Soulcalibur V Panders To Boob-Starved Fanbase

Earnest Cavalli

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Soulcalibur V Panders To Boob-Starved Fanbase



Namco Bandai knows what people want from Soulcalibur V, and it's totally prepared to deliver.

We're all adults here, right? Good, then let's just be blunt about it: Soulcalibur V has a whole lot of breasts in it. Comically oversized, physics-defying, spine-wrenching breasts. Anyone who's followed the series over the years won't be terribly stunned by this revelation, but it's only fitting that with the game having reached gold status this morning (and hitting store shelves on February 3), that we commemorate the occasion with the following two tales of just how heavily Namco Bandai is relying on the endowments of its female characters to sell this title.

As Eurogamer reports [http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-01-04-esrb-soulcalibur-5-has-large-amounts-of-jiggling-cleavage], when the ESRB recently evaluated the game for sale in the United States, it offered the title a relatively tame "Teen" rating. More interesting than that though are the specific reasons for the rating, as spelled out in descriptive text that would likely go unnoticed by the world at large, if not for gaming journalists who find this kind of thing hilarious.

"Some female fighters wear outfits that reveal large amounts of jiggling cleavage and portions of their buttocks," the ESRB rating summary reports [http://www.esrb.org/ratings/synopsis.jsp?Certificate=31896]. "... on the character creation menu, players can augment fighters' breast sizes and manipulate the camera to zoom in on their bodies," it adds.

Custom camera angles and poorly planned costume choices are de rigueur titillation for the fighting game genre, but that bit about players being able to handcraft their own ridiculously large, uh ... "tracts of land?" That's classy.

"Nex, you're being unfair! Namco Bandai is just working with a cast that has always included women with breasts that range from huge to ludicrously huge! The company isn't specifically using that as a selling point!" I hear you shouting.

Perhaps reader, but that doesn't account for the recent print ad click these suddenly colorful words [http://andriasang.com/comzkh/scv_ad/], you'll be whisked away to a glimpse of what Namco Bandai considers the game's key selling point. Er, points, I suppose.

Mind you, I'm not condemning the company for any of this. As cool a character as Mitsurugi is, sex sells. Busty dominatrix beats grizzled samurai every time. I just like to point these things out.

As a reward for bearing with me on this, I also present the newly-released opening cinematic for the game. What it lacks in softcore fetishism, it more than makes up for in shiny violence. Enjoy.


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Otaku World Order

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Is that supposed to be Ivy in that print ad? 'Cause the outfit makes her look more like Ultimecia from Final Fantasy 8.

Personally, I can't wait for the Soul Calibur: Xtreme Beach Volleyball spin-off game.
 

Sixcess

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Earnest Cavalli said:
but if you click these suddenly colorful words [http://cdn.themis-media.com/media/global/images/library/deriv/79/79261.jpg], you'll be whisked away to a glimpse of what Namco Bandai considers the game's key selling point. Er, points, I suppose.
Um... you seem to have mistakenly linked to an ad for Evony.

Oh... wait...
 

danyy2009

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And i was hoping i wont be embarrased everytime someone passes by the tv while playing soul calibur...
 

Electric Alpaca

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May 2, 2011
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As much as I like to see a series I like potentially get more fans, it irks me slightly that this is the methodology behind attracting more fans.

I don't mind such gratuity being present, but to actually be a primary focus of marketing is a little low.

It's almost enough for me not buy the game, and I've had each installment in turn since SoulEdge.

I don't want the world to think I'm a pervert. I am... but I don't want to advertise it...
 

ph0b0s123

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I prefer the spread of media depicting obviously adult women with overdeveloped assets, rather than the polar opposite that Japan is also known to put out....
 

Regiment

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In defense of the game, I suppose, the character creation ad video shows that you can edit any part of a character's body - so, while you can give a character massive breasts, you can also give him or her huge Popeye-esque forearms or tiny thighs or whatever.

The poster... yeah, I'm kind of insulted to be the target audience for that. (Still have the special edition preordered, though - although not [just] for that.)
 

Gigatoast

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Is there a "Have some f**king dignity!" mode for people like me who're over the age of 12?
 

M0rp43vs

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Jul 4, 2008
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Having followed the series since two(Personally loved 3) and seeing the increase in sexuality throughout the series(2-normal fighting game, 3-A little excessive, 4-Is the loli wearing a see through? and now this) I can only ask: What'll 6 be like?
 

Treblaine

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Jul 25, 2008
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Pro tip: I can see boobs cheaper and better elsewhere.

If this is Namco Bandai's selling point then SCV will die a slow death. Seriously, the aesthetic serves the SUBSTANCE (in this case the fighting) it should not be the main attraction!
 

Zhukov

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Dec 29, 2009
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I'm just curious as to why that one guy in the video was trying to fight with a chandelier.
 

ResonanceSD

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Dec 14, 2009
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Now I remember why gamers have a reputation in western culture as sophisticated, intelligent people. OH WAIT.