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Getting the Girl

Posted by Zonk on from the pink-boxes-not-needed dept.

1up.com has a great article up entitled Getting The Girl. Zoe Flower discusses female gaming stereotypes, the role of women in gaming, and the mythical "girl formula" for gaming success. From the article: "Lara Croft continues to personify an ongoing culture clash over gender, sexuality, empowerment, and objectification. It was while standing in my first-ever ladies' room line at E3 2004 as I pondered the Playboy bunnies, the return of Leisure Suit Larry, and the slew of buxom virtual ladies headlining each booth that I questioned whether the industry had evolved at all."

7 of 528 comments (clear)

  1. Target Audience by eln · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The biggest market for video games are males aged 12-25. Big breasted women helps sell games to this demographic. That is all.

    1. Re:Target Audience by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      And let's not forget about all of those big hunky male characters in video games like:

      The Doom Guy
      Serious Sam
      Duke Nukem ...

      I've never heard another male video gamer complain `Duke's arms are too muscular!` or `Look at those pecs, they're unnatural!`.

      They're charactures. It's like complaining that cartoon characters don't look like real people.

    2. Re:Target Audience by Psmylie · · Score: 5, Insightful

      If that's true, then isn't having slender-waisted, large breasted women characters also marketing towards a femal fantasy?
      Hmmm...

      --

      psmylie's dictionary: Godzillion (noun) Any number large enough to destroy Tokyo

    3. Re:Target Audience by Marvelicious · · Score: 5, Insightful

      THANK YOU!

      I'm sick of hearing about how MEN are responsible for the sexual stereotyping. What about Cosmo and all the other mags dedicated to helping women look as much like the sterotype as possibe?

      --
      Send whiskey and fresh horses!
  2. What about the studly men!? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Sometimes women will say to me "Look at those scantily clad women with their tits hanging out on the box! That's sexist!"

    To which I have to say "Do you see any short bald dudes with a big pot belly on any of these boxes either? No, it's all he-man looking dudes busting at the seams with muscles".

    These games aren't any different than music videos or movies. Do you see any ugly people in music videos or movies aimed at 18-25 audience? Of course not. No one attacks the music industry for using half-naked chicks and musclemen with abs-o-steele to get teenagers to watch their videos...

  3. I bet "girl games" would have girls on them too by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If you go to the magazine section and see all the silly men's magazines, they have pretty girls on them (occasionally men).

    When you look at the women's trashy magazines, they have pretty girls on them (occasionally men). You know, the ones that tell you how to make your butt smaller, charge your cell phone, run a fortune 500 company, and get that cute guy, all before lunch?

  4. No mention of HL2? by neolith · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I thought Alyx was a pretty well realized female character. Tough, feminine, sexy without being a slutty, smart as hell, and she even possessed a figure without Laura-Croftian... embellishments. I think it says positive things that the top game of the year has a female character that can stand up with the men in the game, and possibly has a future in her own game. I'd *love* to see an Alyx and DOG game, or just Alyx for that matter.

    Sure, you can find stereotypes in trashy games like BloodRayne and various fighters, but there are plenty of male stereotypes to be found over there as well.

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