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I thought E3 banned Booth Babes™?

I thought Aisha Tyler, the Ubisoft presenter, was pretty hot myself.

Some of her lines were a bit...odd though. "Everyone's a bit gay", "how many of you have got wood right now?", and, my favorite, "I'd love to buy a tiger, use it as a weapon, and then kill it."
 
Hell, DMC had a woman pole dancing when I went in to play the game. Keep the lame restrictions at PAX; it's harmless fun.
 
bishoptl said:
I was presenting there that year.

The bathrooms were on a tractor-trailer outside in the airplane parking lot.

It felt like a vacuum cleaner convention.

Bad old days indeed.
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I remember reading the magazine articles about that one. What a sad little husk of a show that was.
 
Watch Da Birdie said:
I thought Aisha Tyler, the Ubisoft presenter, was pretty hot myself.

Some of her lines were a bit...odd though. "Everyone's a bit gay", "how many of you have got wood right now?", and, my favorite, "I'd love to buy a tiger, use it as a weapon, and then kill it."
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ponpo said:
Awkward shy slightly oveweight fujoshi Babes™
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Wow damn I was almost right!!

Xpeup.jpg
 
What year was the TGS where they started having all the girls in fashionable uniforms? E3 needs to be more like that.
 
Does anyone else really not like booth babes? I try not to be a prude, but I feel that these woman are being employed (exploited?) just as a means to exploit me. In reality they only distract from the game. Guess that is good if you have a shitty game.
 
injurai said:
Does anyone else really not like booth babes? I try not to be a prude, but I feel that these woman are being employed (exploited?) just as a means to exploit me. In reality they only distract from the game. Guess that is good if you have a shitty game.
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I hate all things like this. This unrelated maketing.

"Wow a girl wearing ugly, revealing clothing? Wonder what game she's advertising!!!!!"
 
injurai said:
Does anyone else really not like booth babes? I try not to be a prude, but I feel that these woman are being employed (exploited?) just as a means to exploit me. In reality they only distract from the game. Guess that is good if you have a shitty game.
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It's rather trashy.
 
Femmeworth said:
Dear Atlus USA,

Please don't use women to advertise your games.

Sincerely,
Femmeworth
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Yes, this is the legitimate problem with "booth babes." It's not that I'm some strict, conservative moral preacher.

It's that I recognize this may turn others completely off. The objection isn't an ethical one, it's a practical one -- I don't want video games to forever remain the domain of 16-35 year old, testerone driven, oversexed males, but this sort of thing is so repellant to everyone else and makes it harder to expand beyond that. It's exactly the sort of problem that comic books had: while I'm sure the "core" audience of comic books loved the gritty, "badass" dudes and absurdly proportioned superhero women, it was also so repellant to almost everyone else that comic books never really moved beyond that core audience and are still stuck there, even today, in a world where movies based on comic book heroes can do huge box office totals.
 
injurai said:
Does anyone else really not like booth babes? I try not to be a prude, but I feel that these woman are being employed (exploited?) just as a means to exploit me. In reality they only distract from the game. Guess that is good if you have a shitty game.
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It annoys me when I'm at E3 because I want info on the game I'm looking at and ask the model there and they just blink at you with this doe eyed look so you spend more time hunting down someone that actually knows what they are talking and it is stupid.

At least at TGS the booth babes know everything about the game they are standing in front of... it's pretty impressive.
 
ponpo said:
GAF Wholesome AntiLewd Crew Assemble.

I know even that was kind of like a soft ban or something trying to get them to wear more clothing, but looking around flickr for E3 photos - did the rules change or do they just not care anymore?

7159469139_9089d218b4_b.jpg
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What?! This is clearly photoshopped! Markman would NEVER use sex to sell anything. He's against big breasted ladies in the FightingGameCommunity...and wait is that Tekken Tag Tournament 2 they are promoting.

Ruh roh!
 
injurai said:
Does anyone else really not like booth babes? I try not to be a prude, but I feel that these woman are being employed (exploited?) just as a means to exploit me. In reality they only distract from the game. Guess that is good if you have a shitty game.
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its insulting, sure. much like the "jokes" at the ubisoft conference. its funny how pathetic it all is.
 
Opiate said:
Yes, this is the problem with "booth babes." It's not that I'm some strict, conservative moral preacher.

It's that I recognize this may turn others completely off. The objection isn't an ethical one, it's a practical one -- I don't want video games to forever remain the domain of 16-35 year old, testerone driven, oversexed males, but this sort of thing is so repellant to everyone else and makes it harder to expand beyond that.
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That is true, but I can't really think of anything popular/big that doesn't have a sexual side to it.

I've done a lot of conferences, and why I don't like it is the outfits typically look extremely uncomfortable. They may look good in pictures (well yes they do) but when you see the poor girls trying to move around or get to their booth it really is a turn off for me.

So in short? I'm all for it when done right (which it rarely is)
 
toddhunter said:
That is true, but I can't really think of anything popular/big that doesn't have a sexual side to it.

I've done a lot of conferences, and why I don't like it is the outfits typically look extremely uncomfortable. They may look good in pictures (well yes they do) but when you see the poor girls trying to move around or get to their booth it really is a turn off for me.

So in short? I'm all for it when done right (which it rarely is)
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Same thing applies to heels, doesn't it? I'll never understand heels...
 
toddhunter said:
That is true, but I can't really think of anything popular/big that doesn't have a sexual side to it.

I've done a lot of conferences, and why I don't like it is the outfits typically look extremely uncomfortable. They may look good in pictures (well yes they do) but when you see the poor girls trying to move around or get to their booth it really is a turn off for me.

So in short? I'm all for it when done right (which it rarely is)
Click to expand...

Right, most things have some sexual undertones to them, but most of the time it's far more understated.

Charmin toilet paper uses sex to sell ads too -- by using people who are at least slightly more good looking than average in their commercials. Very few people will complain about that, as it's a fairly subtle effect; this is a matter of proportion, a matter of degree. There's a big difference between a sales person who knows her stuff and is dressed appropriately, but just so happens to be fairly attractive, and a woman who is hired exclusively because she has large breasts which she is asked to thrust in our faces every single time we walk by.

Just as I'm sure no one would mind if the comic book hero Rogue was generally attractive, but they take "attractive" to absurd proportions and make her have enormous breasts and a back that would break from arching so much.
 
JokerOfSpades said:
Same thing applies to heels, doesn't it? I'll never understand heels...
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Agree 100% Give me some sensible shoes any day. I don't care how her legs look, I have legs of my own to play with.

But then I'm pretty much a natural/no make up kind of guy.

I think we should make a big deal out of this though. The once a year E3 crowd need something to bitch about. Better to be booth babes so we at least get pics then suddenly hating violence.

Opiate said:
Right, most things have some sexual undertones to them -- but most of the time it's far more understated.
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Agree the tone/level is pretty important.

You know what I find more offensive though? Bringing in music or movie stars to promote/talk about games. I think that is a far bigger problem for gaming if people still can't accept it can stand on it's own. I'd rather see 100 near naked women then some washed up tv star.
 
Opiate said:
Yes, this is the legitimate problem with "booth babes." It's not that I'm some strict, conservative moral preacher.

It's that I recognize this may turn others completely off. The objection isn't an ethical one, it's a practical one -- I don't want video games to forever remain the domain of 16-35 year old, testerone driven, oversexed males, but this sort of thing is so repellant to everyone else and makes it harder to expand beyond that. It's exactly the sort of problem that comic books had: while I'm sure the "core" audience of comic books loved the gritty, "badass" dudes and absurdly proportioned superhero women, it was also so repellant to almost everyone else that comic books never really moved beyond that core audience and are still stuck there, even today, in a world where movies based on comic book heroes can do huge box office totals.
Click to expand...
Well, comics are hard to get into for other reasons too. Movies are more accessible.
 
Femmeworth said:
Well, comics are hard to get into for other reasons too.
Click to expand...

I agree, I'm just saying they aren't doing themselves any favors, if they want to expand outward. What may have already been a very hard job is now much harder. At this point, I think their industry has mostly just stopped trying and are content to maintain the audience it already has.
 
Opiate said:
Right, most things have some sexual undertones to them, but most of the time it's far more understated.

Charmin toilet paper uses sex to sell ads too -- by using people who are at least slightly more good looking than average in their commercials. Very few people will complain about that, as it's a fairly subtle effect; this is a matter of proportion, a matter of degree. There's a big difference between a sales person who knows her stuff and is dressed appropriately, but just so happens to be fairly attractive, and a woman who is hired exclusively because she has large breasts which she is asked to thrust in our faces every single time we walk by.

Just as I'm sure no one would mind if the comic book hero Rogue was generally attractive, but they take "attractive" to absurd proportions and make her have enormous breasts and a back that would break from arching so much.
Click to expand...

Do you bear in mind demographic of certain games and that kind of thing? For some reason I have an easier time accepting it from Tekken Tag and Lollipop Chainsaw than I do with Persona 4 Golden or Darksiders II.
 
They should have just gotten a bunch of Chie cosplayers. One for each outfit she has.

That would've been knowing their fanbase.
 
Opiate said:
I agree, I'm just saying they aren't doing themselves any favors, if they want to expand outward. What may have already been a very hard job is now much harder. At this point, I think their industry has mostly just stopped trying and are content to maintain the audience it already has.
Click to expand...

I honestly doubt that the design of the men and women are what kept people from comic books. Otherwise, a hell of a lot of movies and other industries would be dead.
 
Jintor said:
Do you bear in mind demographic of certain games and that kind of thing? For some reason I have an easier time accepting it from Tekken Tag and Lollipop Chainsaw than I do with Persona 4 Golden or Darksiders II.
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Yes, this is all relative. If this were a show exclusively about Lollipop Chainsaw, I might have a different opinion.

But this is supposed to be a show about games, very broadly. It represents the industry. The prevalence of booth babes either suggests we have a lot of extremely puerile games, or a lot of companies advertising their games via puerile methods. Or both -- likely both.

I honestly doubt that the design of the men and women are what kept people from comic books. Otherwise, a hell of a lot of movies and other industries would be dead.
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Very strongly disagree. The sex is bad in movies, but it isn't nearly as prevalent (it's nigh universal in comic books, there are very few popular comic books without these overmuscled men / arched back women, from Superman to Batman to Xmen) and not nearly as grotesque (many of the women in comic books never would have been able to stand up, let alone be superheroes).
 
Trade shows traditionally have models to promote the products.

E3 organizers always vacillate in terms of what they allow and the amount in which they allow it.
 
It'd be cool to see someone pay actual cosplayers instead of "Booth Babes", and giving them the tools and budget to make authentic looking costumes for the show. If they're going to appeal to the lowest possible demographic, might as well lend some authenticity to the act.

I might not have been fond of Jessica Nigri's outfit(s) that got her in trouble at PAX, but at least you can tell she actively enjoys dressing up as video game characters.
 
Opiate said:
Yes, this is all relative. If this were a show exclusively about Lollipop Chainsaw, I might have a different opinion.

But this is supposed to be a show about games, very broadly. It represents the industry. The prevalence of booth babes either suggests we have a lot of extremely puerile games, or a lot of companies advertising their games via puerile methods. Or both -- likely both.



Very strongly disagree. The sex is bad in movies, but it isn't nearly as prevalent (it's nigh universal in comic books, there are very few popular comic books without these overmuscled men / arched back women, from Superman to Batman to Xmen) and not nearly as grotesque (many of the women in comic books never would have been able to stand up, let alone be superheroes).
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I think the prevalence of games like CoD and GoW do the exact same thing.

Heroes Spider-Man and Gambit aren't overmuscled, for two. And comics (while still pretty bad in this respect) are not as bad as they were. The only people I see complaining about it, though, are people who are already somewhat familiar with comics.

I believe that you're assuming that people are deeper or more mature than they really are, when it's probably just based on a stigma that comic books themselves are still extremely geeky.
 
GamePnoy74 said:
Some pics I took yesterday:
h6e9u.jpg


Edit: Pics taken with my Olympus OM-D E-M5...pairing it with the Panny-Leica 25mm makes a great combo, especially when taking pics in the dimly-lit halls =)
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What game is she promoting? The visual aesthetic seems cool.
 
I think that there is no problem with having "booth babes". Yes I agree that it discriminates against girl gamers and developers and journalists, but I it feels like a normal part of society. Anyways, feel like this thread wont last long after that music video thread with the cheerleaders got closed...
 
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