sexy-armor
Latest
The Soapbox: Yes, Virginia, sexism still exists
About two years ago (two decades in internet years), I wrote a piece about sexism as it pertains to MMOs. I didn't write anything about it for a long while afterward because I would just be reiterating points that were stated in the first article, something I'm not fond of doing. But when I wrote another article praising a game for mostly getting equality right, well... I'm not fond of rehashing old points. But I'm also not fond of the idea that people have evolved from saying "it's not sexist" to "oh, there's no sexism here in the first place." As I said two years ago, there's a lot that MMOs get right that gaming in general still gets wrong. But there's also a lot that MMOs get wrong still. So I want to look at the issue, look at some of the common attempts to pretend it's not really an issue, and possibly provide some links of relevant interest. There are a lot of those.
The Daily Grind: Does realism have any place in MMOs?
We may roleplay a lot of different things in our MMOs, but realistic living is usually not one of them. After all, we can fly, sustain massive amounts of damage without a visible scratch, never have to go to the bathroom, expect chainmail bikinis to protect us, slaughter thousands without remorse, keep horses in our back pockets, defy every law of nature there is, and encounter dozens of animals that are all missing essential organs needed for a quest objective. So as much as we've gotten used to the fantastical elements that pave the way to fun gameplay, I have to wonder: Does this mean that there is no place for realism in MMOs at all? If you look at older pen-and-paper RPGs, realistic elements such as pack weight, the need to eat, and persistent injuries all helped contribute to a relatable experience. What do you think? Should devs reconsider realistic elements in MMOs? Are we getting so far away from a believable experience that we've lost something crucial to RPGs? Or are you just hunky-dory with things as they are? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
The Daily Grind: When does in-game armor go from sexy to stripperific?
So a discussion popped up around the Massively offices the other day regarding MMORPG armor (or the distinct lack thereof when it comes to some titles). A question was raised as to why some games get away with sexualizing female gear while others are raked over the coals for demeaning women, pandering to men's baser instincts, and generally setting the cause of feminism back by decades. Take today's header image for example. Guild Wars (and its upcoming sequel) are rarely bashed by the skimpy armor police, yet the game does accentuate the female form more often than not. Aion contains some of the racier outfits in the history of the genre, but you rarely see people complaining about it (especially the considerable number of real-life female players who deck out their Daevas in said gear). TERA, on the other hand, is the current whipping boy when it comes to sexy armor in MMOs, as numerous comment threads (likely to include this one) illustrate. For today's Daily Grind, we'd like to know what causes some revealing armor sets (or the games that feature them) to be deemed A-OK while others are decried as offensive. In a nutshell, what line does armor have to cross before it goes from sexy to stripperific? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
The Daily Grind: Are MMOs too over-sexualized?
The other day, a group of us in the Massively office watched the latest TERA demo video in a sort of horrified awe as the skimpily clad character ran with her fanny flying in the wind and gyrated her hips to cast a spell. It sparked an intense discussion among us as to the fine line between sexing a game up and over-sexing it just to draw in stereotypical drooling male gamers. It's a well-known adage that sex sells, and like it or hate it, attractive characters and skimpy outfits have been a part of MMORPGs for quite some time now. From World of Warcraft's seductive succubus to Age of Conan's topless extravaganza to Star Trek Online's character creation "breast slider," game studios tend to play the sex card first and frequently to pull in customers. This is why, for example, male armor tends to always be practical (if oddly flamboyant) while female armor isn't even big enough to protect one's dignity, never mind one's internal organs. So granted that sexual visuals are staples of the genre, do you think that MMOs have gone overboard with it all? Have you ever looked at a MMO or game advertisement and declared loudly and to no one in particular, "That isn't sexy, that's just tacky"? Should skimpy armor come in dude versions so that this sexualization isn't as lopsided? Which class is the biggest offender in your eyes?
