Starhawk Drives the Offensive
15 hours 16 mins ago
We've all heard the saying 'sex sells'. But does it really? Well, the game industry certainly thinks so. From scantily-clad game characters to hiring popular bikini models to promote games to the never ending supply of booth babes at game conventions to inserting GACKT's sexy self into various games (yep, each of these links lead to a Gamegrep article regarding sex appeal in video games), there's no denying that gaming is rife with sex appeal in an attempt to garner more sales.
But does it work? Would games sell just as well if they didn't include the 'sex sells' mentality?
Dualshockers.com takes a look...
This is the point that I am trying to make; is it necessary to bring sexual tendencies to a game to bring up its sales? Besides the actual sex games, real games should be good without sex. I could have liked God of War without the boat scene. Bayonetta could be a little uglier, and maybe not have a nude finishing move, if it would be a good slasher game when it comes out. But developers do not see it that way. They want to hit all demographics and psycho-graphics. Art is a big subject nowadays, with the new technology we have to use at our fingertips to show beauty in its fullest detail. I would not disagree that it should be put into games. To sell me a game with a breast hanging out, come on. That’s a little too much.
Comments
I'm sure bribes from Sega must help too.
If sex selling meant actual sex then only a handful or two of games would have sex as an appealing factor.
The games that come to mind like Tomb Raider were actually pretty good games for their genre. I don't feel like it sold those games. There are plenty of games that tried like Beastmaster or whatever that failed horribly.
So while yeah, of course sex helps in sales, I think that it doesn't nearly help as much in the games industry as it does in others.
Sex definitely didn't sell TR to me.I didn't get into the series till I watched a friend play TR3 on PC.
Not to the extent of Hollywood, no, but it definitely affects things a lot.
As for SFIV, I don't play SF so in SF's case no sex does not sell for me.
But SC I admit that part of the appeal is Ivy.She has to be the hottest fighting game overal not just looks, partly because of her huge tits awesome body and barely there clothes
That game just leaked it; hell, I started being turned on by Vader.
A shame really, considering its origins.
The series' popularity, notoriety and expensive advertisement campaign was what earned most of RE5's sales, even if many fans ended up being disappointed with the final result.
Or most of Japan, for that matter. Not that they don't know all that much about Resi (that would be a stupid thing to say) but because the sex sells rule is, like, cubed over there.
Sure, fanboys would have moaned about it a bit in the beginning, but in the end, SF has a solid cast and there aren't that many people who purely main Cammy or Chun-li and would refuse to purchase the game, as most people have a couple of mains to choose from. I've always thought of Cammy and Chun-li as being peripheral to the likes of major characters such as Ken, Ryu, Guile, and Bison. Tl;dr no, sex most probably doesn't sell SF.
Instead of using RE5 and SFIV, a better example probably would have been DoA.
What I'm saying is that a pubescent teenager figuring out what to buy with his pocket money, when confronted with say Virtua Fighter 5 or SFIV, will see Cammy or Chun-Li and decide based on them. Now consider how many of said pubescent, non-thinking people make up the number of people who buy popular games these days and it adds up.
Oh, and I know some Chun-Li's who totally freaking rock and are mad fans of her. I'll even go as far to say my Cammy can kick most asses too, and the game wouldn't have been the same without her XD
DoA goes without saying, especially since its spin-off got the boob jiggle feature. That was the point though; even in less obvious situations, it still plays a part.
That's not to say that it sells to ALL gamers. Some would be turned off by it, some don't care one bit. Some see it as fine from an artistic standpoint (DI) but hate it if it's overdone (bayonetta).
Unfortunately, those few of us NOT pubescent individuals hyped up on libido, have to deal with the majority who constantly tell devs to make MORE sex, through their wallets.
But all of these things, all of these joys, and pains, and excitements and shocks and laughs and cries and so forth, all the fun of any game, comes back to basic human desires and needs - what do you need as a human being to be happy? you need, firstly, what'll enable you to continue to survive - food, drink, exercise and use of the body to locate that food and drink, vigilance in keeping that body healthy and functioning, the strength and power to defend those actions you make with that body, and to defend the body itself from harm or people or beings who wish harm; and the ability to repel any manner of threat or control upon yourself (for example, I never 100% got why people watch scary films to get a fright, but I think that one comes back to this point here about power and control, and action, its the same as horror games - there's some creature some deformed being that wishes harm on you, and when you get a fright or a scare it makes you aware of it, and then your mind is working at a way to defeat and overcome it; also for some people perhaps, there's the contrast that however big a fright that creature gives you, you are safe in a room watching it on a screen or playing behind a controller, which gives a comfort, whereas some people as I said, play it for the "challenege" I beleive, I dont know, only you nknow yourself why you do things); also to roam, and ultimatly, to find that person who will complete you, and you them, and in that act, create a new life - to mate with the opposite sex and raise your kids to continue what you was doing.
And arguably, that is probably the strongest desire in a human being. Even people who dont actually DO it, people who choose to live alone, or people who have some perversion or attempt to mate with something or someone who is not a sexually mature opposite sex of their own species; homosexuals, transexuals, paedophiles, rapists, people who do the dirty with animals, everything and everyone, are still motivated by it in some way; everyone is motivated by sex, by which I mean sexual reproduction - either in the pursuit of it, or the avoidance of it, or the manipulation of it, or the indulgence of it. AT the end of the day, all it comes down to, if you remove all the neuroticness, all the psychological confusion, all the mental mix-ups; is two people who are drawn to each other, coming together and creating a new life. AGain, you dont HAVE to have sex to do that. You can have sex as a comfort, or purely as a joy or to indluge, but surely, just as playing the game of the driving is not the same as driving, having sex as a comfort is not as complete as having sex to create a life. That is all it is, in that instance - comfort, re-assurement. And if you look at it like this, no matter how much you respect someone, or wish for them to respect you, or love someone in the platonic sense; no matter how reliant you are on anyone, sex is not a way to express it. Sex is a way to express your appreciation and attraction and aknowledgement of the beauty and intelligence and being of the opposite sex. It's not a method of friend making; you wanna do that, best thing is to shake someones hand, not their ding-dong. Because, the reason there is, it wont fulfill you. You CAN do it. But why do it? You CAN have "sex" with a lamp shade if you like. But what's that gonna achieve? Some sort of release? It's a lamp shade, not a woman. Doesnt really compare does it? If you're that frustrated, look here we've got the internet if you're a man go look at some boobies and whack away; or if you're a woman locate some wangs with google,( pardon my french)
So my point is, if you put sex in a game, people who have it lacking in their life, will of course buy the game, just to experience a FRACTION of the real thing; because they feel as though, at this moment in time at least, they cant have it, or dont have it. Life is a learning curve, if they need to do that "safely" in a game to realise they can ACTUALLY go do it, so be it, good luck to em. And even people who dont have that lacking in their life, people who ARE getting laid, would probably buy it, because it ignites in the brain, the idea that "I could be doing this now", but again really if you think that, you should go do it. But as I said, all a game is anyway, any game, is an imitation, of life, or some aspect of life. Safe pratise run. As long as you know that, I dont see any reason why you cant still enjoy it and not see any detrimental effects; as long as, at the end of the day, you can put down the controller, and realise that everything you're doing is simply practise, and honing of skills or intelligence or whatever, for whatever reason you're playing, it's practise for life, and then put that practise into action, make use of it in your life then there's nothing wrong with games. It's not a replacement though, it's not a surragate for life. If you use it as an escape, then that's no good is it? That's a waste. Why escape, you'll be dead soon enough that's enough of an escape is it not? Better to try, at least attempt to deal with the things while you're here, to seek things out in their highest and purest form, that's the only way you'll get any joy out of life if you ask me.
Nah only jokin man, I've got no bad will or grudge towards anyone anyway man, I'm just opening up the discussion here, same as always; if no-one wants to discuss, fair does, they dont have to, it's all there if they do, though. I see a question, I give an answer to the question. That's all it is, and everyone is of course welcome to do the same; there's no "he's smarter, she's smarter" or "this persons idea is greater than that persons", every idea is valid, every contribution welcome, SO LONG AS what everyone is trying to do is uncover basic core truth and righteousness. If you have any other agenda, you'll corrupt and destroy. If you are looking for what's right, then everything that is said by anything, or anyone, is either right, or wrong. It's as simple as that. Every contribution is valid and welcome, but every contribution and idea is not neccesarily right. It's either right, or wrong. But you can listen to every idea, THAT is where they're equal; you can listen to every idea, and you can share every idea of your own; but you then discuss those ideas further, for the purpose of uncovering what is true, what is false, what is assumption, what is fact, what is conjecture or hypothesis and what is backed up by evidence; and ultimatly what has practical application; what works, and what doesnt. What is most important though, is to trust your own mind before anyone elses. You know what you're thinking, they know what they;re thinking. You dont know what they're thinking, even if they tell you. People can lie. Think in your own head, and share that with people, and listen to what they share, but always take thigns with a grain of salt; get input from your surroundings and the people around you, but still, at the end of the day, use your mind and your mind only to sort throught hat input and try to discern right from wrong; to see what works, and what has purpose, and good reason, and what doesnt.
Yeh merry christmas to all of gamegrep also, and a happy new year people
And in order to understand that, you should ask yourself, why are you playing a game where you kill people? What does it give you; what joy does it bring to you? Then ask, why are you doing it in the game only? It may simply be a matter of it being a test of your skill, or strategy; if so, then knowing that, you can seek out things in your life that test that further and put it to use; you can take it beyond the game. It may also, as you've suggested there, be a matter of any number of pyschological or mental issue, or some basic disrespect for life, or some inferiority or superioirty complex; even that knot is easily untied if you put your mind to it, and if you've identified it. And if it's not untied, it'll be your own downfall eventually. All you have to do, with everything, is ask yourself "why am I doing what I'm doing?" and then once you know that, work at finding the best way of doing what you do; and be aware and prepared to deal with the consequences.
If you do all that, all you're left with, is the effects of what you do. So be aware of what you wish to achieve, and set about making that happen. That's the difference between right and wrong; when alls done, what you are left with. If you were to kill everyone, there would be no-one left. How would the human race make any advancements - would you do it all yourself? One day you'll die. So surely it's better to attempt to educate people; to try to reach out to them, to try to work together rather than be controlled by some paranoia or neuroticness. And for each generation to build upon the successes and achievements of the last, and correct any flaws as neccessary, and to seek out truth and decency in a continous righteous growth. And ultimatly to do, and to create, something that you believe in; believe is right - something that you can vouch for, something you will gladly fight for, and die for if neccessary to keep that something alive - because that something is worth living for. Not just a world order, but as a way of life. Truly righteous. Maybe it wont work, maybe everything'll blow up anyway, or maybe they wont wish to live in peace with you, and you'll have to kill everyone anyway. But at least you try; at least you have some righteous ideal to work towards; and set a standard. That's better than nothing. And most certainly better than doing nothing; or being nothing; or achieving nothing.
This news story is archived and is closed to comments now.