Comments on: What is it with the Naked Chicks?

By: ethereal.wolf

ethereal.wolf — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 03:42:02 +0000

To Michael- so uhh, what would you rather see, portly gamer dudes? i’ll take scantily clad female characters, thx.

By: Grimwell

Grimwell — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 23:22:44 +0000

…er it’s my fault. I commissioned the banner. The Pox Nora character is the ‘Pox Harbinger’ which was a bit of a reward rune at the games launch that I got. It’s pretty rare and highly sought out. So I figured the Pox players would get a kick out of seeing the harbinger mixed in with the other women of SOE games.

There was no deliberate attempt to pander or anything, it just seemed like a neat idea. ;)

By: Crimson Starfire

Crimson Starfire — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 09:25:42 +0000

Although I like fantasy artwork of scantly clad women, I have to agree with Tesh. The worse your game, the more scantly clad your female cover art needs to be. Same goes with movies.

By: Tesh

Tesh — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 03:37:38 +0000

As a happily married male, father of two children, this sort of advertising (and character design) is a huge indicator for me to *avoid* the game. It usually neans the devs aren’t confident enough in their gameplay to carry sales and retention.

By: Twanni

Twanni — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 22:42:02 +0000

That’s what decades of feminism has gotten us.
Used to be cover art consisted of a strapping young (Conan-esque)lad defeating some dragon/demon other thing starting with a D and rescuing a damsel in distress.

Then we took umbrage with the repressed sex symbol status of the damsel and now cover art consists mainly of just the damsel who’s now a (buffy/Lara-esque)sexy and empowered young lass for men to drool over.
A real victory for feminism that was.
I second the “Depp argument” btw.

By: Ysharros

Ysharros — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 16:44:50 +0000

As Twanni, said, sex sells, and scantily clad babes have been adorning the covers of pulp fiction (including fantasy and, now, MMOs) for decades.

My main complaint is that it’s all very well for you men, but when do I get to see male eye candy on the cover of something? I demand himbos! Better yet, just stick Johnny Depp all over everything, I’d buy that fer sure! :D

By: Twanni

Twanni — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 16:25:12 +0000

Hey sex sells, and people in marketing departments tend to have low opinions of their customers, not to mention a false believe that over 90% of gamers is adolescent male.
SOE used to be way more subtle about it. In 2006 and/or 2007 they had this nice banner for their SOE Fan Faire with 3 or 4 males and females in there. One for each game represented on the faire.
Pretty egalitarian (sp?), except that somehow all the men were in subdued colour-schemes and the females in bright vibrant ones. Even though you saw one of each gender per game, what you remembered of it was all boobiliciousness.
It was quite piece of craft that banner. A shame it’s not around anymore. This one is blatant and amateuristic by comparison.