Blizzard Dev Offers Apology for Response to Sexualization Question

[AuronFtw]

I know how to deal with this! have all female game characters from now on all wear burqas exclusively that way no one will be offended by them being underdressed. After all there were complaints of Lara Croft being underdressed on some sites so better safe than sorry.

The important thing is to make sure that all the female characters are handled in the same way depending on what you think about women. Either they are defined by being sexual, or they are defined by being a temptation to men. Try to avoid having your female characters have various interesting traits. That's definitely what RPS was asking for.

Or, maybe you're not understanding the issue at all.

So... like... Jaina Proudmoore, then? Strong, independant, intelligent, had potential romantic connections with Thrall and Arthas at separate times but is not characterized or bound by either, doesn't let it affect her decisions regarding various important happenings around the world, and leads a huge organization of mages to war?

And she was designed in 2002.

I'd say blizzard is ahead of the fucking curve on female character development. Anyone throwing questions like this at them in an interview is a fucking dumbass, and anyone supporting such unwarranted lambasting really needs to learn some gaming history, their ignorance is an embarrassment to gaming culture.

(This is without mentioning Alleria from Warcraft 2, Sylvanas from WC3, Kerrigan from SC even before zergitude, all of whom are strong female characters that stand up to even the strongest of male characters. Blizzard is really not the company struggling with female characters in their games.)

 

[Mersadeon]

Man, do I get tired of this, especially since people on both sides don't seem to understand even their own position. It's not about any one of these games - art is art, and if a game wants to hyper-sexualize men, women and/or anything else, then that's part of the art and shouldn't have to justify itself.
It's about the fact that EVERY game seems to do it. So we can't criticize one particular game for this - because any game has the right to do this, no matter how much we dislike it. We have to criticize the trend, but make clear that we are not saying that the game is taking an invalid approach, and that is not easy.

 

[Corran006]

Why is it Video games suffer the brunt of this problem? Last time I checked Film and TV and even books have this same problem? Do they only go after video games because its a easy target?

 

[Phasmal]

Oh well. Sounded like the dude was pretty ignorant on the subject and is now not so.
Maybe it's gotten a developer to think about how other demographics of gamers feel about their cosmetic choices in-game.
I'm not getting how that's a bad thing. Well, maybe if you're already in the pandered-to demographic it's bad... but I don't really see how.

 

[Colt47]

Did he said anything wrong?? I mean seriously, you people are exaggerating...

The problem with posting ones opinion on the internet in writing is that there is a lack of any ability to truly demonstrate the tenseness or level of seriousness of a statement. The interviewer cornered a guy in a pretty pointless sexism trap for the likely purpose of gaining headlines, and it appears to be working. Maybe the author does feel strongly about sexism in the industry, but then he probably should have picked a target that isn't deliberately targeting a demographic with little stake in the matter.

 

[wulf3n]

Oh well. Sounded like the dude was pretty ignorant on the subject and is now not so.

Now he's just spiteful for being forced by the Marketing Department to apoligise for something he didn't do out of malice and will now automatically think less of the issue and those who support it.

 

[Rebel_Raven]

At least they have playable female leads, even though

Spoiler

Kerrigan gets her ass zapped hard, and she has to be rescued in her own damn game, Heart of the swarm.

People wouldn't complain about sexualized armor if it didn't exist in the game, or at least was optional, not prominent, or something.

Talking about NPCs is worthless to me. The world doen't rest on the shoulders of NPCs in games, does it? It's up to the playable character to get the hard work done. That's the real empowerment to me. They get the camera time, they're the do-ers. Everyone else gets their asses kicked, kidnapped, sacrificed, and in general ends up needing the hero.

That said, I gotta prioritize playable female characters coz people don't have a huge problem with women in the game so long as they're NPCs, but heaven forbid the industry make playable women with any commonality in a great game with great characterization.

What's all that lead up to? Simply that I'd rather companies that can't make a female playable character to save their lives to be targeted for this sort of questions first.

 

[Phasmal]

Oh well. Sounded like the dude was pretty ignorant on the subject and is now not so.

Now he's just spiteful for being forced by the Marketing Department to apoligise for something he didn't do out of malice and will now automatically think less of the issue and those who support it.

You think so?
Hmm. Possibly.
Or, he'll think twice. Maybe consider not everyone sees the world the way he does. I guess we won't know.
If developers are acting like spoiled children for making a PR whoopsie, that's probably on them. But I have a little more faith in people.

Be positive!

 

[Rebel_Raven]

So let me get this straight, the guy just said. 'We're making characters that look cool'. and people were uppity about that. Look. There is *nothing* that the human psyche will not sexualize if given a little time. Seriously, small feetm big feert, long necks, big ears they have all been sexualized so the only way you can design a character that someone won't find sexy is to not design one at all. mean for god sakes there's likely a porn site for wart fetishists out there...and for the love of god do not confirm that... I'd like to remain ignorant of such things for a little longer.

I'm starting to think that's the only way devs can win...to just leave female characters out of games entirely since heaven knows nothing they do with them seems to please the feminists and their pack hounds. Actually, that's a great idea, games with nothing but dudes. That way everyone is happy... some more than others, but at least no one can ***** about how biased it is.

Like Desert Punk says people will complain about the lack of female protagonists. You can't make a problem worse to fix it.

The real answer is to stop putting every last woman in scantily clad outfits... just some of them. Create as much variety/clothing options as possible, and give people something to be happy about so they're less likely to point at what makes them unhappy.

Expanding on it, it'd help if they weren't restructed to supermodel figures. Some? sure. All? no.

 

[wulf3n]

Oh well. Sounded like the dude was pretty ignorant on the subject and is now not so.

Now he's just spiteful for being forced by the Marketing Department to apoligise for something he didn't do out of malice and will now automatically think less of the issue and those who support it.

You think so?
Hmm. Possibly.
Or, he'll think twice. Maybe consider not everyone sees the world the way he does. I guess we won't know.
If developers are acting like spoiled children for making a PR whoopsie, that's probably on them.

Maybe. But given his initial response it sounds as though he just wanted to make games that he would want to play, then the interviewer turns it into a thing, and he has to make an apology. Every time the issue is brought up, this event is what he'll be thinking of, colouring his perception and future decisions.

But I have a little more faith in people.


Be positive!

were it so easy :|

 

[Phasmal]

Maybe. But given his initial response it sounds as though he just wanted to make games that he would want to play, then the interviewer turns it into a thing, and he has to make an apology. Every time the issue is brought up, this event is what he'll be thinking of, colouring his perception and future decisions.

Well, the game market is ever-expanding. Making games for one type of gamer isn't the way to go. Perhaps he'll think about it in future.
Or maybe he'll act all pissy and make female characters exactly the same as he always has. It's no skin off my nose.
Female gamers have put up with it for ages, there's nothing really we have to fear in that regard. Things can only get better!

were it so easy :|

Defeat your enemies with overwhelming positivity!
Yay for more inclusiveness!
It's better than being angry or bitter about it, trust me.

 

[Corran006]

I just noticed Rock, Paper, Shotgun did a Article about Anita and funny there was also no comments. I guess they were not needed because there was no kick starter

 

[wulf3n]

Well, the game market is ever-expanding. Making games for one type of gamer isn't the way to go. Perhaps he'll think about it in future.
Or maybe he'll act all pissy and make female characters exactly the same as he always has. It's no skin off my nose.
Female gamers have put up with it for ages, there's nothing really we have to fear in that regard. Things can only get better!

Defeat your enemies with overwhelming positivity!
Yay for more inclusiveness!
It's better than being angry or bitter about it, trust me.

Personally I think it's the only way to go. It's the desire to make games as inclusive as possible that has in the past hindered the developers that actually want to make decently portrayed female characters, as the most "inclusive"[read: has the biggest audience] games out there are gritty gray/brown modern military shooters.

 

[Phasmal]

Personally I think it's the only way to go. It's the desire to make games as inclusive as possible that has in the past hindered the developers that actually want to make decently portrayed female characters, as the most "inclusive"[read: has the biggest audience] games out there are gritty gray/brown modern military shooters.

You think the gray and brown military shooters are trying to get the most varied audience? Eh...
Biggest audience of the same type perhaps, but most varied, I don't know about that.

Either way.
People who aren't straight guy gamers have kinda been ignored in the past and now have become past it. They're not gonna stop asking for representation because it might piss some people off.
It'll be interesting to see, at least, what the future holds.