Just in case you haven’t already heard, Duke Nukem Forever LIVES. There’s even screenshots. :3
My thread title is cooler. And shinier.
Judging from the title, i assumed this thread was related to the UK comedy show “Balls of Steel”… but anyway…
Been there…done that…
i like the part where the girl shows her boobies
I love the fact we have concurrent threads titled “Linebarrels of Iron” and “Balls of Steel!” 
Am I the only one who finds something ironic about a girl being excited for the return of quite possibly the most misogynistic protagonist in the history of video games?
Why? I get to shoot crap out of stuff and see him die over and over again…is that so wrong? >.>
I play it for the cigars.
Frankly, its better than 20+ page threads of guys ‘white knighting’ female characters that are put into games that don’t conform to their interpretation of how she is supposed to act despite only being in 2-4 games prior (and may or may not include spin-off series that are basically just spin-offs) that go back as far as the NES.
How is Duke Nukem mysoginistic? (no I have never played it.)
What do you think is the most acceptable game / genre / series from a feminist perspective? This isn’t a troll question or anything, I’m just genuinely curious, and I know your knowledge of games is pretty damn vast.
COOKING MAMA BECAUSE SHE’S WHERE SHE BELONGS AMIRITE LOL
Excuse me good sir but we are trying to have a thoughtful discussion here, please do not fill up the forums with your nonsense. Thanks!
According to the old lady, mystery type games like Myst would fit her fancy (or something to do with sewing). She also looses interest or runs out of steam in half an hour so long winded expositions and/or tutorials are a massive barrier of entry to her.
I would say RPGs to a point, as there often is more female characters who take an active role in everything in those than in most other genres - of course, in most of them, like most other plot-driven medium, the ladies have to be rescued at one point or another, and it seems that the tougher they are in-game, the greater the chance that they’ll need said rescue. See: Feena. I suppose the best kind of game feminism-wise is the open-ended RPG where you’re free to chose your gender and that has little to no impact on the actual gameplay.
[STRIKE]Fallout 3 inverts this by having a perk that enables you to be the literal Black Widow. Then again, the reverse applies and you can be a Lady Killer as a male.[/STRIKE] Screw it, blank slates reeeeheeeally don’t count 
Wil: While I wouldn’t go to the absolute misogynist, more like an extreme objectifier. (“Nobody steals our chicks… and lives.” See? He cares.)
Aha, women who are members of rpgclassics like rpgs! I was about to contribute that point to the discussion 
Whoops, sorry I forgot about this thread.
To be honest, it’s hard to say that ANY particular games, genres or series are consistently good about portraying women positively. Duke Nukem is the most blatantly misogynistic figure in gaming, but just about every game I can think of puts women down in indirect ways. Japanese games in particular really sexualize women to extreme measures (American games do too, but there’s something kind of extra-sickening about the way Japanese games do it). Most games that avoid objectifying women are games that really dodge a lot of extreme gender stereotypes altogether. The problem is, by doing that, they don’t really do much to give a positive image of women, either. Games like this are Panzer Dragoon Saga, Hotel Dusk, the Castlevania series, the Front Mission series, or the Ace Attorney series. Most of the dialogue in these games gives me this feeling like every character is the same person, and the story just requires multiple characters to make conversations out of the dialogue.
If you’re aware of the Talcott Parsons’s model for gender roles, there are two extremes: one is complete segregation of roles (The man does all the work, the woman cooks and cleans, etc.) and one is complete homogenization of gender roles (Men and women take equal part in all activities). The reality is that gender roles in society never adhere strictly to these extremes, which is pretty obvious; however, video games tend to assign gender roles based on one of either two extremes, making it hard to find one that actually lauds women for being women.
The other side of this are popular female protagonists of today like Lara Croft of Tomb Raider, who seem ridiculous, unfeasibly badass, and just want everyone to know how fucking cool she is. They are tough and independent; but on top of usually still being hyper-sexualized, their personalities are so over-the-top that they come off as caricatures. Specifically, they really seem like a woman made up by a man: impossibly attractive, frequently wearing clothing that would make any living straight man do a double take, while acting like a macho man with testosterone poisoning.
Final Fantasy 7’s Aeris is one of my favorite examples of a strong, realistically-portrayed woman. Her appearance is feminine, but not overly sexual in a way that I imagine no self-respecting woman would display for just anyone. While it’s true that Cloud meets her in a situation where she needs help, even that particular situation avoids being a damsel-in-distress scenario by making her rescue a joint effort between her and Cloud. She is classy and refined, but when she talks with Cloud, she even demonstrates realistic sexual confidence that you don’t really see often in a video game script. While her significance in the storyline as the last member of an ancient race with crazy magical powers is likely not familiar to anyone, she understands the responsibilities that come with it and rises to occasion. She is smart, capable, and independent without shoving it down your throat. On the flipside, Tifa is almost the total opposite of Aeris, and all the other characters are just a personification of one single personality quirk, so Final Fantasy 7 is not exactly a shining example of female empowerment, either.
One of the only particular games I can think of which might make a feminist happy is Skies of Arcadia. Its female protagonists - Aika and Fina - are portrayed as females in a positive way. They appear feminine without being overdone and fit into broad personality archetypes that are more common in women, while at the same time avoiding scenes which make them seem meek and inept without a man’s help to do everything. I’ll let you know if I think of more…but the video game medium is still very sexist, so it’s pretty rare to see.
Skies of Arcadia also gives us a seen where you can peek at Aika while she’s changing (in the end, all that is down is her hair). And the I’ll Get My Man If It’s The Last Thing I Do Clara. Also a belly dancer (whose ship is pretty much a dildo).