I...want to unburden myself with this post, assuming that I'm using that expression correctly. I want to let out some frustration and what not, so, I had to say it, and I'll say it again: There's nothing wrong with sexualization in video games. I really should stop visiting ResetEra, even if it's always the same thread. As you can imagine, I'm doing this post and thread because of a few posts in ResetEra, the fact that there are users openly talking about sexualization (mostly of female characters) like it's a bad thing, and it's not.

I'm going to make something clear, if you don't like the sexualization of female characters in video games, that's totally fine, if you find the sexualization of female characters in video games offensive, gross, or whatever (regardless if those characters are underage or not), that's fine, you don't have to like or enjoy the sexualization present in many video games, especially video games with an anime art style, something that I can't deny, even as a huge promoter of those games, is that those games aren't for everyone, nothing is for everyone, not even the most mainstream games of all time can be considered ''for everyone'', yes, Grand Theft Auto V, Minecraft, Fortnite, Animal Crossing and other games, are extremely popular, but even for those games, more than one person around the world (including me) will say ''no thanks, that game doesn't interest me'' and that is something that is even more true for anime style games a lot of times. People have every right to dislike the games I've reviewed for one reason or another, I'm not going to force anyone to like Drive Girls, or Blue Reflection, or Senran Kagura: Shinovi Versus, or Dark Rose Valkyrie, and many, many other games, heck, even as someone who likes those games, I openly admit that there are several reasons why someone might not like those games, it's not just the sexualization present in those games.

Going back to the poing about not liking these games and the sexualization. Yes, that's fine, but please, don't attack other people for enjoying these games. Games that use fanservice as a selling point have every right to exist as much as any other game, as I've said before, I can't, in good faith, promote the idea that any game shouldn't exist, maybe unless it's a game with exploitative monetization or whatever, if it's something that could be a problem for vulnerable people or children, that could be another story, however, that's a topic and conversation for another day. Putting aside the morality of monetization, microtransactions, loot boxes and all that garbage, every game deserves to exist regardless of the content when it comes to morality, and that includes games such as Grand Theft Auto V, Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls, Hatred and Omega Labyrinth Z, just to name a few. Like many other people, I'll defend video games that can be considered controversial or offensive...because it's fiction. That's it, it's fiction, I'm usually (always?) of the idea that in fiction anything goes, even if it's something that ''pushes the envelope'', as some people say, it deserves to exist, everything should be allowed in video games because it's fiction and not reality, most people can differentiate between fiction and reality, but even so, if you don't like the content of many video games, because it's very violent, very sexualized or lewd, or whatever, that's fine, but please, pleasse...don't promote the idea that these games shouldn't exist just because you don't like them or disagree with their content, I hate to say it, but it's true: ''you're not the target audience'', ''it's fine, it's fiction'' and ''nobody is getting hurt with the creation of these games'' are valid arguments, and honestly, I'm getting tired of having to use or think about those arguments over and over again. You aren't wrong if you don't like the fanservice in Japanese games, for example, in the same way that the people who like those games aren't bad people for enjoying those games, Being someone who likes the Hyperdimension Neptunia franchise doesn't make me less human than anyone, I'm not an inferior or superior person for enjoying the Hyperdimension Neptunia franchise, and that...is something I shouldn't have to write or say out loud...

I guess the short version is: If you don't like the sexualization present in many video games, that's fine, but don't say that those games shouldn't exist, and don't attack or insult other people for enjoying those games, regardles if other people enjoy those games because of the fanservice or not, games with sexualization have every right to exist as much as The Last of Us Part II (I mean, that polarizing game is a great example), we shouldn't forget that these games have an audience, these games won't appeal to everyone and not everyone will be a part of the target audience, and the people who like these games aren't inferior or superior because of that.

...I can't believe that a ResetEra openly talked about ''users bragging about SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzi having good sales, but those people also posts condemnations of sexual assault in real life'' as if she or he couldn't understand how can that be the case, and the answer is simple, people can differentiate fiction from reality, what we enjoy in video games isn't something we'll want to do in real life a lot of times, if you enjoy touching the girls in Senran Kagura without their consent just because (like me), that doesn't mean that I'll do something like that in real life or that I'll defend people (men and women) who sexually harass others in real life, this shouldn't be said, do NOT sexually harass people in real life. Anyway, I guess I don't have much more to say, I have been listening to ''Shadows of Stone Tower'' as I'm writting this, and what can I say? That music of Megadimension Neptunia VII is fitting for a controversial thread like this one, the mysterious tone of the music is fitting somehow. I shouldn't mention ResetEra on this site ever again, but those ridiculous posts...the amount of nonsense on that forum made me want to make this thread. I don't know if I'll get replies for this thread, but a reply would be appreciated, I'm interested in reading what other people think. This post is probably all over the place but anyway, I guess it shouldn't be a surprise that I'll defend games with fanservice, no matter what...I promise that my next thread will be a review.

[post]"maybe unless it's a game with exploitative monetization or whatever, if it's something that could be a problem for vulnerable people or children, that could be another story, however, that's a topic and conversation for another day"[/post]

Glad you said that because I would have had you not lol.

But yeah, I pretty much agree with you. Attacking others for enjoying aspects you do not is pointless, unproductive, and I'd go so far as to say Toxic.

That said, speaking out against elements you do not like is entirely valid and it shows a distaste for that element, and if enough speak out, possibly a change of those elements in future games.

As for loot boxes and things of that nature, no attacking people who enjoy those types of games still is not the option, but that's a deeper problem. That's created a trend of many video games being made for a smaller number of people who's psychology or obscene access to money (usually someone else's) causes them to spend incredibly high amounts of money for...nothing. It feels like it's taking advantage of some people while also hurting the quality of said games for others...and the fact that the majority doesn't like this is irrelevant because the minority is shelling out the bucks. This model doesn't bode well for gaming as a whole as this has become a low effort method of making money, and while it's perfectly understandable for companies to go with what makes money, it's also perfectly understandable for many gamers to protest what can viewed as very shady business practices, and to be upset at the concept as a whole.

Attacking those who play those games and spend that money, not fair. Encouraging them to consider their habits and if they truly make them happy should be the method there. More effective for one, and attacking people generally isn't a good move regardless.

As for sexualization in games (your main point lol) I have no specific issue with it. I am perplexed why adults enjoy games who's only real draw is sexualized characters when pornography exist and is free, but to each their own I guess...

baileyface544 : To each their own, indeed.

And yeah, attacking the people who spend a lot of money because of microntransactions and loot boxes isn't the solution, and in the case of sexualization, attacking those who enjoy games with that content isn't productive either. You know what they say, vote with your wallet, and if many people don't like the sexualization found in many video games, you can always buy another game, I have to give credit where credit is due, and something that is good or bad depending on how you see it, is the fact that western video games are moving away from sexualized characters, if someone doesn't like the sexualization of Dead or Alive 6 for example, he or she can always buy Mortal Kombat 11 or Them's Fightin' Herds for example. If you don't like that content in a specific video game, you can always try to find another game in the same genre with little to no sexualization/fanservice. The fact that there is something for everyone when it comes to video games is amazing, what more do you need to see that this industry appeals to everyone? The fact that there is variety when it comes to video games and the content of said video games, and that includes video games that, sure, one could consider ridiculous or immature, is something we should be celebrating.

I have to agree, there's nothing wrong with that. We're talking about fictional characters existing in a fictional universe and in a fictional time, no need to take it so seriously.

I must admit that I have nothing against sexualization, but I honestly think that sometimes it's just excessive. KOF is a big example of that, see the outfits of Mai and Angel for example, but still they compensate for that with other characters like King who are more closer to reality (sadly, I should add, because having to dress up as a guy to be accepted it's quite a 90s thing that should remain in the past and not continue to be real nowadays).

There are also sometimes where sexualization is in fact part of the character. The clearest example is Jenny, from the Bloody Roar series. She's the image definition of femme fatale who preys on men, which is emphasized not just in her revealing outfits but the fact her beast transformation is a bat, known for drying out your blood and with it technically your life. Other characters of that series may be slightly sexualized, like Alice's nurse outfit, but once again it's just one or two characters out of a big roster and by no means a general rule.

I'm also greatly against those who attack indiscriminately. I've played DOA5 and I can say the sexualization there isn't even close to KOF, just because they design the female characters with curvy frames doesn't mean they're automatically sexualized. And I see nothing wrong in a girl wearing a tank top kicking other people's asses, which is basically what Hitomi does, her curvy and athletic frame can be revealing but you can't seriously argue they should fight wearing uncomfortable clothes that aren't revealing in the slightest. I can see some sexualization in other characters, but like I said not that great so as to attack that game. And just because they add the "wet shirt" thing to make the game more realistic doesn't mean sexualization either, not everybody has such a dirty mind.

To close this post, and loosely related to the thread's main topic, I'd like to hear how many of those who attack games like KOF think about the male characters fighting bare-chested, and not just those who are in their prime. Following what I've said of DOA, to me it's equally sexualized to see a female's wet shirt due to sweat that a male's bare chest shining as if it was lubricated. But the male is accepted because of s***ty reasons this cynical society has built.

EX Palen : I mean, yeah. the existence of male characters in Dead or Alive is something often ignored mostly by convenience, No one can deny that Eliot is designed as an attractive male character, for example, and we also have a few muscular men with much or little clothing. You know what they say: They wouldn't have double standards if they didn't had standards at all.