Poll: Objectifying the Human Form in Games

[Trilaanus]

If someone plays a game as a character of the opposite sex(or possibly same) because it's "better to look at"(or similar reason) is that being sexist?

Does anyone out there think this is true?

 

[tzimize]

No. No its not.

Edit to argue a bit: If playing a certain kind of character because you think it is better to look at is sexist, then it is also sexist to be attracted to your preffered gender. Which is just silly.

 

[SonicKoala]

I'm failing to see how that is sexist in anyway shape or form.... sure, it's a tad shallow, but it's certainly not sexist.

 

[comadorcrack]

No, now get back into the kitchen and make me sammiches and Babies... IN THAT ORDER!

 

[Cowabungaa]

Heej, if you have to look at an ass the entire game, why not an attractive female one?

So no, I don't think so. As said before it's a bit shallow perhaps, but who cares.

 

[Labyrinth]

I don't have an issue with game characters being made attractive, though I think there needs to be more variety in the body types shown. What I do take issue with is the insistence that women are the only sexual figures worth portraying. I cannot think of a single sexualised male in a game, if someone else can, do let me know. However I can list off-hand close to a dozen "eye candy" female characters.

In short, we need more Mr Laurie Crofts, hell we need more female perspective of anything, even if it's a lesbian one. Near exclusively catering to the male gaze and perspective is one of the main problems with excluding females from gaming media.

Here's a simple test. Do two female characters have an autonomous discussion about something other than a guy? That's enough to say it includes a female perspective. Yes, FemShep counts.

 

[Casual Shinji]

Yes it is, but I don't care.

 

[BonsaiK]

If someone plays a game as a character of the opposite sex(or possibly same) because it's "better to look at"(or similar reason) is that being sexist?

Does anyone out there think this is true?

I don't think objectification is necessarily sexist. Humans are in fact objects after all.

Female avatars are included in games partially for this reason, because the companies know it's a mainly male demographic playing the games so that's what they cater to. This also answers Labyrinth's complaint about the lack of sexualised guys... but then to some people the beefcake body that a lot of male avatars have is precisely that, so I dunno. What I do know is that I always play as the girl in games because I'm a pervert, and in RPGs I even try to roleplay as one - convincingly, not cheesily. Sometimes it works. Am I sexist? Probably, but the way I see it it's my gaming so it's my business, and my girlfriend likes perving at a bit of T&A too so maybe I'm just doing it for her...

 

[Jackalb]

No but it can be creepy sometimes. You'll end up role-playing too deep into the character and you somehow start having periods.