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Riot Games promises to increase diversity in League of Legends
League of Legends features a lot of diversity among its male champions, but the female champions all feature a fairly uniform body type. That's something the developers at Riot Games are keen on changing. In response to a fan question at SDCC, producer Omar Kendall said that the company has been introducing new ways of looking at body types and shapes, with the end goal of making female champions who don't look like the others. Kendall went on to specify that the call for more diversity is one that players should see represented soon in a new character coming out. He also noted that diversity is being strongly considered with further character designs and any new champions. Game designer Brian Feeney noted that it would be a net boon to the game as a whole -- as Riot is very concerned with distinctive silhouettes, a more robust selection of body types makes it easier to tell champions apart.
Gears of War art director: 'It's tough to justify' a female lead character
In a macho, Power Thirst-inspired market, it's difficult to sell a game with a female protagonist, Epic Games art director Chris Perna tells OXM."If you look at what sells, it's tough to justify something like that," Perna says.Epic's Gears of War series features supporting female characters that Perna describes as "butch," rather than a stereotypical portrayal of feminine beauty in an action game."You see the implants and the blonde hair and pants and you roll your eyes – it's almost like the game geek's idealization of what a woman should be. I think because we didn't go that route we have more believability." Perna continues, "They're still feminine. Anya in Gears 3 comes across as being very feminine, and I think it works."Perna says player feedback supports his theory, in the form of female players dressing up as Gears of War characters at conventions and shows."They feel empowered," he says. "They put on that armor and they walk around with these massive weapons and I think they get a kick out of it – I get a kick out of seeing it. From what we've heard, when they play the game they feel empowered and they feel good. Some of the feedback I've heard from women that I talk to is that if we'd made these women more feminine and more stereotypical it wouldn't have been so nice."
The Summoner's Guidebook: Is League of Legends sexist?
The portrayal of female characters is a popular topic on the League of Legends official forums. People are very enthusiastic about their opinions of the League's female champions, most of whom are drawn to emphasize their sex appeal. Rather than focus on that, though, I'd like to home in on whether the League is an equal-opportunity workplace. Are women fairly represented in all roles, or is there a gender bias? This week, we'll look at the various roles that can be played in both gametypes and ask the important question: Are men and women fairly represented?
CE-Oh no he didn't!: INQ chief says Android is too geeky for 'pretty girls'
Take one dose of improper generalization, mix it in with a heaping of condescension, and then add a pinch of good old sexism. What do you get? This quote, coming from Frank Meehan, CEO of the Android handset-making INQ: "If you go to a nightclub in any city in the world, the pretty girl has an iPhone or a BlackBerry. She doesn't have an Android phone. She has no emotional attachment to an Android phone. It's too complicated. It's a geek device, it's all wrong." Now, before you go emailing him photos of the Android tattoo girl, there is undeniably some smidgen of truth to the man's words. Android is a geek's dream ecosystem and it's not necessarily the most accessible platform in the world, but to completely write it off for the nightclub-going lady demographic doesn't strike us -- or Justin Timberlake, or Chad Ochocinco -- as the most astute idea in the world. [Thanks, AC]
As dudes embrace games, chick flicks flourish
Citing the truly horrific recent success of Valentine's Day as an example, The Telegraph examined the effect that the popularity of video games is having on movies. As some studio executives see it, if more guys than ever have controllers in their hands, it doesn't leave much room for ticket stubs, meaning movies aimed at the ladies are performing better than ever. Hey Ladies: We just want to apologize that the game industry's inability to make titles you'd be interested in has forced you into watching movies that are relevant to your interests but also very terrible. Hopefully one of these industries will wise up soon. That, or you'll learn to like movies about Jason Statham building a car that can transform into an explosion. Either way. [Via Edge]
Gender differences in armor
A few readers sent us this post over at Border House that has laid bare (heh) the oft-mentioned differences in armor between the genders in World of Warcraft. While there are some exceptions, in most cases, the exact same set of armor (like this chestplate above) shows up as much more skimpy on female characters than it does on male characters. To the point of absurdity in some places -- even plate leggings, designed to serve as solid protection to the legs, appear to be more like plate thong underwear on the ladies. As Border House points out, this isn't just WoW's problem. Fantasy and sci-fi in general have been the domain of boys in the past (even if that is changing quickly), and the sexual depictions in the genre have reflected that, for both traditional and financial reasons. As I pointed out the other day, all of Blizzard's luminaries thus far have been men -- is it any surprise that the game is designed from a mostly male perspective? And as BH also says, fortunately, WoW has lots of different gear. If you don't like what your character is wearing, then you can find something else.
Japanese company Greenhouse launches camcorder for women
Hmm... we'll pass.
Dell dumps Della, just wants to be friends
Looks like someone's gonna have to explain why there's a "no longer in a relationship" status update on her Facebook profile. Just ten or so days after Dell officially hooked up with its female counterpart Della, helping real womenfolk find computers that meet their recipe-finding, calorie-counting ways, she's now been thrown the wayside and all mentions of her have been replaced with (or redirected to) the similar, yet decidedly more androgynous "Lifestyle." Last we heard, Della was sitting on the couch watching Notting Hill with a pint of Ben and Jerry's, crying softly to herself and wondering what other female stereotypes she can best beat with a dead horse.
Dell unveils Della website to help women choose which totally cute laptop they prefer
It was probably only a matter of time: Dell -- a company that's been churning out some pretty wildly (and attractively) designed laptops of late -- has just rolled out a new website especially for the ladies. Called "Della," the site presents a shopping experience that is presumably less manish and annoying than good ole' Dell proper -- with lots of photos of women lounging around at the beach, drinking coffee, and browsin' the 'net in small groups on beautifully matched neutral-toned furniture sets. The site looks pretty slick, and while we can't really take issue with that, we do find it a bit disconcerting that they mention "finding recipes," "counting calories," and blissing out to "guided meditations" on the Tech Tips page. Tech Tips!? Then again, we didn't find any references to shoe shopping, so you know: whatever.
Handmade tile necklaces feature WoW sayings
Reader Randy N. sent a link to these tile necklaces along to us, and they look awesome. They're made by a husband/wife team in New Mexico, and they're made from Scrabble tiles (the back apparently still has the letter on it) coated in a glassy glaze, with an assortment of colors and sayings. Very nice -- could be just the thing for someone who's a fan of Warcraft and handmade jewelry in your life.They're $9.99 apiece with free shipping, which is not too bad. And if that's too much and you want to try making them yourself, they've even got a tutorial on how it's done right there on the site. We do have one issue, though -- these pretty pendants and cute crafts are fine for the ladies and all, but what about us dudes? Maybe we can get some "pwned" or "woot" cufflinks?
He Said/She Said: It's a man's WoW
Welcome to another edition of He Said/She Said where Amanda Dean and David Bowers take on some of the deepest gender issues in the World of Warcraft universe. This time we discuss the expectations of men and women in guilds and how WoW reflects the larger society. Amanda: I don't know how many times I've heard of women flirting their way into raids or excellent gear. Perhaps this happens in some cases, but these are the bad apples. I find myself growing kind of tired of the stereotype that girls can't play WoW. The truth is that many women play WoW, and many of us are very good at it. Because of the stereotypes, A lady has to work considerably harder in a guild to earn respect. It's like being guilty of being a twit until proven otherwise.
Opening a dialog about sexism in World of Warcraft
Perhaps one of the biggest challenges of being a gamer girl is learning to deal with rampant sexism, without becoming defensive. Just like racism, sexism should not be tolerated, but how do you address it without making the problem worse? Smurphy from Burning Blade brought this up in the forums. Nethaera's response was to shut the thread down before a dialog could really begin on the subject. Although the majority of WoW players are men, there are a number or women who do enjoy the game. Women are often important contributing members of guilds and raids. Perhaps a little known fact about gamer girls is many of us don't like to be hit on or given special favors like spots in raids. Nor do we like to be called honey, baby, or sweetie by complete strangers. We would very much like the same treatment given to our male counterparts. Women do truly enjoy the game, and should be able to feel safe and comfortable in the online environment.
My Bare Lady appears on iTunes
Quite often in iTunes, free TV shows appear later rather than earlier in the week. This week is no exception. For every one who has waited with bated breath for the free, premiere episode of My Bare Lady, it has finally arrived. The question on everyone's mind is, of course, can these American Porn Stars achieve critical success in London's West End as stage stars? Well, maybe that's not the question on everyone's mind, but it will do for now. See ya Tuesday for more free goodies. My Bare Lady: Cattle CallThings heat up when four American adult film stars are sent to London's most prestigious theatrical school to prove they can really act. These leading ladies are expected to each star in a classic piece of drama. When the curtain goes up, someone's going down.
Leo Burnett's rain-sensitive cosmetic billboard
Advertising agencies are trying everything from window shopping to fiber-optic cement walls to LEDs outlining a building in order to catch the ever-wandering eye of the consumer. The Leo Burnett agency, a graphical genius of sorts, has its latest breakthrough concept plastered on a Max Factor cosmetic billboard. The pictured woman sports finely groomed eyelashes when kept dry, but rainy weather creates black runs akin to real life scenarios to presumably suggest that ladies should make haste in picking up the run-resistant flavor of makeup. So if you're trying to focus on important things like pedestrians and oncoming traffic while cruising through a torrential downpour, just make sure to not point and stare too awfully long.[Via Core77]
Technology is a girl's best friend?
It's fairly obvious companies have realized that men aren't the only ones doing damage on the credit card at the gadget store, but recent studies have drawn some perplexing conclusions about just how much the ladies love their tech. Putting a presumably prominent notion about women to the test, Oxygen Network (a cable company owned and operated by females) found that 75 percent of the women they surveyed would choose a plasma television over a diamond necklace (take that, DeBeers). To further substantiate the findings, women were found to own about 6.6 gadgets each, while men sported 6.9 -- definitely not a very macho-sized difference. Not even the closet was safe, as 86 percent of ladies said they would prefer a digital camcorder over a fresh pair of designer kicks. Women said they would likely increase their involvement with digicams, cellphones, email, and SMS over the next 5 years, drawing the gender technology gap ever closer. Of course, studies like these should always be give attention with a grain of salt, but we'll admit that the industry is better off with gals' design concerns and needs in the mix, and besides, how else would we be able to excuse ourselves from rebuying all our gadgets in pink?[Thanks, David]
BenQ-Siemens goes girly with EF61 Mia Special Edition
If the lack of a built-in compact mirror was turning you off from Philips' 588, BenQ-Siemens has you covered with the just-launched EF61 "Mia Special Edition." Besides the mirror and the phone's artsy shell, you'll get a 1.3 megapixel shooter, microSD slot, and "5 Minutes to Fabulous," an app that apparently guides you through the process of applying makeup in (you guessed it) five minutes. Running £99.99 (about $180) when it drops in September, we can see this gussied-up EF61 appealing to a few members of the fairer sex -- but if you really have to rely on your phone to put your face on, we suspect you might come away sorely disappointed.
