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New research on female video characters: Female gamers prefer playing as highly sexualized characters, despite disliking them

cormack12

Gold Member
Source: https://www.psypost.org/new-research-on-female-video-game-characters-uncovers-a-surprising-twist/
(.....much more at link)

.... in a surprising twist, female participants—despite generally disliking highly sexualized characters—were more likely to choose these characters when given the option to play as one.

The study sheds light on why, even in today’s gaming landscape, character design matters—and how different types of interactions, from watching to playing, shape player perceptions. A character’s sex appeal and strength both play a role in how players perceive them, but these perceptions shift depending on whether players are simply watching or actively engaging with the character.

Experiment 1: The Impact of Viewing Female Characters​

The first experiment included 239 undergraduate students from a communication program, with the majority of participants identifying as female. Ages varied from 18 to 51, though the group was generally younger. The researchers created four distinct types of female characters using SOULCALIBUR VI: each character was customized to represent one of four combinations of sexualization and strength—high sexualization with high strength, high sexualization with low strength, low sexualization with high strength, and low sexualization with low strength.

At the end of the viewing session, participants also completed a selection survey, choosing which of the characters they would prefer to play.

Interesting gender-based differences emerged in character preferences. Female participants generally disliked highly sexualized characters but were more likely to choose characters with high femininity traits (typically associated with higher sexualization cues) when given a choice. Male participants, on the other hand, gravitated toward characters that were strong yet less sexualized, indicating different gender-based preferences in the interpretation of character traits.

“That said, I was surprised to see that in our first study women still selected the most sexualized character when asked which character they would choose to play. It’s important to remember that this character was also rated as the most feminine, so it’s possible that women were just selecting the character they most identified with.”


Experiment 2: The Impact of Active Control on Impressions of Female Characters​

Building on these findings, the researchers conducted a second experiment to assess whether controlling a character (rather than passively viewing) would affect participants’ perceptions. This experiment involved 438 undergraduate students, following a similar design with the same four character types as in the first experiment. However, instead of watching pre-recorded clips, participants played as one of the four character types in a live, simulated combat session.

Gender differences were again observed in this experiment, specifically around the competence ratings. Female participants viewed high-strength characters as more competent compared to low-strength characters, while this difference was not significant among male participants. This difference suggests that female participants may have a stronger positive response to strength in female characters, perceiving them as more effective or capable.
 

cormack12

Gold Member
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Hari Seldon

Member
Garbage science aside (only surveying undergraduate students in the communications department means that the conclusions only apply to undergraduate students in the communications department at this particular university and nowhere else), I bet these results would be far more overwhelming if it was the general population and not the subset of the population that is being overwhelmed with feminism at university.
 
Well yeah. My mother and sister's reaction when I was trying out the Concord beta was to point at the characters and say "eww" and talk about how ugly the characters are. They also, unsprisingly, compliment how good the game looks when it has beautiful environments and characters. Everyone wants to look at and play as attractive characters, no matter male or female. There is a reason why actors are attractive. Humans like admiring beauty, be it in nature or other humans.
 

kevm3

Member
Most females aside from the weird, agenda-driven SJW types loved Eve's design in Stellar Blade. Women, unless they are programmed to say otherwise, love to model themselves after beautiful women. Somehow the minority has gotten a hold of the entertainment industry and tried to force unattractive and masculine women on us.
 
Wouldn't that just mean female gamers....don't dislike them?

Most females aside from the weird, agenda-driven SJW types loved Eve's design in Stellar Blade. Women, unless they are programmed to say otherwise, love to model themselves after beautiful women. Somehow the minority has gotten a hold of the entertainment industry and tried to force unattractive and masculine women on us.

Yep. Virtually every female streamer I saw playing Stellar Blade loved Eve's design and thought she was sexy. They didn't think their existence was being "offended" in any way due to Eve.

Honestly, it's probably mainly straight borderline abusive/controlling cis men and gay men who bitterly loathe women (in both cases, absolutely not being the majority of cis or gay men), who are the ones pushing narratives of female characters being too sexualized or offensive. They speak of only themselves, but project that onto everyone.
 
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The Cockatrice

I'm retarded?
Interesting. I like playing with handsome white males, but not sexualized nor do I particularly want to play as a sexualized female character, but someone more serious and good looking(for example I'd never play as Miranda from ME, but instead id play as Tali). That being said, companions/romance options are a different thing.
 

StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
I think in general men and women would rather play good looking characters than ugly or normies. That’s part of the excitement in entertainment.

No different than tv shows and movies.

Does it have to be best looking people? No. I don’t think people expect models in a mafia show or Kramer vs Kramer. But in something for fantasy like games, superhero flicks, fun romps like comedy movies I think people expect some extra eye candy which adds to the total package of fun.
 

jason10mm

Gold Member
To the shock of NO ONE.

It's not just the "Sexiness", but rather that competence and confidence of the character. Consider Red Sonja
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no one really expects a chick to run around in a chainmail bikini but she is slaughtering EVERYONE and she usually has a fun personality so she is a great character and I bet lots of women would like to play as her in a game. Her 'look' is iconic, sexy, and to no surprise when she is shown in a 'more realistic' outfit she loses a lot of her swagger and feels more generic and oddly more exploitative. Her bikini is HER BEING HER, and it feeds into the super-human tasks she completes, other depictions just seem like a front.
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Not that I put a lot, or any really, faith in the conclusions of tests like this, but in the world of marketing you gotta work with what you have.
 
Well yeah. My mother and sister's reaction when I was trying out the Concord beta was to point at the characters and say "eww" and talk about how ugly the characters are. They also, unsprisingly, compliment how good the game looks when it has beautiful environments and characters. Everyone wants to look at and play as attractive characters, no matter male or female. There is a reason why actors are attractive. Humans like admiring beauty, be it in nature or other humans.
Yup. Any attempt to deny this is just ugly people coping.
 
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SlimySnake

Flashless at the Golden Globes
Anyone who knows women knows women are hypocrites. they hate all women in their lives but then band together the moment you say any negative about women. its like a reflex.

ive been in arguments where i started off agreeing with women on how toxic other women can be, and ended with those same women ganging up on me for basically agreeing with them.
 

StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
Women in general are quite hypocritical. Not surprised by this
If you want to see biggest hypocritical claims by women, talk to them about dating guys.

I’ve had hilarious chats with them when a bunch of us were all doing online dating apps.

They claim it’s not about looks or money. Being a good father, mature and sense of humour is most important. Then talk to them about money and every one of them except one said he has to make $100,000 or more. There was one who said if he makes $75,000-100,00 is ok. That’s when match.com used to have income bracket metrics.

Then we’d bring up what if he’s a great guy but makes $50,000 with an avg job. And most literally snubbed their nose as if they were grossed out by a guy making $50/yr…. No thanks. He’s not touching my money!

At least when the women quizzed us guys about stuff we all admitted that we we went for good looking women right off the bat. And all of us were equal saying that job income wasn’t that important. We all agreed that as long she’s doing something and not sitting around all day that’s ok. None of us said shit about she has to make a minimum $100,000 or anything like that.

These hilarious chats came from a bunch of us around the same job rank and income at the office at the time.
 
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Kataploom

Gold Member
I know a handful women that hate reboot Lara design because of that, they really hate her, I was arguing with one of them defending why I thought it was great (previous to Rise, btw) and it didn't end well with my friend getting mad for me "being stupid" lmao
 
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Flintty

Member
I just tried this (kinda) on my Mrs.

Thing from Concorde V Mercy (Overwatch): Mercy wins. Femininity and curves are not evil.

Nathan V Lara: Depends. Would usually choose female unless she fancied some muscular eye candy.

2B V Eve (default suit): Eve wins. Moderate sexualisation is fine but given a choice, she would rather not be flashing her knickers.

Glad I have a normal Mrs.
 

SHAKEZ

Member
I've played as highly sexualized beautiful male characters all these years in gaming, I don't want to play as an ugly fat fuck.
Hell even E.Honda is shredded and sexualized.
 

DeepEnigma

Gold Member
I don't believe females dislike them at all. Just look at how they dress on social media or when they go out to a club.

I do believe those cosplaying as a female, or those warped by third wave quackery are the ones that claim to "dislike" them.

Actual attractive women whom want to play as actual attractive characters, do not dislike them.
 
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mckmas8808

Mckmaster uses MasterCard to buy Slave drives
Most females aside from the weird, agenda-driven SJW types loved Eve's design in Stellar Blade. Women, unless they are programmed to say otherwise, love to model themselves after beautiful women. Somehow the minority has gotten a hold of the entertainment industry and tried to force unattractive and masculine women on us.

The same as men. Dudes want to look like 30 year old Tom Cruise, not someone unattractive.
 

Toots

Gold Member

New research on female video characters: Female gamers prefer playing as highly sexualized characters, despite [SAYING they dislike] them​


News flash : everything is performative in today's society and people are moved by the same affects as their ancestors, they only try to act like they are not.
 
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