Oh! The muscles! An examination of the MAN in games.

[Sporky111]

I think the main point here is that men want to be portrayed as gruff, musclebound, fighter-types. It only occurs to us that we could be like that when we are explicitly compared to them. Women (dont judge my opinion here) see a hot, scantily-clad Lara Croft type woman and automatically think *that should be me*, and then are angered when it cant or doesnt happen. This is why women fight this unrealistic image. I am not saying that this fight is wrongly made, just that most guys dont care about an unrealistic masculine image.

 

[SizableSac]

Well honestly i think snake looks cool cause hes fit but not a steroid junkie Juggernaut like Marcus in Gears.

 

[shockandawe95]

this is actually a really good thread about the difference in physique in both women and men in today's video games

 

[Enigmers]

It's funny: if this was a thread about the objectification and stereotyping of female characters, I'd say "Well look how stereotyped male characters are!" But since we're talking about the effect on men, I have to take almost the opposite position: it is only an issue for women, because men don't care.

I'm generalising, of course. But for the most part, women compare themselves to female characters, while men inhabit the role of male characters. Women in games are predominantly sexy (big boobs), whereas men are predominantly powerful (big biceps); but women playing as sexy women tend to feel less sexy and men playing as powerful men tend to feel more powerful.

Exactly, and that's what videogames are: a place where you can go off and be whoever the hell you ever wanted to be. If you want to be some guy that looks like Naked Snake from MGS3 with a top hat (i.e. me in Fable 2) then be my guest. If you want to grow a beard, grab a lab coat, and become a scientist, only to beat headcrabs and Metro police until your brain starts oozing out of my ears, go right ahead.

If you're just going to compare yourself to the heroes in your games, you're going to get psychologically fucked over for the rest of your life. I don't get women's obsessions with "I'm never going to be as attractive as that clearly photoshopped woman on that clearly retarded cover of that clearly retarded magazine."

Okay, you're not. Tough shit.

Edit: this post is directed at women who think they have to be as attractive as every other photoshopped/computer-generated woman they see.

 

[Radelaide]

Is this pissing contest done yet? Women know what they want. Stop arguing about what you don't know, PLEASE

 

[sorry user name taken.]

Is this pissing contest done yet? Women know what they want. Stop arguing about what you don't know, PLEASE

lol yeah same applies for men as well

i personally play games for enjoyment not to criticize everything about the characters =/ if you really cant do that then don't play.games are suppose to help escape...jeez people

 

[Uncompetative]

Apart from the headband I look quite a lot like Snake.

 

[00010101]

I find this very ironic, because stereotypically the person playing the games with the exaggerated main male character doesn't have the same physique as that character. I can certainly say that males do feel the pressure of having that perfect body type because they feel it is the only way they can feel and look attractive. Of course, staying in shape is necessary but the pressure that the media puts on the male population is quite heavy. Thank you for bringing this up.