Tag: science fiction

Posted on

Ghost in the Shell

@whereismywizardhat submitted:

THE MARKETING

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THE LESS CREEPY MARKETING

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Oh boy does Ghost in the Shell look like it’s going to be the latest in comic book adaptations that misses the point at every level.  Aside from the obvious issues with white washing the protagonist and relocating from a fictional city to a real one (seriously, just make a new story) we now have, well their approach to whether or not to sexualize the protagonist.

The original 1995 anime movie adaptation made a few changes to the protagonist Major Motoko Kusanagi, she was shifted from being a young woman who performed frequent fan service and was very emotionally expressive to a sterner woman who might be in her forties with on brief periods of non-sexual nudity.  Unsurprisingly, given the tone and weight of the subject matter, it went over really well with audiences.

Based off the recent collection of images, the makers of the latest adaptation are trying to have their cake and eat it too.

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Which is ridiculous given that the original movie was massively successful in its own right, massively influential on media in Japan and the rest of the world without trying to rely on white “star power” or pandering.

This is what happens when a classic is repackaged by people are using outdated assumptions on what actually sells tickets.  The tyranny of Creepy Marketing Guy continues.

– wincenworks

Posted on

Setting aside the question of how does one justify the budget for modelling and rigging individual buttocks on models where the gameplay is basically Gauntlet but with a different theme: If one had to be so carefully sculpted I think it’s pretty clear which, but instead his is a solid block in the opening cutscene.

But don’t take take my word for it.

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It’s almost like this kind of nonsense is a symptom of bad design priorities or something!

– wincenworks

Posted on

Earth Defense Force 4.1

@lysander-gustav submitted:

Oh hey! Earth Defense Force, that gleefully bonkers game about shooting lots of giant bugs and other kaiju, has a sequel that just came out on Steam?  Let’s check out the store page!

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Well, okay.  I’m intrigued.  To the official website and the wiki!

Let’s take a look at all the character classes.

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Three classes where any gender is possible, and one that makes sure you know it’s a woman.  Well, that just raises more questions.  Let’s see what the official site has to say.

Wing Divers:

An all-female special forces unit equipped with jetpacks. This unit was formed as a secret weapon for annihilating giant creatures. They use super weapons born from extraterrestrial technology.

*This soldier class is swift and deadly. However, their low armor strength makes them particularly susceptible to attacks.

Wing Divers appear to be a new version of the Jet Armor, a character class that appeared in the previous game.  What did that look like?

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Ordinarily I’d say, “More Advanced = Skimpier” and leave it at that.  But this has another layer to it.  You see, in EDF 2 there was the Pale Wing character class.

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We went from the unisex freedom of “Insect Armageddon” to the flying-cheerleader throwback of “The Shadow of New Despair.”  But that’s okay. It’s a high-camp comedy, so anything goes.  Right?  Right???

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Rocket pigtails!

So… how does this game describe itself on Steam?

I’m guessing the depths of despair comes when you realise what the female character options are… and frankly that leads me to doubt their ability to bring me back from that.

Personally I think it says a lot that marketing image focuses almost exclusively on the title and showcasing how the female costumes are about boobs and the male costumes about being badass.  They don’t even take the time to give you some hint about what you’ll be fighting.

– wincenworks

Posted on

Earth Defense Force 4.1

@lysander-gustav submitted:

Oh hey! Earth Defense Force, that gleefully bonkers game about shooting lots of giant bugs and other kaiju, has a sequel that just came out on Steam?  Let’s check out the store page!

image

Well, okay.  I’m intrigued.  To the official website and the wiki!

Let’s take a look at all the character classes.

image

Three classes where any gender is possible, and one that makes sure you know it’s a woman.  Well, that just raises more questions.  Let’s see what the official site has to say.

Wing Divers:

An all-female special forces unit equipped with jetpacks. This unit was formed as a secret weapon for annihilating giant creatures. They use super weapons born from extraterrestrial technology.

*This soldier class is swift and deadly. However, their low armor strength makes them particularly susceptible to attacks.

Wing Divers appear to be a new version of the Jet Armor, a character class that appeared in the previous game.  What did that look like?

image

Ordinarily I’d say, “More Advanced = Skimpier” and leave it at that.  But this has another layer to it.  You see, in EDF 2 there was the Pale Wing character class.

image

We went from the unisex freedom of “Insect Armageddon” to the flying-cheerleader throwback of “The Shadow of New Despair.”  But that’s okay. It’s a high-camp comedy, so anything goes.  Right?  Right???

image

Rocket pigtails!

So… how does this game describe itself on Steam?

I’m guessing the depths of despair comes when you realise what the female character options are… and frankly that leads me to doubt their ability to bring me back from that.

Personally I think it says a lot that marketing image focuses almost exclusively on the title and showcasing how the female costumes are about boobs and the male costumes about being badass.  They don’t even take the time to give you some hint about what you’ll be fighting.

– wincenworks