Ronabo
Member
How about women's beach volleyball? They constantly have shots of them digging out their bikini bottoms from their asses.
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SFV R. Mika default costume was deemed too revealing by ESPN
- Thread starter miku
- Start date
How about women's beach volleyball? They constantly have shots of them digging out their bikini bottoms from their asses.
toddhunter
Member
This seems like the same thing that has always been said about America. Yet here we still are, trump etc.
Seems to me that ESPN would know their audience.
Beta Stage
Neo Member
Whoa, when was that announced? EVO just keeps on getting bigger.
DeepEnigma
Gold Member
They do know their audience. Hence all the other content they produce, already mentioned. They are treading carefully with the internet gaming audience it appears, as well as probably the 'gaming for kids' stigma that still lingers.
I do not think it is a big deal personally, it took nothing away from the purpose of the event. However, I do find it funny, considering their other content they focus on and produce.
Palculator
Unconfirmed Member
It was announced shortly before the SFV finals when Ono and Harada were there. After they revealed those Tekken 7 characters.
Mr Fahrenheit
Member
I wonder it will bomb like the first time they did it
DryEyeRelief
Member
it didn't bomb. it never happened because of the tsunami
Beta Stage
Neo Member
Crazy
BadAss2961
Member
Agreed.
I thought it was perfect how LI Joe made it that far... Filing the American underdog role and putting on a show was the type of theater you'd want casuals to see.
Steve Youngblood
Member
I honestly think you're putting just a little too much stock into beach volleyball and the Swimsuit/Body issues as proof positive that ESPN is in the T & A business and just hypocritically singling out gaming to a different standard. For that matter, isn't the swimsuit issue a Sports Illustrated thing and not an ESPN thing?
Spyder_Monkey
Banned
FFS she's a fictional character.
DeepEnigma
Gold Member
I meant their 'Body Issue' which is their version I suppose to the SI:SI. I do not follow either one so I can get confused easily.
I only say the volleyball, because as some have mentioned, how they focus the cameras and do certain 'zoom ins' at the right time. There is even an entire sub-culture that was created when they first started broadcasting and setting the camera angles like they did due to this. I remember people being like, 'whoah' at the time, lol.
I do not think it is a reach saying that gaming is, and always has been, held to a different standard when it comes to 'sex' or 'sexiness' in comparison to other forms of entertainment.
Seems like some people haven't seen female wrestling before. Yeah, R. Mika's outfit is a little over the top, but most female wrestling outfits from what I've seen do show a generous amount of skin, so of course they will take advantage of that.
Oh well, this is not surprising. At least SF5 is getting more exposure and it deserves it because imo it's a great game.
If they edited Mika's outfit to be closer to these, the screams of censorship would break reddit. I honestly don't get how you and others can claim mika is similar to female wrestlers like these. For bottoms, your example has full bikini bottoms or boy shorts, while Mika is wearing a weird thong. Hell, half of them are wearing sports bras. The other shave full bikini tops. Mika's boob window is on another level -- it's just plain ridiculous.
Night and day.
DryEyeRelief
Member
The former is tied closely to selling overpriced dlc
Yet, here we are. Talking about a fictional character's body and how it might offend. Truly stupid from all angles.
QFT
Steve Youngblood
Member
Right. But I think there's kind of a disconnect here. Again, I don't watch beach volleyball so I will just have to believe you when you say the camerawork can be pervy, but I don't think many people look at the outfits and instantaneously declare them inappropriate for a beach setting. Is there a push for standardized attire that covers more skin?
That's sort of the thing here. It's not some aspect of the character that crosses the line. The very core aesthetic was deemed undesirable. And if you're not in the fanbase and married to the fanservice, I think one quick glance at the vs. screen character portrait clues you in as to why. The mostly bared ass is the other.
Steve Youngblood
Member
I think it's incredibly disingenuous to act as though anyone who is not a fan of Mika's costume is "offended" by it.
ElBoxyBrown
Banned
Capcom presents the all-new ESPN sponsored outfits! Also in the pack is the EVO Mandalay Stadium stage!
ONLY $25!
That would actually be a good idea.
ONLY $25!
That would actually be a good idea.
doh i already bought the CPT stuff, oh , man
Actual women choosing to dress a certain way or play a sport is different than video game characters specifically designed to appeal to a mostly male audience.
you mean like this?
This is a much better design,barring the odd hair.
Why? This is why changes like this are made on TV. Because they "might" offend or "might" cause trouble. This is how Corporate America works. I work in it. This is why Capcom made the camera angle change in the game prior to launch. It "might" whatever. Might offend. Might not like. Might do something to make someone complain.
This is why Nintendo makes changes to their games. It "might" offend. If you're not a fan, that's fine. But ESPN straight up made him switch. Ask yourself, why? The most likely reason is that it might offend someone watching. Or make them uncomfortable.
Hell, you said it.
That is the "might" find offensive. Or undesirable. Call it what you want.
That said, Capcom is wildly inconsistent here. They make changes and admittedly do so because it might cause some to be uncomfortable or might not like. Then they go and release DLC costumes which expose more skin and more characters anyway. So, who knows WTF they are thinking.
Maybe someone should go ask Ono.
Spyder_Monkey
Banned
I don't think it really "offends" anybody but it is probably the case that this "scantily clad cartoon chick." would weird out ESPN's main audience and especially the execs in charge of broadcasting it.
Steve Youngblood
Member
My issue here is that people have been critical of Mika's and other designs long before ESPN airing this was even a possibility. I honestly don't understand the reaction some are having as though ESPN is the first entity to ever question this aspect of the game. This is the conversation we have been having for years, and it's not being driven solely by old ladies clutching pearls and asking everyone to think of the children.
DeepEnigma
Gold Member
There was a push, yes.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2011/aug/10/womens-beach-volleyball-barcode-bikinis
http://www.forbes.com/sites/johncla...h-volleyball-gets-full-exposure/#123b3a017645
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/28/olympic-volleyball-uniform_n_1385879.html
http://www.livestrong.com/article/397481-olympic-volleyball-uniform-rules/
...
I can also see that perspective, but does that not still carry the 'video game stigma' (which is my only argument with these things)?
Considering if someone was to glance at a TV show or the like, they would not think anything of the same sort, or worry if people thought that?
Exactly, especially with ESPN Page 2 Articles like this...
Babes, beer and beach volleyball
To expand on this slightly, Bayonetta was a game that people in the gaming community found varying degrees of skeevy because of the outfit she wore and that her clothing would functionally vanish from certain attacks she did. And this was nearly 7 years ago, long before GamersGate and SJW were terms that were used. ESPN having similar reservations to overtly and pointlessly sexy outfits shouldn't be surprising.
I randomly turned this on last night, and saw the opening match which was great, but I thought "wow, if they want this to be big, they cant do it with these character models", its a bit much, not to me the gamer, but to me the dad of a little girl. Its just not needed, perhaps they do some sort of competitive costume variations.
That said, watching this is the opposite of watching DOTA or CSGO or LoL, it was actually fun to watch, AND People can understand what's happening, and see what's happening. Those other games are bad TV, and will never appeal outside their playerbase. I dont play fighters, but watching this was awesome, and I'd watch it again.
That said, watching this is the opposite of watching DOTA or CSGO or LoL, it was actually fun to watch, AND People can understand what's happening, and see what's happening. Those other games are bad TV, and will never appeal outside their playerbase. I dont play fighters, but watching this was awesome, and I'd watch it again.
MannyToons
Member
Good. Her default outfit looks dumb as hell.
Tbh, a lot of the female designs I've been seeing for SFV are kinda tasteless. Increased boob size on returning characters with jiggle physics that make no sense. *Sigh*
Tbh, a lot of the female designs I've been seeing for SFV are kinda tasteless. Increased boob size on returning characters with jiggle physics that make no sense. *Sigh*
Palculator
Unconfirmed Member
Women playing beach volleyball didn't choose to wear bikinis, it was an actual regulation that required them to, a regulation specific to women with men being allowed less revealing garments. Obviously, some women might have played in bikinis anyway, but up until those regulations got loosened recently to appease religious conservatives, they didn't have a choice.
Word.
~Devil Trigger~
In favor of setting Muslim women on fire
Children??? really???
Children cant handle R. Mika?? What worrld are people living in? this has nothing to do with understanding anime. She's a cartoon representation of a pro-wrestling woman, a caricature, its not in a pornographic or adult context, its in a context any kid can understand and laugh at.
That's fine. And some people note that its bit hypocritical of them doing so considering the company puts out a yearly issue full of naked athletes for people to admire and oogle at. So, sitting there and saying "See, ESPN doesn't like it either" isn't the strongest position since they do their fair share of sexualizing people.
In the end, ESPN isn't going to be showing weeklies or anything so it's just something to talk about.
As for Mika's design, some like it, some don't like it. The debate continues. That's cool. The game is full of skin, bare chests, tight asses and whatever else throughout the game with both males and females. So, in my eyes, it's all one big cartoon fantasy.
Suzushiiro
Banned
I wonder how they would have handled it if there was a Laura in the top 8. Does she even have any costumes that aren't super-revealing?
(And if there isn't, I wonder if Capcom may add one soon to prepare for that possibility)
(And if there isn't, I wonder if Capcom may add one soon to prepare for that possibility)
molnizzle
Member
Nope. They're all trash.
Some parents don't want to expose their kids prematurely to titillation or sexual objectification. Shocking, I know.
R_thanatos
Member
I think there's a matter of "taste" beyond "offense." I love SF, but I think Mika's design is just awful -- partially due to the amateur way they pander with cheap sex appeal, but I wouldn't say I'm offended by it in the sense that I can't handle it. I'm not offended by nudity or showing skin -- as an artist, I've drawn nude figures myself and I think nudity is completely valid as a form of expression. I think games have every right and perhaps even an obligation to explore nudity.
But it feels like a pretty big chunk of the gaming community has this weird view of adulthood where when they turn 18, all their media should have as much profanity, violence, and nudity as possible because they think that's what adults consume and doing so proves how "mature" they are. Anytime someone criticizes something along these lines, they're accused of being "offended" as if they're too weak to handle it and just can't take it. Some fans act like it's a badge of honor to play a game like DoA where tits bounce around in a comical fashion and all the characters are designed to maximize panty shots. If you enjoy that, cool -- but don't get mad when others can't take the game seriously. A lot of the time, critics aren't offended -- they just think it's dumb.
Look, I like porn just like most guys. I get it. But when it comes to games as a medium, I want more. Games designed as softcore porn (or even actual porn) are fine -- that niche won't ever go away. But more broadly, as a medium, I want games to strive to be better -- part of that means escaping the sensibilities of 14 year old boys, as has been the focus for too many games for too long. DoA can do its thing, but SF presumably wants to be taken seriously beyond the niche of softcore porn and I want to support that -- I think games, SF included, have the potential to be enjoyed by a much wider audience -- part of that means SF ditching the cheap pandering and focus on actual good character design.