Home

 › 

Articles

 › 

Games Are Sexualized Because We Want Them That Way

Games Are Sexualized Because We Want Them That Way

The notion of fanservice is hotly debated in video games. Especially since we’ve recently seen issues where games like Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 don’t get localized and ones like Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE have costumes and content altered for the worldwide release. People champion and campaign for more realistic depictions of people in games. But, is a little sexiness that bad? People play games because they’re attractive and idealized. Will these perfect specimens, both male and female, ever go out of style?

Research in study’s like Sexy, Strong, and Secondary: A Content Analysis of Female Characters in Video Games Across 31 Years from Indiana University’s Teresa Lynch and her team, have been looking at games to see if there’s been a difference. Lynch looked at the 25 year period, between 1989 and 2014, and saw the 571 virtual women were as sexy as ever, even though objectification has lessened from 1995 on. And you know what? There’s nothing wrong with that.

Look at games like Street Fighter V and Overwatch . Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li, Cammy, and every other member of the cast takes what we consider to be beautiful and fit to the extreme. Very few people actually look like that. We know, recognize, and accept that. Overwatch is similar. People like Widowmaker, Tracer, Hanzo, Soldier: 76, Zarya, D. Va, and Symmetra are few and far between. But, we aren’t playing these games because we want realism. We’re playing them for the sake of escapism. We know what life is like, perhaps all too well. When we play a game like Street Fighter V or Overwatch , we’re getting the opportunity to “be” these pretty people.

Think about the depiction of men and women in most games. Even when they’re more realistic, are they really authentic? Everyone is the perfect weight. Men and women alike go beyond the 6-pack and into the fabled 12-pack. Men exude masculinity and strength. Women embody grace and style. Even when they’re wearing clothing appropriate for situations, these are people far beyond us. Battlefield 1 and Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare’ s soldiers are strong and buff. The men of Final Fantasy XV are perfectly manicured and groomed, despite their extended road trip. Faith’s physically fit in Mirror’s Edge Catalyst , but also wearing skin-tight clothing and an alternative look that’s still welcoming.

Games Are Sexualized Because We Want Them That Way

It’s really more about moderation, which does seem to be taking effect. In fact, let’s go back to Overwatch for that. Yes, it’s a game with some very sexy characters. There are plenty of idealized people, both male and female. But, there are also more balanced characters. When it comes to the men, Torbjorn, Lucio, Roadhog, and Reinhardt range from average to overweight. As for women, Mei is overweight and Ana is an older woman. Everyone’s dressed relatively appropriately, even when clothing is scant or showing off skin. It’s proof positive that a balance can give us the fanservice and sexiness that sells, while still offering improved representation.

The fact is, sex sells. Of course we’re going to continue to see games with men that look like they’ve been taking steroids since they were seven and women with 39”-18”-33” figures. But that doesn’t mean we also won’t see games that handle such things more tastefully, keeping things attractive and appropriate. It’s unrealistic to expect no oversexualization. Besides, would we really want to play games that didn’t offer characters that at least attempted to look their best?

To top