inconsequential, how come sex with men is not an option? I can hear the objections from the homophobes now. But for those men out there in game chat board world who say it shouldn't be big deal for a woman to play a male character, and to have to have sex with various women to complete the full game, then what would be the "big deal" for the het men playing that character to have sex with men to complete the card set? Take this forum response from a guy: "Besides do you imagine cards for that sex minigame with guys? Ughh...I dont even want to think about it ... " Homophobic much? Male-centered much?
<br>
[..]
<br>
And another thing: in the game, you as the male protagonist can choose whether or not to have sex with the women, but they cannot choose not to have sex with you--you will never hear a "no." They may not suggest sex unless you do/say/buy/pay "the right thing", but you won't hear a rejection. This to me is another problem, not just in this game but in any games with sex. It's further a problem that in the gaming industry, protagonists continue to be male and sexual conquests continue to be female; it is a reiteration of porn logic. In this logic, men get to choose their sex object from a virtual infiniti of sexually desirable, always available women who don't get to choose back.
<br>
</blockquote>
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Yes, what The Witcher needs is collectable male sex cards!
