Ben-DutkaSome will say that extreme political correctness strikes again. Others will say an apology was definitely in order.
The International Game Developers Association (IGDA) has issued an apology for a party that was held this past week at GDC 2013.
Executive director Kate Edwards issued a statement saying the organization understands that some of the costumes worn at the party were "inappropriate," as were some of those costume-wearers actions. She also said the group doesn't condone such activities:
"As many of you know, the IGDA was a co-presenter of the YetiZen party Tuesday evening. We recognize that some of the performers' costumes at the party were inappropriate, and also some of the activities they performed were not what we expected or approved.
We regret that the IGDA was involved in this situation. We do not condone activities that objectify or demean women or any other group of people. One of the core values of the IGDA is encouraging inclusion and diversity. Obviously we need to be more vigilant in our efforts. We intend to be so in the future."
Apparently, it was bad enough to cause IGDA board members Brenda Romera and Darius Kazemi to resign. Is this part of the reason we really don't see booth babes, anymore? Just not PC, right? Too demeaning…? Or were the costumes at this party just beyond ridiculous? I don't know, I wasn't there, but some who were are saying everyone just plain overreacted…as they tend to do these days.
I believe that we need pictures of said costumes in order to judge for ourselves. Eh?………Ehhhh???………eh.
Must have been the female gamers offended by the costumes.
I've seen a photo of the costumes and while barely there, no one forced those girls to dress like that, They wanted a paying gig and the costume was part of it.
As for the questionable actions, I don't know what was done (simulated sex acts? lap dances? other?) so I can't comment.
In all likelihood it's just yet another PC/feminism/calm-the-F-down situation that has forced people to apologize and resign for no freaking reason.
http://b-i.forbesimg.com/carolpinchefsky/files/2013/03/IGDA2013Photo.jpg
http://trixie360.wordpress.com/2013/03/28/sexism-in-games-a-mea-culpa/
Last edited by touchyourtoes on 3/29/2013 12:13:23 PM
Well if they were up on stage performing then whoever hired them must of known what was coming and deemed it ok.
Sound like a bunch of do-gooders making noise again!
Pfft, that's nothin.
Are you for real? This most be some sort of advertising stunt. I smell troll or these people are ignorant. We are just to sensitive when it comes to the female anatomy.
So a load of cosplayers got tipsy and started having fun!?
I'd love to watch a drunk solid snake slap the a$$ off a jiggling laura croft.
I just don't understand the mentality when it comes to consumers, retailers and publishers, with regards to gaming. A game that depicts violence, blood and gore get's a T or M rating and that's fine, I personally have no issue with appropriately rated game violence. But a game with nudity or anything sexually suggestive is threatened with a AO rating, even though similar content can be found in cable tv shows and movies and rated MA or R, respectively. Remember the fuss about the topless scene in Heavy Rain!? Correct me if I'm wrong, but the reaction to anything regarding nudity or sexually suggestive in games seems to be a uniquely American phenomenon.
Different cultures are sensitive to different things. Germany is so touchy on issues of dismemberment that the art for Left 4 Dead had to have the severed thumb airbrushed back in and the Japanese are particular about the depiction about genitalia which is why the Penetrator in the Japanese version of Saint's Row the Third is less detailed and doesn't flop around. Sex in general is the great American bugbear.
Kryten, you are absolutely correct, but those sensitivities and restrictions in Germany, Japan, Australia, etc. don't affect what is available outside those territories. Whereas because sex and nudity in video games is taboo in the US, the rest of the world can't get those scenes/situations put into games.
The hypocrisy is that a US cable tv show or US made movie (rated R) may have the exact same sex and nudity content as a video game (which gets rated AO) and yet retailers (ex. Wal-mart) will stock the movie and tv show, yet it's against their moral standards to carry the game. Perhaps the ESRB needs an overhaul to be brought inline with movie and television rating standards.
You're going to see a lot more skin and sex action than this in a PG-13 movie or reality show. I can't believe this BS. I understand the desire to elevate gaming beyond adolescent behavior but why can't adults have adult fun too?
Some day I'll found my own gaming convention with booth babes, strippers dressed like Tifa, and a bunch of booze and cigars. No one under 18 allowed.
Well just because we see elsewhere in media does not necessarily mean its the right thing to do. AND no one is forcing them to apologize, so they must know they were…. pushing it.
If guys or girls for that matter get off this … distraction, then maybe they should start having a red light district in the event. Likes geez guys, if we do see it everywhere then wants the frigging point of it being at this event.
They made a mistake, they know it, they apologized…. move on to why they have this get together in the first place. Geez.
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Whatever. I've been to enough conferences and board meetings to know that if a perspective client thought that the only way to sell their product was to hire scantily clad women I would take a pass and move on. Being on the female side of life I see things differently and definitely have dealt with more than my fair share of sexism in the gaming industry. This isn't about being politically correct, it's about professionalism and how to move past the adolescent notion that boobies sell games…
I don't think the point of this raucous get-together was to sell anything.
Man, I told my grandma not to show up at GDC wearing only a thong. I don't know what she was thinking.
In a professional event, which this was supposed to be, dancing girls are completely inappropriate, even if it was a party.
dunno what the costumes were, but could they really be that bad to warrant 2 board members resigning?
nothing wrong with booth babes!
car shows have them, and what are award ceremonies if not booth babes?
come on, red carpet events have more scantly clad women than any booth babe car event ive ever been to!