So someone asked me the other day if I thought Ivy would have larger or smaller breasts in Soul Calibur 6 given trends in the gaming industry, and I thought it was kind of an interesting question.
Scenario 1: On the one hand, taste and expectations in the Western markets have clearly went toward a very different place since Soul Calibur last came out. Back in those days, women were widely wearing things like chainmail bikinis and got pretty muted, if any, criticism. Soul Calibur was actually notable for being one of the few franchises that had any notable pushback on this topic at all. Today, a design like Soul Calibur 4 Ivy would probably elicit a notably negative response in the West, and most of the game's sales (like 90%+) would presumably be overseas.
Scenario 2: On the other hand, Japan has generally headed more in this direction, and this is the cultural context under which this game would be getting developed. For better or worse, these types of designs arguably became the primary identity of the series over time as well. It's not hard to imagine a scenario where they might make the designs even more extreme.
Mind, there are two approaches developers have taken to reining in designs, one being the amount of clothing characters are wearing, with the other being the proportions of the people, so either (or both) of those aspects could change.
So, what do you think Namco is likely to do if they're actually making the game?
Edit:
I thought I should note this is not just about Ivy, but the characters on that end of the spectrum in general.
Update:
Anyone who guessed "Scenario 2: Namco will follow Japanese game trends and make Ivy even more extreme." was correct. Congratulations to those who correctly foresaw Namco's business direction. I'm leaving the image off since it's uh, rather not safe for work, and that's before we've even seen any armor destruction.
Scenario 1: On the one hand, taste and expectations in the Western markets have clearly went toward a very different place since Soul Calibur last came out. Back in those days, women were widely wearing things like chainmail bikinis and got pretty muted, if any, criticism. Soul Calibur was actually notable for being one of the few franchises that had any notable pushback on this topic at all. Today, a design like Soul Calibur 4 Ivy would probably elicit a notably negative response in the West, and most of the game's sales (like 90%+) would presumably be overseas.
Scenario 2: On the other hand, Japan has generally headed more in this direction, and this is the cultural context under which this game would be getting developed. For better or worse, these types of designs arguably became the primary identity of the series over time as well. It's not hard to imagine a scenario where they might make the designs even more extreme.
Mind, there are two approaches developers have taken to reining in designs, one being the amount of clothing characters are wearing, with the other being the proportions of the people, so either (or both) of those aspects could change.
So, what do you think Namco is likely to do if they're actually making the game?
Edit:
I thought I should note this is not just about Ivy, but the characters on that end of the spectrum in general.
Update:
Anyone who guessed "Scenario 2: Namco will follow Japanese game trends and make Ivy even more extreme." was correct. Congratulations to those who correctly foresaw Namco's business direction. I'm leaving the image off since it's uh, rather not safe for work, and that's before we've even seen any armor destruction.
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