Why Video Game Designers Are Missing The Mark With Women

[GarfunkeL]

Yeah, apparently Morrigan = all mages in DAO. And DAO = every RPG ever. And DAO + Tomb Rider = every game ever.

Her point is valid but it would be more constructive if she could acknowledge that some games do not hypersexualize women. And that some games allow you the choice - WoW for example is only mentioned with the chainmail bikini, conveniently forgetting that the large majority of armor for women was not revealing.

 

[Stalin]

women that play games = fat ugly whores that roleplay thin pretty whores

 

[Visbhume]

women that play games = fat ugly whores that roleplay thin pretty whores

As opposed to the flabby disgusting nerds who roleplay handsome, muscular heroes.

 

[Stalin]

Yes but we don't whine about how it is degrading afterwords

 

[BethesdaLove]

Unrelated observation:

Strong woman characters in books, films, games - I like.
But in real life its really hard to cope with them. It feels as if I cant let my guard down like with men...

 

[ortucis]

But in real life its really hard to cope with them. It feels as if I cant let my guard down like with men...

I'd blame the love I shared with Bethesda if I were you.

 

[Norfleet]

But in real life its really hard to cope with them. It feels as if I cant let my guard down like with men...

That is because they will kill you and eat you. Once you're okay with this, you'll along the path to coping.

 

[StrangeCase]

The 'dex is too elite for women. It's all about the BROmance, yo.

The author could have saved the time and trouble by just writing "Why Developers are Missing the Mark with Women: Because they're making escapist wish-fulfillment tripe for adolescent boys and adolescent manchildren." Ta-da!

 

[Turok]

The two most popular Japanese porn game heroines of the past decade:

I know the second, is from FATE, but the first one, i no know it, is recently?

 

[deuxhero]

Behold, the slutty, hypersexualised female mage outfits of Dragon Age the blogger speaks of.

http://news.softpedia.com/newsImage/One ... tor-2.jpg/

Now, I'm as open-minded as the next person, but this sort of absurdly revealing, highly explicit costume is sinister and distinctly anti-feminist.

You can see her hands, AND her entire face - completely unveiled. It's a disgrace. Germaine Greer must be spinning in her career's grave.

The coloring is used to say "BOOBS! RIGHT HERE! Here are the boobs!"

I'm willing to bet the actual armor is the stupid impractical "deflects blows into the face wtih boob bumps" kind or not armor at all.


Of course, this would be who I would say is the sexyist female collection of pixels I've seen.

http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb2 ... /Naoto.jpg

 

[GarfunkeL]

The two most popular Japanese porn game heroines of the past decade:

I know the second, is from FATE, but the first one, i no know it, is recently?

SENGOKU RANCE!

RANCE RANCE RANCE!

 

[Panthera]

http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20081212032337/megamitensei/images/a/a7/Naoto.jpg

That is one sexy dude.

 

[Awor Szurkrarz]

I hate the whole treating women like sluts thingie in some cRPGs.
I hate armour that exposes as much of body as possible because it kills the point of having armour in the first place.
I hate that often it's impossible to actually play a slut. Just look as a slut. It's not like the game world reacts to it.

Amusingly, actual women often like the slutty looking females, because they want their fantasy characters to look sexy.

Guys, think about this. What would it be like if you logged on to your favorite game, and every piece of armor your warrior tried on was nothing more than a metal jock strap and a halter top? Sure, I might not mind looking at it—but you probably wouldn’t find it that thrilling. With no choice other than slutty, the whole armor issue treads into some very dark territory. Objectification and sexualization to the nth degree

But would it feature tastefully done rape?

 

[Zomg]

I'm more offended that RPGs imply that women are capable of martial violence in the same quartile as averageman, much less Conan the self-insertion fantasy

 

[MasterSmithFandango]

I make a proposition that any Rance-like H games that are being translated into English/developed/whatever get news posts from now on. It's become one of the few games the Codex can agree on in terms of awesomeness.

 

[DraQ]

I hate armour that exposes as much of body as possible because it kills the point of having armour in the first place.

 

[Multi-headed Cow]

I saw a woman the other day. Terrible creatures, I avoid them whenever I can.

 

[Metro]

Never mind the fact that the portrayal of most men in video games is generally limited to NFL linebackers on HGH.

 

[Redeye]

But I still think it would be cool to play a fat guy. Maybe a survival horror game, something like Silent Hill except you play as a 56 year old virgin that weighs 400 pounds and has chronic body odor issues. Maybe make him a postal worker.

I made my guy in GTA:SA hugely fat.

 

[Brotherman Bill]

logged on to your favorite game

Therein lies your problem, good sir.

 

[J1M]

Men are just as sexually objectified in games as women are. The difference is that unlike women men are interested in playing the game, not fixated on what they are wearing.

 

[Longshanks]

Guys, think about this. What would it be like if you logged on to your favorite game, and every piece of armor your warrior tried on was nothing more than a metal jock strap and a halter top?

I would never play a game like that. If I were to accidentally "logon" to such a game, I'd certainly not enjoy it. It'd be like gay and shit, and oh so degrading.

And to answer the question: some are fat, some are thin; all are ugly and women are shallow.

 

[Gragt]

She probably doesn't know that The Void has full frontal nudity. Too bad, it would have been fun.

 

[bhlaab]

I hate the whole treating women like sluts thingie in some cRPGs.
I hate armour that exposes as much of body as possible because it kills the point of having armour in the first place.
I hate that often it's impossible to actually play a slut. Just look as a slut. It's not like the game world reacts to it.

Also being able to roleplay as a conservative woman. Sexy preiestesses being the norm is just boggling

 

[bhlaab]

Of course the fact that she's writing this on "Geeks are Sexy" kind of defeats the whole point of her article