Tomb Raider Dev: Rape is Not in Our Vocabulary
- Thread starter The Wooster
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Yeah, way overused. Also, I think that media should have a warning that when rape/strong sexual assault are involved. "The Last House on the Left" was disturbing but I expected something going in since I understood the basic plot outline. Still though, I feel that they did more than was necessary to tell the story. Then there was "Halloween". That scene didn't make sense to me (I don't care to have it explained to me). It just seems thrown in for sheer shock and offense value. I understand "freedom of expression" but enough people are offended by the material that there should be fair warning in the label.Diana Kingston-Gabai said:
Given the mentality towards the original 'vision' of this character, I love the irony at how the 'men' leap to defend the honor of a character that I can almost guarantee entertained thoughts along those lines.
I don't even want to touch this game right now to be honest. Does anyone really? lol. Bad publicity can really put you off from something :/
Maybe a 20 dollar game. Or 30 if you really like action/adventure/whatever the hell this is supposed to be.
But not full price.
Maybe a 20 dollar game. Or 30 if you really like action/adventure/whatever the hell this is supposed to be.
But not full price.
Having 8 dicks in gaming isn't new. Hasn't anyone played Corruption of Champions?...I get the feeling I'll never be able to make that comparison in context of.. well... anything.saintdane05 said:
It's really a different situation though. In stuff like CoC or various hentai games, it's basically a mechanic of the game. Here, they're putting in an attempted rape to drive home the point of "Look how meek and helpless she is, guys, don't you wanna be her hero?" They've said numerous times they're portraying Miss Croft in a fashion that makes he look weak and requires protection.. not.. surprise tentacle rape for the sake of it like CoC has.
This is deflection at its finest. One could argue the merits of material within a videogame as it relates to the integrity of this medium, and still have feelings on sex trafficking. By this logic, video game discussion boards are reprehensible because they take away from discussion of more pertinent events. While I agree its good to have perspective on such an issue, as in don't let it consume you, we shouldn't dissuade honest discussion about our hobby because 'BAD STUFF IS HAPPENING ELSEWHERE'.Smilomaniac said:
The problem isn't specifically that there is sexual assault/rape as such topics are dealt in other mediums in a relevant and respectful manner. What we are discussing is the apparent nefarious underlying reason behind why this material is being included in this latest iteration of Lara Croft. Rosenburg's article implied the violence and sexual violence committed against Laura was a means to pander to male audience's need to 'protect Lara'. That they would 'build her up, and then break her down again' so us men would get our jollies protecting Laura's sexual innocence by not letting the bad raping men touch her, and defile her innocence. This of the most vile, and base means of characterization within storytelling, and SHOULD be criticized on this basis if this is their intention.
I REPEAT, I'm not saying the subject of rape shouldn't be included in videogames. I'm just saying that rape shouldn't be used to tickle our puerile fantasies of protecting women from rape to preserve their precious fragile dignity, or as a lazy characterization device. This is insulting to both genders.
God DAMN is the reaction to this out of all fucking proportion. We can't even have fucking character development anymore because all the pansies out there cry "MYSOGINIST!" and "GAY!" and "OMFG SEX" at everything. It's reactionary bullshit coming from every side of the spectrum and it's just stifling anybody's right to do anything. How is it bad to imply that some bandit type guy on a jungle island is going to sexually assault a pretty, stranded girl AT ALL out of the realm of possibility? And she kicks his ass! That's a good thing! She doesn't have a mental break down, she's just a little fucking scared. That's human. You aim to tell a realistic story and all the whiners just make you draw back on it all and soften everything.
More media hype mongering and carnival barking, I see.
Remember when this magazine used to be more than just attempts to get page views?
Remember when this magazine used to be more than just attempts to get page views?
Grey likes to sensationalize and do anything he can for page views, lately. Sadly, your average reader buys into it.Lumber Barber said:
It doesn't help when one of the developers gives an interview talking about the attempted rape, and the whole time you're wondering if he wasn't doing the interview one handed. That's what skeeved me out about it. The scene itself is fairly mild. The statements from the developer, on the other hand, are flat out creepy.Cheesepower5 said:
You're arguing from a very superficial perspective. Of course rape is something that a young woman might have to deal with in such a situation, but that doesn't justify its existence within a narrative unless its handled correctly. What we're talking about goes down the building blocks and imagery of which the game wishes to project. Why are the developers so intent on the radical under-powering, and vulnerability of the protagonist? This can certainly be compelling from a narrative perspective, but why don't we see that among other game heroes(like Nathan Drake which this game is clearly trying to emulate)?Cheesepower5 said:
I mean rape, sexual violence, physical vulnerability and sexual humiliation aren't specific to women. Sure, they experience it in much higher frequency, so its only natural for these subjects to be explored more within the context of stories. By why can characters like Nathan Drake make herculean leaps onto fully Kevlar armored enemies backs and snap their necks effortlessly while Laura has to struggle against bandits who want to constantly grope and rape her? Drake isn't that physically built and he can pretty much manhandle any person he comes across even AFTER being shot and surviving a cataclysmic train collision.
Is this the image we want to send, that male characters represent male empowerment fantasies whereas females are fragile little flowers whose innocence needs to be protected by player so he can feel manly(according to rosenburg)? Its this kind of stuff that creates the perception that games are male power fantasies, not worthy of narrative consideration. The game may not actually represent this, but devs should be called out for the remarks spoken by Rosenburg.
Reasonable enough. I never denied the shit that guy said was dumb. I'm just tired of people being so gung-ho about calling foul over such minor things. It strikes me as petty, even if not everyone means to be metaphorically grasping the makers of these sorts of things by the balls. They didn't ALL say those things.Owyn_Merrilin said:
Hey, I`m all for a fleshed out, realistic male character too. Don`t put words into my mouth. And how is she portrayed as weak in this situation? She is presented with a challenge and overcomes it. It's not effortless and it shouldn't be. It sets a tone for the story. Uncharted can be cinematic and cartoonish if it wants, we don't have to bind Tomb Raider to the same standard. I love it when a character is shown to have genuine fear and vulnerability, like Guts in Berzerk or the cast of Prometheus. Do you know how they're going to execute these themes throughout the game? No. I think it's looking way better than any other game in the series.Condiments said: