Blizzard Dev Offers Apology for Response to Sexualization Question

[Pyrian]

See, here's the thing. The central point of your argument is in the words "EVERY" and "HAS TO". Without those, you don't really have an argument. There's really no big deal if "SOME" or "MOST" will "CHOOSE" to underdress. So, the existence of examples does not prove your point, but the existence of counter-examples DOES disprove your point.

Yes, go find me a few examples of female characters dressed as something other than something crossed with a stripper; that'll prove that there isn't a problem where female characters are disproportionately designed (Because a character can't "choose" to underdress, a designer chooses to put them in retarded outfits) as fanservice first, powerful second.

But that's not a big deal. You admitted it yourself, earlier. Reasonable people don't object if you have the option to play a sexy character. It's when every female has to be sexy that there's a problem.

But you don't really care about that, do you? You want all the sexy options gone altogether. That's the truth of where you're coming from. You start with the reasonable objection to every woman being hypersexualized, but when that turns out to be inaccurate, you have to fall back, and admit what you really want.

 

[Loop Stricken]

Why pick on blizzard? Their female characters are usually very strong women.

Because we can see their FLESH of course.

All that delicious necrotic pale grey flesh on Sylvanas...

 

[Bocaj2000]

The interesting thing is that I'm not upset the lack of a social statement. I'm instead disappointed about the lack of an artistic statement. "We're just making characters who look cool," is an artistically empty statement that I expect from a high schooler, but not from a character designer and game developer. I am disappoint.

EDIT: Also, many character designers have a bad habit of not being able to draw ugly women. Blizzard is unfortunately included in this grouping. They weren't always like this. They used to be a company that created the original three classics that we have all grown to love due to their serious atmospheres, but have instead decided to go down a different path. But that's a topic for another thread...

 

[Loop Stricken]

Blah blah posts multiple images of characters using Sylvanas' model

Let me just show you my female WoW characters. Bearing in mind I am a straight male.

Spoiler: Beware! Such sexy! So skimp! Wow!

Ye Gods, it's like a flesh buffet!

 

[wulf3n]

Can't you see we're all being played for sheep?

The writer at RPS doesn't give a shit about this issue. I mean he does, but not in the "I want to make things better" sense, but rather the I can capitalize on the issue.

 

[Lictor Face]

You mean Moba characters are sexualized? I never realised that myself. Dota has precious little sexualized character other than Queen of Pain ( Her lore makes her a bdsm lord so I guess that is fairly relevant. ) and possibly Lina.

Other than that I'm not seeing much relevance, to the Moba genre anyway

 

[Playful Pony]

I don't think that reply warranted so much arm flailing really, and I don't see why they felt like sneaking a question (andi it's barely one) about sexualization of female character in there. I certainly agree that the debate should be had, but not by making such backhanded stabs at each other.

Why pick on blizzard? Their female characters are usually very strong women.

Well, I don't have much of a history or experience with Blizzard as a developer, but I a moment in WoW that really stuck with me (and put me off the game as a whole after that) was when my friend and I had gotten to level 60 (or was it 70?) at the same time, and had gotten some new armor with pretty neat stats. He put his on and got some really sweet looking kind of dragon-armor. I put mine on, and I got this monstrosity [http://i.imgur.com/fNEXJxf.jpg] (alternative race pic here [http://dwarfwench.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/pink.jpg]).

It has a heart on its bikinibottom! Way to make me feel like a badass WoW!

The look of that armor may have changed long ago, I haven't played for quite some time, but I just remember that moment vividly for some reason. I was playing that Dranei race, a paladin, and up until that point I had been pretty pleased with the equipment I had gotten. I guess it's meant mostly for men that play women characters (and I'm sure at least some women like this look), but it really annoyed me that this was the equivalent to my male friends badassness! Disclaimer disclaimer, I'm not saying Blizzard are terrible people, I don't know if they are...

 

[Ticklefist]

Pretty soon Blizzard's just gonna have to call the game Friend Zone All-Stars.

 

[likalaruku]

Well, I'm a chick & I don't think he said anything sexist.

Look at that plothole riddled series Charmed; a show run by women, supposedly aimed women, with some pretty thick misandry... The characters in that show dressed provocatively because they thought it was cool. The same could probably be said for Sex in the City & Real House Wives, but I'll be damned if I could sit through them.

If women wear frumpy, figure-unflattering, or masculine clothes, other women are the first to criticize them for it, so even we have to admit that dressing sexy is the standard for looking cool as a woman.

With Wonder Woman, some girls just wanted to see pants on her. They knew they'd be skin-tight & show off every curve, but that was somehow more acceptable to them. My personal theory is 1)Mom Logic; I'M cold, so I want YOU to war a sweater, & 2)Resentment that female avatars don't also get to wear massive shoulder armor.

 

[SecondPrize]

Wow... RPS just smashed head long into the fail button with that one. Also, RPS wants to discuss gender politics in reference to titles that are primarily geared towards a male demographic? It's like a guy complaining about the color of the deodorant bars in the womens section of Target or vice versa.

It gets better. Have you read the response article where Greyson whines about the entire event while crying?

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/11/22/re-that-heroes-of-the-storm-interview/

No I haven't. RPS has gone to shit and I won't stain my computer with that site anymore.