So, I keep a fairly attentive eye out for new mods for a game called Oblivion - a very nicely done fantasy rpg with lots of combat action goodness. Today someone uploaded a mod titled 'violent arena poster', which was to include a replacement artwork (which he acknowledges is not his) for posters that can be found throughout the main city in the game. This is the offending image, for those who want to see it: Screenshot It's a nearly naked woman being backstabbed by a nearly naked masked barbarain, with his sword rupturing through her cleavage and blood going everywhere. One of the first comments posted about it was, as you might expect, saying how revolting this was and that it glorified violence against women. what amazed me was the back-lash against that. This is a link to the comments about the file. I'm trying hard not to get depressed at some of the reactions. Name: Violent Arena Poster - Gaming Source Network Forums
I don't know anything at all about the game, and the first two pages of that thread started my brain on the slippery slope to meltdown, but it looks like a typical, fairly amateur fantasy picture to me. I mean it's not rubbish, but some of the body parts look a bit odd.
Yeah, agreed on all counts. It's the 'brain on the path to meltdown' factor that causes me to regret every time I go looking at a video game forum. And as for the picture, wether or not it's condoning or encouraging violence against women (and i think there's an awful lot to be said about the rape imagry/metaphor inherent in the thing), i'm not that partial to deformed camel toes.
The picture - is it meant a picture at all, or is it a screenshot? That would explain its unnatural look regarding anatomy. (If it was a screenshot - oh well. If it is meant to be a picture -a piece of art... you would have to seriously question the knowledge of female anatomy of this artist more so than the intention of the picture.) It is not that it is being discussed at all which is worrying me - more the how. I only scanned the first two pages. For now, If I had to pick one of the comments, I would pick this one: And these -in similar discussions I've followed as well as this quick scan- really get on my nerve... Yes. And guys from game forums know so much about these issues, those weather beaten warriors. It all comes from the hardships of spending your youth behind a keyboard. :rollseyes: Sorry for not thinking out any of my own.But this was easier for a sleep deprived person, and spares us actually transporting the discussion over here if we don't want to.
I agree with Hsing's pulled quotes and comments. The forum posts I read there made my brain hurt and melt slightly... Having played Oblivion, I have to agree that it's inaccurate in regards to the Arena. Everyone wears at least some armor if they don't want to be the 'killed' in the 'kill or be killed' theme. But on the plus, those forums reminded me why I only frequent this board and not videogame boards. Also, why I don't play Oblivion much any more... Sorry, I think that was incoherent, but in my defense, I just got off work and am very tired...
I don't know which is worse, the picture or that people aren't seeing anything wrong with the picture? So it seems that because the world is crap its OK to come up with pictures that reflect the crap. I just can't help feeling that there is a difference between reflecting the world and perpetuating its negativities*. *As this phrase contains so many syllables I'm Trade marking it as a symbol of my intellectual superiority
**yawns** Now I rremember why I don't visit gamer forums. Apart from the risk of bumping into Garner.
quiet, frenchie. That is indeed a screenshot... of a picture. So the bizzarities of the image are the original artist's fault. (I notice no one had complained about the guy who uploaded the mod stealing the artwork, at least since the last time i checked the comments). and Oblivion's a great game. Sure there's violence in it, but the violence is not realistic nor is it the *Reason* for playing the game. unlike, say, soldier of fortune II. man that game was fun...
I'm at work. Opening a link to anything with "cameltoes" in the description would be extremely ill advised. Woe onto you, Garner - now I have to wait until I get home.
Neither of Garner's links seem to work now. Well not for me anyway. I wanted to see what else has been said.
It would appear someone complained and the mod got pulled. in response to the criticism, the guy uploaded another, alternate bit of artwork used to replace the poster in the game. This one had the woman winning the fight. that was pretty much its sole description. It was a (clothed) woman or halfling with an axe standing over a severed male giant (or human) head.
PC as in Politically Correct or as in Computer ? If there is a god of PC computers, he may have loads of worshippers, but he is definitely less cool than the god of Mac.
The Morrowind forums were tolerable when I posted in them, if only because they attracted a fairly strong core poster group that was usually entrenched in the role-playing section. I never did read the mod sections much. I see now that I was fortunate.
