A frighteningly accurate excerpt from Cracked’s The Evolution of Fictional Characters by Medium
This reminds me of something, but I can’t quite put my finger on what… Hmmm
Frankly, I’d say the penultimate image should give her boots with way taller and less comfortable heels than that. Then again, this comic came out in 2010, FOUR YEARS before the Samus rocket high heels.
Now, we’re well into 2015 and it still stays topical.
It’s a sad world where the parodies are so accurate they might as well prophetize the future of franchises.
~Ozzie
Ritual Entertainment’s SiN is a franchise that truly went all out on the sex sells approach. The even went as far to hire fetish model Bianca Beauchamp to cosplay as the iconic villainess Elexis Sinclair from the first game and be a booth babe at E3.* They also hired her for modeling reference**, motion capture and extra publicity shoots.
This was all to promote for their nine part SiN Episodes series that stopped mysteriously after part one.
Could it be that sex doesn’t sell!? Is this possible!?
* I love this video because it showcases one of the drawbacks of this approach – the interviewer is clearly more interested in asking Bianca about herself rather than this game she’s there to promote.
** Why yes, they did remodel the iconic villainess to look more like Bianca Beauchamp and it was actually an improvement on her original look:
– wincenworks
Liefeld Calls for Stand Against Artists Being “Crucified” in Wake of Frank Cho Spider-Gwen Controversy; Campbell, Chin, Other Pros Respond
Rob Liefeld is shocked and outraged that apparently there are people who will openly speak out against the casual objectification of women in media (particularly the Frank Cho “parody” of the infamous Milo Manara Spider Woman cover). Naturally, the totally unbiased fellow artist J Scott Campbell is right behind him!
Rob, you remember your most celebrated contribution to comics is a guy right? One who is celebrated for his personality over his aesthetic design. Your opinion is actually less relevant than Erik Larsen’s (who at least still works on his property). Seriously Rob, you’re not exactly celebrated as an artist and trying to value artists by “commercial success” is not exactly high brow.
Please brodudes, tell me again how there is no problem here and we’re just reading way too much into things and there’s never been misogynistic attitudes being perpetuated by big names in the industries. Tell me how it’s about the artistry. I am fascinated by this enlightening view, verily.
– wincenworks
Liefeld Calls for Stand Against Artists Being “Crucified” in Wake of Frank Cho Spider-Gwen Controversy; Campbell, Chin, Other Pros Respond
Rob Liefeld is shocked and outraged that apparently there are people who will openly speak out against the casual objectification of women in media (particularly the Frank Cho “parody” of the infamous Milo Manara Spider Woman cover). Naturally, the totally unbiased fellow artist J Scott Campbell is right behind him!
Rob, you remember your most celebrated contribution to comics is a guy right? One who is celebrated for his personality over his aesthetic design. Your opinion is actually less relevant than Erik Larsen’s (who at least still works on his property). Seriously Rob, you’re not exactly celebrated as an artist and trying to value artists by “commercial success” is not exactly high brow.
Please brodudes, tell me again how there is no problem here and we’re just reading way too much into things and there’s never been misogynistic attitudes being perpetuated by big names in the industries. Tell me how it’s about the artistry. I am fascinated by this enlightening view, verily.
– wincenworks
Kamui, from Fire Emblem IF
whereismywizardhat submitted:
The next Fire Emblem game has the lead as a customizable character. Of course, this does lead to some…. questionable design choices for the Face versions.
It actually makes it most of the way through, until you notice the boobs and but pose and the bared thighs on the female version.
First, where are their shoes? What’s the purpose of making a knight character bare-footed, other than (oddly specific) fanservice?
Second, WOW, random thigh holes cut out, but only for the female version… Why is this game so obsessed with showing women’s crotch area?
~Ozzie
Edit: Apparently the bare feet are because they are a race who transform into dragon… and are unimpeded by armor but can’t wear shoes while they do it. I thank our followers for that explanation, but I have to confess it’s just left me more confused.
– wincenworks
Kamui, from Fire Emblem IF
whereismywizardhat submitted:
The next Fire Emblem game has the lead as a customizable character. Of course, this does lead to some…. questionable design choices for the Face versions.
It actually makes it most of the way through, until you notice the boobs and but pose and the bared thighs on the female version.
First, where are their shoes? What’s the purpose of making a knight character bare-footed, other than (oddly specific) fanservice?
Second, WOW, random thigh holes cut out, but only for the female version… Why is this game so obsessed with showing women’s crotch area?
~Ozzie
Edit: Apparently the bare feet are because they are a race who transform into dragon… and are unimpeded by armor but can’t wear shoes while they do it. I thank our followers for that explanation, but I have to confess it’s just left me more confused.
– wincenworks
So there is such thing as “too sexy”?
We’ve been noted by lots of our lovely followers that Square Enix changed their minds about their mobile game protagonist who caused such an outrage a while ago.
chikyful said:
Sorry if this is information you already know, but the mobile Final Fantasy game, Mobius (originally Mevius), has had some design changes. Due to ‘negative’ feedback, the main character now has less skin showing. Meanwhile a new female character has been announced. What are your thoughts?
indirajartwork (who also suggested this post’s title) submitted:
“Too sexy!” New Final Fantasy’s hunky male lead has his revealing costume toned down
Where are all the dudebros to cry about censorship and creative freedom NOW? O__o
Morrigan submitted:
Remember that skimpy male armour from FF Mevius?
Well, turns out the SJW cabal has been forcing Square Enix to abandon their sacrosanct artistic vision and censor themselves… I’m sure the brave knights of free speech will protest this blatant censorship, right? Surely, Squeenix will be called prudes who hate sex after this?
….Right?
Mobius Final Fantasy was ‘a little too sexy,’ watch the redesigned mobile RPG
The hypocrisy is so blatant, and yet somehow, so unsurprising. Sigh.
criemoar said:
Have you heard the news about Mobius Final Fantasy? OK PREPARE FOR GENERAL LEL@GAMERS basically the champions of FREDUM OF SPEUCH and ANTI-CENSORSHIP are now defending squeenix censoring a male character’s scanty outfit due to complaints from whiny male gamers. BEAUTIFUL. /popcorn
As pushtosmart puts in their very concise (and wonderfully sarcastic) summary of the case:
Thankfully, Square Enix recognized how uncomfortable it would be for men to play as a character who was designed as a sexual object before an active, heroic subject, and announced today that they had modified his design.
[…] Thank you for being so understanding, Square Enix.
Can’t say I’m surprised or angry, but very much disappointed.
A franchise that one hand gave us such “gems” as Fran or Lightning’s eye-gauging wardrobe, but on the other catered to female gaze with designs like Vaan or the equal opportunity skimpy armors of FF XIV, now they’re listening to people with opinions like this:
And said people are more than happy to shield this change with the good old “creative freedom” excuse. The same creative freedom that would most likely be called “censorship” or “entitlement” if the such redesign was applied to a female character instead.
So, apparently, there IS such thing as “too sexy”… but only under condition that you are a man. Who knew, right?
~Ozzie
I am really disappointed in my fellow men for this one. Ever since I started helping out here they’ve always been so eager to tell me how people who bothered by a sexualized depiction of their demographic should respond.
- “Go make your own.” Pretty self explanatory. Just start a studio that makes computer games professionally, produce critically acclaimed games that sell in record amounts and in twenty-eight years you could be showing them how it’s done.
- “Realize it’s a fantasy game were anybody can have a magic powers.” So nothing needs to make sense and nothing matters… really they should be campaigning for him to have less clothes, that way it’s more fantasy-ish right?
- “Enjoy it as a celebration of male form.” It makes men look good so that’s got to be good for all of us right?
- “Just stop.” Okay, I’m not sure how this one helps but they seem very confident about it.
All these options… and which did you go with?
– wincenworks
more on Mevius/Mobius Final Fantasy | more on “creative freedom” | more sexy male armors
So there is such thing as “too sexy”?
We’ve been noted by lots of our lovely followers that Square Enix changed their minds about their mobile game protagonist who caused such an outrage a while ago.
chikyful said:
Sorry if this is information you already know, but the mobile Final Fantasy game, Mobius (originally Mevius), has had some design changes. Due to ‘negative’ feedback, the main character now has less skin showing. Meanwhile a new female character has been announced. What are your thoughts?
indirajartwork (who also suggested this post’s title) submitted:
“Too sexy!” New Final Fantasy’s hunky male lead has his revealing costume toned down
Where are all the dudebros to cry about censorship and creative freedom NOW? O__o
Morrigan submitted:
Remember that skimpy male armour from FF Mevius?
Well, turns out the SJW cabal has been forcing Square Enix to abandon their sacrosanct artistic vision and censor themselves… I’m sure the brave knights of free speech will protest this blatant censorship, right? Surely, Squeenix will be called prudes who hate sex after this?
….Right?
Mobius Final Fantasy was ‘a little too sexy,’ watch the redesigned mobile RPG
The hypocrisy is so blatant, and yet somehow, so unsurprising. Sigh.
criemoar said:
Have you heard the news about Mobius Final Fantasy? OK PREPARE FOR GENERAL LEL@GAMERS basically the champions of FREDUM OF SPEUCH and ANTI-CENSORSHIP are now defending squeenix censoring a male character’s scanty outfit due to complaints from whiny male gamers. BEAUTIFUL. /popcorn
As pushtosmart puts in their very concise (and wonderfully sarcastic) summary of the case:
Thankfully, Square Enix recognized how uncomfortable it would be for men to play as a character who was designed as a sexual object before an active, heroic subject, and announced today that they had modified his design.
[…] Thank you for being so understanding, Square Enix.
Can’t say I’m surprised or angry, but very much disappointed.
A franchise that one hand gave us such “gems” as Fran or Lightning’s eye-gauging wardrobe, but on the other catered to female gaze with designs like Vaan or the equal opportunity skimpy armors of FF XIV, now they’re listening to people with opinions like this:
And said people are more than happy to shield this change with the good old “creative freedom” excuse. The same creative freedom that would most likely be called “censorship” or “entitlement” if the such redesign was applied to a female character instead.
So, apparently, there IS such thing as “too sexy”… but only under condition that you are a man. Who knew, right?
~Ozzie
I am really disappointed in my fellow men for this one. Ever since I started helping out here they’ve always been so eager to tell me how people who bothered by a sexualized depiction of their demographic should respond.
- “Go make your own.” Pretty self explanatory. Just start a studio that makes computer games professionally, produce critically acclaimed games that sell in record amounts and in twenty-eight years you could be showing them how it’s done.
- “Realize it’s a fantasy game were anybody can have a magic powers.” So nothing needs to make sense and nothing matters… really they should be campaigning for him to have less clothes, that way it’s more fantasy-ish right?
- “Enjoy it as a celebration of male form.” It makes men look good so that’s got to be good for all of us right?
- “Just stop.” Okay, I’m not sure how this one helps but they seem very confident about it.
All these options… and which did you go with?
– wincenworks
more on Mevius/Mobius Final Fantasy | more on “creative freedom” | more sexy male armors