Sexism in video games.

[Aigis]

Most of the time I'm pretty tolerant to sexualised characters in video games, but sometimes rampant sexism in video games just ruins my perceptions of video game developers.

For every step forward we seem to take in video games, we take two steps backwards.

The specific game in question here is Bayonetta, the upcoming Devil May Cry style game starring a buxom vixen who's naked under her hair.

But more specifically, it is this interview, both the comments of the developers and the responses by the interviewer, that led my opinion of the video games industry to drop several notches.

It's terrible, it's horrible, it's repugnant. I cannot describe in words just contemptible I feel these people and their opinions are.

It just represents everything wrong with video gaming.

[DeIirium]

Sexy =/= Sexist

[Aigis]

At 10/1/09 08:27 AM, DeIirium wrote: Sexy =/= Sexist

Someone doesn't understand the pooooointtttt.

"Adding to that, the image of the character is this sexy female, and obviously if you're going to make a lead character a female, she's got to be really super sexy - that's just a given"

[Braedon]

At 10/1/09 08:36 AM, Aigis wrote: "Adding to that, the image of the character is this sexy female, and obviously if you're going to make a lead character a female, she's got to be really super sexy - that's just a given"

Sounds about right to me.

[Panzerknacker]

Well, at least she doesn't get kidnapped and has to be rescued all the time, right?

One step forward and two steps back, nobody gets too far like that...

[DeIirium]

At 10/1/09 08:36 AM, Aigis wrote:

At 10/1/09 08:27 AM, DeIirium wrote: Sexy =/= Sexist

Someone doesn't understand the pooooointtttt.

"Adding to that, the image of the character is this sexy female, and obviously if you're going to make a lead character a female, she's got to be really super sexy - that's just a given"

And what is wrong with being sexy?

[Legionnaire-X]

At 10/1/09 09:21 AM, DeIirium wrote:

At 10/1/09 08:36 AM, Aigis wrote:

"Adding to that, the image of the character is this sexy female, and obviously if you're going to make a lead character a female, she's got to be really super sexy - that's just a given"

And what is wrong with being sexy?

Nothing. Just that the developer thinks that a female character must be sexy.

[DeIirium]

At 10/1/09 09:28 AM, Legionnaire-X wrote:

At 10/1/09 09:21 AM, DeIirium wrote:

At 10/1/09 08:36 AM, Aigis wrote:

"Adding to that, the image of the character is this sexy female, and obviously if you're going to make a lead character a female, she's got to be really super sexy - that's just a given"

And what is wrong with being sexy?

Nothing. Just that the developer thinks that a female character must be sexy.

So what. There is nothing wrong with sexiness, its just his opinion. Besides, the character has more to her than just sexiness. People who judge her by how hot she is are just superficial.

[TacticalShoe]

At 10/1/09 08:36 AM, Aigis wrote:

At 10/1/09 08:27 AM, DeIirium wrote: Sexy =/= Sexist

Someone doesn't understand the pooooointtttt.

"Adding to that, the image of the character is this sexy female, and obviously if you're going to make a lead character a female, she's got to be really super sexy - that's just a given"

Which would you enjoy more? A game with Sarah Plain and Tall or Lara Croft?

I mean, I'm all for an Ugly Betty game or a game starring an ugly lesbian who spends too much time in Starbucks, but I do enjoy boobies.

[levusbevus]

At 10/1/09 09:28 AM, Legionnaire-X wrote:

At 10/1/09 09:21 AM, DeIirium wrote:
And what is wrong with being sexy?

Nothing. Just that the developer thinks that a female character must be sexy.

It's true though. Sex sells.

[homor]

anyone who thinks that a woman being sexy in a Video Game is sexism is an idiot and a Prude.

now, if you wanted to make a point that often times "strong" female characters don't actually do anything strong or Heroic you would actually be on to something.

[explodingbunnies]

At 10/1/09 07:48 AM, Aigis wrote: im whining because im a flaming homosexual who doesnt like hot girls in games.

shut up, they are VIRTUAL people. they arent real, so why do you give a fuck?

[Lost-Chances]

I've always wondered why girls have to either have a sexy element to them or be absolutely annoying bitches who you're made to hate as much as possible.

[K-Guare]

At 10/1/09 08:36 AM, Aigis wrote: "Adding to that, the image of the character is this sexy female, and obviously if you're going to make a lead character a female, she's got to be really super sexy - that's just a given"

That isn't being sexist, that's just marketing.
The fact is that sex sells, especially to an audience of mainly adolescent boys.
If the main character was a girl and was not good looking, I could
guarantee you the game wouldn't sell as well.

[LTmatt]

Go bleed somewhere else.

[RDSchley]

Nintendo is notorious for being Sexist in almost every single one of their games.
and before someone says "what about metroid", i say that series has been anally raped by the fucker who made the Zero-Suit samus... ruined Samus' badass image with pictures of regular ass...

[streetbob]

Sexism is a way of life stop bitching about it.

[homor]

At 10/1/09 06:30 PM, RDSchley wrote: ruined Samus' badass image with pictures of regular ass...

oh yes! if a Woman's body in portrayed in any way attractive it's sexist.

if a man is shown with no shirt does that mean the creator is reverse sexist?

[CrabPope]

They're Japanese. Nuff said.

[burrito15]

I guess, thats just appeal. You think Hope from Mirror's Edge was all sexy, or Ophelia from Brutal Legend, well they are sexy but not by being half-naked. ;)

[DeIirium]

At 10/1/09 07:15 PM, homor wrote:

At 10/1/09 06:30 PM, RDSchley wrote: ruined Samus' badass image with pictures of regular ass...

oh yes! if a Woman's body in portrayed in any way attractive it's sexist.

if a man is shown with no shirt does that mean the creator is reverse sexist?

What the fuck is reverse sexism?

[Crashman]

Faith from Mirror's Edge wasn't the best looking character but you get a sense of what she is thinking by the way she looks. She is one of the better developed female characters in my opinion. Great game too

[Aigis]

At 10/1/09 05:48 PM, explodingbunnies wrote: shut up, they are VIRTUAL people. they arent real, so why do you give a fuck?

That argument doesn't even make any sense. The argument exists because they are virtual people. If they were real people, we would be talking about something completely different.

The complaint is not that the character is 'sexy'. It's that the character is made to be 'sexy'. They put all of their design effort into making the character 'sexy' rather than focussing on less superficial features.

The problem is that she's sex first, person second.

This complaint extends to most video game girls.

A female character doesn't have to be 'sexy' to be a good character. Look at Beyond Good and Evil.

[Hozzey]

Bt the game would most likely get more sales if the chick is hot then if it were an ugly dike as heaps of nerds just crave for fake fannies

[ShortMonkey]

I agree with Aigis all the way. I don't mind if the female character is sexy as a 3D character can get, but staring up the but of the 3D character is a bit too much...

[silentwings100]

Obviously if you've seen Bayonetta, you know that she's not about bust size... and there's no point in the game where she's actually just bearing it all. It's not showing off as much skin as possible and it's not about breast size. It's about leaving something to the imagination and having that sexy mystique, and that is the core of sexiness as far as I'm concerned. It's not just simply bearing it all.

yes a game will have a sexy chick in it it's all about marketing and that it's fun to play with hot characters. But the note I just places in Italic was from the interview stating that they wanted to keep a bit to the imagination and not fully sex her up.

But if you think a game having a hot chick is sexist. What about most other games that have guys that are extremely muscular or fighting with shirts off with a physic that hardly any guy can get. I don't here guys complaining about a game being sexist because it has a man that some girls might consider hot. Maybe when game developers give us characters like Rufus in Street Fighter IV it's so that guys won't call a game sexist because it has a man with a more realistic Physic.

[Aigis]

At 10/2/09 03:41 AM, silentwings100 wrote:

:But the note I just places in Italic was from the interview stating that they wanted to keep a bit to the imagination and not fully sex her up.

Really that quote did nothing.

It was just the guy explaining that he took a different route to other developers in making his character as much a sex object as possible.

[dmansland]

At 10/2/09 03:41 AM, silentwings100 wrote: But if you think a game having a hot chick is sexist. What about most other games that have guys that are extremely muscular or fighting with shirts off with a physic that hardly any guy can get. I don't here guys complaining about a game being sexist because it has a man that some girls might consider hot. Maybe when game developers give us characters like Rufus in Street Fighter IV it's so that guys won't call a game sexist because it has a man with a more realistic Physic.

Well, it's a double standard. Besides, the way I see it, people are just complaining about this because they are bored and love to call out things considered taboo. If it was sexist, then we would've all seen girls as nothing but sex objects and disrespect them.

[tom641]

Haircut plox. LOL. The game looks cool.

[DeIirium]

At 10/2/09 03:41 AM, silentwings100 wrote: when game developers give us characters like Rufus in Street Fighter IV it's so that guys won't call a game sexist because it has a man with a more realistic Physic.

No, its because men aren't so self conscious about their looks that they would feel the need to compare themselves to every guy they see, including fictional characters in a videogame..