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(ONM) Senran Kagura Burst is damaging the industry - here's how to stop it

"The more non-realistic the graphics the worse the problems can be - "?

That might be a strong contender for worst sentence in the celebrated and world-changing history of videogames journalism.

If Senran Kagura was somehow photo-realistic I guarantee whatever the author sees in that game will become a million times more disturbing.


If only page views were around when someone could have made the headline "Hustler magazine is damaging the publishing industry."

What a classy transparent clickbait article.
 
funnily enough, a bunch of people are probably going to now search what the game is if they didn't know already

Pretty much. This is niche-ass game, and the intentions should be blatantly obvious for anyone who looks at the EU cover art. This article will probably provide more eyeballs than the advertising campaign Zen United is planning for this game (I would be entirely unsurprised if Zen United is not planning an advertising campaign at all :v ).
 

Sub_Level

wants to fuck an Asian grill.
Funnily enough, articles like this may only HELP these games sell a tad bit more. Probably helped Dragon's Crown, and will probably help Phantom Pain (although to a less degree since MGS is already popular)

edit: wow shaanyboi beat me by quite a bit...
 
Tell that to my lady friends who are excited to play the game.

Jesus, this white knighting of female audiences needs to stop. There are plenty of games out there with more important narratives and themes that can push forward the role of female characters in games. Why does a stupid fun game about ninjas with bouncy boobs need to be one?

Are looks and bust size the only important things about the image and portrayal of women to this writer? How about the plenty of realistic looking women in games who are just written to be like men or just plain written like shit?
 

Acosta

Member
Senran Kagura is one of the worst types of game around. It's insulting to the intelligence of gamers, damaging to the reputation of the industry, and alienating and harmful to women (both inside and outside the gaming community and industry). So, do yourself, and the wider community a favour: don't read articles about its release. Try not to Youtube it. Avoid reviews. And certainly don't buy it.

I had my doubts, but after reading this I'm going to buy it for sure.

Great job!
 

mankoto

Member
I honestly never understand articles like this. I mean, the games just aren't made for them in mind. Simple as that. I'm not saying they can't make articles like this, but I just think it's dumb. I don't see articles complaining about Yaoi or Otome based games, so what's exactly the issue here?
 

striferser

Huge Nickleback Fan
So, do yourself, and the wider community a favour: don't read articles about its release. Try not to Youtube it. Avoid reviews. And certainly don't buy it So, do yourself, and the wider community a favour: don't read articles about its release. Try not to Youtube it. Avoid reviews. And certainly don't buy it

Oh the irony/paradox, since his article is also article about Senran Kagura Burst. What a hyperbole, one game won't be damaging the industry,

This kind of journalism have potential to damage the industry.
It's a niche game, for crying out loud., i mean, there's far more offensive game available than Senran Kagura.
 

Village

Member
Marketing entertainment based around sexual appeal isn't inherently wrong. In fact, I'd say it's pretty normal. Nothing wrong with nudity or sex appeal in games, movies, novels, whatever. There's nothing degrading about revelling in the physical appeal and beauty of the opposite sex, and to claim that there is seems prudish to me. Then again, I'm a typical yuro who's pro-nudity and uncomfortable with guns in games, so I don't expect too many on here to agree!

If these people want to make a game for young teenagers that focuses on boobs, what is the issue? Can't the rest of us just ignore it if we don't like it?

.

While i am not saying this game is the problem. However these is a representation problems of women/minorities/ect in media and if we just ignore everything. Nothing gets fixed, you gotta tell people what you want and how you feel .

Not saying this game is the problem

But being a damn ostrich isn't helping anything either.
 

Zornack

Member
While I don't really agree with this article, why shouldn't people be allowed to make a case for their opinions and argue their point?

Replace Senran Kagura Burst with Depression Quest or Gone Home. Now how do you feel?

Niche games for niche markets shouldn't be censored because it doesn't fit a certain crowd's definition of what a game should be.

Let the market decide what should be for sale.
 
Too many people take the industry too seriously. Some TnA never destroyed TV or Movies, but a few games aimed at a certain audience means disaster for gaming.

Snobs wanting the industry to grow up too fast.
 

-KRS-

Member
Well... Idk if you can say there's no degradation going on. There definitely can be an argument made that there is. The game features a bunch of women with huge, bouncing boobs, skirts that are willing to lift up at the slightest inclination, and just overall a real "pervy" atmosphere.
I can definitely see how some females can look at the game and be absolutely disgusted.

Sure. But then they would pick up another game instead. How is this damaging the industry?
 

Lyte Edge

All I got for the Vernal Equinox was this stupid tag
Well, looking at Chris Rooke's other articles, I see that he enjoys video games involving the cruel and unnecessary abuse/killing of animals (Mario and Pokemon).

I have to say that he should do himself, and the wider community a favour: don't read articles about these releases. Try not to Youtube them. Avoid reviews. And certainly don't buy them.
 

sakipon

Member
The way I see it the issue isn't sexy female characters. It's more like the lack of sexy males. Female gamers can avoid the titles they're not interested in but there needs to be games directed at them. Incidentally Japanese games cater a lot of fanservice to female gamers aswell but it's not so visible in the West (except for Assassin's Creed series).
 
It's also patronizing to assume that it's only women's sensitivity that's at issue with games like this

I agree.

Though I'm also of the opinion that the best way to support or not support this is to vote with your wallet...

Since I'm totally okay with this sort of thing I bought the game when it came out and I plan on waiting for Shinobi Versus for the Vita whenever that gets localized. It certainly helps that I actually like Burst as a game.

This is gonna be a Dragons Crown situation, however I don't think it'll blow up as much. Sure is a good thing Dragons Crown was a pretty good game as well!
 
Clickbait article, as has been stated previously in the thread. I won't be buying Senran Kagura, but that's mostly because the whole concept seems embarrassing to me. If you want to buy it, go ahead, it's your choice.

BTW, the character designer for Code of Princess, which the writer also criticizes, is female.
 

Village

Member
Replace Senran Kagura Burst with Depression Quest or Gone Home. Now how do you feel?

.
No because those games don't have the possible sexism argument one might be be able to make. I don't agree with the article, however that the same.

Should they go away? A bit much? Is it a thing we might need to talk about , yeah.
 

Zonic

Gives all the fucks
I can't help but wonder what his reaction would be to Shinovi Versus or the cooking rhythm game on Vita.

Also, if you're going to criticize a game, actually play it first so you don't look like you're just mentioning something you heard. Not ONCE are you "fighting past crazy monsters"....well except for
Hanzo's final boss
but every other enemy in the game is a human.
 
I do not agree with what is being talked about, it is therefore clickbait garbage!
No, it's clickbait garbage because it's a terrible article all around. He sounds like a complete fool who has only seen the cover of the game and freaked out about that one part.

The way I see it the issue isn't sexy female characters. It's more like the lack of sexy males. Female gamers can avoid the titles they're not interested in but there needs to be games directed at them. Incidentally Japanese games cater a lot of fanservice to female gamers aswell but it's not so visible in the West (except for Assassin's Creed series).
At least in Japan, there are plenty of titles released for a female audience, although it's a little disappointing that most of them end up being visual novels.
 

Dambrosi

Banned
Someone should direct this guy to the latest Jimquisition episode.

Sounds like he needs a large dose of humility, as well as a new sense of humour. Presuming to know what's best for other people is the realm of clergymen and demagogues.
 
No, really, how does this game affect women? How does it affect their desire to play games? Do 90% of women even know about it? Do they go to the local Gamestop looking to buy Super Street Fighter 4 and then when they see this stashed in some corner flee in disgust? Do they learn coding and animation and how to draw and decide to enter the games industry and then upon seeing this game, immediately shatter like fine crystal?

WHO ARE THESE WOMEN AND HOW CAN WE SAVE THEM?
 
I can't help but wonder what his reaction would be to Shinovi Versus or the cooking rhythm game on Vita.

Or even...

Akiba's_Trip_2_Cover.jpg
 
He's giving the game way too much credit if this one game is "damaging the industry." Also, throwing out context-less statistics "45% of women play games" is lazy. Different markets and demographics exist for a reason, because those markets don't necessarily have similar preferences. Saying that you're potentially alienating a large part of your potential market just shows that you don't know what a market is. Lazy article, just going for the low-hanging fruit.
 
Sure. But then they would pick up another game instead. How is this damaging the industry?
I'm not arguing that's it's damaging or that it should be boycotted. But I do think that there are a lot of people downplaying the extremely sexual nature of the game and the fact that it could be seen at just perpetuating a good bit of negative stereotypes.
 

Zornack

Member
No because those games don't have the possible sexism argument one might be be able to make. I don't agree with the article, however that the same.

"I perceive this game as sexist" isn't a good enough reason to call for it to not exist. The game doesn't fit the author's idea of what a game should be so they are advocating its censorship. How is this any different from people making the same argument against Depression Quest on Greenlight or Gone Home?
 

Steel

Banned
If these games were popular that'd be one thing, but you don't get much more niche than code of princess and Senran Kagura(I own neither, so I can't comment on particulars).
 

Griss

Member
While i am not saying this game is the problem. However these is a representation problems of women/minorities/ect in media and if we just ignore everything. Nothing gets fixed, you gotta tell people what you want and how you feel .

Not saying this game is the problem

But being a damn ostrich isn't helping anything either.

Right, but I'm saying that there's nothing wrong with this, so there's nothing to fix here.

As always, the representation problems are on the other end, the end where there aren't that many well-rounded normal female characters in AAA gaming. I personally feel like that's an overblown issue for a number of reasons, but if there's an issue it's there. Shallow sex appeal characters are fine, imo. Not everything needs to be a deep work of art. Not everything needs to appeal on more than a shallow animal nature. That's why I'm saying ignore it. Because I may not like it, but it's not wrong.
 

LordJim

Member
The second stupidest thing I have read as far as opinion pieces for videogames go for 2014.
We are on a good start
 

Sub_Level

wants to fuck an Asian grill.
Yeeeeaaah, it's probably going to sell more than 5k.

Even if it sold a million, it wouldn't hurt anyone. I guess the idea is that it makes people take the industry less seriously and can help create a negative view of women in society. The former has no real basis as there's plenty of enjoyable schlock in Hollywood and one silly game does not affect one other srs business game. The latter is really far beyond the scope of games. When I think positive reinforcement of women, I don't think removing pandering sexy womenz in games, I think more encouraging their educational development, supporting shelters, defending their rights, and the like. Imho.
 

L~A

Member
While I don't really agree with this article, why shouldn't people be allowed to make a case for their opinions and argue their point?

Because author of said blog post said no. You shouldn't buy, try out, watch a trailer or read reviews about this game at all, so you can forget discussing it. Just accept his opinion as the only acceptable truth and leave it at that.

It's probably the worse thing about the article. But the real funny thing, is that the guy's actually helping the game by putting it on the spotlight, so that loads of people who never heard of the game would just go and see for themselves.

And I don't see why there should be any "defending" of games. Just go watch a trailer/read some news/previews and make up your own opinion on the matter. Everyone should have to do this, instead of just blindly accept someone's opinion on it. Even mine.
 

Zornack

Member
Should they go away? A bit much? Is it a thing we might need to talk about , yeah.

What needs to be talked about? This is a niche game by a foreign developer which in no way represents the medium as a whole.

If there is room in gaming for The Witness, Call of Duty, Super Mario 3D World and Papers, Please then there is also room for a pervy game with busty schoolgirls. Any one of these games existing in no way makes the others worse.
 
I knew this would happen eventually, I just thought it would happen near the release of the Burst game in America (or Europe in this case).

EDIT: I'll have more to say after I read the article. After reading the first paragraph, it is making me cringe.
 

Village

Member
Because author of said blog post said no. You shouldn't buy, try out, watch a trailer or read reviews about this game at all, so you can forget discussing it. Just accept his opinion as the only acceptable truth and leave it at that.
.

People say that about games all the time. Its kind of what reviews are.



Right, but I'm saying that there's nothing wrong with this, so there's nothing to fix here.

As always, the representation problems are on the other end, the end where there aren't that many well-rounded normal female characters in AAA gaming. I personally feel like that's an overblown issue for a number of reasons, but if there's an issue it's there. Shallow sex appeal characters are fine, imo. Not everything needs to be a deep work of art. Not everything needs to appeal on more than a shallow animal nature. That's why I'm saying ignore it. Because I may not like it, but it's not wrong.

Why is that exactly?
 
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