Stolen Pixels #58: Xenoeroticism

[Shamus Young]

Stolen Pixels #58: Xenoeroticism

Mass Effect is chock full of high concepts and ideals, but you're probably too distracted by the hot alien prostitutes to notice.

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[Brokkr]

Very funny. I hadn't even thought about the male/female ratio until this.

 

[Specter_]

"fling poo at enemy"

This is totally offtopic, but I still see poo-flinging as a reasonable way to defend my person.

 

[Dectilon]

I always saw Mass Effect as a sort of pretentious Flash Gordon : )

 

[CUnk]

Finally, someone pointing out how shitty the writing in Mass Effect is. I don't get why people go crazy for this game.

 

[Eagle Est1986]

haha, good work Shamus.
What do you think of the game btw? I assume you're playing the PC version?

 

[HobbesMkii]

I think Mass Effect is a pretty good example of how not to interweave sexual content into your video game. The game does seem to bend over backwards in order to force the player into a sexual encounter.

 

[krellen]

Darn you Shamus, you made me register just for this!

I wouldn't know a female Elcor if I saw one; with the way they speak, I'm not sure a human could tell without asking (or indelicately checking "under the hood".) Given how much more inclined the Elcor ambassador is to peace-making than the other ambassadors we see in the game, she may very well be a female Elcor. There were what, all of four Elcor in the game? Who knows if any were female?

The Salarians are, in fact, mostly male - and matriarchal, so their females are all back home running the Salarian empire. Although they look like salamanders, they probably should have been insects.

And while I'm also not sure I'd know a female Krogan if I saw one (they're reptilian, so mammaries are unlikely), given the genophage it would be unsurprising to me if the Krogan were a misogynistic patriarchal society that kept women locked away "somewhere safe".

But there is, in fact, no excuse for the Turians (I'll excuse the Hanar for having only three or four representatives in the game.) And it's actually kind of funny how much Liara tries to dispel the image of asari oversexuality when everything else in the game reinforces it. Yeah, I'm not buying it.

 

[Break]

Darn you Shamus, you made me register just for this!

I wouldn't know a female Elcor if I saw one; with the way they speak, I'm not sure a human could tell without asking (or indelicately checking "under the hood".) Given how much more inclined the Elcor ambassador is to peace-making than the other ambassadors we see in the game, she may very well be a female Elcor. There were what, all of four Elcor in the game? Who knows if any were female?

Yeah, this is something. When you can't tell the difference between a male and a female chimpanzee, what're the chances that you can spot the visual differences between the sexes of a species with an exoskeleton? Tho', the pronouns thing is actually quite salient, so Shamus might be right after all.

I'm still impressed that, so long after the fact, you're finding fresh things to say about Mass Effect. I was a little suspicious when you started on it, but you haven't done all that badly.

 

[PedroSteckecilo]

An interesting point about the male/female ratio, I made many of the same assumptions as krellen in regards to every race other than the Turians, for whom there is no excuse.

 

[domicius]

I loved the octopus punchline. In fact, the Mass Effect jokes have been really good. Kudos!

 

[Anaphyis]

I never thought much about the gender ratio because as Krellen mentioned, at least the Salarian and Krogan have a good excuse. Given the chance of stillbirth with the Krogan, I pity their females and Wrex alludes to this in some lines. The Turian get an official handwave: They got into time and budget restraints before they could make a second model.

Also, I can buy the Asari consort to some degree, as her job is more spiritual then physical and somehow fits the Asari image. The pole dancers however are just plain idiotic. They should collect at Bioware for the poor soul who came up with this to get him a hooker. Obviously, he needs one.

And who knows whats under the Volos encounter suit. Maybe a Vorlon. Hey. Volos ... Vorlon ... wait a minute!

 

[vede]

haha, good work Shamus.
What do you think of the game btw? I assume you're playing the PC version?

He's playing the 360 version. You can read a lot about what he thinks of the game at his blog.

Also, I (from what I've heard, I've never actually played the game) don't get the Asari. If they're an alien race from another planet and only have females, why would they be compatible with other male species? I dunno, but I don't think I'd even try to go for a blue alien, even if she looked hot.

 

[johansan]

That "octopus" bit was nice, straight out of left field .

 

[Patrick J McGraw]

As a fellow nitpicker, I'm sure you'll understand my need to point this out:

Quakers don't have churches. They have meeting houses.

 

[Grenbyron]

I always found it odd that aliens in the galaxy always seem to want human women. Weird.

 

[Deleric]

I Lol'd.

 

[Yog Sothoth]

Finally, someone pointing out how shitty the writing in Mass Effect is. I don't get why people go crazy for this game.

and yet the writing is still miles ahead of many other games, misogynistic overtones or not...

 

[lesterley]

I've said it before and I'll say it again...

I'm gonna make a game where all of the heroes are women over the age of 55, who have gray hair, and can kick ass.

They'll be adored and fawned over by young men with bare chests and rippling biceps.

It's only fair...

Leslee

 

[Yog Sothoth]

I've said it before and I'll say it again...

I'm gonna make a game where all of the heroes are women over the age of 55, who have gray hair, and can kick ass.

They'll be adored and fawned over by young men with bare chests and rippling biceps.

It's only fair...

Leslee

i'd buy that game... it sounds hilarious!