Blizzard to Remove "Sexy" Tracer Pose in Overwatch - Update

[AzrealMaximillion]

Blizzard made this an issue by responding. Not they'll get looked at with a side eye by a bunch of their fans. They never caved to the singular demand of people who got "offended" by the curvaceous female characters they've made over the decades they've been a company. They didn't need to take out this optional pose.

Why are billion dollar video game companies catering to the recreationally offended that were the butt of an entire season of South Park?

 

[ecoho]

ok just no, this woman is an idiot. I mean come on its a fucking back shot for Christ's sake! more over its optional so yeah blizz should tell the woman to go fuck her self in the least offensive way possible and just keep the pose in game.

 

[grigjd3]

Funny, listening to actual artists just made me look at their decisions in terms of positive or detrimental towards their goal instead of a free speech vs censorship battle for the developer's soul.

Yep, it's funny to me that only non-artists ever see art as somehow sacred or unassailable. With my own amateur work and with the professional artists I know, there is always an interest in hearing the impact their work has on people and seeing if they failed or succeeded (and to what extent) in their goals. There are times when I've attempted to evoke a sexual impact on the viewer and times when I want nothing of the sort. I only once worked with creating a human image and one thing that stood out to me about it was how easy it was to create a human image that was inherently sexualized. It happened to be what I was going for at the time but it happened so easily that I really ended up feeling very negatively about that drawing.

 

[Supernova1138]

I say we put all video game women into Burqas from here on out, it's the only way to avoid offending people. In fact, maybe we should put everyone in Burqas so we can't identify their gender, as characters having a gender might offend someone somewhere.

Anyway, the cynic in me says that Blizzard is stoking the flames of controversy on this one by making this change to grab some more attention for Overwatch and to do some virtue signalling about how progressive they are. It probably isn't going to improve their sales any, but it will maintain their standing in the PR circlejerk and allow them to avoid accusations of sexism down the road.

 

[-Dragmire-]

I clicked the actual link in order to see the offending pose because I couldn't believe that the one in the article was the issue...

If it's her butt, why not argue for shorts or something?

If here original model had cargo shorts, I doubt any people would take serious issue with the pose.

I personally don't have an issue with the pose and I don't really care about it's removal, I'm just confused about what the issue really was in the first place.

 

[Tanis]

So you're saying that a character dressed in SKIN TIGHT material is doing to do a 'dat ass' pose?

Wow...that's so, not even close to being new or outrageous.

 

[Bilious Green_v1legacy]

Given that the pose is optional, and that its pretty tame to begin with, I really don't see what the fuss is about. Even if it was sexy, is that really so bad? I just don't see how less options are better than more options. Its all rather weird on all sides.

 

[BrawlMan]

http://cdn.themis-media.com/media/global/images/library/deriv/1303/1303930.png



I don't see what the big deal is. Everyone has seen way worse than that. It looks pretty tame, yet generic. I'm all for being inclusive and having variety, but this lady is complaining over nothing. Blizzard shouldn't have to change it, but they already followed through on it, so sense in crying about the situation. It's like the incident with Rainbow Mika all over again, but the least the opposing side had an actual legitimate point. The butt slapping I found hilarious though.

 

[Dragonlayer]

While I can see the logical basis behind her complaint, that she claims Blizzard is reducing female characters to sex symbols in the ruthless pursuit of cash, with the heavy implication that her daughter is in danger of being messed up by this sexist filth for an optional pose makes me call bullshit.

 

[Asclepion]

I'm about to say something that will blow your mind:

People often deliberately try to be sexy.

 

[Abomination]

Scratch up another occurrence of corporate orchestrated nontroversy.

This is such a non-event but Blizzard knows it'll get some friction. The easiest add campaign is the one that pays for itself.

In another note, I just googled "tracer rule 34" and those are some very sexy poses.

 

[Erttheking]

Snip

STOP! Back up. Who has gotten fired over something like this? I haven't heard anything about it and I consider that a massive problem if it did happen.

If one person is all it takes, maybe Blizzard agreed with them. Because I seriously doubt Blizzard is so weak willed that anyone, just anyone, can get this change again. Again. Blizzard probably agrees with them. I write, and commonly I get ideas for my story, things that I change and put in, from one person. And the way you're wording it makes it sound like its impossible for Blizzard to have done this willingly. Christ, everyone is. I don't get why they don't have any respect for Blizard's ability to act for themselves.

When there's actually a culture of fear, because this is nowhere near a culture of fear, criticism is not a culture of fear, this comment will be appropriate.

 

[Sigmund Av Volsung]

It isn't even 'sexy', just that her back is turned.

What the fuck even is with that person? What does his/her daughter have to do with this? What does this have to do with anything?

At the end of the day, fine, it's Blizzard's decision, but it's a stupid and weird one that's over nothing than an incredibly over-reactive person grasping for straws and wanting to change things because of 'muh feelings'.

 

[Zykon TheLich_v1legacy]

I dunno, if

 

[Revolutionary]

Well I feel like TB pretty much nailed this one. Pretty much reflects how I feel on the matter

 

[Elfgore]

I'm more curious to know why they would remove something they put manpower, time, and money into because one person said they didn't like it. Even if they left it in, I doubt there would be a an "SJW" uproar and boycott of the game. Yet ironically I could see this causing the anti crowd to boycott and not purchase it.

I would prefer they spend the last few months making the sure the balancing is as close to perfect as can be than wasting time removing and then adding another taunt for a single character. But hey, that's just me.