-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Overwatch's Laughably Convenient Ageism / Sexism
- Thread starter mindsale
- Start date
As a consumer, I have every right to criticize. If the artist chose to change their vision to appeal to a wider audience (as they clearly did with varying the body types for women), then that serves as an indication to me they're willing to have an open discussion about issues in representation what they themselves may not be aware of. On top of that, the descriptions for why the women are magically youthful compared to their male counterparts shows a glaring lack of symmetry.
Heavy's Sandvich
Member
NinjaCoachZ
Member
Artists should definitely make the kinds of thing they want to make, but on the flipside, if you're making a product for an audience, taking feedback and constructive criticism into account from that audience is absolutely the nature of the beast. That's been the job of art critics, film critics, music critics, and the role of engaged fanmail, community forums, phone calls, etc. for decades. And Overwatch/Blizzard in particular specifically encourages taking feedback into account.
Is that what the OP is asking for?
That's the point, 'we' aren't all guys. You might be and I am, but not everyone is. Even then, I don't just find female characters interesting based on sex appeal, a large cast like Overwatch shouldn't need to tie itself in knots writing background to keep all the female characters young. By all means have plenty of pretty girls in your game (I love Tracer's design and concept as a character/superhero), but is there no room for even a couple of older female characters even in such a large, veteran fantasy organisation?
Reminds me of one of the Xmen comics I read as a kid, where the female characters are talking to the (almost universally physically mutated) morlocks about ye old 'we can get along with humans something something'. One of the morlocks looks at Storm/Rogue/Jean (can't remember, it was the 80s, the mutant massacre storyline) and says 'of course it's easy for you, you're all really beautiful and can fit in!' (Or words to that effect). The male Xmen were allowed to be physically mutated and older as long as it gave them superpowers, but the girls had to be young and pretty before getting mutations that were easily hidden.
It did mean that, years later, I always had a soft spot for Marrow, who had a cranial distortion as well as constantly growing extra bone spikes out of her back that she could use as a personal armoury. She was rude and not very nice, but at least the physical deformity made her sillouhette stand out.
Dance Inferno
Unconfirmed Member
Sure. Doesn't mean the game isn't American and Euro centric; the largest single block of heroes in the game is white.
Asian characters are well represented in gaming anyway, so that's nothing new.
guggnichso
Banned
How do you know which religion everyone in overwatch has? Where are the atheists in Overwatch?
Interfectum
Member
We need more satanic representation in Overwatch. Reaper doesn't cut it.
Already Torn
Banned
No Overwatch characters have a religion that exists in the real world. Only one at all is Zenyatta and his robo monk stuff.
You have a costume, I doubt it's a drive to include religion in the game. They'd be stupid too, I don't want religion in Overwatch thanks.
guggnichso
Banned
Being a citizen of country X luckily doesn't make you a follower of any religion.
Hanzo is 38 and he looks 38.
Heavy's Sandvich
Member
I assume they're all atheist.
atheistonarrative
I hear no adhans in the Egypt level.
The Omega Man
Member
The second most spoken language in the world is Spanish and there are 0 heroes that come from a native Spanish speaking country, that and the all women must be beautiful in this game is something I hope Blizzard addresses soon.
We already have Devil Mercy.
GinoFelino
Member
I don't know where you live, but in my country, botox is frighteningly common for 40+ women. I'm obviously not saying that's due to Overwatch not creating a mature female avatar, but it's most definitely a result of rampant ageism towards women especially.
Proper representation in gaming will go a long way in teaching the youngest generation that it's okay to grow older.
Terrible post. That's not how this works, man.
Thrashinuva
Banned
Let's say Mei was an old looking woman.
People in China would start to argue:
"Our character is old, why can't Blizzard give us Korea's character?"
"Even America get's a young person skin, why can't Mei?"
"Germany is old too, guess America's vision of us because of communism hasn't changed after all this time"
etc, and so on.
Instead we have a character with a creative back story instead of one that's focused on social agenda's.
People in China would start to argue:
"Our character is old, why can't Blizzard give us Korea's character?"
"Even America get's a young person skin, why can't Mei?"
"Germany is old too, guess America's vision of us because of communism hasn't changed after all this time"
etc, and so on.
Instead we have a character with a creative back story instead of one that's focused on social agenda's.
Scrub Mcgrubb
Member
Mercy is literally a Christian representation of an angel.... halo and all...
Her name is Fareeha Amari.
Does that do enough for you...if not then what else do you want them to do to make sure of that? Specifically mention it in her bio that she is muslim.
Finaika
Member
Bastion is an atheist.
-v-
Well, what I meant is that Junkrat and Roadhog are not considered "beautiful" or "sexy" according to society's beauty standards and stuff, you know. But hey, I like Junkrat and Roadhog too, personally, they're fun.
Interfectum
Member
Should be her default emote. "Hey guys, I'm a muslim."
A robot can't be male or female...
HazySaiyan
Banned
Well Pharah's Egyptian so it's possible that she's Muslim?
EDIT: Already answered.
Exactly.
Out of 21 heroes there is not a single vegan, australoid woman - let alone one that isn't straight.. duhh!
Sexist Blizzard is sexist.
Already Torn
Banned
I mean I don't think Reaper counts as representation of some death cult religion either.
"Play nice, play according to the Quran"
guggnichso
Banned
Regarding the topic, I really liked that one of the main villains in the new Doom was a woman seemingly in her late 60s. She reminded me a lot of a former boss of mine 
While I get your argument and agree that older women should be represented, I don't understand why you went for Overwatch which is a game that by the games industry standards is at least trying to be inclusive. Yes Blizzard have made some cultural and maybe sexist missteps but I really don't think this is the game that should be targeted for being non-inclusive, I think the argument is one for the entire industry. Let's not attack companies that are trying to make steps towards the right direction no matter how small they may be, they should be praised and encouraged to make more inclusive characters not attacked. Aggression will get us nowhere and will only lead to people pushing back.
Heavy's Sandvich
Member
possible she's not, possible she's atheist.
Why hide her Islamic identity?
Where my muslims at?
QuantumSquid
Member
I can't think of any Muslim Overwatch characters, but we got this guy in a game this year:
TheGeniusArcana
Member
It honestly feels more like Symmetra being Indian means that she gets a type of skin that's sort of stereotypically associated with India.
Oh yeh, how'd I forget that. It's nothing more than costumes still.
Her name and ethnicity tell you nothing about her spiritual beliefs, though.
And that's fine. I don't really care to know what any of the characters think about the existence of God.
spindashing
Banned
How long ago were the original team around? It could just mean that she was on the younger side when the original team were a thing.
Zxrophantom
Member
True but why knock overwatch which is already trying to take steps in having more unique characters. Sure they will not get everything right the first go around but there are still more characters to be released so lets see what happens.
Already Torn
Banned
Don't assume please, he could be an atheist for all we know. Unless one of his attacks is called like the Hammer or Islam or something?
Ban Puncher
Member
Garrett Hawke
Member
yes, it's very common in fighting games too. I used this as part of an essay I did for uni.
Female characters in games are, most of the time, some variation of the hourglass form. Whereas male characters can be conventionally attractive, can be roided out, can be hugely overweight, can be grotesquely shaped.
It's very obvious in Street Fighter V:
The entire cast is incredibly muscular, but notice the male body shapes vs. the female body shapes. If you removed their identifying character traits, the women would appear the same while the men would not.
Remember when Claire Redfield's design for RE Revelations 2 was revealed? To this day people call this design "ugly as fuck"
Despite it being a good representation of what a version of this character would look in her 30s?
While I was (and still am) cool with Claire's design, it was proof that gamers don't really want aged women in their games. It's hard to find the right balance.
Just look at games like Tekken or Soul Calibur, where the timeline keeps moving and women stay the same.
Despite it being a good representation of what a version of this character would look in her 30s?
While I was (and still am) cool with Claire's design, it was proof that gamers don't really want aged women in their games. It's hard to find the right balance.
Just look at games like Tekken or Soul Calibur, where the timeline keeps moving and women stay the same.
Scrub Mcgrubb
Member
The Technomancer
card-carrying scientician
"Knocking" games for only having slim women is almost certainly part of why Blizzard tried to do better with Overwatch. Voicing these concerns matters
Duane Cunningham
Member
Yeah.
I'm struggling to think of any post 50 female hero in the MCU.
Nova Prime?
Also, in the FoxMCU, there's technically her:
TatteredHat
Member
Would you like a Muhammad skin for one of the characters then? Because right now in terms of religious representation the only thing there is a Hindu goddess.