What's your opinion on Sexualization/Fan Service/"Waifus" in video games? - General

While keeping up with all things Nintendo, specifically Xenoblade Chronicles 2, I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at, uh, some of their more "[URL="https://mobile.twitter.com/XenobladeJP/status/935404359931740161?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ffacepunch.com%2Fshowthread.php%3Ft%3D1583970%26page%3D41"]questionable[/URL]" designs - and this got me thinking (as most random things do): Do people really eat up lewd content that designers feel the need to create suggestion situations? Or is it just a case of based designer making it cause they like tits and people just have mixed reactions to it? What about portrayals of sexually explicit acts in the medium? Waifus?!? These are the hard hitting questions. So what's everyone's thoughts on this? Fans of fan service? Or leaning more towards that of a prudish pundit? Personally, it doesn't bother me so long as the game is fun, but I won't go out of my way to get it just cause there's an phat ass on the cover.

i dont care as long as it isn't out of place and doesn't affect the rest of the game negatively

I personally don't get it, if I want to watch smut I would go and do that, also any outfit that shows 90% of skin is just wasted opportunity to do something amazing creativity and design wise.

If they are going to use sexy art to try and sell a game at least use something that actually is shown in the game as opposed to like, concept art only available in the limited edition art book. Regardless I could care less as long as the game itself is actually good. Having characters that are eye candy is only a problem if they serve no purpose other than "here is a cute/hot guy/girl, that's all they are for", yet get frequent screentime.

I don't like it at all when the supposed "sexiness" is all the character has to them. I don't mind romance or sex or anything like that in games, as long as it's written well and the characters are interesting [I]first[/I]. I could legit get attached to a good character that you never see and only talk to though a radio than some generic half-naked cute girl that constantly gets into conveniently awkward situations with the player character but otherwise has nothing else going for them.

Sex/sexiness is fine. It's only a problem when that turns out to be the only thing the game has to offer. Alas, there's definitely a considerable demographic who do indeed eat it up. A "moe" approach to character design is a surefire way to get into the wallets of the more obsessed customers; the whales.

Waifus are great but I don't really care for the really Japanese fanservice like panty shots or whatever. Won't stop me from buying a game or anything, just doesn't do anything for me.

i like boobs as much as the next man but straight up fan service can get the fuck outta here

I hate low effort fan service and obvious bait characters. If it's a well made and designed character who might incorporate some 'sexy' elements, then waht ever. But when the character's entire design and purpose is just to be sex appeal, get rid of it. Stop with the big boob ladies who's entire character is that they're big boobs. Take the Kamiya school of design

Another big no-no in my book are games that like to pull off the whole "1,000 year old demon/deity/dragon, but look 10" shtick and think that's an excuse to put them in a tube top and garter belt.

don't really mind it as long as it's integrated in a way that doesn't take away from the game. in recent memory: va-11 hall-a and nier: automata do this pretty okay imo.

people like sexy and cute girls, i don't see any major issues with that. that xenoblade character looks like shit tho

No option for "don't care until it gets distracting," but that's my stance.

a girl with a cute face and cute hair in full tactical gear is my fuckin shit, get that bikini shit outta here

Video games are kids' stuff, who cares

[QUOTE=The golden;52933190]Unless it's written into the plot and character design properly, which it almost never is, then I want it the fuck out of my games. To me it screams like a lazy and low-effort attempt to go after low hanging fruit. Distract your predominately male userbase by shoving tits in their face so they don't easily notice the games other flaws. That's what it says to me. Any more than that and it starts to look unhealthy and obsessive. "Waifu" games fall into this category. There is a time and place for sexual content in games and and in my opinion pretty much every game gets it wrong. It almost always feels forced and like it's there to make up for something.[/QUOTE] This is basically my opinion on it. I'll tolerate it if the game's good enough but unless it's an integral (and well integrated) part of the game I largely consider it unnecessary, especially if it's not optional. And in many cases it can actively detract from the game. For example: one of my favorite visual novels, Kara no Shoujo. It's a somber and intentionally very depressing murder-mystery yet there's a lot of sex scenes and with only a small handful of exceptions they all just feel totally jarring and out of place. I can only think of two off the top of my head that felt reasonable, though there was one or two others which could also fit. I just forget the details regarding them. But that's 3-4 out of like 15 or so.

Don't care until it's blatant. If it's blatant it better be actually good. There are ways to make fan service enjoyable, but simply increasing the amount of visible skin and cranking up the boob size slider really is not the right way to do it.

When devs put an oversexualized character in a game with a serious tone it feels like a cheap attempt of trying to "match" with the audience with obvious fan service. It feels like that one time I went to the restroom at work and someone left a porn magazine inside one of the stalls. I felt ashamed of it even though I didn't leave it there. It feels like seeing someone making fart jokes at a funeral or like seeing a soccer mom dressed as a teenager. They're all things based on someone's fetish, but it comes off as uncomfortable instead.

I like sexy girls, but I dislike neckbeards who are obsessed with virtual/fictional/metafictional characters. Q: So do you like sexy girls? A: [B] YES![/B] Q: Do you like the term waifu or people who use it? A: [B]NO![/B]

I mostly don't really mind the culture even though i'm can't say i'm a part of it, although a lot of fanservice-y things in games also tend to be cringe. Games pulling the sex appeal card like the example in the OP I don't really mind either if the game itself is good. It's pretty much a staple in RPGs these days.

I don't really mind fan service unless it undermines the themes of the character or the game itself, especially when they're oversexualized.

Just have the 90% naked/fetish costumes be either sidequest unlockables or DLC items and we're fine.

I don't give a shit unless it's obvious waifu bait, in which case I find it pretty high on the obnoxious scale.

I find it weird how in Code Geass, the fan service never distracted me from the story.

Depends if the character gets ported to SFM.

tomb raider legend/anniversary is fan service done right my interest in anime type games has kinda gone down

I don't care if the fanservice is in slight amounts, but if I wanna fap, I'll look up porn. I don't really want it in my games/tv shows/anime/etc.

I dont give a singular shit about it really. It doesnt affect my experience too much. If its a good game but the character just happens to be scantily clad, eh I dont care. In some cases I can respect it though. Like with Nier Automata, the creator's answer as to why he made the protag look the way she did was just "I like women". Like yeah I would have prefered it if the character wasn't as sexualized, but on the other hand, the dude just flat out wanted ass in his game and I cant argue with that I appreciate when its just owned up to rather than the creators trying to justify it in some way and make excuses.

Personally I just find it hilarious.

The only time fanservice is OK is if the product was created with fanservice in mind, and it either makes it the focus or the joke.