Opinion: On Sexualization in Video Games

Most JRPGs have crappy story yes but that isn't because the medium is flawed it's because of the writers.
 
Tiamat said:
Most JRPGs have crappy story yes but that isn't because the medium is flawed it's because of the writers.
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The stories are, at best, not so terrible that they make you stop playing. That's all you can really hope for and that's all any of the writers seem to aim for. Sure, it's theoretically possible that a JRPG could come along with a genuinely good story, but it hasn't happened yet and I can't imagine it happening any time in the near future, which makes that point kind of moot.

As I said, setting, atmosphere, and characters are far more important than story. Even more important than gameplay, if the godawful shit many people play through is any indication.

Games are still, at their best, all about the gameplay. That's the one thing they have over movies, television, books, comics, etc.; you get to PLAY them. Nothing a game could do, story wise, couldn't be done better in any other medium.

I may be alone on this. In fact I'm quite sure that I am, but the strength of a games story or plot is second last on the list of features I look for in a game, right above its realism. I will skip terrible cut-scenes to get to good gameplay, but I will not suffer through awful gameplay to get to another cut-scene.
 
well said page, well said. going back the article though i think that the opinion of the writer is somewhat flawed as well as very closed minded. he views gamers in general as this mass of unwashed, white, straight, and geeky males without realizing how far from the truth that really is. the whole thing is borderline ignorant as he is simply playing with a stereotype to try to make his point which only leads to a weak at best argument
 
page said:
The stories are, at best, not so terrible that they make you stop playing. That's all you can really hope for and that's all any of the writers seem to aim for. Sure, it's theoretically possible that a JRPG could come along with a genuinely good story, but it hasn't happened yet and I can't imagine it happening any time in the near future, which makes that point kind of moot.
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We'll just have to disagree on that. After playing games like Panzer Dragoon Saga and Shenmue I can't be convinced that there aren't games with great stories.
 
Therre's lot's of games with great story's , atleast equal to the shit holloywood comes up with - many far superior.
I think the only problem is that the MSM firmly beleives computer games are for kids, even if they come with an 18 rating.
Once games are fully accepted as a legitimate media alongside movies, then all the retartded scaremongering can stop.
the only people who have a problem with games seems to be people who have never played one.
 
Skimmed the article.......The only thing I know is certain Americans are flat out spoiled and whiny.
Some of the article had valid points. Some are just not valid enough. Pretty meh article =/.
 
I actually agree with a great deal of the things that were said in that article. Though I abstained from reading it initially because I tend to stray away from heavily opinionated things, after reading it, there's not a lot that he didn't say that I haven't already thought about, but (even though it seems he hinted at it) I think in much, much broader terms. And, beyond that, I read heavily on a somewhat related subject: porn.

If you're really interested in this type of stuff, too, I recommend these books: Nerds: Who They Are and Why We Need more of them, the Porning of America, and the Lolita Effect.

Honestly, I do think a bunch of these things (at least in American culture) do stem from white American culture and what seems like the rapid mental and moral growth of the progeny of people who do live in what I wish was a heavily dichotomized yesteryear of the 'States.

Still, constrasting views of mine with his own, I feel like sometimes (and here's where the The States' Puritan origins come to light) people OVERREACT to true to life sexual (and, honestly, only sexual; how many times have you seen anyone up in arms about heavy racial stereotypes? Now, it may be because, like it or not, a lot of games DO cater to white American males, but still). Honestly, though, I think this results from the American public misconception of video games' target audiences (I think different games have different audiences). No one complains about all these shitty Hollywood love stories or action movies but look at the reaction to an insinuated lesbian relationship in Mass Effect.

Still, it's 4 a.m. here and I'm going off on a bunch of tangeants. Like I said, though, I really recommend those books. And I'll end this on the note that not video games, but ALL American media (and, think of the fact that American media is more far-reaching than media from any other place on this Earth) is becoming hypersexualized (which is something something I myself abhor).

Oh, wait! There was one point I wanted to make about something he said...

When he said that thing about the gamer stereotype being all that white and nerdy junk, I think that's where the reaffirmation of one's manhood problem begins. Gaming is becoming more and more mainstream, introducing lots of audiences who weren't adequately reperesented into it before. It's hard to go into a household today that doesn't have some type of game console in it. And the problem comes from that, while gaming is becoming more mainstream, it still isn't completely. So, while many people like the people here at 8wayrun realize it's nothing more than a hobby, you have these other people who enjoy video games but are putting themselves in awkward positions because of the stigmas having, or, god forbid, enjoying a video game on the same level as one may enjoy hobbies White America has deemed acceptable for a man or, now because of the bigger audience, someone's who's not considered a nerd or geek. And, this point makes the fact that he mentioned playing CoD4 over Live that much sweeter.

And, not to be a hypocrite just so much as to illustrate this point, if you met me offline (which I hope will happen as soon as I get back to the States - 3 MORE WEEKS!), a lot of people are amazed that I'm heavily into things like physics, science, reading, anime, and video games in addition to things like fitness, boxing, martial arts, and playing football...even though a lot of them end up being the same way.
 
As far as I am concerned this article is complaining about story writing in video games.

Some games have great writing, great character depth and such. Other games are completely focused on gameplay, and this boils down to shooters.

The GTA franchise to me is centered towards male gamers. I don't really see how girls can get into it unless they're just too cool.

Also I disagree, American society is more scared of violence in video games than sex.

At the end of the day, it's all about your target audience.

Even games that lack character design like, sports, racing, simulators and such are mostly played by males.

Games cost a lot of money to make, no company is going to make a game just to be politically or morally correct...they want that dollar.
 
I have to think that the writer of this article is using some rather specious reasoning to back up his claims. For instance there are plenty of games where the women are more likable than the men or more competent. His view that all gamers are maladjusted white, male, malcontents with a "deplored" hobby already issues clearly his bias and misunderstanding that the average "gamer" is just a typical person who enjoys playing a video game over watching a movie or reading a book. It seems to me that this guy is the one (or another one) who needs to overcome his own stigma and the threat he seems to perceive it presents to society.

That said I understand his qualms to an extent. But I have no problem with realistic relationships in my games. When one is presented I'll let you know. Is the romance between space commando captain shepard and blue alien psychic vegetable Liara Tisoni all that realistic? I found some the dialogue painful to hear for it's typically hollywood cheese factor and the uncanny valley was certainly a factor but what do I know, clearly I feared it because the women were not helpless maudlins. Well Liara was but what do I know? I'm not a professional blogger.

There always comes a point in video game relationships like movies where things feel forced. Four conversations and now we're in love? I just asked where you grew up!
 
Ghengis_John said:
I have to think that the writer of this article is using some rather specious reasoning to back up his claims. For instance there are plenty of games where the women are more likable than the men or more competent. His view that all gamers are maladjusted white, male, malcontents with a "deplored" hobby already issues clearly his bias and misunderstanding that the average "gamer" is just a typical person who enjoys playing a video game over watching a movie or reading a book. It seems to me that this guy is the one (or another one) who needs to overcome his own stigma and the threat he seems to perceive it presents to society.

That said I understand his qualms to an extent. But I have no problem with realistic relationships in my games. When one is presented I'll let you know. Is the romance between space commando captain shepard and blue alien psychic vegetable Liara Tisoni all that realistic? I found some the dialogue painful to hear for it's typically hollywood cheese factor and the uncanny valley was certainly a factor but what do I know, clearly I feared it because the women were not helpless maudlins. Well Liara was but what do I know? I'm not a professional blogger.

There always comes a point in video game relationships like movies where things feel forced. Four conversations and now we're in love? I just asked where you grew up!
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qft
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Genghis John

I think you should actually go through and read the article; except for the first paragraph, you pretty much said the same thing he was saying.

As for the first paragraph and everyone who keeps complaining that he stereotypes gamers as such and such:

"Video games culture (at its most “hardcore”) is, after all, already a shunned, de-masculinized (in the public eye) subset of white guy culture."

I mean, you really don't have to agree with the guy, but at least don't half-ass read the article and then pick out something that offends you.
 
...but thats what ppl do...politicians...religious nuts....talk show host....the president...OPRAH for god sakes...ppl find 1 thing wrong and nit pick it...its what all the great ppl through out history did...i mean look at hitler
 
I am having trouble parsing the amount of boneheaded fail in that post. Can anyone translate?
 
Slavezer0s said:
...but thats what ppl do...politicians...religious nuts....talk show host....the president...OPRAH for god sakes...ppl find 1 thing wrong and nit pick it...its what all the great ppl through out history did...i mean look at hitler
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Just because a lot of people do it doesn't mean it's right.
 
of course not but its just human nature...and a lot of human nature is considered wrong...although in the animal kingdom itd be perfectly normal.....that whole higher lvl of thinking sucks sometimes lol.
 
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