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Women In Video Games


VicariousShaner
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As I was  jokingly saying earlier, nobody wants to play as an unattractive main character unless it's for comedic effect. I'm sure somebody out there has the hots for the pretty boy male characters. As long as a woman isn't wearing short shorts or a v neck in the middle of a gun fight I don't mind if she's sexy.

 

And yeah Ethan, beating the message into the fanbase is an issue. There needs to be a smarter way to do it. And I'll give you a hint, that Video Games Tropes vs Women video series is NOT the right way.

Edited by Waldorf And Statler
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What if that was the theme and style of the game? Like the ones you see in B-Movies. Heavy Metal FAKK 2 comes to mind, I don't know if that was the theme of that game but I knew she was modeled after a B-Movie actress. I like that game though I was poor then and I only played the demo (endlessly!) from a demo disc that came from a magazine. I think she had destructible clothes. But not in the demo though! They only let you see a glimpse! Bastards!

 

Edit: It was a 3rd Person shooter with a female protagonist. She wields swords too. I wasn't clear what I was addressing.

Edited by eleven
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I really wanted to like Blades of Time, because I saw the rewind gameplay and thought it was cool. But the controls are just so clunky. The only thing going for it was the half naked protagonist. So yeah I'm aware of those games and have first hand knowledge that they suck.

 

Edit: Uhh... I guess back on topic, I really don't mind these games. I agree about inappropriate armor though, and while I do not mind them and actually do enjoy them, I see the other side's point and have to agree.

Edited by eleven
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Oh god, I'm actually starting to get annoyed at just how bad the grumps are about not reading tutorials or instructions recently.  That glover series is painful to watch.

 

But back on topic, I really disagree with the guy in the video.  Cosmo is a pretty piss-poor comparison.  Games aren't supposed to just be "by men, for men" the way Cosmo is by women and for women.  And the argument of "if you want better representation then do it yourselves" is just plain fallacious.  Even if tons of women right now are trying to get into the gaming business, not only is it really hard for them to establish themselves, but most of these companies are owned and run by male executives.  So unless all the female devs decide to make their own indie game featuring a STRONG INDEPENDENT WOMAN WHO DON'T NEED NO MAN, then the solution isn't that simple.

 

(I'm just kidding with the independent woman crack.  I couldn't resist.)

Edited by Mister Jack
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"If women want to change how they're portrayed in videogames then they need to step up and start making videogames."

 

Wow...  I just don't even know how to respond to that...

 

*Edit* - Oh, it's Maddox.  That explains it.  I didn't even know he was still around.

Edited by TheMightyEthan
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Also, "men aren't women" is not an excuse to be completely oblivious, insensitive fuckwits.  "How can I be expected to consider the point of view of anyone other than myself?  That's MADNESS!"

 

*Edit* - ALSO, putting aside the other reasons why Cosmo is a bad comparison (the whole magazine industry isn't dominated by that viewpoint, for one), prejudice is simply worse when it comes from a position of privilege.  Negative stereotyping of men is not nearly as harmful because men are dominant in our culture, in terms of business and politics and whatnot, so they don't suffer as a result, it's just a joke.  Negative stereotyping of women, on the other hand, serves to perpetuate that male dominance.

 

It's the same is true of any demographic you can come up with where one segment is privileged and the other is disadvantaged; race, sexual orientation, whatever.

Edited by TheMightyEthan
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Haven't watched the video, and honestly it sounds like a waste with the responses.

 

I will say though, and sorry I've forgetten the actual term for it, but technically the more balance a workforce has in males and females, the more accurate and frequent depiction of female characters will become. This isn't to say, "Ladies, get together and make your games!" However, the industry would benefit if more women did enter positions in the industry rather than just being consumers who purchase games solely developed by males with a male mindset.

 

A part of me suspects that a reason why female characters become "sexy" is that there is a perceived notion where if a majority of players will be male, and if a male is playing as female, he might simply find her attractive or even become infatuated with "her." So, lets begin rewarding the player with sexier outfits!

Edited by Atomsk88
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My research showed that ,at least, in science/technology companies that actively looked to diversify the sexes more by hiring more interested women there were economical and scientific benefits. The medicine and safety fields saw some advancements they would have never noticed if not for the addition of more women. Companies that just added women to please others though didn't do any better if not worst though. The patriarchy structure of many industries prevent women in said industries from growing as well.

 

So what I'm trying to say is that a positive step the gaming industry could take is to do what the Europeans did a couple of years ago which was to ask companies to increase the amount of women hired. But these publishers don't follow a unified guideline really so the closest I can think of is for the big ones [ubi, Activision, EA] to start a trend and also encourage students to apply to the gaming industry. Many will stay away because it's largely a boys club and they've been lead elsewhere

Edited by Waldorf And Statler
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Yeah, the positions also have to have some influence too. Not executive level influence, but in the creative process. Writers, concept artists, and etc make these characters and breath life into them.

 

Though, realistically, I would say the work environment probably plays a larger role as to whether women join or not. In other industries, you do get quite a bit of "boy's club" firms/studios/agencies. Not to say there are no women working there, but you migth as well be working in the men's locker room.

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If by attitude of male employees you mean immaturity between themselves then yes. I don't think nearly as many developers are man children as people want to make you believe. If you're a woman in the field though you probably have to deal with a lot of shit. This is where the sense of humor comes into play imho. Unless they're annoying to the point of breaking down or actually trying to hurt you I would go along with the jokes. When I interned in an international company last summer I was known as the 'Gringo' or the 'American'. They would constantly do jokes but I knew they weren't mean spirited so I played along. Even one of my office mates kept bugging me because she didn't think I could take care of myself in the city. She was probably the closest to annoying me. But eh, time went by.

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