Came across this, by tragic coincidence, Onechanbara™: Bikini Samurai Squad™. Cheesus. Weren’t there really enough half dressed titles on the shelves already? We actually needed another “let’s show an unjustified amount of naked female skin” game?

Listen to this:

The sexy sister duo Aya and Saki use their swords and their hotness to defend their city against a legion of killer zombies.

“Oh. I gotta play this game. I really relate to this. Cause if I were a lethal killer facing a flock of flesheating walking deads, I’d definetely dress as if I were going to the beach. Hell yeah.”

I will never take this lightly. The never-ending objectifying of women, in any context, seriously makes me doubt the evolution altogether. Is this as far as we’ve come? To me it will never be just innocent fun. It’s a constant reminder of how women, to a much greater extent than men, are being diminished to eye candy. And always in the same stereotype manner.

And the really sad part? It sells.

Well, if you know me at all, you know the answer to that. There won’t be any completely un-related eye candy in this game. Eye candy as in cool exhaust pipes or shiny rims or super high tech tuning parts - of course. That’s what it’s all about. Cars. Engines. Driving.

But no one has to this point been able to explain to me, the connection between half naked girls - only there for the show, eye candy material - and racing. At least not in a very persuasive way.

“It’s just the way it is” “It’s always been like that” “There are always grid girls at racing tracks” etc etc.

So fine, I get it. They exist. But WHY?

Let’s say racing games and car sports are considered a male area of interest. It’s for men only. What could be considered “female” areas of interest? Kitchen appliances? Washing machines? How often do you see semi naked men posing next to those, to enhance sales? Like…never?

Why do guys need stereotype images of women to focus on something? Why aren’t we seeing an upgraded version of the “typical male” and “typical female” concept? Why are we still living in the 19th century - or worse - when it comes to these things?

I know men/boys/guys who definetely aren’t like this. Who aren’t afraid of real women. Who don’t buy stupid magazines where page 3 girls take their top off to get ahead in the world. Who see through the artificial layer we seem to cover women in (you know what I mean, mini skirts, huge boobs, unbuttoned shirts, flawless skin, neverending legs and a waist so thin she’ll snap if you touch her).

But where are these men when games are being developed? Is the game industry really such an old fashioned environment, with such gutless creatures, that women in games are destined to be no more than cute props on the sideline? Who is gonna take that step forward, refusing to accept “reality” and change the way we portray women?

Stop hiding behind “we’re just giving people what they want”. Change what people want! Show them an alternative. Find another target group, dare to be different.

God these things make me mad… I’m so annoyed I even missed the PS demo which is now taking place in the conference room. Gotta go.

Happy weekend. Be brave. Think differently. Challenge yourself. Play games. Eat fruit. Read a book. And remember, be nice…

// L

I’m one of those people that get really tired and angry when I come across sexism and a condescending attitude towards people based on their gender. And let’s face it, it happens to women more than men (as in women are more often objectified than men - IN GENERAL, not always). It affects men too as they have to live with this is much as us women, they have to put up with those men that have opinions that don’t match their own - but still somehow becomes representative for them, as MEN. Not people, but men as an opposite to women. I know they exist, those genuinly good guys that do their share of the work around the house, they pick up the kids after school, they don’t encourage their girlfriends to have plastic surgery and they don’t think it’s ok to treat women worse than men solely because they are women. Some people actually manage to treat other people as just people. Persons. Other human beings worth respecting due to that simple fact.

But still…not everyone agrees with this.
Women do make less money than men, they stay home with the kids and drive them to soccer practice and help them with their homework, they do most of the laundry, cooking and cleaning (and everything else that needs to be done at home) and they are the ones constantly being portrayed as toys, eye candy for the guys, on page 3. And yes, it annoys me.

But what has all of this got to do with games? Well, first of all, how are women portrayed in games? Like on page 3 most of the time. Long hair gently floating on the virtual wind, a waist so thin she would barely be able to stand up if this was the real deal, high heels (not the ultimate fighting shoe, trust me), long legs and huge breasts. Like Barbie, with less clothes. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but most of us women don’t look like that.

This stereoype avatar chick bugs me for more than one reason:

1. I want to be able to relate to my avatar. That’s extremely difficult when I don’t look anything like her. It’s not just that the haircolor is wrong - she might as well be of another spieces than me! How can I get into the game and focus on the story when that Playboy bunnie lookalike is in the way like a constant reminder of what I’m NOT?

2. I have a daughter. Guess what I don’t want her to experience? The constant disappointment in herself and the way she looks that those “ideals” bring. She already hates herself for eating - let’s not make it worse.

But let’s be fair - men are also treated as stereoype morons by the gaming industry. How many of your closest friends would fit in Gears of war? Or are as agile and handsome as the persian prince?

I can already hear your argument - “but I don’t want it to be realistic! I want to be able to run on walls or dodge bullets! That’s the POINT!” And fine, I agree. That’s why I read books or get goose bumps from every Kung Fu movie ever made, to escape from reality and live in a another world for a while where my powers are endless. Of course I love it. But I don’t want to be Pamela A in Barbwire. I’d rather be Natalie P. in V for Vendetta. Or Milla J. in Resident Evil. They’re strong and cool and still look like real people.

Where are the realistic heroes and why are they so hard to find? What’s so wrong with being normal? Visually and graphically that is. I’d still love to have powers beyond all imagination.

So - why do we keep making the same game over and over again? (looking forward to the 4756th FPS with gloomy skies and men the size of King Kong, with some princess to save or hooker to use?) Why does the industry to a devastatingly majority consist of men between 20-30? Why are women still out of the tech loop? Why would most game developers rather shoot themselves in the foot than develop games intended mainly for women or children? Why aren’t we getting anywhere?
The whole idea with this post was to come up with some critique of the game industry itself and how we approach these issues. I’m not gonna end this post with an answer, or a final say on the matter. There’s a lot more to be said on the subject, more theories and possible explanations and ideas. Let’s get back to them sometime.

// L.