Oversexualization of females in video games

[DocDoomII]

In The Heroes (Joe Abercrombie, big fantasy war story about one battle, it's very good), there is a character called Whirrun of Bligh. Whirrun thinks his death has been foretold by a witch, and up until that point cannot die. Whirrun is a legendary swordsman and as mad as a fish. He wields a Zweihander called the Father-of-Swords (iirc).

 

Anyhoo, in the climactic battle he decides to fight wearing next to nothing. Mainly because he is a lunatic who thinks he cannot die.

 

Now, this is a cool reason to have partial nudity. How would we all feel if Whirrun of Bligh was a female character? I'd be cool. Or would the feminists have a fit of the vapours at the machinations of the patriarchy?

Setting aside that such a scenario would never happen in a videogame of this age and day (not with a realistic graphics anyway),

that would be quite hilarious and I'd have no problem with that.

On the other hand if all the women in said game had a reason to do the same thing, that would start to smell like fish after 3 days.

[kenup]

Some people here seem eager to sweep the issue under the carpet. On one hand, I'm glad to see you with a broom. On the other hand.. could you at least elaborate? Why do you feel so uncomfortable knowing such a thread exists? The sole idea of this thread created again each time it is closed seems to make you feel... sick, or febrile.

http://forums.obsidian.net/topic/61723-merged-women-feminism-etc-in-pe/

 

Read that. All of it. Then come back and guess why. As an added point, this is not a DOA forum, so this topic is just coming up to throw flames.

[Hellfell]

I'm pretty sure that some mercenary woman who kills for money won't wear a fur thong and an iron bra when on mission and it doesn't matter if it is fantasy setting or not. The topic is not about feminism or sexism or white knights but common sense.

[Margaretha]

@kenup You're hurt? feminazis made you cry?

Edited October 22, 2012 by Margaretha

[DocDoomII]

@kenup You're hurt? feminazis made you cry?

No, he is just irritated like me by the stonewalling position some of the user have in this kind of topics.

Especially some Anti-WitheKnighter.

[kenup]

Now I wonder what the pre-edit post was!

[Margaretha]

I think I have explained why I thought this topic was important, even if I do not think I have been understood. I do not write that well (so I edit and correct often my messages). But I still do not understand why you people, tired of the subject, don't just... buzz off. You just tell me "it's obvious, look at this other thread, we have locked, and the one before, we have locked too, and this one in an hour, which we are preparing for its lock". It is... tautological.

 

Even when I pretend to put the topic of sexism aside, with diplomacy, talking about something more neutral and "PC" (as I've read), the outfits of women, you do not want to hear anything. When people say they cannot stand sexism, they get locked. But you can still violate the forum guideline without being worried. You are bullies here.

Edited October 22, 2012 by Margaretha

[Darth Trethon]

Oh look.....it's this thread again. More internet knights eh? Sex is good, not complaining....besides it's not like males aren't oversexualized, they're just done so differently. So yeah, all is good in my book as far as scantily clad ladies go....don't care about the male characters though they'll likely look pleasing to the ladies and that's just great too.

[Moirnelithe]

I would like to play a female character and have her addressed in a gender appropriate fashion when I play an RPG. Personally, I don't care if there is boob plate in the game. I don't care if there are loin cloths for men in the game. I don't care if men can wear dresses or not. I don't care if there is nudity. I don't care if there is sex and violence. On the other hand I do care if all the female NPCs are portrayed as whiny/needy damsels in distress (but which I highly doubt would happen in P:E). That said, I'd like to have a choice on what to wear and not have that choice taken from me because of political correctness issues and/or censorship. I loved the sexy armour in Lineage II darnit! But then, both men and women got them

[chisled2bone]

I would actually find it quite amusing if "bikini" armor was in the game as well as normal armor, But bikini armor offered significant;y lower stats so as someone said in a previous post, one can choose between functionality or fashion. It would be a nice joke atleast if there was even just one bikini armor in the game as a "joke"

[chisled2bone]

on a second thought i want boob plate male that guys can wear too!!!!

[Shoeless Joe Jackson]

Fudge, fine lets keep this vitrol thread going and who cares that this is politics and destracting and will probably end up ruining the game for many who do mot want political PC propaganda shoved in there face. Honestly, if this is the direction obsidian chooses, I will seriously regret giving them money. I gave them money to get away from publishers, esrb, and the pc crowd in orde to give them the freedom to create what they want without restrictions. The boobarmour showed a particular direction they were planning and they caved because of some pc trolls spamming the board. If they are changing the original ideas to please this group then this is a slap on the face for those who donated money exactly to get away from this.

 

On a side note, So there are no sexy women waliking around in sexy clothes in real life, only in brothels? Funny, I just walked by a dozens of them just a few minutes ago heading into work.

 

This basically.

 

These threads (and the romance threads) are basically ridiculous given we know very little about the game indeed.

 

But if Obsidian do bow to the PC crowd and make sure everything is utterly bland so as not to offend anyone, then I will completely regret contributing to this project and will also never given Obsidian another penny again.

[Hellfell]

The problem arises when a male character equip "full plate" armor and it looks like that, but when a female equips the same "full plate" it suddenly changes to a plate bra and panties.

 

But if Obsidian do bow to the PC crowd and make sure everything is utterly bland so as not to offend anyone, then I will completely regret contributing to this project and will also never given Obsidian another penny again.

 

I want such difficult issues as racism, minority abuse, drugs, injustice, double standards and all sorts of mature themes to be present in the game. But I don't want any ridiculous and nonsensical things that could make the game a joke.

Edited October 22, 2012 by Hellfell

[Darth Trethon]

I would actually find it quite amusing if "bikini" armor was in the game as well as normal armor, But bikini armor offered significant;y lower stats so as someone said in a previous post, one can choose between functionality or fashion. It would be a nice joke atleast if there was even just one bikini armor in the game as a "joke"

 

The most epic armor in the game should be bra/panties/thong/loincloth....they're all magical armor. Though it should be a secret and hard to get sort of like the hand gun in Dead Space 2.....pew, pew pew

Edited October 22, 2012 by Darth Trethon

[Amentep]

But if Obsidian do bow to the PC crowd and make sure everything is utterly bland so as not to offend anyone, then I will completely regret contributing to this project and will also never given Obsidian another penny again.

 

I'm genuinely curious - is it possible to not be "utterly bland" and also to not "offend anyone"? If the game manages that, will you still regret your backing?

 

Or is the only way to not be bland is to be offensive?

 

Not trying to attack you, but I'm a bit curious about this line of thought because to me I'm more interesting in "how they use it" than "what they use".

Edited October 22, 2012 by Amentep

[Darth Trethon]

But if Obsidian do bow to the PC crowd and make sure everything is utterly bland so as not to offend anyone, then I will completely regret contributing to this project and will also never given Obsidian another penny again.

 

I'm genuinely curious - is it possible to not be "utterly bland" and also to not "offend anyone"? If the game manages that, will you still regret your backing?

 

Or is the only way to not be bland is to be offensive?

 

Not trying to attack you, but I'm a bit curious about this line of thought because to me I'm more interesting in "how they use it" than "what they use".

 

nope....when you do a crowd pleaser the game always suffers severely.

[Gyges]

Please lets not get politically correct here. Let the women wear their boobplates. Sure, they arent very good when you fall face-first but honestly, wymin-boobs, unlike their hairier man-boob counter parts are often larger and more sensitive things, so please let them have their two slight dentures in the armor to safekeep their precious belongings. Like two cups, but on the chest.

Edited October 22, 2012 by Gyges

[eselle28]

For me it comes down to choice and variety. I expect to be able to play a female character without dressing her in extremely revealing armor. I'm fine if some items of that type exist, since I recognize many players enjoy them, but I expect there to be stat and level appropriate alternatives. NPC #2 might enjoy using nudity as a distraction, but that doesn't mean my character does.

 

When it comes to other in game characters, I'm ok with some revealing outfits, even in situations where they don't seem very realistic. All I'd ask is that there be a variety of portrayals and that the game also contain female characters who do not dress that way, as well as some who are not beautiful or young. It would be nice but not mandatory if the game attempted to apply some logic to the situation (dancers are scantily dressed but farmers are not, cultures where the women are mostly nude also have men wearing little clothing, a knight of either gender who went into battle undressed is seen as mentally unbalanced, and so on).

[Heresiarch]

Fudge, fine lets keep this vitrol thread going and who cares that this is politics and destracting and will probably end up ruining the game for many who do mot want political PC propaganda shoved in there face. Honestly, if this is the direction obsidian chooses, I will seriously regret giving them money. I gave them money to get away from publishers, esrb, and the pc crowd in orde to give them the freedom to create what they want without restrictions. The boobarmour showed a particular direction they were planning and they caved because of some pc trolls spamming the board. If they are changing the original ideas to please this group then this is a slap on the face for those who donated money exactly to get away from this.

 

On a side note, So there are no sexy women waliking around in sexy clothes in real life, only in brothels? Funny, I just walked by a dozens of them just a few minutes ago heading into work.

 

This basically.

 

These threads (and the romance threads) are basically ridiculous given we know very little about the game indeed.

 

But if Obsidian do bow to the PC crowd and make sure everything is utterly bland so as not to offend anyone, then I will completely regret contributing to this project and will also never given Obsidian another penny again.

 

For me it's not a white knight issue. Frankly, I fail to see how oversexualized women in video games contribute to gender discrimination. All the arguments the feminist crowd provides seem fabricated and unconvincing.

 

However, stuff like "boob armor" or mail bikinis totally ruins the experience for me. It is illogical, unrealistic, tasteless, and simply stupid. Worst of all it's fanservice to pimply adolescents and it is insulting to realize that they are the target audience for the game you play.

[Amentep]

But if Obsidian do bow to the PC crowd and make sure everything is utterly bland so as not to offend anyone, then I will completely regret contributing to this project and will also never given Obsidian another penny again.

 

I'm genuinely curious - is it possible to not be "utterly bland" and also to not "offend anyone"? If the game manages that, will you still regret your backing?

 

Or is the only way to not be bland is to be offensive?

 

Not trying to attack you, but I'm a bit curious about this line of thought because to me I'm more interesting in "how they use it" than "what they use".

 

nope....when you do a crowd pleaser the game always suffers severely.

 

So you are saying that the only way to not be bland is to be offensive?

[Darth Trethon]

 

So you are saying that the only way to not be bland is to be offensive?

 

The only way to not be bland is to not be afraid of being offensive.....some will be offended no matter what but the single, surest way to offend the most is by trying really hard to not offend anybody.

[Shoeless Joe Jackson]

But if Obsidian do bow to the PC crowd and make sure everything is utterly bland so as not to offend anyone, then I will completely regret contributing to this project and will also never given Obsidian another penny again.

 

I'm genuinely curious - is it possible to not be "utterly bland" and also to not "offend anyone"? If the game manages that, will you still regret your backing?

 

Or is the only way to not be bland is to be offensive?

 

Not trying to attack you, but I'm a bit curious about this line of thought because to me I'm more interesting in "how they use it" than "what they use".

 

Obsidian will use the game world to tell a story. If they tread on eggshells over every little bit of content to attempt to please everyone, the game will inevitably suffer. To answer your question, I do believe if you try and please everyone/not offend anyone, then the game will end up bland as it won't have a consistent approach.

 

I'm also more concerned in the way they convey the story rather than what themes they decide to explore. There's plenty of different topics they can approach, I just hope they don't compromise them for the pc brigade.

[Malcador]

Well, if you're not bland odds are these days you've offended someone or some group of people, it seems so anyway. Of course, whether or not the writer should really care all that much about that is a better quesiton.

[Hellfell]

I find it funny that there is a tag "HOT" attached to this thread and the romance thread

[Amentep]

So you are saying that the only way to not be bland is to be offensive?

 

The only way to not be bland is to not be afraid of being offensive.....some will be offended no matter what but the single, surest way to offend the most is by trying really hard to not offend anybody.

 

Well...its a fair point. Not really what I was thinking of, ie I was thinking of being intentionally offensive to not be bland as opposed to having people find offense in something because you didn't second guess everything at every step of development.