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Sex Sells. Or does it?

Angst

Angst

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,096
Everyone knows the old saying "sex sells"

Lots of video games have overly sexualized female characters. From as subtle as 2b's outfit in Nier Automata to overt stuff like over enthusiastic jiggle physics or Bayonetta's entire character design. But does anyone really care for that? Does it actually sell games?
There isn't a single person I know IRL who buys or cares about that. In fact, I have trouble playing games like Bayonetta where they sexualize her so bad out of context. It actually kinda makes me uncomfortable because its so....weird. Stuff like women having armor that barely covers them sort've breaks the immersion as well.

So are my friends just the exception to the rule and female sexualization actually does sell games? Or do developers make those games because they think it will sell better but no one actually cares and just deals with it. I've heard the argument that it sells better to teenagers, but honestly I haven't cared about that kinda thing since I was 12. What say you ERA? Does oversexualization of women actually increase sales? Or does the average gamer honestly not care about this kind of thing.
 
shaneo632

shaneo632

Member
Oct 29, 2017
19,842
Essex, UK
I think it clearly does, especially to teenagers. I personally find it quite patronising and pandering, like the dev thinks I'm some basement-dwelling sex-starved antisocial nerd.
 
Cordy

Cordy

Member
Oct 25, 2017
10,080
It sells but it's not like it used to be in the 90s and 00s. I don't know anyone who outright thinks "damn, I'm gonna get this because of her ass" or anything like that. Back in the day though? Man it was everywhere. In magazine ads, commercials, just everywhere to get the point across. I remember reading a preview for Tomb Raider 3 that was sexed up all over the place and mind you this is Laura Croft of all people lmao. You gotta wonder how far they had to push the envelope given who she was from the jump.

Then again I was a kid then so my opinion might be different compared to kids today and their opinion on what's sexy about these games and in turn adults in how they viewed how overly sexual games of the past were. Hell it might just be the same as it was then lol.

But yeah it sells. Chun-li sells the most SFV dlc costumes because she's sexier than ever.
 
violent

violent

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
1,678
I'm fairly certain Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 sold because of its stellar volleyball gameplay.
 

Deleted member 10314

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
352
No idea. But when I unlocked quiets jump suit, that's pretty much all I had her wearing when she assisted me on the missions.
 
cw_sasuke

cw_sasuke

Member
Oct 27, 2017
19,094
It def. helps draw attention....which is already a big hurdle nowadays. After that point the game/content still has to deliver or offer enough of a value for a purchase. I doubt many would care about Bayonetta or Automata if the character design wasnt backed up by great and satisfying gameplay.
 
PSqueak

PSqueak

Member
Oct 25, 2017
12,464
Sex sells, but it alone can't do the job, you need gameplay to back it up. If the gameplay underdelivers sex will not be able to keep the game afloat, you need passable or excellent gameplay for Sex to be the tipping point towards buying the game.

See: Bayonetta, Skullgirls, Shantae, Dead or Alive and pretty soon SNK Heroines.
 
鬼作.

鬼作.

Banned
Oct 28, 2017
394
Dead or Alive 3 was my second Xbox game entirely because of tits. I don't even like fighting games man.
 
Vlaphor

Vlaphor

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
1,202
Topeka, KS
Yes it does. At the very least, it helps draw the eye, gain attention, and serve as an excellent jumping off point for DLC.
 
GusZamboni

GusZamboni

Member
Nov 6, 2017
2,777
Not sure, tbh, i never was and neither know anyone who would buy a game for its sex appealing. but the human race is always impressing me.
 
ILikeFeet

ILikeFeet

Member
Oct 25, 2017
45,270
to a mass audience? no they dont care

to a small, niche audience who repeat spends in service games? definitely
 
Giever

Giever

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,643
Seems like it does when it is the main aspect of the product (because what else are you going to those games for?) but I don't know that, for instance, having it with 2B is really necessary for the game to sell as well as it did. We'd probably have to look at some studies to get an actual answer.
 
thediamondage

thediamondage

Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,930
Selling isn't just a single concept. Selling at maximum value is the first goal. While I may buy your game when it reaches $1 on a sale, what will it take for me to buy your game at launch day or even pre order, at full MSRP, and maybe even buy the super deluxe goober digital edition with all pre order bonuses? What will it take to get me to spend another $20 on costumes?

And... thats where sex sells. Look at the top costumes on very popular games like fortnite, overwatch, etc and they tend to be the funny, cool, or sexy ones. Its not JUST sex, John Wick is super popular on Fortnite for example, but all those cheerleader, bikini, etc costumes in video games sell very well.

There are for sure many ways to sell, not just sex, but its a simple one and it definitely has a set of numbers that will express interest, then the rest of your product has to be good enough to finalize that interest.
 
chrisypoo

chrisypoo

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,454
shaneo632 said:
I think it clearly does, especially to teenagers. I personally find it quite patronising and pandering, like the dev thinks I'm some basement-dwelling sex-starved antisocial nerd.
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I agree quite a lot with the personal sentiment towards it, as it really does feel like the devs are assuming I'm a sex crazed Neanderthal who wishes all women dressed as objects for my amusement and it just comes off as an attempt to placate my ego. It's insulting and disgusting.
 
Expy

Expy

Member
Oct 26, 2017
8,418
As long as one person buys it for the sex appeal, then yes, sex sells.
 
Bhonar

Bhonar

Banned
Oct 31, 2017
6,066
Angst said:
Everyone knows the old saying "sex sells"

Lots of video games have overly sexualized female characters. From as subtle as 2b's outfit in Nier Automata to overt stuff like over enthusiastic jiggle physics or Bayonetta's entire character design. But does anyone really care for that? Does it actually sell games?
There isn't a single person I know IRL who buys or cares about that. In fact, I have trouble playing games like Bayonetta where they sexualize her so bad out of context. It actually kinda makes me uncomfortable because its so....weird. Stuff like women having armor that barely covers them sort've breaks the immersion as well.

So are my friends just the exception to the rule and female sexualization actually does sell games? Or do developers make those games because they think it will sell better but no one actually cares and just deals with it. I've heard the argument that it sells better to teenagers, but honestly I haven't cared about that kinda thing since I was 12. What say you ERA? Does oversexualization of women actually increase sales? Or does the average gamer honestly not care about this kind of thing.
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Are your friends similar people to yourself with similar interests? Your limited sample size doesn't count.

The simple answer to the question is yes to some people in the world. Obviously not everyone, there's no subject in the world where every human agrees.

But take a game like Fire Emblem Heroes with 200+ characters. I guarantee you a lot of players like specific chars because of how they look.

Or to use a real-life example, why do you think a lot of guys look at Sports Illustrated Swimsuit pics/magazines each year? Just because you're not interested in looking at females in revealing clothing doesn't mean every male in the world is the same as you.
 
Ferrs

Ferrs

Avenger
Oct 26, 2017
15,158
Of course it does, that's why the most selling games in the charts are always DoA or Senran Kagura... oh wait.

It sells to some people, like everything, but that niche is smaller that what they think they are.
 

Deleted member 31092

User requested account closure
Banned
Nov 5, 2017
10,783
Unless you want to rewrite the human brain right down to its core basic functions sex will always sell.
 
chrisypoo

chrisypoo

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,454
Thebeast! said:
Serious question do women consider shirtless men fanservice
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It depends on the context: Is the image of the man framed for and by the male gaze or for and by the female? Often times shirtless male characters just boil down to power fantasies rather than actual fan service, and there is quite a notable difference.
 
TwoCoins

TwoCoins

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
1,493
Houston Tx
It doesn't sell much.. sure some crappy japan games exist to sell waifu crap but you don't see them seem flying off store shelves...and they don't really make a game better either. See Overwatch... barely any "sex sales" characters outside Widow and sold a ton because of good game-play and great character design..no need for double D and thong cladded women...

Then see Street Fighter V...it's females have become more DOA than past entries and is one of the least acclaimed games in the series and sold very poorly initially...all new females are forgettable and have the same body shape...no short and thick, no big muscular clad women, no old grannies, no fat chicks.... all cut from the same cloth and look fan service garbage... Even Juri who looked like she had B cups in SFIV has gotten the Double D upgrade in V.
 

Deleted member 41931

User requested account closure
Member
Apr 10, 2018
3,744
Not quite to the extent it use to, but yes it absolultely does. Even just making charcters attractive enough can go along way. Look at overwatch. All the fan art and r34, even pre-release helped it grow to the popularity it did. It wasnt the main thing of course, but it definitley contributed.
 
RM8

RM8

Member
Oct 28, 2017
5,904
JP
Ferrs said:
Of course it does, that's why the most selling games in the charts are always DoA or Senran Kagura... oh wait.

It sells to some people like everything, but that niche is smaller that what they think they are.
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Yeah, this. It has its audience, but it's far from being the biggest one and it's often rather niche.
 
Bhonar

Bhonar

Banned
Oct 31, 2017
6,066
shaneo632 said:
I think it clearly does, especially to teenagers. I personally find it quite patronising and pandering, like the dev thinks I'm some basement-dwelling sex-starved antisocial nerd.
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Not sure if you're aware of this, but there are plenty of charismatic social guys who love sex and looking at females dressed in skimpy clothing.
 

Deleted member 1238

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
3,070
The old “well me and my friends don’t care so obviously no one else does” line of thinking.
 
bmoral64

bmoral64

Member
Mar 23, 2018
79
Absolutely, it starts to feel like pandering as you get older I think but there's always going to be a younger generation that it appeals to
 
Schreckweg 5000

Schreckweg 5000

Member
Jan 10, 2018
6,327
May I point out that the definition of sex within videogames is way too limited? Perv stuff, objectification stuff and thats pretty much it.
 
ShinySunny

ShinySunny

Banned
Dec 15, 2017
1,730
It sells. A lot.
Billion of dollars in fact.

Eastern MMOs are supported by female outfits.
Mobile gacha games are supported by female units.
 
M1chl

M1chl

Banned
Nov 20, 2017
2,054
Czech Republic
I am not sure, for me it definitely does not.... And I think that's kind of misguided question, nakedness and sex it's totally different things.
 
WestEgg

WestEgg

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
13,608
I gaurentee the romance portion and sexy payoff in the Mass Effect series was a selling point for many.
 
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