Gamer Seeks Open-Minded DLCs

Sometimes I wonder why video game creators haven't taken the steps towards making some of their games more customizable in their sex appeal tactics.   I mean, let's face the facts:  video games nowadays are injected with just enough sensuality to hone in on a particular target market.  When the target demographic is male, video games have generous helpings of amply-gifted women whose bouncing breasts can be extras in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon thanks to their skills in defying gravity.  Or the violence meter skyrockets.  When it comes to games that can appeal to women as well, on the other hand, you have loads of colorful imagery, or a heady dose of emotional moments.   Occasionally you have games that try to appeal to both, with both male and female characters dressed suitably enough to tickle the imagination.

Snake versus Samus.
Not bad for a butt battle, eh?

Considering games nowadays are made to have the ability to incorporate new downloadable costumes, music, and the like, why not go the extra step in innovation and make the games customizable to favor what the player hopes to see.  Think of it as having a tweak board where you can have the game favor variables that can be set to a player's preferences.

Heavy Rain decided at the last minute to cancel the peen shot.
Although there are naked women in the game.
Why are people so afraid of the penis?

For example, you have the game Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots.
The game clearly was made to target the male demographic.  Action abounds in the game, but this is nothing compared to the numerous number of beautiful women who are revealing in "just the right way."  Add to that a stress system which can be abated by using the L1 button to stare at breasts during the FMV sequences, and you have a great game with the trappings of serving male fantasies.



And yet, truth be told there have been female and gay players who enjoy the game as well.  I know I was finding the game pretty fun, and while my bisexual side relished the stupidly fun breast peeking moments, it wondered why didn't the game have accommodations to play a similar flirty approach towards the male characters?  Solid Snake, for an old man, was given a fantastic firm ass that deserves to have ogle-options.  Raiden looks bishonen-esque enough to serve the purposes of those into that.  Even Otacon has the adorkable look going.

The Freedom to choose.

Admittedly, this would entail the need of some extra coding, which obviously equates to more work that probably would be the main reason financially why this wouldn't be done.  But let's try a step backwards and take advantage of what already exists.   In MGS4, Snake can wear different forms of clothing for camouflage.  Would it have been too hard to have the option to have him try his missions in nothing but boxer briefs, for the gay gamers would think it would be hilarious to play that way?  Or maybe even an option for Solid Snake to complete a mission dressed in drag?  (James Bond did it)

Wrrarrrr...

Lots of other games currently exist with the option for downloadable content.   Why not capitalize on creating content specifically for your market's preferences that can slip onto your game.  Marvel vs Capcom can easy increase their sales if they offered downloadable skins of the characters in different "artist styles."  I know I'd love to play with Wolverine dressed as he was in Astonishing X-Men.  And I'd have fun if I could play with Megaman dressed in an outfit suggesting how Jim-Lee might have drawn him.

Some modes I think that video game creators should really consider would be the following:

RUSH looks better than that upcoming Voltron movie.

1) Alternate art mode
Can you imagine playing your favorite video game with the main hero appearing more like a painting done by Van Gogh?   Or playing a game like MegaMan, but the graphics are rendered to look photorealistic?  Maybe this is too difficult for now, but it would make playing through a game real fun.   I'd love to have a game that allows me to play from 8-bit look to photo-realistic and anywhere in between when I want it.

There are... hotter images out there.
But I decided to choose the safest looking one hahah!

2) Underwear mode
Clearly this spoof mode would be most popular.  Can you imagine a whole session of Dragon Age with all the cast in the game in their underwear?  Or even if the effect applied ONLY to your character.  The hilarity of a game like Dynasty Warriors when played with heroes stripped to loin cloths and carefully placed leaves would be so crazy it would work.  After all, admit it, when you played SIMS, didn't you at least once try to have the character naked for a long period of time?

I'd so love to play the game with them all looking like this!

3) Wider-range of alternate outfits
Games of the same studio can capitalize on this the most.  Imagine playing FF13, but Lightning instead is dressed like Yuna.  Or in a Moogle outfit.  Or try playing Gears of War, but your heroes are all dressed as civilians instead?  Or highschool football team players?  Wouldn't you want to try playing Heavy Rain with all of them dressed instead for the summer?  Seriousness is not the point, after all.  These are just meant to make replay value fun.

Wouldn't YOU want to play with this Mario Brother?
I know I would!  Hahaha!  The hell with the Princess :-)

4) Alternate target mode
Imagine a typically-male targeted game like God of War, but imagine having the option to play it with the game being more favored towards treating him instead of the women as the sexual objects.  So the camera lingers on his body more.  Any other male characters in the game are dressed provocatively (think 300 if you believe men cannot look sensual and yet still time-appropriate).    Dragon Age already explores the idea of having gay relationships, an idea which I loved when it was first added to The Sims.  Why not make this a DLC for other games?

Tee hee!

5) Alternate build mode
Wouldn't you be curious to see Solid Snake as a hairy bear rather than the gym bunny he is?  Or maybe have fun seeing Kratos as a twink?  I'd love to have the option to have my favorite Dynasty warriors all looking raggedy sweaty and hairy from their battles.  That would add to the hotness of an already testosterone-bloody game.   And I know I'd be curious to see how the same group of heroes would appear if they all had bodies befitting lanky teenagers, just for fun.   (The thought of seeing a geeky man appear, to be reacted to with cries of "Its Lu bu!!!! RUUUUUN!!!" would probably crack me up so much I'd kick the PS3 down.)

My Little Silent Hill Pony for the WIN!

I know these are all unlikely to happen.  A wish thrown out towards the rainbows, I guess.  But I thought it best to share it and who knows... maybe someday someone would be crazy enough to make such a game.  I know I'd buy it.

Geekwood: Sun Jian

This is a guilty pleasure, I will have to admit.

Dynasty Warriors has been a button-mashing game that plain and simply hits me in the right way.  As much as I love role-playing games and deep stories, there is a part of me that truly enjoys the idea of charging headlong into battle and tearing down hundreds if not thousands of enemies like there was no tomorrow.    Those familiar with the game know that every installment of Dynasty Warriors gives you access to a large variety of characters to choose from.   Loosely based on the tale of the Three Kingdoms, Dynasty Warriors has ramped itself up to have slightly more modern touches without totally losing the feel of battling for the unification of ancient China.

And from this game comes today's Geekwood selection:  Sun Jian.

Look at your man, now back at me... 

Known as the "Tiger of Jiang Dong" Sun Jian was a loyal member of the Wu who first appears in Dynasty Warriors 2.  The first Dynasty Warriors game was sort of like a fighting game more than the way the games are played now.  His life began as a young man who outsmarted pirates at age seventeen.  As time passed, Sun Jian would eventually raise over a thousand men to aid Zhu Jun during the Yellow Turban revolution.  When he finally succeeds in bringing down a revolt in Jiang Xia, he is granted governorship of Chang Sha.

I love the outfit!

A pity his tale does not end there.   From his finding of the Imperial Seal in a well and trying to keep it for himself, to his rivalry with Yuan Shao he finds himself becoming bitter enemies with Liu Biao.  Liu Bao's general Lu Gong successfully entices Sun Jian into an ambush and is slain by arrows and thrown rocks.    He only finds peace when Sun Ce finally trades a prisoner in return for his father's body.  He now lies buried in the plains of Qu'e.



Thankfully, since the Sun Jian we promote to Geekwood is based more on the Dynasty Warriors game than any other incarnation, we can ignore the part of him dying (since a computer character never actually lived) and still celebrate his hotness.   With a build that just screams strong and tough, and a goatee that reminds you who is in charge, Sun Jian is one warrior you better be ready to face head on.   As Sun Jian himself said, "The wife of a tiger must be a tiger herself."  So yes, it sounds like Sun Jian only favors versatile partners in his life!

His alternate form reminds me of Sebastian Shaw for some reason.

Interesting, while his sense of fashion is quite basic, he has a flair for working the grey-white hair cut.  Throwing Dragonball Z to shame, Sun Jian boasts a plumage that just reminds you how he is a walking tower of testosterone.  Even his son, Sun Ce, is already sporting a soul patch to mimic his father's goatee.  Makes you wonder if he'll eventually try to capture the fabulousness of his hair too.



I personally relish the fact that Sun Jian celebrates the joy of husky meaty men.  Far too many heroes in Dynasty Warriors are portrayed as lithe yaoi boys with weapons far too large for their own hands.  Sun Jian is a proper man with a back meant for carrying, a chest meant for burying into, and a weapon that's just the right size.  He looks funny though in his "awakened" form in Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce.  Almost like a lovechild of Blanka and Wolverine.

And yes, tiger cape is always in fashion!

It is therefore a pity that he does not appear in John Woo's Red Cliff movies and it doesn't look like he will be having any spotlight anytime soon.  Til something better comes along, I guess we have no choice but to be happy with the games, or your stint in the Three Kingdoms TV series done years back. It is cute, though, that Japanese fans call you "Papa." Somehow, if I ever met you, I know I would have too.  I frankly am surprised no one has made porn yet inspired by this called "TheNasty Warriors"



With the upcoming Dynasty Warriors 7 for the PS3, here's hoping Sun Jian gets a much needed fashion do-over, and perhaps a pants only alternate costume as well!  I'm already loving the much  more atmospheric music (compared to the loud rock stuff of the previous DW games).