171: OMG Bewbs!

[Brooks Brown]

OMG Bewbs!

"Digital boobs are the unsung heroes of the graphical arms race. They're the harbinger of new technology as well as the most abused part of any physics engine. Boobs brighten our day, make us chuckle as they swing with ludicrous motion and on occasion arouse us in ways we would never admit - especially to our significant others."

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[Hawgh]

The boobs are dead, long live the boobs!

 

[Emperor Inferno]

Boobs, or bewbs I guess, ROCK!

 

[nilpixelcount]

How could you do an article about hyper realistic bewbs and fail to mention DOA Beach Volleyball 2, with the absolutely bizarre physics!

http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2006/10/23/new-doax2-trailer-pushes-the-limits/

 

[Calobi]

Faith, it would seem, is the least sexualized woman in gaming history.

Have you forgotten Chell already? Most players (at least that I know) didn't realize she was female until part-way through the game. I knew Faith was female when I first saw the trailer. EA wants players to know, or at least doesn't care if you do, that she is a she. For Portal, it appeared as a non-issue that Chell was female, although it allowed for some deeper inspections about how females are less violent and blah blah blah.

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

I wanna play Rumble Roses now...kinda...not really...

 

[Shushyne4np2ne]

If you want a boobs game, go to Japan. I like boobs as much as the next guy, but when it's the main focal point of a character, It gets old...

 

[MisterStaypuft]

Another vote for Chell. I mean, come on. obvious.

 

[0over0]

All of that and no mention whatsoever of Age of Conan?

Do a little research next time.

 

[Arbre]

People don't read boobs anymore.

*Waits for Bayonet*

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Question for all the gay men/hetero women. If given the choice, would you like to see 'the last turkey in the shop' in your video games?

(Yes, that is an euphemism)

 

[Tenchan]

Question for all the gay men/hetero women. If given the choice, would you like to see 'the last turkey in the shop' in your video games?

(Yes, that is an euphemism)

I demand would like to at least see it clothed. Few things irritate me as much as the double-standards of 'fanservice' when it comes to these things.

 

[Sillyiggy]

I think a big part of the lack of interest is related to internet pornography. When what we want is breasts it is obviously the better venue. When we want to play as a heroine that is an interesting character in an interesting world then games are where we want to be.

Another possibility is that the age demographic of gaming has changed. The average gamer is older, and hence more likely to be in a intimate relationship with a woman or women. Breasts are far less interesting on the screen when you have a real living breathing woman/women to admire.

Another possibility is that breasts simply blind men to any complexity a heroine may have to offer. Men could be so busy staring at the gajungas that they don't even think there is a character behind them, and hence, men really don't care for the heroine or game (of course most of the time there really is nothing behind those breasts because they were made solely for sex appeal). So the character and/or game bores us.

DOA Beach Volleyball was unique in that it was probably target for men but women got interested in it. I reason that there are 2 reasons for this: women are more bi curious/sexual than men and accessories was something that related to their world more than mens (what bikini's look good on whom, etc.) Granted I never played the game so I may be just talking out my buttocks here.

I think this post may be a tad on the long side. So in summation, BEEEEWBS!!!!!

 

[Jursa]

I think that game is made for 6-12 year olds and old perverts. The Boobs go like a seesaw at the slightest move. I mean I understand their aim, but seriously, this was really more of a soft porn vid than a game trailer.

 

[yonsito]

I like the idea of measuring realism in boobs. Yet while becoming more realistic they also became increasingly unrealistic. Kind of complicated, isn't it?

I must admit that I'm a little unsure about a trend towards more clothed women. I hear that boobs are quite big in MMOs as well.

On a related note I'm also not quite sure whether Gears is a good example for a game NOT designed with 14-year-olds in mind. It just doesn't feature women.

 

[MorkFromOrk]

The video game industry, more so than not, treats female characters with a frat boy mentality. How many video games have women warriors dressed in skimpy revealing clothes while their male counterparts are in full battle armor? But it's not just video games it's the whole entertainment industry. CSI has hot women in low cut blouses doing autopsies, comic books are rife with Amazonian female characters with 40DD breast cups, virtually every male lead action movie has some sexy sidekick (James Bond anyone?). I mean for God sakes look how much attention Janet Jackson's "Nipplegate" stirred up.

Really, we put a man on the moon in the 60's and here we are in 2008 still fixated on female breasts and more so female nipples.

 

[Smokescreen]

From the article:

"Remember, boobs tend to show us how close we're getting to reality - and the gap is closing quite quickly."

"Boobs are a barometer of realism in games."

Uh, why is that? (I actually know the answer, but I don't see it in the article)

Therefore, I give this article 5 out of 5 fails.

 

[DirkBelig]

There was an commentary called "Britney Spears: Galactic Commando" [http://www.ggl.com/index.php?controller=News&method=article&id=2232&page=1] a few years ago that tackled the whole bimbos vs. strong females conundrum. The short version is that women are generally portrayed in the most ridiculous manner with impossible physiques and improbably attire. What's interesting is that the female characters who resonate the most with intelligent gamers are the least Playmate-like in physique.

As much fun as it may be to leer at the DOA girls - and it IS fun; so much so that they should've foregone making the game part of DOAX2 and just had two hours of rendered spank bank material on the disc - I find girls/women like Alyx (Half-Life 2), Jade (Beyond Good & Evil), Nariko (Heavenly Sword) and Faith (Mirror's Edge) more compelling because they're spunky and realistically portrayed with athletic physiques appropriate to their roles. (A chick with giant boobs isn't going to be really great at parkour or sword fighting, ya know?)

BTW, the voice actress of Heavenly Sword, Anna Torv, is the star of "Fringe". She's not bad.

 

[thechemist]

I'm going to have to chalk up another vote of awe that Dead or Alive wasn't mentioned.

Though breasts really don't have the same selling point as a game itself. A game is part of the escape from the day to day grind we all find ourselves partaking in. Where adolesence deals a great deal of vaginal and robust euphorisms, as you get older and have the real thing less of the in game graphic adds to seduction. As the article stated, "Boobs brighten our day, make us chuckle as they swing with ludicrous motion..."

They're jokes, knock offs, imitators, plastic, silicone...hold on...