Nice study
"How Males Gamers see Non-Sexualized Females in Games" - paraphrased
So there’s this scientific study which actually looks at what people think, instead of making assumptions. Isn’t it interesting how game publishers just assume what the market wants instead of, you know, research what the market wants?
While this study is limited to Sweden it actually does something. The results are actually overwhelmingly surprising.
Abstract: “Some game publishers and developers do not think that games with non-sexualized female protagonists are worth making because they would not sell. With close to a half of gamers being female (47%) it is a bit puzzling that they are not catered to. This could be because publishers think that male gamers, who they perceive as their main demographic, would not buy games with non-sexualized female protagonists. A study was done to see if that statement is correct. By questioning 91 Swedish male gamers, aged 18 and above, it was found that in games where one can choose the character’s sex 46% of the subjects play as a female character at least half of the time and in total 90% of the 91 subjects have at some point chosen to play as a female character. No one of the subjects have any negative thoughts about there being more games with non-sexualized female protagonists who are heroic in their own right and not a trophy, when asked 47% said it would be “Very good”, 24% said it would be “Good” and 29% said that they have “No opinion” in the matter.”
Follow the link to dowload the PDF and read the thing. It’s no more than 15 pages (excluding references and appendices) and if you want, at least read the “Conlusion” part.
http://hgo.diva-portal.org/smash/rec...3A630847&rvn=1
Could I get some help spreading this please?
Interesting study. I think most gamers are grown up enough that they don't need to have an over the top cover to buy the game at all. I wish marketing would just grow up with it.
That said, Remember Me was brought up not too long ago, and that made a lot of waves. I think Jimquisition sort of brought it up best
If you can get passed the smarmy personality, it's part of his shtick, he actually says some interesting things. Jimquisition is sometimes a bit ragey at the publishers but he knows his stuff.
But overall, since when has gamers every stood there with their tumbs up their asses and blindly accepted "because it sells more." We criticize them for day 1 on disc dlcs. We criticize them for poorly implemented multiplayer. We criticize them for microtransactions.
The idea that sexier Lightning, who was already attractive to begin with, will get more people to buy the game is dumb- especially when you risk alienating a piece of your already existing fanbase. The idea that we should accept stupid shit from companies because "it sells more" and not be vocal about the things we don't like- that is dumb. The idea that we should expect established and well liked characters to be twisted to support such visions is dumb (imagine Elena Fisher in a bikini). The idea that women need to be sexy to get guys to shell out money is dumb. And if it's really true, then the fact that women must be sexualized to give the game "the best shot" like said in one of the videos, is sad and dumb. I main-ed Tifa in Dissidia 012 and did you see the way her boobs bounced like it was possessed- you think I bought the game for that? That was dumb too.
It's all just dumb.
Sexy women or even sexualized women in gaming isn't dumb, and the fact that people enjoy sexy women isn't dumb either. There are people who enjoy that and no sense on bringing them down for their own preferences.
But this view that the Final Fantasy fandom of all people, is a homogenous group and the demographics that see this character they enjoyed being suddenly presented in a certain way because "everyone likes it" is dumb. Look at this thread. Look at who is posting. Look at the large part of the viewership that is so put off by it they feel the need to voice it.
Most of them aren't trying to destroy LR, or making 160 thousand dollars videos on the evils gendered gaming. It's people just saying no.
It'll quiet down anyway, when they stop throwing fodder at the already on edge fans. Remember Serah and the bikini? Remember the anger? Do you still see it? No, because it dissipated as soon as the next costume dlc came out. Fans will react to whatever you give them.
I wasn't even going to post on this, and now it's longer than my original part, it's not even that interesting. I need to stop talking about this.
and "Since everyone can decide what costume she’ll wear, you can make sure it does" (「個々の衣装によって設定が微妙に違ったりしますので、よく確認していただければ（笑）」
