The Witcher Dev: Booth Babes Are the "Cheapest Trick"

[Something Amyss]

"Using sex to sell stuff is totally wrong, but it's different when we do it!"

He thinks that it is inherently more respectable to honestly sell sex as part of a product when it has been installed under the hood during part of the creation process, then if it was draped over the bonnet after the finished product has been placed on the showroom floor and is ready for sale.

You might not agree with what he is saying, but he is being consistent.

Except their games don't do that, therefore problem.

 

[Eric the Orange]

Um, buddy, you do know that you collected naughty pictures of the ladies you slept with in the first game right. How exactly does that "Drive the story"?

 

[Clearing the Eye]

I am slowly despising CD Projekt more and more. Never before has a company been so up itself and eager to embrace a hipster attitude. Oh and the hypocrisy, too.

 

[Lost In The Void]

I am slowly despising CD Projekt more and more. Never before has a company been so up itself and eager to embrace a hipster attitude. Oh and the hypocrisy, too.

You did read the interview? Remember that part where he addressed the sex cards and explained them in quite a substantial manner? Also remember that part where they're not in the Witcher 2, a more recent game? So basically what we can say is they've learned that an international audience won't always appreciate them.

A second note, this is mostly talking about booth babes, which in fact are not part of the game last time I checked. So at least CDP:R was honest in their sexual content whereas a 'booth babe' at a COD booth is not accurately portraying the content of the video game.

So lets try reading before we snap immediately mmmkay?

 

[Clearing the Eye]

I am slowly despising CD Projekt more and more. Never before has a company been so up itself and eager to embrace a hipster attitude. Oh and the hypocrisy, too.

You did read the interview? Remember that part where he addressed the sex cards and explained them in quite a substantial manner? Also remember that part where they're not in the Witcher 2, a more recent game? So basically what we can say is they've learned that an international audience won't always appreciate them.

A second note, this is mostly talking about booth babes, which in fact are not part of the game last time I checked. So at least CDP:R was honest in their sexual content whereas a 'booth babe' at a COD booth is not accurately portraying the content of the video game.

So lets try reading before we snap immediately mmmkay?

Because they toned it down a tonne for the sequel, right? Absolutely no provocative material there for its own sake, right? Mhm. Quite mature and artistic, isn't it

 

[Lost In The Void]

I am slowly despising CD Projekt more and more. Never before has a company been so up itself and eager to embrace a hipster attitude. Oh and the hypocrisy, too.

You did read the interview? Remember that part where he addressed the sex cards and explained them in quite a substantial manner? Also remember that part where they're not in the Witcher 2, a more recent game? So basically what we can say is they've learned that an international audience won't always appreciate them.

A second note, this is mostly talking about booth babes, which in fact are not part of the game last time I checked. So at least CDP:R was honest in their sexual content whereas a 'booth babe' at a COD booth is not accurately portraying the content of the video game.

So lets try reading before we snap immediately mmmkay?

Because they toned it down a tonne for the sequel, right? Absolutely no provocative material there for its own sake, right? Mhm. Quite mature and artistic, isn't it

Yes because whorehouses never happened in that period of time right? Nope never at all. And people most definitely didn't fuck either when they loved each other, nah sex is waaaay too wrong for that. To assume that sex is inserted just for the sake of being there in any game whatsoever is just as ignorant as any sexist comments.

This is one thing I've never gotten, even when sex is portrayed correctly, which it was in the Witcher 2, its still just in there for the sake of being there. Really, the sexual interactions between Geralt and other women in the Witcher universe can be chalked up to two things

A. He cares about them
B. The player paid for sex from the whores
C. In the case of one quest, it was a reward selected by the player instead of any other reward

So basically it comes down to player choices influencing what kind of player Geralt is, or a the prestablished relationships that are present in other mediums within the witcher world. Still fail to see why this makes CDP: R ignorant or hypocritical.

 

[Clearing the Eye]

I am slowly despising CD Projekt more and more. Never before has a company been so up itself and eager to embrace a hipster attitude. Oh and the hypocrisy, too.

You did read the interview? Remember that part where he addressed the sex cards and explained them in quite a substantial manner? Also remember that part where they're not in the Witcher 2, a more recent game? So basically what we can say is they've learned that an international audience won't always appreciate them.

A second note, this is mostly talking about booth babes, which in fact are not part of the game last time I checked. So at least CDP:R was honest in their sexual content whereas a 'booth babe' at a COD booth is not accurately portraying the content of the video game.

So lets try reading before we snap immediately mmmkay?

Because they toned it down a tonne for the sequel, right? Absolutely no provocative material there for its own sake, right? Mhm. Quite mature and artistic, isn't it

Yes because whorehouses never happened in that period of time right? Nope never at all. And people most definitely didn't fuck either when they loved each other, nah sex is waaaay too wrong for that. To assume that sex is inserted just for the sake of being there in any game whatsoever is just as ignorant as any sexist comments.

This is one thing I've never gotten, even when sex is portrayed correctly, which it was in the Witcher 2, its still just in there for the sake of being there. Really, the sexual interactions between Geralt and other women in the Witcher universe can be chalked up to two things

A. He cares about them
B. The player paid for sex from the whores
C. In the case of one quest, it was a reward selected by the player instead of any other reward

So basically it comes down to player choices influencing what kind of player Geralt is, or a the prestablished relationships that are present in other mediums within the witcher world. Still fail to see why this makes CDP: R ignorant or hypocritical.

They are hypocritical because they pretend to consider sexualized content "cheap" and are more than happy to proclaim themselves above it all, while simultaneously creating games dripping and oozing with sex and handsome, beautiful people. Hate to break it to you, but it would be much more likely the men and women of that era be covered in sores and lice. But here we have a toned, masculine male lead and a trim, proportionality buxom love interest. Why are the characters attractive? Because pretty people sell better than ugly or moderate ones.

 

[Lost In The Void]

I am slowly despising CD Projekt more and more. Never before has a company been so up itself and eager to embrace a hipster attitude. Oh and the hypocrisy, too.

You did read the interview? Remember that part where he addressed the sex cards and explained them in quite a substantial manner? Also remember that part where they're not in the Witcher 2, a more recent game? So basically what we can say is they've learned that an international audience won't always appreciate them.

A second note, this is mostly talking about booth babes, which in fact are not part of the game last time I checked. So at least CDP:R was honest in their sexual content whereas a 'booth babe' at a COD booth is not accurately portraying the content of the video game.

So lets try reading before we snap immediately mmmkay?

Because they toned it down a tonne for the sequel, right? Absolutely no provocative material there for its own sake, right? Mhm. Quite mature and artistic, isn't it

Yes because whorehouses never happened in that period of time right? Nope never at all. And people most definitely didn't fuck either when they loved each other, nah sex is waaaay too wrong for that. To assume that sex is inserted just for the sake of being there in any game whatsoever is just as ignorant as any sexist comments.

This is one thing I've never gotten, even when sex is portrayed correctly, which it was in the Witcher 2, its still just in there for the sake of being there. Really, the sexual interactions between Geralt and other women in the Witcher universe can be chalked up to two things

A. He cares about them
B. The player paid for sex from the whores
C. In the case of one quest, it was a reward selected by the player instead of any other reward

So basically it comes down to player choices influencing what kind of player Geralt is, or a the prestablished relationships that are present in other mediums within the witcher world. Still fail to see why this makes CDP: R ignorant or hypocritical.

They are hypocritical because they pretend to consider sexualized content "cheap" and are more than happy to proclaim themselves above it all, while simultaneously creating games dripping and oozing with sex and handsome, beautiful people. Hate to break it to you, but it would be much more likely the men and women of that era be covered in sores and lice. But here we have a toned, masculine male lead and a trim, proportionality buxom love interest. Why are the characters attractive? Because pretty people sell better than ugly or moderate ones.

Except that were those people dripping in lice, filth and disease, there were also ugly whores, kings, lords, peasants and the like. Because we have a few attractive people does not invalidate the idea of the ugly people aren't in the game as well.

Second, I'd hardly call Geralt handsome in any way whatsoever. The man is covered toe to head in scars, his face is gashed up to fuck, his eyes are unnatural and unnerving and his hair is a pure white, not exactly showcasing the beauty of youth or anything.

And having...I think its roughly 3 actual sex scenes and like 4 unique whore fucking scenes isn't exactly dripping with sex in my own personal opinion. Is there sexual elements, such as the sorceress general dress of showing off a little too much flesh at points? Yes, I will concede that, but in a game thats roughly 30 hours, that is hardly 'dripping'

 

[Clearing the Eye]

I am slowly despising CD Projekt more and more. Never before has a company been so up itself and eager to embrace a hipster attitude. Oh and the hypocrisy, too.

You did read the interview? Remember that part where he addressed the sex cards and explained them in quite a substantial manner? Also remember that part where they're not in the Witcher 2, a more recent game? So basically what we can say is they've learned that an international audience won't always appreciate them.

A second note, this is mostly talking about booth babes, which in fact are not part of the game last time I checked. So at least CDP:R was honest in their sexual content whereas a 'booth babe' at a COD booth is not accurately portraying the content of the video game.

So lets try reading before we snap immediately mmmkay?

Because they toned it down a tonne for the sequel, right? Absolutely no provocative material there for its own sake, right? Mhm. Quite mature and artistic, isn't it

Yes because whorehouses never happened in that period of time right? Nope never at all. And people most definitely didn't fuck either when they loved each other, nah sex is waaaay too wrong for that. To assume that sex is inserted just for the sake of being there in any game whatsoever is just as ignorant as any sexist comments.

This is one thing I've never gotten, even when sex is portrayed correctly, which it was in the Witcher 2, its still just in there for the sake of being there. Really, the sexual interactions between Geralt and other women in the Witcher universe can be chalked up to two things

A. He cares about them
B. The player paid for sex from the whores
C. In the case of one quest, it was a reward selected by the player instead of any other reward

So basically it comes down to player choices influencing what kind of player Geralt is, or a the prestablished relationships that are present in other mediums within the witcher world. Still fail to see why this makes CDP: R ignorant or hypocritical.

They are hypocritical because they pretend to consider sexualized content "cheap" and are more than happy to proclaim themselves above it all, while simultaneously creating games dripping and oozing with sex and handsome, beautiful people. Hate to break it to you, but it would be much more likely the men and women of that era be covered in sores and lice. But here we have a toned, masculine male lead and a trim, proportionality buxom love interest. Why are the characters attractive? Because pretty people sell better than ugly or moderate ones.

Except that were those people dripping in lice, filth and disease, there were also ugly whores, kings, lords, peasants and the like. Because we have a few attractive people does not invalidate the idea of the ugly people aren't in the game as well.

Second, I'd hardly call Geralt handsome in any way whatsoever. The man is covered toe to head in scars, his face is gashed up to fuck, his eyes are unnatural and unnerving and his hair is a pure white, not exactly showcasing the beauty of youth or anything.

And having...I think its roughly 3 actual sex scenes and like 4 unique whore fucking scenes isn't exactly dripping with sex in my own personal opinion. Is there sexual elements, such as the sorceress general dress of showing off a little too much flesh at points? Yes, I will concede that, but in a game thats roughly 30 hours, that is hardly 'dripping'

Yes, of course. The two most important characters of the game just happen to both be toned and handsome. A complete accident that the characters that would be the focal point of the story to the gamer, are beautiful and sexy. How convenient for CD Projekt that the faces of their game turned out to possess the psychical attributes many people seek in love interests. But they certainly didn't design their characters to be appealing! Of course.

I easily consider Geralt handsome. He is the picture of a strong, powerful and chiseled man. Not garish or obscene like a muscle builder, but masculine and dark (except the hair ). A mature, grizzled face, weary and aged body from a rugged life... He is largely the exact body type many men and women find most sexy. Also, Triss? It'd be a hard argument for someone to convince me she wasn't created with hormones in mind.

What's the big deal? People like sexy people because they're sexy. We want them. We want to look at them. We want to be them. We want to be with them. It's been this way since the dawn of humanity. It's not good and it's not bad. It's as natural and mundane as the desire to breathe air. My problem isn't with sex or using it to sell products; it's with someone claiming it's a bad thing, while designing a game littered with the definition of sex. They chose to have not simply above average people be the face of their product, but actively made them desirable. So too do gaming companies often choose desirable faces to sell their product at conventions.

 

[Risingblade]

and using transvestites is even cheaper!

 

[Hiroshi Mishima]

I'm usually disgusted by boothbabes. In fact, I can't recall an instance I'v ever not been. People putting something I want next to a "babe", and making it obviously clear to me that the "babe" is only there because they want to sell something, just feels like an insult to my intelligence.
"Hey, you're a man! And a gamer! So you must be lonely and never see boobs! So here are boobs, NOW BUY OUR SHIT!".

Fuck. You.

Thank you, because this is pretty much how I feel every time I've encountered booth babes at conventions. I may stop and look, I am a guy, but it sure isn't going to make me interested in either the product or the booth itself.

It's not a trick.

Maybe to a young teen, but seriously, does this surprise anyone?

Sex has, and will always be, at the forefront of advertisement. Anyone who hasn't figured this out yet, must be young. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice...

Nothing wrong with adding eye candy to an event. It's about entertainment.

This is a huge generalization. Because I don't like it, I must be a teenager? I'm 30 fucking years old! And don't give me drivel about "entertainment" because it's certainly isn't entertaining. I'm not there to see scantily clad women, I'm there to learn about games and what's going on within the industry.

Perhaps sex is at the forefront of advertisement, and perhaps that needs to change. I can take that argument out of E3 entirely and move it to overall ads like commercials and magazine ones, too, if need be. I'm more likely to groan in disgust and ignore something when I see it resorting to sex as a selling point. Essentially, if you need sex appeal to sell your product, it isn't worth my time. And the people running the ads or hiring the "babes" apparently realize this or they wouldn't bother doing it.


Switching gears here.. someone mentioned that it's fine because of the game itself. No, it's not, it's a problem with the game and how excuses get made for everything. Just cause something happened back in those days doesn't mean we need to constantly be reminded of it. Slavery was rampant during the 1800's, why don't we make a game where you play as a trader and you can go into towns and witness slave auctions or beatdowns. After all, by that logic, it's perfectly okay cause hey, that's what happened in those days.

That's right, keep sending the message that women are nothing more than objects to be lusted after. It's gonna seriously help the still current issues of sexism within society.

 

[Nimzabaat]

I am slowly despising CD Projekt more and more. Never before has a company been so up itself and eager to embrace a hipster attitude. Oh and the hypocrisy, too.

You did read the interview? Remember that part where he addressed the sex cards and explained them in quite a substantial manner? Also remember that part where they're not in the Witcher 2, a more recent game? So basically what we can say is they've learned that an international audience won't always appreciate them.

A second note, this is mostly talking about booth babes, which in fact are not part of the game last time I checked. So at least CDP:R was honest in their sexual content whereas a 'booth babe' at a COD booth is not accurately portraying the content of the video game.

So lets try reading before we snap immediately mmmkay?

Because they toned it down a tonne for the sequel, right? Absolutely no provocative material there for its own sake, right? Mhm. Quite mature and artistic, isn't it

Yes because whorehouses never happened in that period of time right? Nope never at all. And people most definitely didn't fuck either when they loved each other, nah sex is waaaay too wrong for that. To assume that sex is inserted just for the sake of being there in any game whatsoever is just as ignorant as any sexist comments.

This is one thing I've never gotten, even when sex is portrayed correctly, which it was in the Witcher 2, its still just in there for the sake of being there. Really, the sexual interactions between Geralt and other women in the Witcher universe can be chalked up to two things

A. He cares about them
B. The player paid for sex from the whores
C. In the case of one quest, it was a reward selected by the player instead of any other reward

So basically it comes down to player choices influencing what kind of player Geralt is, or a the prestablished relationships that are present in other mediums within the witcher world. Still fail to see why this makes CDP: R ignorant or hypocritical.

They are hypocritical because they pretend to consider sexualized content "cheap" and are more than happy to proclaim themselves above it all, while simultaneously creating games dripping and oozing with sex and handsome, beautiful people. Hate to break it to you, but it would be much more likely the men and women of that era be covered in sores and lice. But here we have a toned, masculine male lead and a trim, proportionality buxom love interest. Why are the characters attractive? Because pretty people sell better than ugly or moderate ones.

Except that were those people dripping in lice, filth and disease, there were also ugly whores, kings, lords, peasants and the like. Because we have a few attractive people does not invalidate the idea of the ugly people aren't in the game as well.

Second, I'd hardly call Geralt handsome in any way whatsoever. The man is covered toe to head in scars, his face is gashed up to fuck, his eyes are unnatural and unnerving and his hair is a pure white, not exactly showcasing the beauty of youth or anything.

And having...I think its roughly 3 actual sex scenes and like 4 unique whore fucking scenes isn't exactly dripping with sex in my own personal opinion. Is there sexual elements, such as the sorceress general dress of showing off a little too much flesh at points? Yes, I will concede that, but in a game thats roughly 30 hours, that is hardly 'dripping'

Lost, a couple of words for you... Stop. Feeding. The. Troll. If you stop feeding them, they wither and die

 

[Vivid Kazumi]

I am slowly despising CD Projekt more and more. Never before has a company been so up itself and eager to embrace a hipster attitude. Oh and the hypocrisy, too.

triss:hey geralt wanna see my kitty :3 geralt:sure ._. trisshands him this pic)ISNT SHE CUTE geralt:......

 

[Clearing the Eye]

I am slowly despising CD Projekt more and more. Never before has a company been so up itself and eager to embrace a hipster attitude. Oh and the hypocrisy, too.

triss:hey geralt wanna see my kitty :3 geralt:sure ._. trisshands him this pic)ISNT SHE CUTE geralt:......

"Yeah. Gorgeous. Now, about your kitty..."

;D

 

[Thaliur]

"Using sex to sell stuff is totally wrong, but it's different when we do it!"

He thinks that it is inherently more respectable to honestly sell sex as part of a product when it has been installed under the hood during part of the creation process, then if it was draped over the bonnet after the finished product has been placed on the showroom floor and is ready for sale.

You might not agree with what he is saying, but he is being consistent.

So basically "It's OK to use sex to sell something, as long as there actually is sex forced into it"?

 

[frobisher]

Yes, of course. The two most important characters of the game just happen to both be toned and handsome. A complete accident that the characters that would be the focal point of the story to the gamer, are beautiful and sexy. How convenient for CD Projekt that the faces of their game turned out to possess the psychical attributes many people seek in love interests. But they certainly didn't design their characters to be appealing! Of course.

If you knew what you were talking about - and at this point I find it rather hard to believe - you wouldn't be asking those questions and failing at sarcasm.

First of all: Triss. She is *supposed to be beautiful*, to the extreme actually - because her "attributes" are the result of specialised spells. Some of them were used so she and other sorceress were mirroring "ideal woman" and it was aimed at "target audience" in the same way moronic ads are today. A lot of morons in Witcher world as well. Other "plastic surgery spells" were used on her after injuries (battle of Sodden). Overall: it is NOT accident, but your sarcasm is hilarious at best and pathetic if you already knew that. It's simply following source material and the way sorceress functions in that world, she is engineered to be desirable and intimidating, yes, specifically with hormones in mind. That's why your shocking discovery feels so silly - CDP is already ahead of you, author is WAAY ahead of you. This was originally a frikkin statement against that very stupidity CDP rep was describing in the latest interview, so yeah, that gives them right to speak up XD

Second: Geralt and handsome. Well, if it works for you, then who am I to judge. But both source material and games portray him as person covered with scars, unnatural eyes, white complexion and emotionless face. I fail to see how this set of features can make "handsome" both now and in Witcher's world. In that second case - Dandelion is what's considered to be "hot" Again, if you knew what you were talking about, it would already be clear that looks is pretty much not on the list that drives witcher's "bedchamber conquests". In no particular order: freak bonus, sexuality not bound by "certain monotheistic dogmas", sterility, some static charge as leftover from mutation, and whatever is currently fashionable among sorcerer caste.

They chose to have not simply above average people be the face of their product, but actively made them desirable.

Yeah, you know that something is ringing, but is it a bell, phone or fire alarm? Because the context is ...well, everything.

And cards, hah, while that description of US reactions is funny and telling, there is one more thing. Geralt is most likely present in many others "card collections" - those that belong to his various "ladies" (see above for reasons). And when such attitude is mutual, no parties can claim they are being "objectified" or otherwise "wronged". Take a look at something beyond those cards (if possible) - which woman in Witcher I was used, abused or exploited by protagonist? I can't exactly recall "blackmail" or "threaten into bed" dialogue option. Oh and how many times he was used by them, sometimes with, sometimes without sexual theme? Just because he was happy to comply (in the first type of cases, obviously) doesn't change the fact he fits better as victim in "aaaahhhh, sexism & abuse in games!!" dogma than our standard "poor, discriminated women players". Well, the difference is he rarely gives a shit and his QQ is usually expressed in some philosophical rants.

 

[captaincabbage]

Well it may be a cheap attention grabber, but hey, haven't booth girls always been the most, ehem, titular of attention seekers? Aha! Man I'm funny!
#doesnotmeanwhathethinksitmeans