Girl Gamer's Opinion

[Bulletinmybrain]

Alyx Vance is awesome, but what about Alexandra Roivas?

Did you guys also notice that the exceptions have all been from Western game developers thus far? That's hilarious.

Well, if you want a Japanese exception, I guess Myrl Silverburgh would count. but your point still stands anyway, most video games with these stereotypes of the female body are from Japan and they have a very different culture from us.

That only is for females though, Western companys love slapping on the man pecs to give their character a 12-pack, Square jaw and stuff.

You were so fat from birth you coudn't get out of bed, Let alone reach a hand out to ***** smack another person?

Well considering I weightlift and do Thai kickboxing (and am learning Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Wing Chun as well), I really hope that all that solid and beautiful mass in my arms and legs isn't fat!

Somewhat civil between you and me? Wow I thought I might never see the day.

 

[Bulletinmybrain]

You're absolutely right about the importance of culture, but even culture is modulated by our evolutionary psychology. In more cultures than not, both ancient and modern, this sexual dichotomy holds true.

The only thing I would think is fishy(maybe it is answered?)in Evo Pysch is that, Men would be attracted to bigger girls not fat but not skinny like how most western culture suggests. If only on the idea males and females would both be looking for a mate that is healthy and nourished enough to have healthy offspring.

P.S I consider Japan western on the idea of it being heavily westernized.

In those times it was more for child bearing, Since the wider her hips the more room for the baby birthing.

 

[Chiasm]

Evo. psych doesn't suggest men are attracted to bigger girls, but that women with WHR's (waist to hip ratios) that are construed as attractive/"sexy" due to their signal of healthiness (and the feedback loop of their offspring also having good WHR's and also being attractive as well).

In those times it was more for child bearing, Since the wider her hips the more room for the baby birthing.

Agree with that then,Though Evo. psych does sound like something I should look into as most of my psych classes have fallen into clinical with a dash of developmental.

P.S Sounds like you both agree on that issue =p

P.P.S I think overall in a common sense way, It's just men and women both want to play fantasy versions of themselves why do I want to be 5'2 and no muscle mass in a game like in real life when I can be a strong 6'1' amazon that chases down tigers with spears. Same way I am guessing geeky guys want to hunt down a bear with a knife as its one of those things most of us can't do.

 

[GothmogII]

Vanessa from Virtua Fighter 5, debatable I guess whether or not she could be considered a sex object, but I didn't get that vibe, just that she was a tough woman who just happened to have a lot of outfits where her shirt was open.

Spoiler: picture

You must have had your eyes shut while playing her. A girl with sweaty jugs, exposing her bra and having most of her shirts reveal her cleavage could be considered a sex object. Mind you, not as big as Sarah, but moreso than most of the others. If you wanted an example from that game, I would have said one of the asian female fighters like Eliena.

No, I was responding to thought that of a woman that could work as the equivalent to the male shirtless Rambo type. I still consider that version of the costume rather tame, although I'm wondering, if it's possible, that a woman could affect that look without coming of as oversexed. i.e. with a male, bare chestedness is 'tough', but because of the fetishism of breasts, and female could not pull off the same effect, and even with the example I gave, is that still considered too sexually revealing? I honestly don't see it.

 

[ThePlasmatizer]

How did this get so off topic? the discussion is about the portrayal of female characters in video games.

Fair enough there are quite a few busty women in modern games that are included as token females, but games serious in their presentation don't present women this way, they focus on character depth and personality.

The conflict is between a male perspective of attractiveness and a female perspective.
The majority of men find curvy women attractive, whereas women would choose to play as a more slender model look character.
You can't blame some games for choosing a curvy female character design when their main demographic are males.

Roles reversed, a female idealized male character are pretty, slightly muscled and effiminate males, in case you haven't picked up on it you already see this type of character model a lot in games.

I could picture an rpg game directed at girls being like a fantasy soap or by any other name an emotional Jrpg, but maybe you don't like Jrpg's, tough because if female orientated games were released I can tell you they wouldn't be anything like your favourite games you play now.

 

[Chiasm]

Here's a fun exercise to prove my point about the salience of the waist-hip-ratio (and indeed evolutionary psychology) in modern individuals and modern culture: go find a picture of a woman who is socially considered to be very physically attractive by Western culture (bikini/nude pictures work best). Measure her waist and then measure her hips at the widest part (assuming her posture is not at a weird angle which would muddle up the numbers). The number you get will always hover somewhere around 0.7 +/- 0.05.

The same goes for guys, except the number is around 0.9 +/- 0.05.

This doesn't explain the fascination with large male muscles or large female breasts, but I can dive into that as well if necessary.

Stop making the non hipped girls feel bad,But really it makes sense and I think breasts and muscles should be common sense if only do to the need of both in a animalistic sort of view I think.Though I never thought of men's hips being a issue either really but it is interesting. Sort of like the theories on why humans started to walk on two legs.

Roles reversed, a female idealized male character are pretty, slightly muscled and effiminate males, in case you haven't picked up on it you already see this type of character model a lot in games.

I think it falls into like men's taste, Not all women want there fantasy men to be effiminate pretty boys either.

 

[Bulletinmybrain]

Here's a fun exercise to prove my point about the salience of the waist-hip-ratio (and indeed evolutionary psychology) in modern individuals and modern culture: go find a picture of a woman who is socially considered to be very physically attractive by Western culture (bikini/nude pictures work best). Measure her waist and then measure her hips at the widest part (assuming her posture is not at a weird angle which would muddle up the numbers). The number you get will always hover somewhere around 0.7 +/- 0.05.

The same goes for guys, except the number is around 0.9 +/- 0.05.

This doesn't explain the fascination with large male muscles or large female breasts, but I can dive into that as well if necessary.

I can sum it up, The guy with the big muscles orders people around. The big breasted bimbo shows up and shags him all night long. You live a pitiful life compared to him, Hes a dick though and your regularish. Seems oddly wrong doesn't it?

 

[Bulletinmybrain]

It's not oddly wrong if you happen to be the guy with big muscles, amazing brain, and a great personality though

Fortunately for all you normals, modern society doesn't actually work that way, Bulletinmybrain.

So you say, From what I have seen it works just like that.

 

[Joeshie]

Welcome to the world of video games, where women are stereotyped and men aren't that far behind them.

 

[Bulletinmybrain]

So you say, From what I have seen it works just like that.

...You really have got to work on your memory:

Again you don't understand what I meant by that, My comment was on why women/men might fantasize about huge fracking muscles.

 

[Bulletinmybrain]

Women tend to be far more attracted to personality, humor, and intelligence than huge fracking muscles. Physical attraction is important for women, but nowhere nearly as important as the three things I just listed.

But then the whores still flock to them don't they? You seem to imagine a society where most people are pretty smart.

 

[aussiesniper]

Women tend to be far more attracted to personality, humor, and intelligence than huge fracking muscles. Physical attraction is important for women, but nowhere nearly as important as the three things I just listed.

Actually, It seems to me that it's mostly the physical side of things that attracts women. Think about it, who are the people that women end up swooning over? most of the time, it's the handsome men, and not the intelligent men. Salman Rushdie is an exception, not the rule. For example, how many times have physicists ended up with beautiful wives? Would a degree in chemistry be able to get the average man a chance over the athlete?

EDIT: This is has gotten way off-topic.