Kotaku - Images
Zarya is a Gay Icon According to Kotaku
![4Back to Messages 8:31 PM 62% kotaku.com Zarva From Overwatch Has Become A Gay Icon, lronically Cecilia D'Anastasio Today 4:17pm Filed to: ZARYA Share y Tweet](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/masonry/001/141/955/4f6.png)
![4Back to Messages 8:31 PM 62% kotaku.com Zarva From Overwatch Has Become A Gay Icon, lronically Cecilia D'Anastasio Today 4:17pm Filed to: ZARYA Share y Tweet](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/001/141/955/4f6.png)
Kotaku
Jschreier of Kotaku Discussing Sorceress on NeoGAF
![View Single Post Thread: #1633 jschreier Sorry about your boycott. I haven't read this entire thread, but the accusations I've seen that I'm only doing this for pageviews; that I don't actually care about the things I'm saying; that my criticism is contributing to the mistreatment of women - are inappropriate, out of line, and rather disgusting. I won't address those Today, 02:48 AM) Quote I will, however, elaborate on my points, since it doesn't seem like I've been clear enough For reference, let's look at this picture of thes sorceress Other than her proportions, there are a couple of details worth noting. One is that her shirt is trying to escape from her chest. She also has a very childish face that resembles lolicon imagery. I don't think either of those features is beautiful or worth lauding in any way Now let's look at the gif that was posted earlier in this thread. Maybe you think it's reasonable, or beautiful, or aesthetically pleasing when a female character's breasts move like that during combat. I don't. I think it's demeaning and embarrassing See, I don't think the sorceress's design is problematic because of her large breasts. What's problematic is that the character is explicitly designed to draw our eyes to her large breasts. They're exposed; they're jiggling; they're disproportionate. They're immediately striking. They're part of a lolicon fantasy, drawn to appeal to people who are interested in lolicon fantasies (and people who are interested in large breasts) So yes, maybe her design has something to do with fertility, or necromancy. Maybe she's a strong, multifaceted character with interesting thoughts and ambitions. None of that really matters, because her body is presented as a jiggling sexual object for people to leer at. (To those of you who are ready to argue that the men in Dragon's Crown are sexually objectified as well, please google "adolescent male power fantasy" and read explanations from people more qualified than I.) Go ahead and look at that gif again. I hope you can see how that might make people feel uncomfortable You could say that, examined in a vacuum, this is just a silly cartoon. But viewed as part of the video game industry - and it is, despite its niche, part of the video game industry - this is just another example of an exclusionary chunk of gaming culture. On Twitter yesterday, one person said to me, "I like Are you kading me? 1 sur hp es how you complain about some games being 'made for men and only men' as if that's a bad thing." Are you kidding me? I sure hope I don't need to explain why that's not okay Some have accused me of singling out Dragon's Crown because Japanese niche games are easy targets for a westerner. That's just not true. I write a column every week about JRPGs. I'm criticizing this one because I don't want to see the genre headed in this direction. I want JRPGs with great female characters. Strong, complicated female characters who aren't defined by their sexuality, like Estelle in Trails in the Sky or Nanami in Suikoden II. Female characters who don't come across as aesthetic objects. One more thing: I'm probably the only person here who has actually played Dragon's Crown, and I have no interest in seeing it burn. It's a fun, interesting game that I hope to buy and play and write about. Otherwise I wouldn't care this much IF YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO THIS PICTURE YOU ARE A P--------. JSCHREIER CKOTAKU](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/masonry/001/115/690/715.png)
![View Single Post Thread: #1633 jschreier Sorry about your boycott. I haven't read this entire thread, but the accusations I've seen that I'm only doing this for pageviews; that I don't actually care about the things I'm saying; that my criticism is contributing to the mistreatment of women - are inappropriate, out of line, and rather disgusting. I won't address those Today, 02:48 AM) Quote I will, however, elaborate on my points, since it doesn't seem like I've been clear enough For reference, let's look at this picture of thes sorceress Other than her proportions, there are a couple of details worth noting. One is that her shirt is trying to escape from her chest. She also has a very childish face that resembles lolicon imagery. I don't think either of those features is beautiful or worth lauding in any way Now let's look at the gif that was posted earlier in this thread. Maybe you think it's reasonable, or beautiful, or aesthetically pleasing when a female character's breasts move like that during combat. I don't. I think it's demeaning and embarrassing See, I don't think the sorceress's design is problematic because of her large breasts. What's problematic is that the character is explicitly designed to draw our eyes to her large breasts. They're exposed; they're jiggling; they're disproportionate. They're immediately striking. They're part of a lolicon fantasy, drawn to appeal to people who are interested in lolicon fantasies (and people who are interested in large breasts) So yes, maybe her design has something to do with fertility, or necromancy. Maybe she's a strong, multifaceted character with interesting thoughts and ambitions. None of that really matters, because her body is presented as a jiggling sexual object for people to leer at. (To those of you who are ready to argue that the men in Dragon's Crown are sexually objectified as well, please google "adolescent male power fantasy" and read explanations from people more qualified than I.) Go ahead and look at that gif again. I hope you can see how that might make people feel uncomfortable You could say that, examined in a vacuum, this is just a silly cartoon. But viewed as part of the video game industry - and it is, despite its niche, part of the video game industry - this is just another example of an exclusionary chunk of gaming culture. On Twitter yesterday, one person said to me, "I like Are you kading me? 1 sur hp es how you complain about some games being 'made for men and only men' as if that's a bad thing." Are you kidding me? I sure hope I don't need to explain why that's not okay Some have accused me of singling out Dragon's Crown because Japanese niche games are easy targets for a westerner. That's just not true. I write a column every week about JRPGs. I'm criticizing this one because I don't want to see the genre headed in this direction. I want JRPGs with great female characters. Strong, complicated female characters who aren't defined by their sexuality, like Estelle in Trails in the Sky or Nanami in Suikoden II. Female characters who don't come across as aesthetic objects. One more thing: I'm probably the only person here who has actually played Dragon's Crown, and I have no interest in seeing it burn. It's a fun, interesting game that I hope to buy and play and write about. Otherwise I wouldn't care this much IF YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO THIS PICTURE YOU ARE A P--------. JSCHREIER CKOTAKU](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/001/115/690/715.png)
Kotaku
Nathan Grayson on Video Game Butts
![Nathan Grayson @Vahn16 * Follow video games: where people are more likely to stand up for a fake woman's butt han a real woman's job RETWEETS LIKES 1,967 2,067 11:41 PM-30 Mar 2016](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/masonry/001/114/988/f63.png)
![Nathan Grayson @Vahn16 * Follow video games: where people are more likely to stand up for a fake woman's butt han a real woman's job RETWEETS LIKES 1,967 2,067 11:41 PM-30 Mar 2016](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/001/114/988/f63.png)
Kotaku
How I Got Raped In My Rumper By Bum-Poking Fundlers
![TOP STORIES WOMEN w I Got R---- In My FEB 20, 2013 00 PM Ho Rumper By Bum-Poking Fundlers 43,070 1,2459 Share1 Like 2.1k GET OUR TOP STORIES FOLLOW KOTAKU Dr. Seuss。 I was minding my own business on one morn last year when a bum-tickling hoodizzler with twizzlers appeared. I shut tight my rumpflap with a plugflompers and defending myself using my steel-toed nutstompers, but the hoodizler continued to draw near parylising me with intensifying fear. It r--- -diddled my fiddle from whence I widdled and Like 229,461 people like this. Sign Up to see what your friends like.](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/masonry/001/053/945/12e.jpg)
![TOP STORIES WOMEN w I Got R---- In My FEB 20, 2013 00 PM Ho Rumper By Bum-Poking Fundlers 43,070 1,2459 Share1 Like 2.1k GET OUR TOP STORIES FOLLOW KOTAKU Dr. Seuss。 I was minding my own business on one morn last year when a bum-tickling hoodizzler with twizzlers appeared. I shut tight my rumpflap with a plugflompers and defending myself using my steel-toed nutstompers, but the hoodizler continued to draw near parylising me with intensifying fear. It r--- -diddled my fiddle from whence I widdled and Like 229,461 people like this. Sign Up to see what your friends like.](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/001/053/945/12e.jpg)
Kotaku
Kotaku Journalist Man
![THE KOTAKU SIGNAL! This miscreant is no match for... HONE Somebody is questioning our integrity again! BEER MOUNT Cynical user of women and minorities as a shield Partaker of KOTAKU JOURNALIST MAN! nepotism and bribery! Giant bully! CRASH! I'm so sick of corrupt in ACTUALLY YOU'RE A MISOGYNIST 3AA game 1](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/masonry/001/052/876/a1a.jpg)
![THE KOTAKU SIGNAL! This miscreant is no match for... HONE Somebody is questioning our integrity again! BEER MOUNT Cynical user of women and minorities as a shield Partaker of KOTAKU JOURNALIST MAN! nepotism and bribery! Giant bully! CRASH! I'm so sick of corrupt in ACTUALLY YOU'RE A MISOGYNIST 3AA game 1](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/001/052/876/a1a.jpg)
Kotaku
Roll Over Cat
![Cme wo, step trtoding IT YOU F------ NERD eatr STOP TRENDING, You F--- Good kitte MIA F----- Yo oot your shi](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/masonry/001/052/872/04a.jpg)
![Cme wo, step trtoding IT YOU F------ NERD eatr STOP TRENDING, You F--- Good kitte MIA F----- Yo oot your shi](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/001/052/872/04a.jpg)
Kotaku
Old Kotaku Mascot
![](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/masonry/001/052/871/381.jpg)
![](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/001/052/871/381.jpg)
Kotaku
Kotaku Blaming Gamers
![Am I out of toucha No,it s the GAMERSwho are wrong.](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/masonry/001/052/870/616.jpg)
![Am I out of toucha No,it s the GAMERSwho are wrong.](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/001/052/870/616.jpg)
Kotaku
Homer Simpson as Kotaku
![](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/masonry/001/052/868/5fe.gif)
![](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/001/052/868/5fe.gif)
Kotaku
The Kotaku Slowpokes on Breaking News
![BREAK](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/masonry/001/052/867/4c5.jpg)
![BREAK](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/001/052/867/4c5.jpg)
Kotaku
Nathan Grayson's Interview With Browder
![RPS: You have some interesting alternate outfits for heroes. Roller Derby Nova, especially, caught my eye. On its own, that's totally fine - just a silly, goofy thing. A one- off. But it got me thinking about how often MOBAs tend to hyper-sexualize female characters to a generally preposterous degree - that is to say, make it the norm, not a one-off at all-and StarCraft's own, um, interesting focus choices as of late. How are you planning to approach all of that in Heroes? Browder. Well, I mean, some of these characters, I would argue, are already hyper-sexualized in a sense. I mean, Kerrigan is wearing heels, right? We're not sending a message to anybody. We're just making characters who look cool. Our sensibilities are more comic book than anything else That's sort of where we're at. But I'll take the feedback. I think it's very fair feedback. RPS: I have to add, though, that comics might not be the best point of reference for this sort of thing. I mean, it's a medium that's notorious often in a not-good way - for sexing up female characters and putting them in some fairly gross situations. Browder: We're not running for President. We're not sending a message. No one should look to our game for that. RPS: But it's not even about a message. The goal is to let people have fun in an environment where they can feel awesome without being weirded out or evern objectified. This is a genre about empowerment. Why shouldn't everyone feel empowered? That's what it's about at the end of the day: letting everyone have a fair chance to feel awesome. Browder: Uh-huh. Cool. Totally. PR says we've run over, tells me I have to leave] RPS: Thank you for your time. NOTE: This interview, quite obviously, ended in an uncomfortable place, and I decided to break that down at length in a separate opinion piece. It will be live soon, and Il link it here when its been posted.](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/masonry/001/052/866/06e.jpg)
![RPS: You have some interesting alternate outfits for heroes. Roller Derby Nova, especially, caught my eye. On its own, that's totally fine - just a silly, goofy thing. A one- off. But it got me thinking about how often MOBAs tend to hyper-sexualize female characters to a generally preposterous degree - that is to say, make it the norm, not a one-off at all-and StarCraft's own, um, interesting focus choices as of late. How are you planning to approach all of that in Heroes? Browder. Well, I mean, some of these characters, I would argue, are already hyper-sexualized in a sense. I mean, Kerrigan is wearing heels, right? We're not sending a message to anybody. We're just making characters who look cool. Our sensibilities are more comic book than anything else That's sort of where we're at. But I'll take the feedback. I think it's very fair feedback. RPS: I have to add, though, that comics might not be the best point of reference for this sort of thing. I mean, it's a medium that's notorious often in a not-good way - for sexing up female characters and putting them in some fairly gross situations. Browder: We're not running for President. We're not sending a message. No one should look to our game for that. RPS: But it's not even about a message. The goal is to let people have fun in an environment where they can feel awesome without being weirded out or evern objectified. This is a genre about empowerment. Why shouldn't everyone feel empowered? That's what it's about at the end of the day: letting everyone have a fair chance to feel awesome. Browder: Uh-huh. Cool. Totally. PR says we've run over, tells me I have to leave] RPS: Thank you for your time. NOTE: This interview, quite obviously, ended in an uncomfortable place, and I decided to break that down at length in a separate opinion piece. It will be live soon, and Il link it here when its been posted.](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/001/052/866/06e.jpg)
Kotaku
Support A Cleaner Gaming Journalism
![HEY, WERE S WORKING He ERE/ GAWK MB Polygon SUPPORT CLEANER GAMING JOURNALISM](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/masonry/001/052/865/f05.jpg)
![HEY, WERE S WORKING He ERE/ GAWK MB Polygon SUPPORT CLEANER GAMING JOURNALISM](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/001/052/865/f05.jpg)
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An Empty Couch
![](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/masonry/001/052/861/c49.jpg)
![](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/001/052/861/c49.jpg)
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