Escapist Podcast: 104: Dragon's Crown & Stifling Innovation

[The Escapist Staff]

104: Dragon's Crown & Stifling Innovation

This week, we discuss the sexualization in Dragon's Crown. We also talk about comments made on triple A budgets stifling innovations.

Watch Video

 

[TAdamson]

For those people who don't use iTunes or CSS.

http://www.themis-media.com/videos/get/0/e15a29097a5b663fa43b258772591ecc/7897.mp3

Don't know why they don't put it up on the post if they aren't going to advertise on it.

 

[The Escapist Staff]

Yay good podcast! Janelle, I support your plan to incorporate props into the video feed. Why stop at the whip when you can go full Wonder Woman?

 

[Kristian Fischer]

Hmm, freezing at 10:54 again this time.

 

[WMDogma]

Hmm, freezing at 10:54 again this time.

Our IT team believes they've locked down the issue, and are running a fix through right now. It should be resolved shortly (we just need to reprocess the video on our end). Thank you for your patience!

 

[Kristian Fischer]

It's weird; I can move the pipper forward about 30 seconds and run the rest of the podcat no problem.

 

[DrRockor]

I had no interest in playing Dragon's Crown but with everyone talking about it, I want to play it now.

 

[Dreiko_v1legacy]

Actually, original mermaids had butts. The trend of the fish half not including the butt is not how mermaids were concieved to be but a deviation.


Here's a painting from the 1850s:

Spoiler

Oh and the "nun" is actually a fighter monk who has the chopped off head of a demonic dog still with its fangs lunged into one of her ankles, that's why she's moaning, cause it's still biting her. >_>

 

[shiajun]

For those interested, here's a video of the spread-eagle nun.

Yeah...she moans[/youtube]

She's also heaving. I mean, I get the intent of the style. I think my problem with it is that serves no purpose outside of being sexualized. It's not like Dead or Alive, where the intent is to oggle, and smack each other around, so the sexualization has a context. Here, the gameplay seems to try to be deeper (I don't know, I haven't played it, it's pure speculation), but pulls opposite with the art style. So, to each his own, it's just not my style (of art or gameplay).

 

[Fiz_The_Toaster]

Towards the end I had a hard time drinking my water because of you lovely people, don't even change. XD

The art style in El Shaddai was mainly the only reason I wanted to play it since it looked so cool and different. I'm really glad I played it too since each level was different and the themes of each one were so cool. The one where you ride the motorcycle was my favorite.

Actually, original mermaids had butts. The trend of the fish half not including the butt is not how mermaids were concieved to be but a deviation.


Here's a painting from the 1850s:

Spoiler

Oh and the "nun" is actually a fighter monk who has the chopped off head of a demonic dog still with its fangs lunged into one of her ankles, that's why she's moaning, cause it's still biting her. >_>

Did they really?

I never knew that, and I feel like I just got learned.

 

[Dreiko_v1legacy]

Towards the end I had a hard time drinking my water because of you lovely people, don't even change. XD

The art style in El Shaddai was mainly the only reason I wanted to play it since it looked so cool and different. I'm really glad I played it too since each level was different and the themes of each one were so cool. The one where you ride the motorcycle was my favorite.

Actually, original mermaids had butts. The trend of the fish half not including the butt is not how mermaids were concieved to be but a deviation.


Here's a painting from the 1850s:

Spoiler

Oh and the "nun" is actually a fighter monk who has the chopped off head of a demonic dog still with its fangs lunged into one of her ankles, that's why she's moaning, cause it's still biting her. >_>

Did they really?

I never knew that, and I feel like I just got learned.

They sure did have butts. People buy the sanitized version of disney for all those original stories and forget the original. It's like taking the movie versions of books as canon over the book itself. I wish it wasn't so.

Every time they asked "why did the mermaid have butt" in this podcast I wanted to scream! XD


Mermaids have butts! Disney lied to you! Don't badmouth the game for being original and not following with the lie!

 

[Fiz_The_Toaster]

Towards the end I had a hard time drinking my water because of you lovely people, don't even change. XD

The art style in El Shaddai was mainly the only reason I wanted to play it since it looked so cool and different. I'm really glad I played it too since each level was different and the themes of each one were so cool. The one where you ride the motorcycle was my favorite.

Actually, original mermaids had butts. The trend of the fish half not including the butt is not how mermaids were concieved to be but a deviation.


Here's a painting from the 1850s:

Spoiler

Oh and the "nun" is actually a fighter monk who has the chopped off head of a demonic dog still with its fangs lunged into one of her ankles, that's why she's moaning, cause it's still biting her. >_>

Did they really?

I never knew that, and I feel like I just got learned.

They sure did have butts. People buy the sanitized version of disney for all those original stories and forget the original. It's like taking the movie versions of books as canon over the book itself. I wish it wasn't so.

Every time they asked "why did the mermaid have butt" in this podcast I wanted to scream! XD


Mermaids have butts! Disney lied to you! Don't badmouth the game for being original and not following with the lie!

So Disney created a mer-butt cleansing?

Hmmm.... That would make sense, and they did change how the original Little Mermaid ended. I guess it was too dark and risque to do a truly faithful adaptation of the book to a children's movie after all.

It's a mer-butt conspiracy!

 

[shiajun]

I won't edit my previous post again so, here we go. Italian families are very expresive, in general, but maybe it's just stereotypical. It reminded me of the recent Fiat commercial.

[youtube]

 

[Imp_Emissary]

Actually, original mermaids had butts. The trend of the fish half not including the butt is not how mermaids were concieved to be but a deviation.


Here's a painting from the 1850s:

Spoiler

Oh and the "nun" is actually a fighter monk who has the chopped off head of a demonic dog still with its fangs lunged into one of her ankles, that's why she's moaning, cause it's still biting her. >_>

Ha. Fair enough. I can now forgive the mermaid butt......
Um...>_> I don't suppose you know of a painting that can explain the Nun, do you?

Anyway, so far I've been playing the game and have been having fun. Hopefully my friend will get his copy, and will have even more fun together.

As for the whole thing with the art, I think the biggest issue people should have with it is like what you all said in the Podcat. The sexualization is there, but not much else. Like Nasrin said in her review the story is there, but it's very bare bones, and generic.

So that makes all the titillation worse for those not enjoying it, because that's kind of all there is. I've been playing the game for a bit now, and it is fun and beautiful.
However, there is this nagging feeling that the whole thing while fun, and nice to look at, is just a bit empty inside.

For example; with the Sorceress we get the big boob, the magic, and some voice work but not much else.
There isn't a backstory or anything to her. Like maybe about how everyone teased her at magic school for looking like a large breasted bimbo, so she got really into her studies so she could become the best student at the school, and prove to everyone she's more than just breasts. Graduating as the top mage!

<_< Unless I just haven't gotten to that part yet....

 

[Imp_Emissary]

Hmm, freezing at 10:54 again this time.

Our IT team believes they've locked down the issue, and are running a fix through right now. It should be resolved shortly (we just need to reprocess the video on our end). Thank you for your patience!

Huh. That reminds me. I don't think I've had that happen again these last couple of podcats.

That must kind of stink for all of you. When things work the way there suppose to, no one notices, and only when things go wrong do people contact you to deal with a problem.

You are all so underappreciated. [sub][sub][sub]If I come off as insulting, I apologize. I really do think the people dealing with the sites issues should get more love. You should ask for a holiday on the Escapist![/sub][/sub][/sub]

 

[Psychobabble]

.

 

[Remus]

On Dragon Age and the realistic portrayal of its characters, did anyone else max out everyone's morale? I did. I didn't bed anyone until at least halfway through the game so I had the girls (and guys) bickering over me in both titles until the game kinda forced me to choose someone. It was great for a laugh. What can I say? I'm a min/maxer. I wanted everyone at peak performance when I took them on quests.

I'm currently in a similar situation to Janelle's previous predicament. Having come out of major surgery myself, I've been told not to lift over 10 lbs for a month lest my insides inexplicably become my outsides. So I can't work, can't jobhunt because any job I might get would invariably include physical exertion of some sort. And so I sit, in my parents' house, in front of the computer. As a result I have renewed my interest in LOTRO. My formerly lv 17 hobbit hunter is now lv 40 and I have invested a bit of money into unlocking quest packs (Gamestop Mithril Ed FTW). I'm not one to complain, but prior to this I would workout twice a day, would get out as much as possible. For how little cash I had on hand I was active. And now I'm not. The anxiety reeeeeally sucks.

 

[Drauger]

For example; with the Sorceress we get the big boob, the magic, and some voice work but not much else.
There isn't a backstory or anything to her. Like maybe about how everyone teased her at magic school for looking like a large breasted bimbo, so she got really into her studies so she could become the best student at the school, and prove to everyone she's more than just breasts. Graduating as the top mage!

<_< Unless I just haven't gotten to that part yet....

Ummm true but same applies to the rest of the cast from DC we don't see any details from any other character, the whole nun stuff well, she's getting her leg bit.... also you may say that she got a "Breast" plate, but SHE IS covering everything up right? shes wearing plate and chains no skin exposed.

About the podcast, the true I got lost when you guys started talking about riotting..... and did you guys told the rest of the comunity to not buy DC cause sexualization ? -_- I need to hear it again ( bear with me english isn't my main language ), would be nice how many of the people in the podcast DID play the game, good to see Janelle taking a neutral position in this topic instead of bashing it and saying boobs....

Captcha: wow now we're selling capcha as publicity ?? Describe this brand with any words " Crap"

 

[Imp_Emissary]

For example; with the Sorceress we get the big boob, the magic, and some voice work but not much else.
There isn't a backstory or anything to her. Like maybe about how everyone teased her at magic school for looking like a large breasted bimbo, so she got really into her studies so she could become the best student at the school, and prove to everyone she's more than just breasts. Graduating as the top mage!

<_< Unless I just haven't gotten to that part yet....

Ummm true but same applies to the rest of the cast from DC we don't see any details from any other character, the whole nun stuff well, she's getting her leg bit.... also you may say that she got a "Breast" plate, but SHE IS covering everything up right? shes wearing plate and chains no skin exposed.

About the podcast, the true I got lost when you guys started talking about riotting..... and did you guys told the rest of the comunity to not buy DC cause sexualization ? -_- I need to hear it again ( bear with me english isn't my main language ), would be nice how many of the people in the podcast DID play the game, good to see Janelle taking a neutral position in this topic instead of bashing it and saying boobs....

Captcha: wow now we're selling capcha as publicity ?? Describe this brand with any words " Crap"

I see what ya mean. They don't go into the background of any of the characters.

That said, I don't hear many(or really any) people complain about the Elf's look like they do the Sorceress/Amazon.

Also, no they didn't say people should not buy Dragon's Crown, they said people should buy games with good female characters if they want to see more of them.

 

[StriderShinryu]

I think there's an interesting dicussion to be had if you look at the intersection of the two topics put together in the title of this thread. When it comes to something like the approach to female characters it's not uncommon for blanket statements to be thrown around about games, things akin to "all games should do this" or "no games should do that." I can't help but feel that those types of statements, even when the intention is right, can actually lead to a lack of innovation and growth in game development. As soon as you start creating any sort of checklist for what games can/can't do or should/shouldn't do, you start placing limitations on the sorts of games that are created. Note that I'm certainly not saying that I would have any issue at all with more games having better developed characters of all types. I'm just saying that, at their core, there are many games that would not benefit at all from having these blanket statements applied to them.