BoothBabes
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Security conference effectively bans booth babes from its show floor
The issue of booth babes -- scantily clad people attempting to lure unsuspecting buyers towards second-rate products -- has once again reared its head within the industry. This time out, cryptography and information security gathering RSA has effectively banned them, mandating that all attendees will wear clothing that's appropriate for a professional environment. According to a statement released to TechTarget, people will be unable to display "excessive cleavage," and won't be able to wear tank tops, tube tops, miniskirts or minidresses. RSA go on to say that any scantily dressed people found on the show floor would be asked to put on a sweater or leave.
How to be a Macworld Booth Babe or Bouncer Boy
As Macworld creeps nearer, locals may want to start searching Craigslist for part-time Macworld jobs. Typical listings include Booth/Promo Girls, Spokesmodels and Bouncer Type Males. If last year is anything to go by, you should be able to get hired up until the last second. SFGate writes that models could earn from $100 per day and bouncers from $150 up. I suppose that hiring and payrates will depend on your Macbabalicious or Frankenscary-bouncer quotient but given our reader pool, I'm sure you guys will be earning top Macworld dollar!
Leipzig, booth babes, video, nudity, NSFW
The picture above is about to get NSFW in one frame ... in just one frame it goes from normal marketing cosplay to borderline furry pron. GameTrailers put together a Girls Gone Wild-esque segment of all the Leipzig booth babe fit for video (which we have placed after the break). We joke, the video is very tastefully done, as tasteful as one can get editing together flesh shots meant to titillate. On some level it's great culture context, for our puritan American eyes, public displays of boobies burns us they do.Leipzig obviously takes a different approach to displays of the female form than E3. Although it was a moot point this year, the last "real" E3 had a ban on booth babes. We re-emphasize that the video after the break is not safe for work, don't come crying to us if your boss catches you -- although, for all we know, he might be into furries.
PAX 07: Sony tethers PSP Slims to cute girls, awkwardness ensues
In a surprise move, Sony decided to display the new PSP Slim at the Penny Arcade Expo this weekend after all, letting excited fans get their grubby little hands on the new hardware right now. They were clearly extremely worried about the security issues though, because each PSP Slim was tethered to the pants of a Sony booth babe -- and the cables weren't very long. This led to some kind of awkward situations where you all up in their personal space and playing with something right next to the front of their pants. Needless to say, Star Wars: Battlefront turned out to be incredibly difficult to play. %Gallery-6364%
Booth babes eat your heart out
We all know the booth babes look good, but can they play games too? That seems to have somewhat been the motivation behind British fashion label Joystick Junkies' search for the perfect model. The site set up their own little tournament of champions in the search for their bangin'-est gamer hottie. As they say, "We're not just going for model looks though, we've been looking for true gaming passion as well ..." They now have a list -- with pictures -- of some finalists, all ready for your gawking and voting pleasure. See, girls really do play video games.[Thanks, cringer8]
Female at E3: a look back
Being a female attendee at E3 puts one into an interesting niche. The number of women present at the show this year was surprisingly high -- a quick non-scientific headcount showed about 3 in 20 to be female. However, booth babes flashed their wares from a number of stands, gleaming cars and trucks advertised games with no cars in them, and Paris Hilton trundled out to wow the crowds.With all this advertising clearly targeted at guys -- and, by the look of the crowds, working well -- it's easy to believe the "neglected demographic" hype.
Paging Dr. Booth Babe
With booth babes prancing about the E3 show floor dressed as warrior princesses, dragon slayers, futuristic mercenaries and (rarely) realistic independent females, it's fair to say that their role-played lives are vastly different from their real ones. There are exceptions, however, and just such an exception could be found at Atlus' colorful booth. Celebrating the announcement of Trauma Center: Second Opinion for Wii, Atlus' booth babes were all dressed as alluring nurses (the best kind). In Wendy's case, this wasn't much of a stretch at all.Self-proclaimed Halo addict, Wendy told me that she is currently in her fourth year as a medical student at Western University. In what is an unusual transition from model to medicine, Wendy hopes to become an excellent doctor with equally excellent bedside manners. It's an amusing coincidence that may just shatter that old booth babe stereotype collecting dust within the recesses of your mind.
Waiting for Wii: When box babes attack
In an effort to keep the people waiting (and waiting) to enter the Wii area somewhat occupied, Nintendo have put up a couple of large video displays on the walls nearby their booth, each one depicting an attractive woman staring out of a cold, white prison. That alone would normally be enough to satisfy most E3 attendees, but Nintendo has gone the extra mile and made the displays fully interactive. A small camera and microphone situated above the screen allow people to engage in some inane banter with these boxed babes, hopefully helping them to pass the time and touch the Wii that much quicker.
Overheard at E3: We're your props
Booth babe # 1: "We're your props. We'll do anything you want."Booth babe # 2: "Should we get on our knees?"Attendee: "No. For God's sake, where's your self respect?"Actually, I didn't hear that last part.
Overheard at E3: You're all nerds! [update 1]
For the "Women at E3" gathering today, a number of female industry professionals gathered to wear special "Girls FTW" shirts in a show of solidarity. Morgan Romine, aka Rhoulette of the Frag Dolls, led the crowd:Rhoulette: Who knows what "FTW" means?[Women cheer loudly]Rhoulette: Thank God! You're all nerds![Update 1: "FTW" means "for teh win". Added at the request of at least one Joystiq staffer. For shame!]
Booth babe protest: Bikinis, not bullets
Seen at E3: as the convention closed for the day, three booth babes wielding signs saying "Bikinis > Bullets" and "I'm rated E for Everyone". We're not sure what the aim of the protest is, as these ladies seemed happy to smile and have their pictures taken.The question that springs to mind is: why not both bikinis and bullets? We met up with the PMS Clan at Microsoft's booth party, women who are just as much at home in bikinis as in full body armour. When you can dual-wield both SMGs and lipstick at once, you shouldn't have to choose.
E3 Day One: Booth babe spotting
At E3, we hoped to see some ladies wearing a little more than in previous years. Despite any enforcement of rules, there were still a lot of assets on display on the show floor -- here's some of the best (and worst) from day one.To our right is a classic uncomfortable, gimmicky costume. She (we assume it's a she) doesn't have to keep smiling, 'cause it's pasted on. Warning: repeatedly raising your arms in the Ms. Pac-Man gesture of welcome may cause injury.
Overheard at E3: Which game is this?
A lot of the casual conversation at E3 revolves around girls, girls and more girls. Overheard at Webzen's display of whirling skirts and crop-tops:Gamer 1: Which game is this?Gamer 2: Dude, I don't even care.
Webzen: a lot of fuss for one release
One MMO company definitely wants to get noticed at this E3. Webzen's booth is big, almost as large as nearby THQ and Activision, and they're putting on a show for the crowds. With dancing booth babes, a loud emcee and armour-clad models -- as well as plastering all the cafeteria tables with ads -- Webzen's attack on the Western world is well and truly here. Of Webzen's three games being shown at E3, only one is out in the near future -- Huxley. Soul of the Ultimate Nation will make its way to the U.S. in 2007 (no word of an European release), and Project Wiki is slated for a Korea-only release at the moment. So why the big fuss? Webzen believe that in Huxley they have the tools to break into the Western market, and make a name for themselves worldwide. The joint Xbox 360/PC release is at once a risk and an adventure for them -- and they want gamers to sit up and pay attention to it.
Girl gaming clans as next-gen booth babes
The idea of booth babes who are fanatical gamers isn't a new one, but the booth babe cliché tends to overlook the fact that becoming a babe is one way for gamers to get into E3. With a clampdown on the amount of flesh on show at this year's E3, companies are looking for a few other ways to give their booth -- and its attached babes -- the edge.An interesting marriage of ideas is to employ girl gaming clans as "totty with triggers" -- a booth attraction that appeals on multiple levels. Arguably, that's what Ubisoft's "Frag Dolls" team is all about, but the Dolls won't be alone at E3 this year. g0d (girlz of destruction) will be bringing their VIA-sponsored "home of chrome" to the show floor, and the PMS clan will also be sending members to E3 to work for various sponsors.There is a difference between groups which were set up specifically by one company, or which formed in order to seek sponsorship, and those which came together naturally -- though on the show floor, that's less apparent. Clans like g0d and PMS are becoming famous, and attracting sponsorship now, but they formed for fellowship rather than financial gain. With professional gamers in general getting more exposure these days, it seems that the gender of all-girl gaming teams makes them an immediate hot prospect to replace the stereotypical eye-candy booth babes.
PGR3 Fun Time with Japanese 360 Girls
Marketing for morons tip #360: When all else fails, bring out the babes! Sensing that sex sells consoles, Xbox Japan sponsored an apparently successful promotional event subtly christened "Xbox Live Fun Time" where three popular Gravia (pin-up) girls cooed over the 360 and showed off their modest PGR3 skills online. It's going to take more than a few cute chicks in headsets to turn things around for Microsoft in Sony and Nintendo's backyard. But in a country where sniffable panties are only a vending machine away, this latest ploy seems like a pretty obvious move. Now how about some killer apps to go with those killer bods.[Thanks SuicideNinja]
Save the booth babes
Just as I'm getting psyched for my first trip to E3 on behalf of 360Fanboy and Joystiq, commenter Sinz points me to a buzz-killing story about the crackdown on booth babes at this year's expo—as if covering a few glistening breasts will make Senator Cankles call off her dogs. (I swear I saw this article a while back, but blocked it out because it seemed so wrong):ESA has stated that the rules will be firmly enforced for E3 2006, and that those who ignore them will be penalised. The handbook continues: "The Board has adopted an amendment to the current Character of Exhibit/Attire Policy enforcement. Exhibitors will receive ONE verbal warning when a violation of the policy is encountered. Should another violation occur, the ESA will impose a $5000 penalty, payable immediately on-site and require that models comply with the dress code before returning to the floor."..."E3Expo is first and foremost a business show, and policies such as this one help create an environment not only "where business gets fun", but where business gets done."So I finally score a press pass and now they're going to start enforcing the rules. Whose wife got on the committee? Let's be honest: E3 without a bevy of nerd-tantalizing semi-clothed babes is like Christmas without Santa Claus. I feel like I'm at the center of some cosmic joke. Hopefully, once the doors close the powers that be will drop the PC mumbo jumbo and bring on the Rumble Roses jello wrestling team. By the way, if you're not a highly trained media professional like myself, but still want to check out the girls (or lack there of) and other excitement at E3 2006, Microsoft is holding a sweepstakes for Xbox Live members. [Thanks Sinz & Tomcats]
Booth babes - GDC style
Crys and omsu both managed to snap a photo of the only real "booth babe" at this year's GDC. Who said developers don't have a sense of humor?
Booth babes update: E3's response
Yesterday we brought you news that E3 would be censoring its exhibitors this year, with a prohibition on nudity, partial nudity and even bikini bottoms. Gamecloud has obtained a statement from the director of E3 concerning this policy, and it seems that it's not a new development:In fact, it is the same as it has been for the past several years, and the vast majority of other major tradeshows have the same or similar policies. What's new in 2006 is an update of the enforcement policies, which simply allow show management to better enforce the long-standing dress code. The enforcement policies involve a verbal warning followed by a $5000 fine. Since the rules on decency haven't actually changed, we don't need to say goodbye to the booth babes just yet; there should be plenty of them, as always. This is a shame for those of us who welcomed the development as a step in the right direction for the games industry, but good news for anyone lamenting their loss.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Censorship at E3
Say goodbye to booth babes; this year's E3 is putting restrictions in place to clean up the show floor a little. The exhibitor's handbook apparently includes the following rule:Material, including live models, conduct that is sexually explicit and/or sexually provocative, including but not limited to nudity, partial nudity and bathing suit bottoms, are prohibited on the Show floor, all common areas, and at any access points to the Show. ESA, in its sole discretion, will determine whether material is acceptable.This is an interesting, and worrying, development; as Brenda Brathwaite points out, the censorship means that showing adult games or games with partial nudity won't be allowed. Will The Sims 2 be turned away because of the shower scenes? Will World of Warcraft be denied access because you can dance in your undies?It's unlikely, but it looks like a line will have to be drawn somewhere. Also, while we applaud the removal of scantily-clad models from the show floor, we wonder which other techniques companies will stoop to to grab the attention of passers-by. Last year's Anti Booth Babes attracted a lot of publicity, but exhibitors will have to find new tricks this year.
