Okay watched it. My thoughts.
She does her research and brings up some good points. It's obvious that women have more of a tendency to be sexualized in video games because of the apparent demographic. However I think as of 2016, we can safely say it's not just nerds in their parents basements playing these anymore. Video games aren't a "nerdy" thing these days. People of all genders, and sexualities play them. However it always seems to me the industry fails to break some habits it has acquired over the years, and it's not just games. Movies and especially anime are subjected to this. Appealing to the lowest common denominator rather than actually fleshing out a character with more than just looks. It can be, and has been done before, but obviously it's not always the case.
What is important to realize though is that it's not the video game industry as a whole. There are many developers who don't fall into this trap. Like someone above pointed out, it's more apparent in triple A titles, and for obvious reasons. Those are the money makes of the industry. That being said, I have a few things I want to nitpick at.
When she pointed out Assassins Creed Syndicate, I can't help but be reminded of her review of it beforehand and how it did such an incredible job at avoiding these stereotypes. How Evie was a strong, independent
black woman who didn't do the things we're accustomed to seeing female characters do. However she critiques it here, if only for the walking animation. I get that complaint, as some of them do look like they walk like they're doing a photoshoot. However she says females can somehow walk like this, as it is to maintain balance (and she's right) and the hipbones in general.
However I feel she discards that when she brings up walks such as Evie. She has the sway, but if you ask me it is not exaggerated at all. Of course she's not going to walk like a man, she's a woman. I'd like to reference this video.
It's how a female walks. Her hips sway because females have a different bone structure than men do. It's not sexualizing it in that case, it's being natural. However the examples such as Bayonetta are correct. And when she brought up Elie, while her example was correct, I'd also like to remind people that she's like 12. They wouldn't dare sexualize someone of that age, so I'd like a better example from her that does it "correct".
Also my last thing. I mentioned this in my post above with Final Fantasy.
When male characters are depicted as shirtless or wearing little clothing–like the character sometimes dubbed “Hot Ryu” from Street Fighter V– their lack of clothing demonstrates their power and strength, rather than depicting them as erotic playthings or reducing them to sexualized body parts.
I'd argue men can be just as fan servicy as females can, though obviously not as frequent. I'd also like to add to what she says here. And as mentioned above, it is an attractive feature in men. A fit man with muscles is seen as the "best thing" in our culture as women in a bikini who are as skinny as a twig. Both are unrealistic and not the most common thing among men.
One reinforces preexisting oppressive ideas about women that are real and damaging to women in their everyday lives, the other does not reinforce anything.
Now this is one thing I really just outright disagreed with rather than just nitpicked at. I feel as though this is an open and shut case in her regard and I entirely oppose this. I hate to bring it up again, but Emma Watson said at her UN speech (or wherever she was), that both sexes, male and female, are horribly oppressed by such stereotypes.
Women for what was covered in this review, but males as well for almost the same examples she brought up, but failed to talk about. Males are supposed to be strong! Tough! Do everything and take care of the woman, don't show emotions, don't cry! It's because of those pictures she showed of buff men who are shirtless, that I felt she missed that point entirely.
Men do suffer from stereotypes just as much as women do. Though it may not be sexualized per say, it still is put to the forefront when I saw these pictures. I can only think of a few action games where the male character isn't some muscle head or someone lithe but super ripped. The normal guy is nothing like these characters, and is just as exaggerated as the female in their own regard.
Men don't HAVE to be muscle heads, emotionally distant, always cool with the ladies. Men CAN cry, they can be emotional, they can be physically weak. I'd argue a lot of pressure is on men in our society just as much as a woman, though of course in different ways as I explained. That's not to discount what the women in video games, or in general go through, but to ignore one side, to me, is just very silly and an injustice.
Because of this, I think she should follow her own advice and listen when she says:
The path towards equality and liberation does not lie in equally reducing men and women to objectified parts, but by treating people of all genders and with all types of bodies as full and complete human beings.
Those are just my thoughts. Let me conclude by saying that I agree with a lot of what she said, and she clearly has a point to much of her examples. She does her research for the point she's trying to push, and says it in a clear and elegant tone, not straying from the topic she's presenting.
However I do disagree with her on some points, and feel she uses one example, without abiding to the same examples or critical thinking process when talking about the male counterparts. I understand that's not the point of the video. After all, it's not "Tropes vs Men in Video Games".
Thanks for reading!
P.S. Quiet sucks. Nothing but a fanservice slut who has no character. The End in Metal Gear Solid 3, who had a total of about 15 minutes of cutscenes, had more depth to him than her if you ask me. Shame on you Kojima for your poor excuse "you'll understand why" when talking about her lack of clothes, even though the character I just mentioned has the same EXACT condition. Also, your game failed in many regards. At this point I wonder if he was trolling or just saying screw it, because he's shown that even a sexualized character like Eva can have character to her and actually use that whole plot point for a reason. But I digress...
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