Ben-DutkaYes, we know sex sells. It always has and always will.
And video games are hardly the only industry that benefits from it. Just put "sex" or "nude" in any headline online and it's bound to get attention. It gives you an idea of the mentality of the masses but hey, it's a sad yet accepted truth.
What worries me is that it seems to be that much more prevalent – and that much more embarrassing – in the video game culture. Most of the time, whenever a new "sex and games" headline shows up, the responses paint a picture of what we all hoped had started to disappear: The repressed, egocentric, childish, and even downright twisted group that is so commonly associated with nerds who live in their parents' basements.
So, of course, the hottest Lara Croft cosplays shoots up to #1 at N4G and gets a ton of attention. It takes virtually no effort to get clicks, despite so many gamers vehemently claiming they don't respond to "click bait," as they call it. They do all the time and they continue to do it, which is why it works. As I said above, this sort of predictability does exist in other industries, but not to the same depressing level (I don't think). This is a big reason why a lot of females still feel discriminated against in the industry: Male gamers seem to always come across as sex-starved, low-IQ idiots.
It's not helping our cause any, I can tell you that.
I love how you posted the link to that cosplay shoot, inevitably adding even more clicks while two sentences later lamenting that it's not helping our cause. Nice work.
(sarcasm and irony sometimes doesn't come across in posts, but let me assure you, there is plenty of it in this one.)
It kinda goes the other way too though. I mean, Kratos was a burly hunk of half-naked muscular hotness, if you're into that kind of thing. I guess the industry's not just always objectifying women, so….progress?
(-_-)
Ok, ok. Maybe not.
The men are often ideal men for some. It's just that the high and mighty males trying to stay in the good graces of the higher class ladies choose not to notice that.
It won't split the atom (yet) but I've a pretty simple equation for this: sex >>>>> games.
The best gaming experiences I've ever had arent even on the same plane of existence as good sex, let alone, GREAT sex. And no one should feel ashamed about it at all. Its part of who we are as humans and as long as it isn't detrimental to yourself or others, embrace it. It's the best and you could give Naughty Dog a million years and they couldn't program anything better.
Not sure that's what's being talked about here.
I don't think sex should be embarrassing even of the prudes believe it so, and it's a better activity than gaming. But more to the article, both gaming and sexual imagery are based in fantasy. Games transport you to medieval pasts, militaristic presents, and post apocalyptic futures. And we immersive ourselves in them the better the graphics and the more intuitive the controls. Sexual imagery does the same. The difference is that all of us can have sex and 99.9 percent of what we do in games we will never be able to do. So sex fantasy is more healthy, in my opinion..
Probably still just as confusing as the first post. Sorry, man, I'm at a loss on how to convey my point with the proper level of articulation.
Last edited by n/a on 2/5/2015 12:32:37 AM
Young males are all sex starved. Maybe the dirty little secret about gaming and the obsession with sex is that is isn't so dirty. Fiction fantasies, fueled by digital images of unrealistic proportions are likely perfectly normal and healthy. The cooky responses and silly behavior are probably the result of making sexyness in media such a taboo issue.
Don't do it, but do it since it works. The Japanese do it too much right, they go too far? Except it isn't considered offensive there, just real thoughts of creative types out there in pop culture.
So, I don't think any one piece of fiction or world of fiction has the responsibility to be even handed, realistic, or grown up about how it approaches sexuality, if it chooses to.
" Young males are all sex starved"
Speak for yourself lmao
Well said World, there seems to be a growing negativity towards sex and things that are sexual in nature. Im calling it "Revenge of the Puritans" this is just more lambasting of the male members of the so called "gaming community"
People (men and women) like sex, they like looking at attractive members of the opposite/same sex, people like and will always like looking at sexy alluring imagery. Not that ive noticed this apparent obsession i must have missed the bonus round in advanced warfare where you press F to tweek nipple!
@souljah, even those who have plenty of sex are "sex starved" in my mind because at that age your mind never stops jumping right to it no matter what kind of physical contact you have had. Movies, music videos, games, girls at school/college, the mind never really gives it up as a young male. Of course some are more sexually charged than others, but the state of what is important in America, which is pretty much youth, sex and skin, shows how our young people focus.
Except that objectification of women in media has real world consequences for a lot of women, consequences that many woman are now saying they will no longer put up with, and why should they? That you or I don't have to deal with it because we're guys doesn't make the issue nonexistent or even irrelevant.
Saying "it's fiction" doesn't excuse anything. The media we consume, fictional or not, plays a big role in our social development, our view of the world. When we, as a society, create media that degrades, objectifies or disparages large groups of people, it's a problem, even if the media in question happens to be part of your favorite hobby.
@Bio "Except that objectification of women in media has real world consequences for a lot of women"
can you offer some real world examples?
I don't think there's anything wrong liking this sort of stuff.
Hell, I like attractive women a lot, especially when they do sexy cosplays and I ain't afraid of admitting it.
It's normal for a us guys and I don't get why it's an "embarrassing obsession".
I clicked to this article because of that sexy picture…
yeah i'm not so inclined to these days just cos i've got better things to do now days than that altough i can still fall prey to it like anyone else sometimes, but i don't like what it does for the rep of gamers and the sterotypes and so on.
happy gaming
Testosterone.
I'd be more worried if man all of a sudden lost interest in sex and the thrill of the sight of a sex symbol/pinup/nudity/porn/whatever.
God I love pinups, classic 40s and 50s especially.
Yeah I know. Classy, tasty, tempting and just plain decorative, in a very sexist way. 🙂
i think everyone has made good points so i'll leave it at that today
happy gaming
Last edited by Rachet_JC_FTW on 2/5/2015 5:36:15 AM
I say there is honestly nothing wrong with people wanting to see beautiful women dressing up as video game gals. I begged for the longest time for my lady to use that body of hers and cosplay as someone she looks like. Spent 130$ on a Sakura (from naruto) cosplay outfit…well it was a good day.
So, it's far from embarrassing. I gladly admit to liking cosplay and all forms of it. And obviously there are tons of male cosplayers as well. Difference being, I am attracted to women and not men.
The only thing I say is hurting our culture is how sex is allowed to be used in music and movies as the entire subject matter, but the MINUTE you try to put that in a video game…you've gone off the deep end. Because as we all know, young girls shouldn't look up to a badass like Lara Croft and should look up to Kim Kardashian and Iggy Azalealea. Boys should look up to Justin Beaver instead of someone like Zidane.
Our reality is so much worse than anything in the fiction we all partake in and until we accept that, the gaming culture cannot and will never evolve. Might have said too much but this is another topic I'm tired of. This and women in video games. Cause one of the most respected franchises in gaming does not have powerful women. Not like Lady Boss whooped Snakes ass. Same game, Snake nails a woman. MGS3 0/10 too misogynistic. Right? RIGHT?!?!?!
Battlefield Hardline is awesome. Try out the beta if you haven't already.
I'm still looking for a girl to dress as Tifa for me 😉
@world, i was lucky enough that my last girlfriend did that for me, it was awesome
I think everyone is missing the point. This isn't about sex as a bad thing. This is about sex taking priority over every other aspect of the industry if there's even a hint of a scantily clad woman. Then there are the accompanying comments, which are enough to make you want to disown the entire community.
The comments have only emphasized your point of sending gamers off the rails any time the subject comes up.
You may be missing our point: We don't really see it as a problem.
What I see is the same as I've always seen: Men diggin' nekkid and semi-nekkid ladies, and howls at them. Like they always have, always will.
I mean – is it "immature"? Sure, call it that if you like. But just like an "accidental" nipple slip in a movie totally steals the thunder away from any other actor around her or the story as a whole, this really is no different.
Last edited by Beamboom on 2/5/2015 1:35:20 PM
Still missing the point, Beamboom.
This isn't about sex in and of itself, nor is it about everyone's attraction to it. It's about the gaming community's SHOCKING attraction to it, as if they're all screaming that they're adolescent kids. The reactions to it are the point; not the thing itself.
Last edited by Ben Dutka PSXE on 2/5/2015 4:27:40 PM
Those crazy people are not the majority Ben so we gamers are cool 😉
They are adolescent kids. Sadly while most folks who purchase games are over the age of 18, most of the immature comments and what not are coming from folks who are well under 18. Which is why I understand where the whole topic comes from. I'm in the group that doesn't mind women looking beautiful in games, however, I also enjoy when the characters have brains and meaningful existences. Sadly the media takes the vocal folks on the internet and social sites as the main voice for gamers. The ones who don't speak up are usually those who are ignoring the rants and raves and just gaming.
Last edited by DIsmael85 on 2/5/2015 10:32:18 PM
No, Ben. No.
I'm not missing anything, your message is not very hard to decipher, I am only disagreeing. It's not shocking, Ben. That's the thing. You are the one being shocked here.
I am not shocked. Not surprised, not even annoyed out of the regular. It's male behaviour. I see the same in my Facebook stream every single day. Or in comments on any – ANY – page that contains a picture of a sexy lady. Any. Being it a news site, a lawyer site, a tech site, hell I bet senior sites are no different:
The more a community consist of males, the more prominent this is.
But it's not shocking! It's not even unique to the gaming community! It's how it is in every single community dominated by males.
Last edited by Beamboom on 2/6/2015 3:58:35 AM
Comments online that seem to be made by idiots are given more credence than they desereve. we hear stories of how z list personalities or online "journolists" are upset by a horrible backlash, but honestly, as adults we can tell the well reasoned arguments we can learn from, from the frustrated comments of people who cant articulate themselves well without letting our feelings do the talking for us.
I get a little bothered by articles like this, that come across as reasonable and well meaning by shrinking the bigger picture because they've noticed something really obvious which they cannot believe would exist due to their own self righteousness. Those indie games with sexist pictures looking to grab your cash? thats all they are and if you know thats the case you know to avoid them. what's there to get indignant about?
Those people who shout the loudest about terrible sexist games are always the ones trying to get them discredited. I had know idea what dragons crown was but fuck me if the do gooders of the internet (see kotaku and friends) didnt shove it down our throats cause it had a pair of giant tits in it!
I betcha high-IQ, sex-starved guys might be drawn to it too, ya know!
I dont know where you (Ben) get the idea that only a small group of nerds like sex and nudity in their games. I'm married, with children living with my family in a nice house with a nice job. And I like the Witcher and I like GTAV. And I applaud that a game has nudity and sex and is also an exceptional game. Will it stop you from watching Dexter or Breaking Bad or Game of Thrones because it has those things? Does it make you a normal person to hate those things?
I think what breaks the news is that we're dealing with two semi-taboo issues: sex and videogames. The minute you intertwine one with the other, negative headlines are the result.
People still have a hard enough time validating videogames as an actual pastime. Throw sex in there, and even the slightest attention to it makes any gamer look creepy.
Yes, I know there are under aged/immature douches out there, so I'm trying not to include them, but I can't help but feel that they're the small group that's causing all this ruckus.
Last edited by Aranha on 2/6/2015 12:40:26 AM