"I'm probably spoiled having grown up in this era instead of in a previous one, but I don't like that we're allowed to discuss what's "female-friendly" -- and yet, generally feel comfortable already assuming what's "male-friendly" (guns! explosions! boobs!), permitting girls' club attitudes while boys' clubs are conceptually frowned upon."

Thank you.

With all due respect, while you may be offended by the thought of people being so fragile as to be influenced by the physical appearances of video game characters, studies have already shown that we are.

Here is one:
http://www.endsights.com/?p=464

This discussion reminds me of the differing fates of the Barbie doll (Launched in 1959 by Mattel) and the Tammy doll (Launched by Ideal in 1962). Barbie was conceived from the beginning as an aspirational product: Girls could project their fantasies about how they themselves wanted to be as adult women onto the adult body of their Barbie. Tammy, on the other hand was more in line with toy design thinking at the time: her body was molded to look like the very same adolescent girl who would actually be playing with her. The Tammy line was discontinued in 1966, while Barbie went on to become a lasting icon. One interpretation of this disparity was that adolescent girls hungered for a fabulous ideal to aspire to, but didn't want a reminder of the somewhat awkward, limited selves that they really were. Barbie represented a dream, and Tammy represented reality, and girls bought the dream.
The obvious, and legitimate, retort to this argument is "what kind of dream are we encouraging, here? Isn't Barbie just teaching girls that they should spend all of their time collecting sexy outfits and wearing bling-bling jewelry on a body that can only be attained by surgical enhancement?" I leave that line of thought to semioticians and feminist theorists more qualified than I. I also acknowledge that as a man, I have no right to hyppothesize about what women may or may not want. But it seems to me that Lara Croft was always conceived as an idealized fantasy, and as a woman who uses her own wits, strength and initiative to get what she wants, on her own terms, she ain't necessarily a bad role model.

Yes, and watching 300 makes me want to go to the gym and lift weights. But so what? Good fiction (theater, movies, novels, etc.) often idealizes human qualities and move people to better themselves. That's a good thing.

If you feel inferior the best thing to do is take action! Just realize what is vain and what is not.

I think Mr. Brent meant to say "Schumacher era" instead of "Michael Keaton era," but I'm assuming he said that just to name-drop The Dark Knight -- the PR go-to when referring to reinvigorated franchises (he really should have said "Batman Begins," but that's asking too much).

The "female-friendly" moniker scares me as well, in the same way "edutainment," and "casual" has. It's such a vague term, yet it usually indicates a turn for the worse by falling back on firmly established game design elements. I can only imagine the next Tomb Raider game is going to feature Lara's social life through a series of match-3 minigames. *shudder*

I really don't know why Eidos is even considering a makeover in the first place; 1.5 million in sales is nothing to sneeze at. All the Tomb Raider franchise needs is a new approach to marketing, by focusing more on the game and less on Lara. (Do they really need to hire a model for every release?)

While I agree with the sentiment that the overall problem here is not actually being addressed in an effective or appropriate way, I think part of this piece is off the mark.

This isn't really -about- what mature females find comfortable or don't find comfortable. Really what it is about is setting examples for impressionable young people. And while this whole issue is not restricted to females, the fact that it is universal doesn't mean it's not worth addressing.

I don't think that Lara Croft is the worst offender(perhaps one of the lesser ones at best), but the presence of male-oriented idealistic women in the media(not just games) has always been accepted to be a negative force on the development of young females. Games are not immune to this concept.

I can play GTA IV and walk away from it a mature male, but I would not trust a child to do the same, whether they are male or female. And as a student of psychology, I am well aware that people -are- reliably influenced by their experiences with common role models found in the media and games. It is the fact that the 'average' female seen in games raises the expectations of young females to unachievable heights, or otherwise put them into the unfortunate position of believing their general purpose is to appeal to a male ideal of females, that this sort of movement is trying to address. Not so much appealing to your comfort level.

I will also note that there is far less pressure among males to achieve unrealistic masculine, physical ideals. While there is a pressure to look good, the average female expectations for men are decidedly different than the male-fantasy men like Conan or what have you.

So basically, the point is that men are fascinated by physically strong male characters, so they create them. Men are also fascinated by physically attractive females, so they create them. Put very simply, and by no means meant to be universally true: It's a male-imagined world, idealistic from the male perspective. And that in itself implies an imbalance that is worth addressing.

To be honest I'm sick of superficial characters and overly idealistic or unrealistic portrayals of both genders. So on that final point, I agree wholeheartedly.

I think Eidos should worry less about Lara's sexuality and more about putting in some decent camera controls and level design. Having Lara stop killing endangered species wouldn't hurt, either.

This makeover talk seems to be all coming from the publisher. And I hate it since it really is coming from a marketing perspective as opposed to creativity and innovation-- the actual driving forces behind the popularity of a franchise. The successful reboot after Angel of Darkness had everything to do with the new game mechanics introduced by Crystal Dynamics, not because of a pseudo-feminist overhaul of the character.

Hopefully Crystal Dynamics will have the good sense to ignore these sentiments. It's nonsense to think that sales were below expectations because suddenly people decided Lara Croft wasn't female friendly enough. The character has been going into a more positive direction, and I don't gamers have any real problems with it (no new ones, anyway).

Kris, you're right though that media has all kind of influences on prejudices of children, and I would extend that really to adults as well. So negative, superficial representations of gender in games are going to affect people in some way even despite how self-aware one may be.

I just think that this criticism must be separate from the first amendment rights. That is, I believe people should have the legal right to let themselves be brainwashed in any way they desire, just as they know what they're getting themselves into.

I agree very strongly with what Kris has to say about this. I'm going to comment on one particular flawed argument in the article, which I hear all the time from people (emphasis mine):

"I don't like the idea that women are so fragile that sexy fantasy women should never be allowed in video games -- *especially when we allow sexy fantasy men.*"

I have heard this response since the argument began comparing characters in Street Fighter II. The idea was that "Chun-Li wears skimpy clothes, but so does Zangief!" Rendering sexism moot. But this is far from the case.

Zangief's design isn't meant for people to drool over. His exposed body isn't meant to turn us on, it is meant to express his manhood, his strength. By contrast, the exposed flesh of Chun-Li is there for viewers to lust after.

I've never seen girl gamers pausing the game to get a good view of Zangief's package. However, I have seen guys trying to get a glimpse of Chun-Li's panties. Zangief's expression of strength means he is to be feared, Chun-Li's sexuality means she is to be violated. Learned cultural bias is inherent in these reactions, but it is also inherent in the character designs themselves.

I would definitely agree that male characters in videogames are "overdosed with testosterone", which is unhealthy for boys and teaches them the wrong message about what it means to be a man. But this stereotyping also reinforces the notion that men are the ones with power, and women are there for the enjoyment of men.

This message continues even when the main character is female, following the "Halloween costume" effect: The male Halloween costume assumes a role (for example, "vampire"), while the female costume is always a "sexy" variation on that role. The message, whether direct or implied, is that the real purpose of women is to be sexy, while men are the ones with the "real" role.

Indiana Jones was the original tomb raider, Laura Croft is the "sexy" tomb raider. The same implication is present here: Laura is a tomb raider, yes, but since she is female, it is primarily her job to be sexy. If she is not sexy, then she has failed in her role and as a character.

It is rare that a male character is actually intended to be eye-candy. This does happen (for example, in many Square games), but even then there is a similar implication that the men are the ones with power. When the women are victorious over the men, it is despite their position in the hierarchy of power, not because of it.

The point of this essential feminist argument isn't that "men are all bad and evil and women should take over". The point is that we need to admit to the current stereotypes and what they teach--both female *and* male characters--and then find healthier, more balanced depictions of the sexes.

This doesn't even mean that all hyper-sexed females and macho men are "bad". Those types do have their place. But what we need is a *greater range* of character depictions in videogames (and other media) so that these two roles are no longer considered the default, and there is no longer the subconscious expectation for all men and women to conform to them.

I don't know why Eidos obsesses over her character so much.

Lara barely even qualifies as a character. she is T and A designed to sell games to 14 year old boys. thats really it. And that worked for years, but the audience has grown up and expect a little more (same goes for the endless supply of hardcore space marine soldiers in Sci-fi shooters.)

She isn't a good mascot and never was because she never had any personality or uniqueness. Once gamers grow up enough to not be satisfied with sexuality, TR lost what little it had as a series.

Plus, after so many ok to terrrible sequels, does it really suprise them that sales are dropping? how long do they think they can milk this mediocre series?

This older female thinks Lara is fine just as she is. Now Ivy is another matter. lol

I was playing the Tomb Raider:Underworld demo a few weeks back. My girlfriend walked into the room, and almost immediately had a reaction along the lines of "What kind of pervert would make something like that!" This is the perception of video games that many non-gamers, especially women, have of the game industry, and I do think that it's damaging to the industry as a whole. Video games are still viewed by many women as masculine wish fulfillment; to a large extent they're correct. *That* is the problem: that many women don't play video games because all they see is the big bulky men of Gears of War and the absurdly proportioned Tomb Raider and think "That's not something I'm interested in."

I think something interesting to note on this topic, is that games that feature female characters who are more realistic are often much more enjoyable. I'll take Beyond Good and Evil or either of The Longest Journey games over Tomb Raider any day. Silent Hill 3 and Metal Gear Solid 3 also both come to mind as games with very strong, non-male-fantasy female characters, and those games were better because of it.

How does Chun-Li's sexuality mean she is to be violated? I've never heard of this particualr atavism. Maybe that's becuase I belong to a culture which has seen rape as a more serious crime than murder for several hundred years now, but "toy" seems like the last thing to come to mind when a sexy woman is in sight. In fact, the prevailing sexist stereotype around here is that of sexy women as manipulative witches who will seduce you, take all your money from you and then dump you. It's a different kind of power - obviously not the one men are supposed to have, but effective nonetheless.

There is a cultural convention which says women are supposed to be pretty, and men are supposed to admire their beauty. The same convention says it's inappropriate for men to be pretty (shaved legs, anyone?), and it's inappropriate for women to drool over men. A man who doesn't recognise a woman as a "sex object" is dangerously unfit ("he must be gay, isn't that contagious?"). A woman who does recognise a man as a "sex object" is a slut. Games that fill themselves with women who look slutty and men who look powerful are in compliance with this whole set of social norms, and not just the simplified version of "me horny, you fertile, hurr hurr".

But Lara Croft doesn't look nor move like a slut. She behaves like a self-confident adventure seeker who also happens to be sexy. Her setup is such that it allows male players to comply with their social role, but Lara herself isn't bound by the traditional convention.

This is further complicated by the fact that female "sexiness" and plain fitness are largely related. Draw a young, fit woman with nice facial features, and she will be sexy by default, even if she doesn't wear shorts nor makeup. Are we going to populate our games with women who are overweight and have celulitis? Lara's looks are a straw man partly because you can reduce her boobs by 75% and make her wear a fur coat, but her BMI is still going to be under 25, and most people cannot achieve that.

Another problem is that stereotypes for genders are expressed in different ways. Stereotypical woman is largely described by things she is supposed to be: she needs to be pretty, and she needs to be a dame (including the part about sending her knight out to hunt a dragon for her - who rules whom in this case?). Stereotypical man is described by things he is not supposed to do: he isn't supposed to wear skirts; he isn't supposed to say "please"; he isn't supposed to read poetry; and for the love of God, don't even think about spending your wife's money! (historically, your wife wasn't supposed to have any money of her own, but I think this particular taboo has been succesfully put to sleep already) Hence the male stereotype is just as strong as the female one, but it's more "hidden". I mean, what kind of clothes would you need to wear in order to show everybody how big your penis is? So, again, you can make Lara less sexy, but you will not have budged the social convention by a milimeter. Imagine a game in which the badguys are calm and sophisticated. Or a game in which they are actually all-female and the protagonist is an oppressed nerd (that one would be called utterly sexist, I'm sure of it).

In conclusion - if you want to get rid of the bad, bad stereotypes, stop boiling it down to boobs. Take care of social roles instead. Personally, I find Gears of War to be a much worse offender than Tomb Raider.

Ah, Lara Croft, such a debate stirrer.

Honestly, I've always found that the Tomb Raider franchise has done a worse job of handling its gameplay limitations than its story limitations. After all, the mix of jumping, shooting and exploration has been pretty much the same in all iterations. While action games went from Mario 64 to CD's own Soul Reaver to Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, Lara has been shimmying across the same ledge, so to speak.

On the other hand, I've always found Lara Croft a pretty unoffensive character. She has always come across like a female James Bond, highly sexualized, but also systematically strong and in control. As somebody else commented, that somehow seems less offensive and sexist than the high-school jock mentality of Gears of War.

Of course, that's not the general perception the image of Lara Croft projects, so even a cosmetic reinvention could be helpful. At least it would get the franchise some free publicity after a few years in wihch Tomb Raider games sort of blended together.

I'll second sentiments that the gameplay might be the problem. I don't feel fully qualified in the sentiment myself since I haven't played a Tomb raider game since the first 2, but for all the marketing and advertising of each iteration, I look into it and decide that very little seems to have changed since I stopped playing the franchise.

Something that echoes with me is the concept that the franchise itself just isn't aimed at me (Male, mid twenties). Not that I wouldn't really enjoy playing a 3rd person action adventure with a treasure hunting, trap ridden environment theme, it sounds great. But the execution always seems different to what I'd be looking for, so I go for something else.

Any male playing tomb raider when a (especially non-gamer) woman comes into the room pretty much has a negative reaction to her appearance. That said breast reduction is probably not going to help lara sell more copies, but the free publicity might.

Any male playing tomb raider when a (especially non-gamer) woman comes into the room pretty much has a negative reaction to her appearance. That said breast reduction is probably not going to help lara sell more copies, but the free publicity might.

I don't think the whole body image issue is as important as people assume it is. It's all about context. Take for example actors. Christina Hendricks who plays Joan Holloway in the TV series Mad Men--she is what people describe as having a Jessica Rabbit figure, yet I have yet to see any negative comments about the way she looks on the show or in person. In fact, her female fans gush about her curvaceous womanly figure and that they all wished they looked liked her. How do you explain that? It's the same thing with Jennifer Connelly--she's had a huge female following ever since the film Labyrinth, and she's also got that Jessica Rabbit type figure, and is known to have flaunt it in numerous films.

The difference between Lara Croft and the characters those actresses play is depth of emotions that comes from good writing and acting. A good writer with good actors can make a character very real--not just a caricature. Bad writing will attempt to give a character personality and emotions, but they are contrived and not heart-felt. If a talented writer were to take over the task of humanizing Lara Croft, we'd see a very different character, even if nothing about her appearance changes.

You're not going to stop young male players lusting after skantily clad female game characters. Teenage boys will lust over images of topless african women in national geographic if there's nothing else available.
Dressing Lara in a burka won't solve her image problem and will inevitably drive away the only group still playing those games. (the T and A brigade)
Speaking as a woman who really enjoyed the first couple of Lara Croft games, I was never intimidated by her, rather I thought her gung-ho adventurism and wits were a great role-model. Women gamers do not, as a whole, get intimidated by sexy female characters (doing so is indicative of a deeper problem unrelated to video games), rather we get annoyed when those characters have larger cup sizes than than brains.
The issue I generally have is how these women act, rather than how they look. Lara slowly lost her personality over the series and became a pretty, hollow shell. So I stopped playing.
Don't take away her hotpants, give her back her integrity as a well-written character.

The article's too subjective, thus unprofessional.

It's called an opinion piece Andrius.

Eidos might as well have Lara go adventuring in a swimsuit. lol

I'm joking! Though, well written stories that add personality and soul to Lara couldn't hurt.

Hmm...there do seem to be a lot of men pontificating on the feelings of women in this debate. Odd that.

Also, I can't image that "women" think anything en masse. Women, men, and everyone in between are capable of thinking for themselves. Some will be offended or intimidated (there clearly are some offended men here). Others will not. Still other will like the fact that they can be both unrealistically-attractive AND raid tombs. Seems like fun to me, and perhaps more importantly to my wife.

Just one more point: if it is the purview of video games to teach young people their prevailing lessons on gender role, then we have a big problem. I would have thought that parenting or one's immediate social group might have a more profound impact.

Tomb Raider’s success seemed to rely on the 3d model over the actual game play, so when game play was improved, no one really noticed because it has already been established that Tomb Raider is Laura Croft. She has a “tough girl” feel to her, which is great, but it could be played more upon. Give her some “kick A and chew gum” hotkeys. Push it more. Maybe then she can appeal somewhat to women. What girl doesn’t like a female bad @ss? When immersing oneself into a game like that, it can be assumed the player will project a part of his/herself into the main character. Little girls will worship Barbie but won’t look twice at Tomb Raider. Laura is not in the same genre as Barbie, but little girls aren’t all the same either. Dressing Laura in pink isn’t going to sell her nor is reducing her cup size. Whatever Laura’s strong point may be has to be communicated and hopefully it’s somewhat creative whether it be her personality or her background. Curvaceous women look neat but they aren’t exactly creative. It may have worked when there were five games to choose from, but there’s more competition, now. Sex sells. It’s unfortunate when I see video games inch towards that end of marketing. As for future generations, I’m one of many to say I’ve been partly raised by the Atari and NES - barrel jumping, dot eating, and goomba stomping.

I find it interesting also that the vast majority of comments here have been from men. First of all, as a female gamer and mother of gamers, as well as a member of the game development industry--THANK YOU to the author of this editorial. There just aren't enough women, even now, speaking up about the issues that are "supposed" to be important to women.

Second, I totally agree with both the author and those women who have commented. It's not Lara's cup size, her overall proportions, or her sexiness that are or could be seen as offensive. On the contrary, for the most part I too have seen her as intelligent, courageous, and adventurous, as well as quite obviously physically fit. Who wouldn't want their little girls to have that as a role model?

What is offensive to me, and to most other women I've spoken to who actually play games, is when a woman is shown to be two-dimensional, unintelligent, or otherwise is stereotyped. Stereotypes are offensive regardless of gender. I liked Gears of War and its sequel, but I did find the tremendous overexaggeration of the Gears took me out of the story quite a bit. Personally, I find Japanese games quite often still more guilty of stereotyping female characters than not, though they are getting better. But that's part of their cultural baggage as well.

I actually encourage my girls to consume media products that contain strong, kick-butt heroines in the Lara Croft vein. I am fond of them myself. As Amy Hong stated, what girl doesn't like to watch a fit, sexy, intelligent and courageous girl kick some butt? Whether it's human bad guys, or monsters, watching a girl kick butt is enormously entertaining for me.

I think that Eidos or any other development company should fous on what women who actually *play the types of games they make* say they want. Sure, there are tons of women who don't play or who only play casual games--but there are PLENTY of girl gamers out there who love to kick, punch, role-play, or frag with the best of them. I know girls who play in just about every genre, and most of them are as competitive as the guys I know. So focus on making a GOOD GAME, with strong mechnics, great graphics, and creative storylines with empathetic characters and you will sell your game, both to men and women.

From the guy point of view, I have to agree she's pretty much sexy because she's fit. They could tone down the boob size and use more 'realistic clothing. But guys would still find her sexy.

It is unfortunately somewhat natural that mostly guys have responded to this- since unfortunately there are far more men than women in the game dev industry. (I resent the implication that guys shouldn't have, or make known their opinion on this.)

Based off comments I've heard and seen (especially from my wife as her character levelled up in fable 2) we could definitely use more women in the art departments. In fable two, you start out as an attractive younger woman... but as you might (and probably will) put points in physique.... you end up looking more brutish and manly. Her reaction was disapointment that her character couldn't be pretty and kick butt. Her sister and my daughter also shared the same reaction.
Apperantly, at least for some women, games may be wish fulfulment. Is there a middle ground where a female character can be beautiful/pretty/fit without coming off as the extreme? Frankly just about every game I've seen that tries to portray the 'average joe' comes off as bland or boring.

A possible exception- how is zoey from left 4 dead percieved? She struck me as attactive but far from a dead or alive. Is that game going to be any more 'female friendly' than Tomb Raider because of it? Given that my daughter enjoys exploration rather than mowing down zombies... I doubt it.

- But of course 'blocking' a whole group of people based on a few members is idiocy. You can find tendency's of female gamers to not dig x and y franchise... but there are way too many society factors to balance on that front.

Jacek, your response further illustrates my point.

"Maybe that's becuase I belong to a culture which has seen rape as a more serious crime than murder for several hundred years now."

And yet rape (especially date rape) goes largely unreported in a culture that encourages degrading treatment of women and notions like "sexy women are sluts and are asking for it" and that silence is implied consent. On the surface we are against rape, but in truth it happens all the time, rarely with any consequence to the rapist.

"In fact, the prevailing sexist stereotype around here is that of sexy women as manipulative witches who will seduce you, take all your money from you and then dump you."

This "power" is viewed as an evil, undesirable trait, whereas male power is treated as the respectable ideal. This concept of the "wicked woman" has been the basis of misogynistic attitudes throughout history, especially in religion.

"Draw a young, fit woman with nice facial features, and she will be sexy by default, even if she doesn't wear shorts nor makeup. Are we going to populate our games with women who are overweight and have celulitis?"

This is a great example of how polarized the view of women has become. Your conclusion is that a woman is either pretty or hideous, leaving no room for anything in-between. There are many women who are young and fit, but do not have features that are considered "pretty" (at least, not magazine/TV/videogame pretty). However they are ignored and considered the rare exception, regardless of their commonality, because they don't fit the stereotype. There are also women who aren't fit, but also are not obese. However by typical standards, if a woman isn't skinny, she is therefore obese or fat. The same goes for age--a woman is either young and sexy, or old and undesirable.

"So, again, you can make Lara less sexy, but you will not have budged the social convention by a milimeter."

I don't agree. There is a growing number of female characters who don't fit that type, thankfully--look at Valve's games (Portal, Left 4 Dead, Half-Life 2), Beyond Good and Evil, and others, but they are by far outnumbered by the scantily-clad "bombshells". The prevalence of that kind of image in games does affect culture, just like magazines and television do.

"Games that fill themselves with women who look slutty and men who look powerful are in compliance with this whole set of social norms, and not just the simplified version of 'me horny, you fertile, hurr hurr'."

I agree, and that's what I said in my original comment. This isn't about damning men for being pervs. It's about finding a balanced representation of gender that isn't all about fulfilling mens' (perceived) needs.

"In conclusion - if you want to get rid of the bad, bad stereotypes, stop boiling it down to boobs. Take care of social roles instead."

It isn't either-or, the two go hand-in-hand. Showing only one visual type can be just as damaging as showing only one personality type.

"Personally, I find Gears of War to be a much worse offender than Tomb Raider."

I agree with you on that one. But both are still the result of a very biased attitude towards gender. Neither gets off scot-free.

I suspect some people are carrying their own personal pain into the debate. I guess that should be expected...

Let's examine a pair of examples:

Note: Before I continue, many people should stop reading. Because, many of you aren't capable of seperating yourself from your emotions and you won't be able to read what I write. You will color it with your perceptions and twist my words to your own ends. If that is you, stop reading!

The "wicked woman that dumps you" stereotype sounds like sour grapes from jilted men to me. Let's face it, she found someone she liked better; get over it. To some degree, jealousy and sexual competition are at work here. Maybe you aren't the best looking and most successful man in the world after all. Boo hoo.

Is there a polarized view that a woman is either pretty or hideous, leaving no room for anything in-between?... I don't think so. If that were true, there wouldn't be many people dating. That isn't the case.

Then again, when somebody dumps you and trades up, you feel completely worthless and ugly, don't you? Are you evaluating the media here or projecting your pain and insecurity onto it?

Are pretty women are being ignored?... I have never seen a pretty girl ignored in my life. Because, if somebody else isn't paying attention, I certainly am. And, she doesn't have to be perfect to catch my eye...

Then again, a girl I might have otherwise talked to could be ignored--if there is a cuter girl in the room. Human nature again.

The idea that women must either be young and sexy or old and undesirable is partially based in biology. Men face age penalties too. I think all of us have met someone and been suprised by their age--and decided to break the conversation off right there.

I fully realize these points do not eliminate this argument. I see that Lara Croft lives in that grey area of free speech that we can't live with or without. I see it. I get it.

All the same, it bugs me to see people projecting their own insecurity and pain onto media.

Flame away. I know someone won't understand what I'm getting at.

funnily enough, people who say the media is sexist might also be using a sexist ideology to come to that conclusion.

Aaron, it's possible to discuss these things without starting a flame war.

When talking about polarized views of women, I specifically meant representation in media, not the dating world. (Though that bias does translate into the dating world.) "Average" women are rarely shown on TV (and certainly not in videogames, maybe the exception being stock NPCs, and in TES: Oblivion where everybody looks deformed...).

The standard for what makes a man "average" is far less strict. While there is some distortion on how males are shown (which is actually getting worse), there are still less strict standards for men's appearance when depicted in the media, and less of an expectation to adhere to those standards.

Who said that pretty women are being ignored? Their bodies certainly aren't being ignored--and you've gone out of your way to comment on how you treat women as eye candy. The end result of that is dehumanizing and ignoring the person inside that body.

There is a difference between being attracted to someone and treating them as a "piece of ass", a distinction men rarely seem to understand. It is possible to be attracted to someone and still be respectful, but in male-dominated culture (such as videogames) that rarely happens.

This dehumanizing lack of respect translates directly into female character designs in videogames. As others have said in these comments, one of the biggest problems beyond the big boobs and skimpy clothing is how two-dimensional and insulting these characters personalities are. Thankfully, Lara fares much better in that department.

"Then again, a girl I might have otherwise talked to could be ignored--if there is a cuter girl in the room. Human nature again."

That isn't human nature, it's your nature. The excuse of "human nature" is as aggravating as when people say in response to rape, "boys will be boys." While media bias does in some ways reflect natural biological bias, it isn't the end-all-be-all. And the "nature vs. nurture" argument is full of conflicting evidence on both sides. There is no canon of "human nature".

Throughout history attitudes have changed dramatically regarding what is attractive. Our attitudes have changed concerning many things thought to be "human nature". How long ago were there literally NO women of color in fashion magazines? They're still extremely rare, and the numbers still don't reflect their percentage of the population. But that is changing, just like the belief that people of color aren't even human has finally changed. That was a belief once thought to be a fact of life. In short, "human nature" changes.

My nature is to ignore men people who are more attractive, because I've often found them to be arrogant. That in itself is a kind of stereotyping that isn't always true or fair. But at least I'm willing to own up to the reaction as mine.

(I'd like to point out that yes, some women are guilty of treating men as sex objects, but they are much rarer and usually that kind of attitude develops in response to how they've been treated by men in the past.)

I think the notion that people are "projecting their pain onto the media" is just a deflection and a way to ignore the issue. But if anybody is projecting pain, it is because current standards in the media are harmful, to men and women alike.

Henry, you are lacking an explanation to back up your claim.

@Jamie Roberts
We'll have to agree to disagree.

I'm still concerned that you are projecting feelings you have about the dating/relationships into this. And, that's not something I cooked up to avoid the issue... You say you don't like men that are more attractive because they are "arrogant". When I read that, I see a girl that is worried about one of two things: #1: He'll reject me immediately because he can find someone better. #2: He'll eventually cheat/leave because he found someone better.

Human beings do have some instincts that we share with animals. Science can prove it. People like symmetric features. Men are still wired to like fertile women and women are wired for strong providers... That is classic human nature. Like it or not, that's going to come into play.

Professionally, there has been a concentrated effort to erase glass ceilings that is going to continue. More than ever, people have the chance to reach their potential in life. And, I believe that is a trend that will continue... I'm behind that.

Both men and women are eye candy to the opposite sex. You can't admit that?

And, many people strike up conversations based on shallow beginnings. But, it takes more than that to build any true interest; there has to be some substance there.

I have a friend that got sick a few years back. He now has a permanent heart condition. The guy lives back home (with his parents) again. He has restrictions and can only work part time... I'm sure you will be SHOCKED when I tell you he has trouble getting a date these days. Women are shallow too. Get over yourself.

Well said, I've been saying this for a long time, but it seems that, to feminists, politicians and the news, lara is just as bad as the hookers who get used in Gta in terms of bringing women down, as though we couldn't easily take it to heart in the same way that we'll never be manly enough superheroes to rescue the girl.

The fact is, though, Lara hasn't enough personality/character or "goals" to continue sequelization; just look at yahtzee's review.

@Megan
I pretty much agree: it shouldn't be about the REALISM of Lara Croft raiding tombs with DD's, it should be about how many games only bother to personify females in them as hot sidekicks, mainly used to open doors, write letters and provide sleeping quarters.

Take Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines, for an opposite example though; you can be any clan of any gender you want, and the responses will change accordingly. Beyond that, the female characters, albeit once again ideally-proportioned, and just as capable, powerful and active as the male. And I enjoyed them every bit as much as alyx from Half Life 2.

@Jamie
That said, I'm tired of hearing how it's always a "male dominated world" with female sex puppets. Yes, females have a much higher standard of appearance. But, it's coupled with a much lower culpable responsibility for her actions in many circumstances. And despite vague explanations as to the contrary, it is you who seems to be derailing the comments into a flame war about how the big bad media is a giant porn show for brainless males; everyone at least partially sees the opposite sex as eye candy first, a real person second. And that's because, much like video games, people you see from afar aren't necessarily ones you can or would want to get to know. Females may look more at social roles/power structures than Male figure, but it comes down to the same thing, whether tits and ass or wallet and physical strength/intimidation, it's all merely an attractor before you know someone intimately.