Tag: commentary

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Stop insulting our intelligence by pretending there’s a good reason for naked women in videogames

Stop insulting our intelligence by pretending there’s a good reason for naked women in videogames

For the most part, I do like the article – particularly as it’s not just Cortana’s wardrobe that’s worrying. However it does (in it’s final paragraph) make a critical error in that it assumes that somehow the marketing and promotions for a game are inherently different and separate from the creation of the game itself.

As wonderful as it would be for us to live in a world where creative teams are insulated from Creepy Marketing Guy by armies of private security equipped with electric cattle prods and canisters of mace, this simply isn’t reality.  Especially not in the case of auteur productions where the person overseeing the marketing campaign is the one overseeing the game development.

Despite there being no rational reason to believe that sex actually sells, we still see plenty of examples where female characters are given ridiculous outfits in the belief it will sell a few thousand more units.  Sometimes it’s in complete contradiction to the context of the product and sometimes it’s from a range of outright horrifying concepts.

It’s gotten to the extent where many of them have now pushed franchises and their own styles into a point where they have no idea how to make them less hostile to women without losing their branding.  Thus enforcing the idea that women should only play games made specifically for women (which will not be treated seriously by the industry, despite sales and the industry stealing ideas from them left, right and center).

Games are a business and that, unfortunately, means that marketing will never be completely separated from production. Instead of living in denial, we should focus on pushing games to use the right kind of marketing.

– wincenworks

I also take issue with how, in its final paragraphs, the article implies that ridiculous excuses are provoked by critique which asks about consistency in female character design. And that critics should be free to criticize but also refrain from bringing extra attention to the controversies… However that’s supposed to work.

I’m glad the article says that the game developers should be honest about intentions behind their designs. And that their sexy lady justifications insult the audience’s intelligence. Still, it would be overall better analysis of the problem without taking the “let the games speak for themselves" angle.

~Ozzie

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Stop insulting our intelligence by pretending there’s a good reason for naked women in videogames

Stop insulting our intelligence by pretending there’s a good reason for naked women in videogames

For the most part, I do like the article – particularly as it’s not just Cortana’s wardrobe that’s worrying. However it does (in it’s final paragraph) make a critical error in that it assumes that somehow the marketing and promotions for a game are inherently different and separate from the creation of the game itself.

As wonderful as it would be for us to live in a world where creative teams are insulated from Creepy Marketing Guy by armies of private security equipped with electric cattle prods and canisters of mace, this simply isn’t reality.  Especially not in the case of auteur productions where the person overseeing the marketing campaign is the one overseeing the game development.

Despite there being no rational reason to believe that sex actually sells, we still see plenty of examples where female characters are given ridiculous outfits in the belief it will sell a few thousand more units.  Sometimes it’s in complete contradiction to the context of the product and sometimes it’s from a range of outright horrifying concepts.

It’s gotten to the extent where many of them have now pushed franchises and their own styles into a point where they have no idea how to make them less hostile to women without losing their branding.  Thus enforcing the idea that women should only play games made specifically for women (which will not be treated seriously by the industry, despite sales and the industry stealing ideas from them left, right and center).

Games are a business and that, unfortunately, means that marketing will never be completely separated from production. Instead of living in denial, we should focus on pushing games to use the right kind of marketing.

– wincenworks

I also take issue with how, in its final paragraphs, the article implies that ridiculous excuses are provoked by critique which asks about consistency in female character design. And that critics should be free to criticize but also refrain from bringing extra attention to the controversies… However that’s supposed to work.

I’m glad the article says that the game developers should be honest about intentions behind their designs. And that their sexy lady justifications insult the audience’s intelligence. Still, it would be overall better analysis of the problem without taking the “let the games speak for themselves" angle.

~Ozzie

Posted on

..my move is just awful, it’s chauvinist! Every time I fall over my vagina and vulva is exposed. I might as well be an NPC that doesn’t know where to wander!

Felicia Day, playing as Tyris Flare in the original Golden Axe game, (x)

Golden Axe, the iconic side-scrolling hack’em up is also a pretty iconic example of bikini armor:

And yes, Dolph LundgrenAx Battler (that is his actual name!) is wearing a bikini too but as well as being a male power fantasy (or someone I’d expect to see featured at videogamesmademegay) he always looks badass posed like Conan the Barbarian or a classical mythological figure.  He also quickly got an unsuccessful spinoff game and you had the option to play a dwarf who at least kept his shirt on.

Tyris on the other hand, despite having a much less ridiculous name, had to wait until 2008 when she would get to be the star.  But hey, that’s like eighteen/nineteen years of social and artistic progress right?  Let’s see how they portrayed her and promoted the game!

Yeah…

– wincenworks

I felt it may be time to bring this back, not because anything has happened with the Golden Axe franchise – but because there’s still apparently a wide spread believe that exposed skin is the be all and end all of sexualized armor design.

As you can see, they actually gave Tyris more clothes in her spinoff title, but less powerful presence simply by design decisions like making her muscles less defined, body language less intimidating and ensuring her extra clothes highlighting sexualized body parts.

As convenient as it would be – there is no one element of design that guarantees a design will work.  Designs consist of dozens of decisions and each can improve or worsen it by degrees.

– wincenworks

Posted on

..my move is just awful, it’s chauvinist! Every time I fall over my vagina and vulva is exposed. I might as well be an NPC that doesn’t know where to wander!

Felicia Day, playing as Tyris Flare in the original Golden Axe game, (x)

Golden Axe, the iconic side-scrolling hack’em up is also a pretty iconic example of bikini armor:

And yes, Dolph LundgrenAx Battler (that is his actual name!) is wearing a bikini too but as well as being a male power fantasy (or someone I’d expect to see featured at videogamesmademegay) he always looks badass posed like Conan the Barbarian or a classical mythological figure.  He also quickly got an unsuccessful spinoff game and you had the option to play a dwarf who at least kept his shirt on.

Tyris on the other hand, despite having a much less ridiculous name, had to wait until 2008 when she would get to be the star.  But hey, that’s like eighteen/nineteen years of social and artistic progress right?  Let’s see how they portrayed her and promoted the game!

Yeah…

– wincenworks

I felt it may be time to bring this back, not because anything has happened with the Golden Axe franchise – but because there’s still apparently a wide spread believe that exposed skin is the be all and end all of sexualized armor design.

As you can see, they actually gave Tyris more clothes in her spinoff title, but less powerful presence simply by design decisions like making her muscles less defined, body language less intimidating and ensuring her extra clothes highlighting sexualized body parts.

As convenient as it would be – there is no one element of design that guarantees a design will work.  Designs consist of dozens of decisions and each can improve or worsen it by degrees.

– wincenworks

Posted on

Here’s Why Cortana Is Always Naked – IGN

Here’s Why Cortana Is Always Naked – IGN

“She’s not really nude … but that’s what it makes you think of,” says O’Connor. “So one of the reasons she [chooses to appear without clothes] is to attract and demand attention. And she does it to put people off so that they’re on their guard when talking to her and she has the upper hand in those conversations.”

“It’s kind of almost like the opposite of that nightmare you have where you go to school in the nude. You’re terrified and embarrassed and she’s kind of projecting that back out to her audience and winning intellectual points as a result.”

@nora-bright submitted:

Franchise Director Frank O’Connor just pulled a “it’s a distraction!” excuse as to why Halo’s Cortana doesn’t wear clothes. Could he have tried any less? “She’s not really naked, but that’s what it makes you think of?” Umm, ya that’s what it makes me think of, along with everyone else, because ya know, she is naked. With the amount of effort Kojima put into his excuses, he’s putting you to shame Frank.

Wow, what a “creative” explanation for a sexy nude lady AI: a bunch of stock excuses piled on top of each other!

image

“She’s not technically naked, because non-human. Also her nude (but again, not technically nude) appearance empowers her and distracts people around her! Obviously, it’s her choice to look like that!”

~Ozzie

I don’t want to tell Frank how to do his job – but I have an idea for a means that an AI hologram could demonstrate confidence and authority to individuals who had been trained as soldiers since age six (and were selected by their genetic pre-disposition).

An appropriate officer’s uniform.

But a real one though, no more of those J J Abrams’ Star Trek shenanigans.  You guys have shown us are better than that.

– wincenworks

Posted on

Here’s Why Cortana Is Always Naked – IGN

Here’s Why Cortana Is Always Naked – IGN

“She’s not really nude … but that’s what it makes you think of,” says O’Connor. “So one of the reasons she [chooses to appear without clothes] is to attract and demand attention. And she does it to put people off so that they’re on their guard when talking to her and she has the upper hand in those conversations.”

“It’s kind of almost like the opposite of that nightmare you have where you go to school in the nude. You’re terrified and embarrassed and she’s kind of projecting that back out to her audience and winning intellectual points as a result.”

@nora-bright submitted:

Franchise Director Frank O’Connor just pulled a “it’s a distraction!” excuse as to why Halo’s Cortana doesn’t wear clothes. Could he have tried any less? “She’s not really naked, but that’s what it makes you think of?” Umm, ya that’s what it makes me think of, along with everyone else, because ya know, she is naked. With the amount of effort Kojima put into his excuses, he’s putting you to shame Frank.

Wow, what a “creative” explanation for a sexy nude lady AI: a bunch of stock excuses piled on top of each other!

image

“She’s not technically naked, because non-human. Also her nude (but again, not technically nude) appearance empowers her and distracts people around her! Obviously, it’s her choice to look like that!”

~Ozzie

I don’t want to tell Frank how to do his job – but I have an idea for a means that an AI hologram could demonstrate confidence and authority to individuals who had been trained as soldiers since age six (and were selected by their genetic pre-disposition).

An appropriate officer’s uniform.

But a real one though, no more of those J J Abrams’ Star Trek shenanigans.  You guys have shown us are better than that.

– wincenworks

Posted on

Well that’s female armor…

light-fang-and-others:

Comedy writing rule of thumb: addressing an inherent problem with what you’re replicating and then failing to illustrate the absurdity or even why it’s a problem means you fail to make it satire.

Especially when your “joke” consists the same excuses that everyone and their mother was making for ages.

~Ozzie

For any aspiring games developers out there who thought they’d use this “joke” take note – this was first released in 1991.  That’s nearly a quarter century ago and quite possibly before you were born.

– wincenworks

another example of failed skimpy armor satire on BABD

Posted on

Well that’s female armor…

light-fang-and-others:

Comedy writing rule of thumb: addressing an inherent problem with what you’re replicating and then failing to illustrate the absurdity or even why it’s a problem means you fail to make it satire.

Especially when your “joke” consists the same excuses that everyone and their mother was making for ages.

~Ozzie

For any aspiring games developers out there who thought they’d use this “joke” take note – this was first released in 1991.  That’s nearly a quarter century ago and quite possibly before you were born.

– wincenworks

another example of failed skimpy armor satire on BABD