Game Theory: Are SMITE's Goddesses Too Sexy?

[MatthewPatrick13]

Are SMITE's Goddesses Too Sexy?

SMITE is a MOBA with fast-paced action, terrific game modes, and well-endowed goddesses. In fact, the character designs of Kali, a Hindu goddess, got the game in trouble in 2012, forcing the designs of multiple characters to change. But were the developers of the game in the wrong? Does SMITE porn-ify its characters? We find out today!

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[RJ 17]

Ohhhhhhh this should be good. Can't wait to see the comments this stirs up!

All in all I like the episode, though. :3

 

[xServer]

Eh, if you can't even get through your discussion without dropping boob-jokes a 12-year-old would snicker at, I have a difficult time taking you seriously.

The powers are fine. I'm not sure why they changed those. But taking the goddess from another culture and turning her into a "hot chick" isn't really culturally sensitive or being "true to her myth." It's trading on those myths for a cheap peak at some big-breasted, scantily-clad women.

The only reason to choose to show that much skin (and to have such large breasts) is to cater to a young, male audience. Heck, it's even possible that the developers chose those specific goddesses because they could find an excuse for all of the skin.

 

[Jacked Assassin]

So they don't have Mafdet (Egyptian Cheetah Headed Goddess?) & they turned Bastet (Domestic Cat Headed Goddess) into a human with cat ears.

*sigh*

So much for accuracy in that area of Egyptian Mythology. Sexy Cosplayers ruin everything.

 

[Darth_Payn]

If anything, the game's first depiction of Kali was MORE modest than the original version. No necklace of severed heads or skirt made of arms. It's like some people look for things to be outraged about, just to feel superior to others.

 

[sexy=sexist]

Does smite porn-ify its goddesses? How's that matter? Would that be a bad thing? If some people want to play a game with sexy women are they morally damaged.

I swear everyone hates sex.

 

[Commander Obvious]

Not sexy enough, in my opinion.

 

[sid]

Does smite porn-ify its goddesses? How's that matter? Would that be a bad thing? If some people want to play a game with sexy women are they morally damaged.

I swear everyone hates sex.

Normally I'm totally with this train of thought, but smite is different, it does feel weird if you play the game. I'm not sure if you play smite or not, but let me put it this way. Of the 60 or something gods, about half of them (maybe less, I don't know(yeah, starting to look like 1 third or so, but whatever) are female. Of those females, I can name two off the top of my head whose character design isn't literally "sexy female ###" Scylla, who's a kid, and Ne Za, who actually does a really good job looking interesting without looking sexy.

Forget SJW stuff, forget tumblr feminism and all that other stuff that's usually associated with the topic. Let me show you a quick comparison of male and female gods.

http://hydra-media.cursecdn.com/smite.gamepedia.com/8/86/T_Bacchus_Default_Card.png?version=f4d76008a53eddd2caf60a0f66c80929

fat drunk dude

http://hydra-media.cursecdn.com/smite.gamepedia.com/9/91/T_Serqet_Default_Card.png?version=873c1ed0023b51d3229fdb6bd9654431

sexy scorpion chick

http://hydra-media.cursecdn.com/smite.gamepedia.com/c/cd/T_Vamana_Default_Card.png

little indian midget dude

http://hydra-media.cursecdn.com/smite.gamepedia.com/f/fc/T_Aphrodite_Default_Card.png?version=19855f090bf6eba7a23ba4997219bc3a

sexy mage chick

http://hydra-media.cursecdn.com/smite.gamepedia.com/f/f3/T_Hercules_Default_Card.png?version=a7e5a0edc7d58841e4482bee4a77753f

beefcake with really big weapon

http://hydra-media.cursecdn.com/smite.gamepedia.com/e/e9/T_Arachne_Default_Card.png?version=f6510c232ec51f9300e7f219e845f63f

sexy spider chick (???)

http://hydra-media.cursecdn.com/smite.gamepedia.com/1/18/T_Apollo_Default_Card.png?version=740be101e6305bef76e1cbec616be8e8

a normal, good looking dude

http://hydra-media.cursecdn.com/smite.gamepedia.com/1/17/T_Nox_Default_Card.png?version=2746bc371ec9870c035b420c1d283a26

sexy mouth of sauron (?!?!?!) (this one isn't terribly sexualized, but she's still has the same body type as almost every other female in the game, how boring is that)

http://smite.gamepedia.com/List_of_gods You can compare for yourself if you want. What I'm saying, without holding absolutely any agenda in this, is that smite chicks are painfully boring when compared to their counterparts. God design could be so much better than it currently is, but every female god that pops up is just a themed sexy chick, scantily clad or otherwise.

 

[freaper]

[a href=https://www.google.be/search?q=Clapping&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=f_eJVPHLG8TrUu2QgrgH&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ&biw=1920&bih=943#tbm=isch&q=clapping+gif&revid=960775658]Have all of these![/a]

And let's not forget, classic mythology featured A LOT more dick than what is portrayed today.

 

[Alex1508]

Does smite porn-ify its goddesses? How's that matter? Would that be a bad thing? If some people want to play a game with sexy women are they morally damaged.

I swear everyone hates sex.

Normally I'm totally with this train of thought, but smite is different, it does feel weird if you play the game. I'm not sure if you play smite or not, but let me put it this way. Of the 60 or something gods, about half of them (maybe less, I don't know(yeah, starting to look like 1 third or so, but whatever) are female. Of those females, I can name two off the top of my head whose character design isn't literally "sexy female ###" Scylla, who's a kid, and Ne Za, who actually does a really good job looking interesting without looking sexy.

Forget SJW stuff, forget tumblr feminism and all that other stuff that's usually associated with the topic. Let me show you a quick comparison of male and female gods.

http://hydra-media.cursecdn.com/smite.gamepedia.com/8/86/T_Bacchus_Default_Card.png?version=f4d76008a53eddd2caf60a0f66c80929

fat drunk dude

http://hydra-media.cursecdn.com/smite.gamepedia.com/9/91/T_Serqet_Default_Card.png?version=873c1ed0023b51d3229fdb6bd9654431

sexy scorpion chick

http://hydra-media.cursecdn.com/smite.gamepedia.com/c/cd/T_Vamana_Default_Card.png

little indian midget dude

http://hydra-media.cursecdn.com/smite.gamepedia.com/f/fc/T_Aphrodite_Default_Card.png?version=19855f090bf6eba7a23ba4997219bc3a

sexy mage chick

http://hydra-media.cursecdn.com/smite.gamepedia.com/f/f3/T_Hercules_Default_Card.png?version=a7e5a0edc7d58841e4482bee4a77753f

beefcake with really big weapon

http://hydra-media.cursecdn.com/smite.gamepedia.com/e/e9/T_Arachne_Default_Card.png?version=f6510c232ec51f9300e7f219e845f63f

sexy spider chick (???)

http://hydra-media.cursecdn.com/smite.gamepedia.com/1/18/T_Apollo_Default_Card.png?version=740be101e6305bef76e1cbec616be8e8

a normal, good looking dude

http://hydra-media.cursecdn.com/smite.gamepedia.com/1/17/T_Nox_Default_Card.png?version=2746bc371ec9870c035b420c1d283a26

sexy mouth of sauron (?!?!?!) (this one isn't terribly sexualized, but she's still has the same body type as almost every other female in the game, how boring is that)

http://smite.gamepedia.com/List_of_gods You can compare for yourself if you want. What I'm saying, without holding absolutely any agenda in this, is that smite chicks are painfully boring when compared to their counterparts. God design could be so much better than it currently is, but every female god that pops up is just a themed sexy chick, scantily clad or otherwise.

Ne Zha is a boy. I know the big joke is that he looks very feminine so people mistake him for a girl but he is male. Also yes, most male gods tend to have different shapes, physiques and species while the godesses tend to be made using the Sexy Chick Template 3000. Even the more bestial designs such as Arachne or Bastet are basically a sexy chic torso stuck on a spider lower body and a catgirl.

 

[Jacked Assassin]

Even the more bestial designs such as Arachne or Bastet are basically a sexy chic torso stuck on a spider lower body and a catgirl.

Which is why Game Theory's defense of Smite is flawed. The original Bastet has a cat head. Not some sexy cosplayer.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bastet

 

[LazyAza]

Its not about the nudity or lack of nudity or the basic element of sexuality in general excusing any existence of it in a modern context period geezus. Those classical artworks are sexualized in a very specific old and respectful kind of way that is very different to how modern sexualization of female characters is done in games like this.

All these female goddesses being defended have cartoon-like super curvy "porny" body designs with wide child birthing hips, narrow super model waists and large round breasts that seem to even have jiggle physics. Even their faces all have the same big disney eye pouty lip generically pretty white girl type look to them. Which with regards to the Hindu and Egyption Goddess in particular is pretty awful.

All of this put together clearly makes these characters pander to a modern male audience as fantasy games especially seem to all the time. Just looking at the egyption goddesses "bouncy" animation there its pretty obvious that the male gaze / appeal is very strong with these characters and their outfits are far more skin tight and form defining than they need to be on top of everything else. The creators could have had a stylization element to their characters and that would have been fine but the problem is how the same character body design is used over and over and over. For Aphrodite I could maybe see her design being ok more so than the others but things like hooker boots? wtf no.

God and then you look at all the male characters and surprise surprise all of them have the same chizeled muscular super manly forms and grizzled tough guy faces and generally far more clothing / armor etc all done to pander to the same male audience by not daring to sexualize any of them in the same way as the females.

Another classic example of double standards and ignoring the obvious signs at the heart of the matter and the same tired flat out ignorant and wrong arguments by another male critic who just doesn't get it. People angry over the portrayal of those female goddesses were completely justified.

 

[Alex1508]

Even the more bestial designs such as Arachne or Bastet are basically a sexy chic torso stuck on a spider lower body and a catgirl.

Which is why Game Theory's defense of Smite is flawed. The original Bastet has a cat head. Not some sexy cosplayer.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bastet

Smite is anything but true to the source material. It's inspired not a recreation. The artists working at Hi-rez simply take mythological concepts and work with them to make designs appealing to the modern gaming main demographic. So badass men and sexy chicks in high heels it is.

 

[Jacked Assassin]

Even the more bestial designs such as Arachne or Bastet are basically a sexy chic torso stuck on a spider lower body and a catgirl.

Which is why Game Theory's defense of Smite is flawed. The original Bastet has a cat head. Not some sexy cosplayer.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bastet

Smite is anything but true to the source material. It's inspired not a recreation. The artists working at Hi-rez simply take mythological concepts and work with them to make designs appealing to the modern gaming main demographic. So badass men and sexy chicks in high heels it is.

I'm not disagreeing you but the defense used by Game Theory was that its accurate with the original depictions. Which they aren't.

 

[Mave]

Even the more bestial designs such as Arachne or Bastet are basically a sexy chic torso stuck on a spider lower body and a catgirl.

Which is why Game Theory's defense of Smite is flawed. The original Bastet has a cat head. Not some sexy cosplayer.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bastet

Original Bastet had a cat face

Comunity bitches that is fugly so people don't play her, is considered a bad character, hirez "updates her model:

People start playing so she gets extra skins and becomes popular:

DC comics bitches that she's a rip off from catwoman so:

then people starts complainning shes op, and hi rez has to nerf her, funny thing is the kit and stats were the same as before. Poor bastet she had a really hard time fitting into smite. Nice video, I wish old kali was back she was more scary than the new one, kind of looks like a power ranger speaking of wich:

artemis
By hi rez

a more greek take

before the greek took the artemis cult

 

[sexy=sexist]

Does smite porn-ify its goddesses? How's that matter? Would that be a bad thing? If some people want to play a game with sexy women are they morally damaged.

I swear everyone hates sex.

Normally I'm totally with this train of thought, but smite is different, it does feel weird if you play the game. I'm not sure if you play smite or not, but let me put it this way. Of the 60 or something gods, about half of them (maybe less, I don't know(yeah, starting to look like 1 third or so, but whatever) are female. Of those females, I can name two off the top of my head whose character design isn't literally "sexy female ###" Scylla, who's a kid, and Ne Za, who actually does a really good job looking interesting without looking sexy.

Forget SJW stuff, forget tumblr feminism and all that other stuff that's usually associated with the topic. Let me show you a quick comparison of male and female gods.

http://hydra-media.cursecdn.com/smite.gamepedia.com/8/86/T_Bacchus_Default_Card.png?version=f4d76008a53eddd2caf60a0f66c80929

fat drunk dude

http://hydra-media.cursecdn.com/smite.gamepedia.com/9/91/T_Serqet_Default_Card.png?version=873c1ed0023b51d3229fdb6bd9654431

sexy scorpion chick

http://hydra-media.cursecdn.com/smite.gamepedia.com/c/cd/T_Vamana_Default_Card.png

little indian midget dude

http://hydra-media.cursecdn.com/smite.gamepedia.com/f/fc/T_Aphrodite_Default_Card.png?version=19855f090bf6eba7a23ba4997219bc3a

sexy mage chick

http://hydra-media.cursecdn.com/smite.gamepedia.com/f/f3/T_Hercules_Default_Card.png?version=a7e5a0edc7d58841e4482bee4a77753f

beefcake with really big weapon

http://hydra-media.cursecdn.com/smite.gamepedia.com/e/e9/T_Arachne_Default_Card.png?version=f6510c232ec51f9300e7f219e845f63f

sexy spider chick (???)

http://hydra-media.cursecdn.com/smite.gamepedia.com/1/18/T_Apollo_Default_Card.png?version=740be101e6305bef76e1cbec616be8e8

a normal, good looking dude

http://hydra-media.cursecdn.com/smite.gamepedia.com/1/17/T_Nox_Default_Card.png?version=2746bc371ec9870c035b420c1d283a26

sexy mouth of sauron (?!?!?!) (this one isn't terribly sexualized, but she's still has the same body type as almost every other female in the game, how boring is that)

http://smite.gamepedia.com/List_of_gods You can compare for yourself if you want. What I'm saying, without holding absolutely any agenda in this, is that smite chicks are painfully boring when compared to their counterparts. God design could be so much better than it currently is, but every female god that pops up is just a themed sexy chick, scantily clad or otherwise.

I understand your point I think but let me make sure.
Its not that you are opposed to sexy. It is more that the female characters designs just feel generic and weak. Is that right?

 

[Jacked Assassin]

Even the more bestial designs such as Arachne or Bastet are basically a sexy chic torso stuck on a spider lower body and a catgirl.

Which is why Game Theory's defense of Smite is flawed. The original Bastet has a cat head. Not some sexy cosplayer.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bastet

Original Bastet had a cat face

Looks more like a Na'vi with a huge lips. More cat like but those aren't the lips of a cat. If only she looked similar to a Khajiit from Skyrim.

 

[sid]

I understand your point I think but let me make sure.
Its not that you are opposed to sexy. It is more that the female characters designs just feel generic and weak. Is that right?

I guess so. It's not that they're sexy, it's that they're all literally the same archetype. I don't think anybody wants all their characters to just dress as nuns, people who've been complaining about overly sexy characters are just complaining about a lack of anything else.

Probably.

 

[Nurb]

I suppose if you're the sex-negative neo-victorian type.

I'd like to see more varieties in body if it's a whacky game concept but designing characters shouldn't have to be filtered through the question "what will certain women think of this?".

 

[Draconalis]

Shit! I can play as Guan Yu in Smite?!

I've been playing the wrong MOBA!

If only I have picked up that Guan Yu Skin last year....