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Damsel in Distress

Is the damsel in distress trope hurting the gaming industry or is it just a lot of hot air by feminists?

Donnieboi4716d ago

Oh my god not this crap again

Mounce4715d ago

I want a sensitive femmeboy screaming for me to save him.

Cause I mean, no ones allowed to show a Non-powerful woman. Every woman on the world must be equal, and by equal that means untouchably the strongest and in no way weak, cause dat'd be stereotypin'.

catch4715d ago

The very fact that you used the term "femmeboy" shows exactly how much of a problem this is. Femme obviously to you meaning inherently weak. Should every female character be strong and self reliant? No definitely not, but clearly there is a problem with many peoples perspective of women and it certainly isn't exclusive to games.

I think society in general is slowly getting better at writing female characters but there is a long way to go.

Mounce4715d ago

@Catch - I guess you don't even understand what Femme means since you had honestly taken it derogatively...

Femme, or Femme Boy, usually just means the person acts 'Girly' or FEMININE. Which you know, is a Word, it is a trait, it isn't Slang and it isn't an insult. If I had to think of anything I'd think people like you are also what's wrong with misinterpretations and misinformation being spread with irrational anger.

Femmeboy would as a result just usually be a gay or bi male who acts feminine instead of machismo or 'regular'. Though since your first response is to take me saying that as an Insult, I'd think you need a rain-check since I don't have a problem with anyones traits or choices of life. I only have a problem with people who twist my words or are stupid :/

catch4715d ago

I know exactly what it means. It was your use of it to imply that feminine meant weak was my point entirely. I didn't twist your words you twisted the use of feminine through the very stereotype that is being discussed.

Mounce4715d ago

The only one who's twisting words is you, Catch. I know what I meant and I know in my mind that I have no problem with 'femme' anything. However, you seem to wish to argue for the sake of arguing, what else is new with you? I guess.

It's funny that you'd say I'm twisting words though when all I did was use sarcasm and dry humor. Apparently I can't even openly say that I'd go save a 'sensitive' femmeboy. Because 'sensitive' means 'WEAK' ? When you think femininity, does the definition of physically strong come to your mind? Honestly.

I really don't think speaking to you is going to go anywhere, you sound like the kind of person who'd find anything to argue about just to get attention. I stand by what I said because I made an acceptable joke while you're parading around here arguing, and childishly disagreeing with all my comments, rofl.

Go find yourself a Strong, manly-voiced feminine boy, Good luck on that and remember what you said, Feminines can't be weak in your mind, or else that's slander! Oh woe is me.

catch4715d ago

You still clearly don't get the point of what I'm saying so you're right it isn't going to get anywhere because you have been making the same assumptions and stereotypes in each comment. I was participating in a discussion using what you said as an example (and the context of the example from you is clear), you made assumptions on my character and motivations and completely missed the point.

Mounce4715d ago

If all you can really say, groundlessly, is tell someone they 'Missed the point' as a means of avoiding the subject on how You were wrong. Then I'm sure there's no use speaking to you further since of how far you have your head up your own ass. More people disagreeing with your first response tells it as it is from the start. Whilst you on your own primarily are the one 'Disagreeing' and causing a fuss childishly.

My comment remains valid and in good taste, your posts do nothing but ensue pointless drama like a pig rolling in the mud, you can go find someone else to roll in your own filth with you.

catch4714d ago

Asserting your comments are right and valid and saying I'm wrong (groundlessly) doesn't make you right. And the notion that someone disagreeing with you is childish is, in itself, childish. There is nothing tasteful about stereotyping women as weak. The number of disagrees I received in my original comment actually serves my argument well as I said it is a society issue and as long as there are people like you perpetuating the stereotypes it remains a problem. You have projected some kind of personality on me as being whiny and looking for attention simply because I have a different opinion on the topic than you. I am just trying to have a conversation about a topic I care about and trying to point out that being female doesn't mean being weak any more than being white doesn't make you timid or being a man makes you a sexual predator. Stereotypes are harmful and a disservice to good writing. Like I said not all female characters need to be strong but when the default is the stereotype it is lazy.

+ Show (4) more repliesLast reply 4714d ago
iamtehpwn4715d ago

Beyond Damsel in Distress just being a feminist issue, it really is simply over used to an annoying point in video games really.

dedicatedtogamers4716d ago (Edited 4716d ago )

In books (for 1000s of years), music (for 100s of years), and movies (for dozens of years) we have the recurring theme of someone saving someone else. Believe it or not, men aren't the only ones with the damsel in distress fantasy. There are a significant number of women who also enjoy the damsel in distress trope (go grab a dozen random chick flicks off the rental shelf and you'll find this theme in 75% or more of them). Statistically, several of the top bedroom fantasies for a woman are being saved (like a fireman), being dominated, being treated roughly, and being coerced/forced. Them's just the stats.

There are people who want to improve people's lives and bring positive change to the world. There are other people who have self-esteem issues and who want to shape other people's viewpoints to fit their own.

People who attack fictional videogame women fall into the latter camp.

Xof4715d ago

Is it hurting the industry? Yes, to a degree, by alienating a huge segment of the demographic. Gamers aren't just prepubsecent white males any more. It's absurd that most game protagonists are still men, let alone white men, and even worse that so much of what laughably passes for character development for these white men is amateurishly created through the use of archaic chauvinistic narrative tropes.

It's not quite as "huge" a deal as some people make it out to be--I think the lack of female player-characters is a far more important issue--but it is a much, much bigger deal that the morons who insist it's all "feminist whining" believe with all the might of their pea-sized brains.

CrossingEden4715d ago

characters like nathan drake are considered to be the best of the best in terms of character and character development while characters like connor from AC3 are considered to be bad even though he breaks the norm

rextraordinaire4715d ago

But there are plenty of strong female leads in gaming.

Referring to this article image, Lightning is one. Kat from gravity rush is a nice lead too, and so are every characters from the Persona series. (They even tackle the damsel in distress trope in Persona 4, with Chie and Yukiko, and objectification with the character of Rise.) Also, Aveline from AC3:Liberation is very good lead character, and let's not forget about Shion from Xenosaga. And Katrin in Shadow Hearts : Covenant. The three sisters from Valkyrie Profile, the Valkyrie in Odin Sphere (Yes, a VanillaWare game that has plenty of enormous breast, SCANDAL). Elsa Eliane in Front Mission 4. Alicia Melchiot in Valkyria Chronicles.

Gaming isn't all about Zelda, Mario and Gears of Wars.

By the way, that article is a satire.

Anthotis4715d ago

It's only an issue for femnazis and self loathing beta males.

cleft54715d ago (Edited 4715d ago )

It's a story telling mechanic. Maybe not a good one, but an easy one that gets the player invested in the character. Also, regardless of the gender of the character being rescued the storytelling mechanic works the same way. That's why it gets used so much. It's a little dishonest to call it a male power fantasy, when nothing changes about this storytelling mechanic if you switch the gender roles of the people being saved. For example, when Jade from Beyond Good and Evil was saving the Peter's character.

In general more women are being saved by male characters, but that's anecdotal because there are more straight, white male characters in games overall.

A perfect example of this mechanic working the same way, regardless of the gender of the person being saved is in the Mass Effect Series. If you play as female Shepard (who most people think of as the best Shepard) you are doing the same things as male Shepard. This includes recusing your crew be it a female or male member of the crew.

60°

Final Fantasy X 25th Anniversary Website Launches With New Nomura Artwork and Merchandise

Square Enix launches Final Fantasy X 25th anniversary site, revealing new Nomura art, books, music releases, and merchandise.

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twistedvoxel.com
-Foxtrot27d ago

Look I know VIII has its issues and all that but how on earth can the do big anniversary events with new artwork and merchandise for VII, IX and X yet VIII got sweet f*** all.

They could have given it something during its 25th anniversary yet all it got was a single Happy Anniversary post on their social media.

solideagle26d ago

they should know that we are OG fans of VIII as it sold truckload as well. not as much as VII or X. I personally didn't like IX but X and VI are my personal fav.

Shadow Hearts 2 covenant is another game I love. I hope one day someone can make remake, I would be delighted

Relientk7726d ago

Final Fantasy VIII is great and you are always the first to defend it in the comments

40°

15 Years Ago, Mortal Kombat (2011) Saved Gaming’s Biggest Fighting Franchise

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fortressofsolitude.co.za
italiangamer35d ago

"Gaming’s Biggest Fighting Franchise"

Press X to (seriously) doubt.

DarXyde33d ago

Underrated comment. I used to hate that game so much that any time my siblings asked me to play it, I just picked Hom and shut myself down mid-match.

Soy33d ago

And then MK1 killed it again.

DivineHand12533d ago (Edited 33d ago )

15 years went by so fast. I remember playing through the story mode at launch.

90°

PlayStation legend Shuhei Yoshida says Jim Ryan fired him because he didn't listen to him

Why did Sony push Shuhei Yoshida out of his role leading PlayStation's first-party games? He'd overseen some huge successes. Well, apparently, he didn't listen.

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eurogamer.net
Relientk7735d ago

Yeah I can see that for sure. Shuhei Yoshida should have been in charge not Jim Ryan.

Cacabunga35d ago

It should be free highway for him now.. but Sony are too stupid to see this, especially that moron Hulst

S2Killinit34d ago (Edited 34d ago )

Wtf why all that anger. PlayStation is dominating on every level. Besides I think there is a little more to hiring a CEO than just who is available. Its not like its a athlete your team wants to buy.

neutralgamer199234d ago

S2Killinit

live service failures, chasing trends, closing studios. yes dominating

Cacabunga34d ago

Sony is Dominating because competition is not existing. Compared to previous gens this is the poorest in terms of software offerings.

Last gen we got Uncharted 4 Lost Legacy and TLOU2 from ND alone.

This is so far a remasters gen, with no competition to lift up the quality

1nsomniac34d ago (Edited 34d ago )

..."PlayStation is dominating on every level"....

...Really???

PlayStation are soon heading into a new generation in the not to distant future. They currently have the worst customer satisfaction they've ever sustained as a company. The company is heading for a huge crash while at the same time they'll need to be planning how they are going to try and win back that favour and the build up to their new releases.

Yes financially they're winning but they're going to have to ride out this complete public corporate disaster. No one has faith in the company or the product anymore. They've damaged their public image so much this generation. Greed can kill anyone.

medman34d ago

Hulst is a disaster......

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 34d ago
blacktiger34d ago

He would've done the same thing and fire Jim Ryan and Shuhei would be the villain. Why?
Because Elite creates the narrative and distraction for gamers, users and citizens.

Outside_ofthe_Box35d ago

More confirmation that Jim Ryan is the culprit for what has happened to Sony. Hulst needs to go too. What sucks is that a lot of the good top heads at Sony are no longer there. I wish that guys that were forced out prematurely by Dumbo Jimbo like Shuhei and Layden came back.

robtion34d ago

Yep. Yoshida was responsible for bringing one of the best games of this generation to playstation (Stellar Blade). He is an actual gamer and is in touch with what gamers want (creative, fun games, not GaaS and agenda pushing). He also seems like a genuinely nice guy if you watch some interviews. Of course they got rid of him.

darthv7235d ago

Makes you wonder if MS even thought about hiring him after Phil and Sarah were leaving. He certainly couldn't make their situation any worse.

Agent7534d ago

Microflop. After Windows XP and Xbox 360, it all went floppy.

S2Killinit34d ago

Floppy 😆
No pun intended

badz14934d ago

Yoshida for President! Jim Ryan was and always be a hack! Sony should get Shu back

Lightning7734d ago

All the gamer/consumer lead heads are gone across PS and Xbox. shuhei gone phil's gone (questionable) but gone. The future of gaming is somewhat uncertain across the board.

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