The representation of women in video games is usually a thorny subject matter. I don’t think there’s one right or incorrect way to painting guys or women in video games, however I suppose it’s a reasonable conversation to have.
Read more: http://tinyurl.com/ohdmu2l
The person who wrote the article obviously doesn't speak English as a first language but I agree with his point. Honestly I still don't get what is so offensive about people creating a fictional character in the image they perceive them to be. It's their game, their character. If they want to make a girl with a huge chest and a no waist waist they should because it's their game. Don't act like male characters aren't set with the same "unrealistic" body images too. Pay attention to your own body instead of relying on fictional characters and super models to tell you how to look. If you feel bad about how you look, do something about it. Don't bitch that you don't look like that. Get over it and accept yourself. After all, if you can't accept yourself how can anyone else accept you.
This sums up what I think about the article pretty well.
Eh, I think you're the one cherrypicking. That exceptions exist doesn't counter the argument that females tend to be highly sexualized in many video games. No one is ever painting ALL of gaming when they criticize trends and popular tropes. I believe this video also looked at poses as well. Even then, some of your examples are problematic. Peach might not be very sexualized, but she's a notorious damsel. Isn't Samus stripped if you beat the game in certain conditions? Tifa is notorious for being a pair of boobs with limbs attached. Yuna's cover pose is covered in the video. And I would be more than 50% of females in the Arkham series have huge cleavage, just like Harley does in this picture.
I don't know if you watched the video, but the assertion was not that they were sexualized, but that their poses don't typically show their personality, but instead look like they're looking into a mirror. In my experience this is almost never the case. Posing is used to show intent and purpose in female characters as much as it is in men. Whether or not women (or men for that matter) are sexualized in video games and whether this constitutes a problem is an entirely different discussion. Personally, being sex positive, I don't think it does.
Ah you're right. I saw the video yesterday but couldn't comment cause I was out so I saw your examples as examples of characters not poses. I'd still argue that those poses don't counter critique of the situations when they are poised sexually. I think his point was more that males are rarely posed in sexual ways while females often are. I do take exception with your last comment, however. You don't have to be sex-negative to see a problem with the rampant sexualization of female characters in video games. It's not a problem because "hey there exist one or two sexualized characters in video games." It's a problem because "hey a majority of female characters seem to be very sexualized." I like to compare video games with film because (while many really want to skirt away from comparisons between the mediums) they are two mediums most related to each other in my eyes. Also because film as a medium for storytelling has matured where gaming is still mired in pulp. Take Cuaron's Y Tu Mama Tambien. Luisa is a very sexual character (it's practically the point of the movie), but her sexuality is never paraded for the viewer's titillation. She is a character first, her sexuality second. No one throws fits over Luisa's sexuality or the sexuality of other characters in literature or film because of the way its handled. Gaming typically does not handle sexuality in this way. Instead, female sexuality is a design choice made to arouse the player. Pandering, to me, inherently dilutes the quality of a piece of art while and it likely also turns away those who would not be aroused by female sexuality because it sends a message that "this was not made for you."
Males are constantly posed in sexual ways. It's sexual when women wear revealing clothing but not when men with bulging muscles run around with nothing but a loin cloth? His point, again, was about the amount of personality portrayed. He says they look as though they're posing in a mirror. Every image I posted shows a female character whose personality is in some way being shown through their pose. Be it their determination, bravery, despair, gentleness, whatever you like. If you look at Harley there's certainly a bit of an edge of sexiness there, but if you know the character Harley Quinn you'll know that's a big part of her personality. She's a flirty violent psychopath. And I don't know what video games you're playing, but I don't generally see insanely revealing outfits on women outside of JRPGs and fighting games. In the vast majority of the games I have the women are dressed basically the same as the men. Neither modern tactical armor nor medieval plate mail show much cleavage. But, again, even if the majority of characters were sexualized, I wouldn't really see that as a problem. Sex sells and there's literally nothing wrong with it. Sex is great. Sexuality is great. If something is heavily laced with female sexuality and that really turns you off, it literally wasn't made for you. I love the movie Secretary because I think BDSM is really hot. If you're not into BDSM you may find it strange and creepy. That doesn't mean Secretary shouldn't have been made or that there's a problem with movies like Secretary existing, it means that you personally shouldn't buy or rent Secretary. I like Day Z because it's ruthless. Lots of people don't like it because dying and losing all their gear bothers them. Should Day Z cease to exist or become easier to cater to the people who don't like it for what it is? Constantly catering to the most common denominator is boring and produces boring art and entertainment. If you don't see the kinds of video games you want, there's an easy solution. Make them or fund them.
Lol. Only problem with that video is that the target of games IS heterosexual teenage boys. Much like any other product or there, it has a target. And that's what it is. Want games that have a different target? Learn to make your own games. Being mad at game designers for making games with sexy girls in sexy poses for their straight teenage boy audience is like being mad at a chick flick makers for having overly sensitive and ridiculously good looking guys who gaze longingly into your eyes. Those movies and guys aren't made for straight teenage boys anymore than the sexy girls making sexy poses are intended for 40 year old straight soccer mom's.
That was good. I know a few people who should watch this
Relevant. This whole trend of not creating anything but insisting that those who do create things have to go along with your ideological vision is getting a bit tiresome. If you don't like how women are represented in video games, you should go make or fund some games that represent women in a way you'd prefer to see.