Aw, dang, now where am I going to see hot women dressed as videogame characters?
*looks at rule 34*
Oh... Well if you can't beat 'em...
*looks at rule 34*
Oh... Well if you can't beat 'em...
Eurogamer Expo Bans Booth Babes
- Thread starter Andy Chalk
- Start date
Considering some scantily clad ladies that probably have very little knowledge of the product they're selling unfitting is hardly prude.rbstewart7263 said:
TO turn it around, to keep Booth babes just to have naked skin to look at is pervert-territory.
Funny, makes me think of grown ups.
it's the god-damned Information Era here people, you want to spank the monkey while oogling someone there's loads of sites out there.
You know what? I agree with it. Booth babes are the bane of gaming conventions. Always something the haters can hold over our heads.
Hmmmm, as a 6"2 guy who is... I don't want to say "hefty", but definitely well-rounded; I'm guessing that certain free-thinking members of the gamer community, were there such a thing, might be slightly LESS enthusiastic when indulging my desire to start a career modelling miniskirts.Tenmar said:
And I know what you're thinking: "Richard Branson ain't gonna pay you to shake your fat ass in front of a gaming booth, you chubby chump." BUT WHAT IF I SAT ON HIM, EH? He's probably let me dance on his own private plane if it meant not having my gigantic butt on his head. Although maybe not his private hot-air balloon; my weight would crash the thing even faster than he would, if that's possible.
See you gotta think of stuff like this before making those kinds of controversial statements.
Anyway, on a more serious note...
1) As much as I would disagree with censorship in all of its forms, this is in the end a private event that's paid for by corporate and business interests. They're out to sell their wares at this thing, and they might not want to be associated with what a lot of people see as sleazy cheap sexual controversy. Not every game studio has the sexual politics of Team Ninja (whether that's a good thing or a bad thing, I ain't saying.) You might say, "why not just ban cosplayers?" but cosplayers aren't perceived as being associated with the big games companies in any way other than being fans of their product. Which is very, very different from being paid to turn up in skimpy clothes and draw attention to stands selling products. Besides which, would you want that kind of competition?
2) As regards these booth babes from last year, I think we need more details on exactly what was banned. Many, many details. And pictures. And video. Preferably in HD format. Otherwise, how can we form an informed an unbiased opinion?
I have to agree with the booth babes ban because like several people are saying, they're there to advertise a game with sex, cosplayers are there to just attend and be a character and have a good time. It would also make companies have something more reliable to advertise their games, like...iunno? Gameplay?
I just wish I can see more of these sexual advertising bans on more things... like those Carl's Junior ads. Those sicken me.
I just wish I can see more of these sexual advertising bans on more things... like those Carl's Junior ads. Those sicken me.
Booth Babes are one of the main reasons I even go xD
And I'll second that notion that we need more Booth Studs.
And I'll second that notion that we need more Booth Studs.
I have to agree with Eurogamers decision here. Firstly ultimately it's a corporate event and they have the right to decide who and what can attend such events within reason. Banning booth-babes is probably a good move because it may put off females from attending such events and their presence may reinforce sexist stereotypes in gaming culture. Gaming shouldn't be an all boys club like the car industry.
This makes the game industry look more childish. Car shows, boat shows, clothing expos, sex-toy expos... all that stuff is A-ok with the scantily clad models, but the industry that is desperately fighting the stigma of being sexually repressed, childish, and immature is not.Rahuzero said:
This is just another step for the industry moving backwards in to "for kiddies and weirdos" because it looks like we can't handle even the slightest bit of sexualization in our advertising. Beer drinkers can, car-porn enthusiasts can, motor-heads can, fashionistas can, but gamers see cleavage and get all squeamish apparently.
I'm assuming you mean Chippendales as in the all male stripper groupDevilWithaHalo said:
Chip and Dale were cartoon rodents
But it's a pity that such measures have to be taken too achieve a better image. hell i don't even care about my image as long as i can game the way i want and enjoy barely dressed girls, but since it's all about finding new customers i can understand it too, although i don't like it.Zykon TheLich said:
and i didn't. shame on me. and i really hope you're right.
Some of these arguments are pretty weak, though it is beginning to sound like this discussion is basically not going anywhere. :/
Cosplayers do it for fun, (sure, maybe they treat it like a business, but they are independently doing it)
Booth babes are hired eye candy brought to conventions to give a booth a leg up on others by drawing attention because of their hot chicks standing around.
If doesn't matter if the girls are showing off lots of skin or not, or if you'd see worse at a beach, we're talking about a convention showing off games and these girls are only here for the sole reason that sex sells.
It may make the convention less than family friendly, it may may some men and women uncomfortable, but above all of that they really don't have a real purpose being there and just distract from the real point. How many times have you clicked a link, or bought something because of some sexy pic on it, only to find out the product sucked? This is what they should be trying to do away with.
Cosplayers do it for fun, (sure, maybe they treat it like a business, but they are independently doing it)
Booth babes are hired eye candy brought to conventions to give a booth a leg up on others by drawing attention because of their hot chicks standing around.
If doesn't matter if the girls are showing off lots of skin or not, or if you'd see worse at a beach, we're talking about a convention showing off games and these girls are only here for the sole reason that sex sells.
It may make the convention less than family friendly, it may may some men and women uncomfortable, but above all of that they really don't have a real purpose being there and just distract from the real point. How many times have you clicked a link, or bought something because of some sexy pic on it, only to find out the product sucked? This is what they should be trying to do away with.
Actually, I rather wonder if this might not cause some companies to pay cosplayers dressed as their companies' characters to wander the floor. Funding a few moderately attractive people's costume designs would probably be significantly less expensive than hiring models anyway.
Hmmm, now I kinda wonder what happens when games companies start bringing into women who are experts at the games, and dress like cosplayers.
Cause seriously, if you think that this ban will stop booth babes, you're an idiot. The companies will just figure out ways around it.
Like in wow, my guild has a large amount of female members, some who are incredibly good looking according to what "society" says a pretty woman should be. One of them is the secondary raid lead for goodness sakes. So if Blizzard got someone like her, dressed her up like a blood elf and had her hawking their newest wow whatever, with the ability to shut up the wildhammer fact checker, would that be bad then? Step up, step down? What if she was volunteering and not getting paid for it?
Cause seriously, if you think that this ban will stop booth babes, you're an idiot. The companies will just figure out ways around it.
Like in wow, my guild has a large amount of female members, some who are incredibly good looking according to what "society" says a pretty woman should be. One of them is the secondary raid lead for goodness sakes. So if Blizzard got someone like her, dressed her up like a blood elf and had her hawking their newest wow whatever, with the ability to shut up the wildhammer fact checker, would that be bad then? Step up, step down? What if she was volunteering and not getting paid for it?
Damn prudish European Culture!!
OT: It was their house and those companies where breaking the rules.
EDIT: Also its a business strategy I think. Getting rid of the "babes" makes games feel less exclusionary to women. Though I do agree with the one poster about bring along some booth-studs as a comprise!
OT: It was their house and those companies where breaking the rules.
EDIT: Also its a business strategy I think. Getting rid of the "babes" makes games feel less exclusionary to women. Though I do agree with the one poster about bring along some booth-studs as a comprise!