There's one thing that I feel like pointing our about some of the terminology in this thread, specifically the term "objectification". Videogame characters are ALL designed to be objectified. That's one of their key purposes and is a knock on effect of having had someone sit there for hours carefully modelling them, texturing them, rigging them and animating them. They're literally designed to be looked at. Be it, Batman and his famously labour intensive cape or the the painfully buxom girls of dead or alive beach volleyball. The issue is not objectification on it's own, it's all to do with context, balance and intent. If we want to move games out of the domain of teenage boys (which to be honest I think we did 10 years ago for the most part) then we need to realise this. Personally I have no problem with Cammy wearing a thong as long Urien is also wearing one, however imagine if the male characters in 40% of all your games dressed like this for no reason. You might find it a little, boring/ridiculous/uncomfortable/demeaning.
This is so true...
It is not just women that get objectified in games / movies etc, it is pretty much every single character. Sure with women it goes regularly overboard and it usually leaves a bad taste, but that is not to say that a totally ripped uncannily beautiful Thor is not the absolute epitome of male objectification...
Just like women are depicted as sexbombs, in the same way most men are depicted as strong, incredibly sharp and confident studs.
Again, I get that women get the worse in this topic, but it is not to say that I, as a guy, look at this fully ripped, highly capable and successful dude and think "wow we men are so cool! I feel so great about being a guy!"... no, far from it... I am tired that the textbook action hero is almost everytime the objectification of the perfect and non existent male and I am tired of all the stereotypes and expectations that this creates in other people's minds.