Opinion: On Sexualization in Video Games

The stories are, at best, not so terrible that they make you stop playing. That's all you can really hope for and that's all any of the writers seem to aim for. Sure, it's theoretically possible that a JRPG could come along with a genuinely good story, but it hasn't happened yet and I can't imagine it happening any time in the near future, which makes that point kind of moot.

We'll just have to disagree on that. After playing games like Panzer Dragoon Saga and Shenmue I can't be convinced that there aren't games with great stories.
 
Therre's lot's of games with great story's , atleast equal to the shit holloywood comes up with - many far superior.
I think the only problem is that the MSM firmly beleives computer games are for kids, even if they come with an 18 rating.
Once games are fully accepted as a legitimate media alongside movies, then all the retartded scaremongering can stop.
the only people who have a problem with games seems to be people who have never played one.
 
Skimmed the article.......The only thing I know is certain Americans are flat out spoiled and whiny.
Some of the article had valid points. Some are just not valid enough. Pretty meh article =/.
 
I actually agree with a great deal of the things that were said in that article. Though I abstained from reading it initially because I tend to stray away from heavily opinionated things, after reading it, there's not a lot that he didn't say that I haven't already thought about, but (even though it seems he hinted at it) I think in much, much broader terms. And, beyond that, I read heavily on a somewhat related subject: porn.

If you're really interested in this type of stuff, too, I recommend these books: Nerds: Who They Are and Why We Need more of them, the Porning of America, and the Lolita Effect.

Honestly, I do think a bunch of these things (at least in American culture) do stem from white American culture and what seems like the rapid mental and moral growth of the progeny of people who do live in what I wish was a heavily dichotomized yesteryear of the 'States.

Still, constrasting views of mine with his own, I feel like sometimes (and here's where the The States' Puritan origins come to light) people OVERREACT to true to life sexual (and, honestly, only sexual; how many times have you seen anyone up in arms about heavy racial stereotypes? Now, it may be because, like it or not, a lot of games DO cater to white American males, but still). Honestly, though, I think this results from the American public misconception of video games' target audiences (I think different games have different audiences). No one complains about all these shitty Hollywood love stories or action movies but look at the reaction to an insinuated lesbian relationship in Mass Effect.

Still, it's 4 a.m. here and I'm going off on a bunch of tangeants. Like I said, though, I really recommend those books. And I'll end this on the note that not video games, but ALL American media (and, think of the fact that American media is more far-reaching than media from any other place on this Earth) is becoming hypersexualized (which is something something I myself abhor).

Oh, wait! There was one point I wanted to make about something he said...

When he said that thing about the gamer stereotype being all that white and nerdy junk, I think that's where the reaffirmation of one's manhood problem begins. Gaming is becoming more and more mainstream, introducing lots of audiences who weren't adequately reperesented into it before. It's hard to go into a household today that doesn't have some type of game console in it. And the problem comes from that, while gaming is becoming more mainstream, it still isn't completely. So, while many people like the people here at 8wayrun realize it's nothing more than a hobby, you have these other people who enjoy video games but are putting themselves in awkward positions because of the stigmas having, or, god forbid, enjoying a video game on the same level as one may enjoy hobbies White America has deemed acceptable for a man or, now because of the bigger audience, someone's who's not considered a nerd or geek. And, this point makes the fact that he mentioned playing CoD4 over Live that much sweeter.

And, not to be a hypocrite just so much as to illustrate this point, if you met me offline (which I hope will happen as soon as I get back to the States - 3 MORE WEEKS!), a lot of people are amazed that I'm heavily into things like physics, science, reading, anime, and video games in addition to things like fitness, boxing, martial arts, and playing football...even though a lot of them end up being the same way.
 
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