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E3, the Video Game Industry and Sex
May 22nd 2001, 20:59 MSD by Chris Abele In a <a href="http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2001/05/22/e3_2001/index.html" target="_blank">recent article</a> appearing on Salon.Com, writer Wagner James Au discussed an important problem that the video gaming industry continues to ignore: does the rampant selling of sex create a good basis for industry growth? Here's his piece's tagline: The soft-porn fixation embarrassingly displayed at computer gaming's biggest convention, E3, is dooming the $6 billion industry to the nerd-geek ghetto. Now, I liked the booth babes at E3 as much as the next guy, but there's a real problem with the way E3, the premiere event of the video gaming industry, presents itself and its products to the public. E3 should represent the best and brightest in gaming, but instead it's a trade event which ends up promoting video games via scantily clad women with large bosums. While it certainly serves to maximize the appeal to the 13 to 31 year old white male demographic, it also manages to quickly eliminate many other customers. While it's plain to see that it eliminates 90% of women, it also drives home a negative connotation with middle-aged family men. Many of them may draw the conclusion that these games are juvenile and immature. And in fact, some of them are. But many are not and are instead associated with that negative connotation. Those two important demographics represent two crucial failings of the video game industry: it too often alienates women and too often drives away potential advertisering dollars, something those of us running web sites could certainly use more of right now. The gaming industry can never be legitimate as long as it sells to the lowest common denominator. So how does the gaming press and the gaming industry create a legitimate environment to attract and not repel the rest of society? One lesson may be learned from ESPN (the American sports-only channel). Before ESPN, sports was something that was largely neglected in mass media. While exceptions exist, it wasn't until ESPN came along and began treating sports news as the equivalent to national news. That is, they reported on sports as professional journalists did: sending out reporters to events, presenting news and information in a professional manner akin to the the major networks, and so on. The formula worked for ESPN and sports became a respected news item despite the fact that many popular American sports have cheerleaders (aka, booth babes) on the sidelines. The video gaming industry and the journalists who cover it could certainly stand to learn from ESPN's example. |
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#8 LPMiller- Got news for you, even my wife knows about E3, and what she knows about computers and gaming could fit into a thimble. Did she hear about it from you, perhaps? so, when E3 is reported on CNN, headline news, MSNBC, and the local news stations, the general public fails to actually see it? Yep, pretty much, unless they are interested in games already. But that's not what I said. What I said is that the booth babes are presented to the press and developers/publishers, not to the world. The press reports on the games, and as a side note what a good time they had cozying up to the booth babes. #11 Gabe- The news media takes cameras onto the floor and beams it straight into people's living rooms. The public sees the booth babes, loud music, whatever. OK, to me that is a buffer. Its not how games are always presented to the public. It's a trade show, and everyone is used to seeing models at trade shows in skimpy clothing. It's that way at car shows, at boat shows, and holy shit, but it's men that go to these business conventions. I'm not saying I think the booth babes are the best part of these conventions, or necessary. I'm saying that having them there doesn't ghettoize gaming to the nerdly set. |
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#11 "Gabe" wrote... You seemed to make it sound like E3 presented to the press and the press "did something" and then presented it to the public therefore buffering the public from what was going on. If this was your intent, then yes, I disagree. The news media takes cameras onto the floor and beams it straight into people's living rooms. The public sees the booth babes, loud music, whatever. Yes but the public wants to see the booth babes. As much as the mainstream hates to admit it sex and violance sell (nearly the only two things that manage to do it nearly unanimously). Granted E3 takes it to the extreme, but you can partly chauk that up to being a relativly new industry and it's past niche market (or point the finger at G.O.D games and Edios). Those other industries Narcopolo just said have some a good balance between the babes and the stuff that is really being shown (the car industry esspecialy has found a good in between area for most of the major shows, the aftermarket still needs to figure it out). I wouldn't be supprised if another gaming show (or even just a new area at E3) poped up that was populated with less babes and far more marketing guys doing the press stuff for the mainstream press. While still keeping the current format for the more traditinal video game press. |
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I sure hope there are plenty of the booth babes for ECTS..... .....though, it's all more of an institution than a hardon generator for the horny. |
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In Post 13, None-1a spewed forth the following; "(or point the finger at G.O.D games and Edios). " Before G.O.D. games started putting up their beer tent, we merely had booth babes, but now thanks to them we have kissing lesbos, Playboy bunnies, and Levelord. |
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And thats a bad thing? |
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#16 Phroot It is when the general public gets the impression that the gaming populace is a bunch of undersexed, horny, nerdboy losers. True or not, the public's perception shouldn't be that way, because ultimately, perception is reality. Funk. |
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I went to a convention about paper storage - exciting... they had booth babes. Not as many as at E3, but most companies didn't have the budget of companies at E3. Do you ever watch the coverage of the Cannes film festival? God knows at the Grammies the music industry shows they aren't about sex... Ho hum, Wagner James Au didn't even get excited enough to work in anything like an eclectic fusion of literary and artistic influences, from Umberto Eco's "The Name of the Rose" to Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd and Grey Mouser fantasy classics, to the German expressionist films of Fritz Lang. |
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Booth babes are an effective way to get attention but the fact is you should be able to attract people to your booth with your game. It seems to me that all the booths with babes are saying are game sucks so heres the only way we can get your attention. However since E3 is about getting the games out in the press and not to the world then what these poeple are really trying to do is get there game advertised and many reporters may ignore some of the less know game that look great but instaed go for the ones everyone knows is coming out to get the hype on that. So its kinda a survival of the fittest |
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Rock on--booth babes oober alles! It's like having a beer while smoking a joint: have it ALL, baby! In seriousness, babe-age sells other products and entertainment forms, it's just that things like "chick flix" exist in the movie industry. For those, some hunk-du-jour glancing longingly into a bimbo's eyes sells the pap to its target audience. The only non-violent type games of note are stuff like Nintendo party games or Myst. Note how much trade Myst did. Now if they can figure out how to stuff a pulp romance novel into a computer game, cha-ching, baby! And you bet the booth hunks would be prancing about with their open-chested pirate shirts. |
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Mr/s FunkDrunk, It may be true that thats the general impression, but does it really matter? Who does it hurt? I don't mind telling people I play games, i've found alot of people are quite interested when you tell them about games like CS etc. If because of that people think of me as an undersexed, horny, nerdboy loser, well never mind. |
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#21 PHroot I'd have to disagree. It's been my experience that when I mention that I game, I get wierd looks. I may be of an different generation that you are, but the conotation that I've been fighting for many years, is that if you're into computers, and play games, you must be some form of social outcast. I met a woman in Carolines (a comedy club in NYC) last October, and when she asked me what did I do for a living, I mentioned that I'm a Database specialist. Her response? "Oh so you're a nerd then." Lucky I'm used to that response, and I was able to deflect it with a joke. But it's been 18 years of dealing with things like that. And it's Mr. Funk. |
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I blame ID games. Look at all the evil they spawned. 3D Realms - Duke Nukem, nuff said. ION Storm - John "your my bitch" Romero and his stripper girlfriend "Killcreek". The latest of course is GOD Games... I'm embarassed to tell my girlfriends that I'm in this industry some times.. |
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#18 "Chet" wrote... I went to a convention about paper storage - exciting... they had booth babes. Not as many as at E3, but most companies didn't have the budget of companies at E3. Do you ever watch the coverage of the Cannes film festival? God knows at the Grammies the music industry shows they aren't about sex... Plus, I'm sure a sterile and completely sexless E3 would go over real well. I always though (from the outside, looking in) that E3 is as much a developer party as it is a press event. And game developers are so undersexed - no doubt because they love their jobs so much, huh, Warren? ;) - that they need to see a little skin now and then. The more the better. It's all pretty harmless, and only a tightwad holier-then-thou like Au would really care, or consider himself getting insulted by it. |
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In Post 22, funkdrunk spewed forth the following; "I mentioned that I'm a Database specialist. Her response? "Oh so you're a nerd then." " I prefer the term Digital Janitor when people ask what I do, oh, and I make games too. |
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In Post 23, walk spewed forth the following; [extcache1.lucasfilm.com] I had the opportunity to see the "leaked" footage from the Star Wars film, and nowhere did I see a Jar Jar decapitation. Nor did I see Jar Jar have his head crushed by at AT-AT. I also didn't notice any scenes of Jar Jar having his stomach pumped with water and then repeatedly kicked and punched until his stomach lining broke and he bleed internally to death. Feel free to use any of those ideas, but one thing is for certain. JAR JAR MUST DIE |
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>>> I like looking at the babes as much as the next man. But I don't get for the most part what they have to do with Xbox and Gamecube, or Duke Nukem and Neverwinter - except that if I get any of those, It will be pretty much the last time I see any woman in quite some time. <<< At least Duke has babes within the game itself, so we're somewhat justified. ;-) |
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Narcopolo: First, E3 is not how games present themselves to the world. Only to the press, and there's a huge difference. The press is mostly male as well, and is expected to respond to jiggling bosoms and come in for a closer look. Well, as a member of the press who's supposed to be impressed by the babes, I can attest to the fact that it doesn't work. This isn't because of any sexual leanings on my part (!), but because of the fact that, when I'm on the floor at E3, I'm wanting to look - and act- as professional as I can...for the sake of my job credibility. That means no clawing after t-shirts being thrown into a crowd of sweaty Funco and EB managers and their buddies by the hottie Eidos girls. I also know well that I'm not the only journalist who actively *avoids* booths with an overemphasis on booth babes.. 'm had conversations about this with others. I'd be very interested to hear what the rest of the guys who have covered E3 have to say, but I imagine they'll agree with me. Besides, everyone knows all the best games on view and the best schwag to be had comes from behind closed doors. Where else would you get your year's collection of leather CD wallets and ugly, though well-embroidered, NVidia hats? - Erik |
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In Post 27, Scott Miller spewed forth the following; "At least Duke has babes within the game itself, so we're somewhat justified. ;-)" It's not well known among game developers, but I'll let you in on a secret I once heard. Duke was born without a set of genetalia, and after long deliberation, his parents decided to make him a male. His parents took the boy overseas. They didn't want the press to learn of this tragic situation. The operation took 43 hours in a russian hospital and cost quite a pretty penny. It was at age 16 that Duke learned of his history and he immediately broke down in tears knowing that he could have been a woman. This led to his drinking and summer of smoking the danger weed. He tried to come to terms with his past and was often caught wearing ballerina outfits, long pink robes, wearing lipstick and even went so far as to buy himself tampons at the local store. He's still tormented by this tragedy, but now has a psychologist help him deal with it, but he still crys on the inside. |
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#18 "Chet" wrote... Ho hum, Wagner James Au didn't even get excited enough to work in anything like an eclectic fusion of literary and artistic influences, from Umberto Eco's "The Name of the Rose" to Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd and Grey Mouser fantasy classics, to the German expressionist films of Fritz Lang. Good God, I just read the whole thing. What a piece of shit! It was written before Daikatana was released--he actually bashes Carmack as a guy of unknown talent, then praises Romero as some type of storytelling genius. I would have loved to have seen the expression on his face as he played Diakatana for a while... |
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Hey, since the topic is on E3 Booth Babes, what were your favorites? Here are mine: 1. the Wolfenstein girls! They ruled! 2. the Dead or Alive 3 girls! Unfortunately when I saw them there were 100 people lined up for pictures already 3. the GOD Games girls (and Duke's bare-assed girl)! Except when we had our GOD meetings, it was 11:30 AM and nothing really was going on......... Greg |
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In Post 31, Greg spewed forth the following; "Hey, since the topic is on E3 Booth Babes, what were your favorites?" The Olsen Twins! |
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#32 Sgt Hulka The Olsen Twins I think you want their bodies. You want an Olsen Hulka Sandwich, dontcha. Funk. |
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I think you want their bodies. You want an Olsen Hulka Sandwich, dontcha. Funk. hmmm. Ok......EEeeeeeeuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuw. LPMiller Chief News Editor Got|Apex? |
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Hulka, I think you've got a few years before they are old enough! BTW, where were they? I missed them... Greg |
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might I just ask .. whats the difference between E3 booth babes.. and the attractive female demonstrators at most motor shows? or general electronics shows... or home improvement shows... or travel shows... Ds |
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I don't know any other way to say this than just to say it. The Olsen twins are currently annoying, saccharine, shillmeisters. In a few more years they will be hot, alluring, market savvy self promoters, not unlike Scott Miller. They have serious cute potential. Note I said potential, please. |
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You've gotta admit that all the babes trivialize the show. The babes cause crowds of dorks to form in the aisles. You can't really blame them (it's probably the only time they get to see pretty women in person), but they do get in the way. E3 is a trade show; it's an event designed to allow publishers to show games to retail, to the press, and to other developers. The babes and their throngs of lonely admirers cause missed meetings and aggravation. And all the t&a certainly doesn't help the mainstream press or mainstream retailers take the game industry seriously. That said... Games are entertainment products. Booth babes are entertaining. Those who want to get rid of all booth babes or who overreact to their negative influence on mainsteam perceptions should consider moving to a new industry. Some booth babes are totally justified: Eidos's has Lara Croft, so of course they should have a Lara Croft booth babe. GOD is branding itself as the frat-boy party publisher, so of course they should have babes (and their promised lot is always a much-appreciated good time). If you're going to have a trivia contest or giveaway to promote your game, you might as well use a babe as an announcer. An E3 totally devoid of booth babes just wouldn't seem right. Au's biggest beef is not with the babes themselves, but rather with the people who stare at the babes. I hate to say it, but I agree with him. Maybe if the show had fewer people, or banned booth-babe photo sessions, these crowds would thin out or never form. |
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Seeing that this was my first time at E3, I was unprepared for the huge amount of busty femmes throughout. Don't get me wrong, I have read about and seen pictures of E3, and *should* have been prepared--but this was amazing...If over the top. I think it was out of hand... |
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Darkseid, 36: might I just ask .. whats the difference between E3 booth babes.. and the attractive female demonstrators at most motor shows? or general electronics shows... or home improvement shows... or travel shows... simple. you don't see packs of sweaty, frustrated 15-year-olds (sure E3 says 18+ but bitch, please...) with their dicks in their hands runnin around pretending to be journalists starin at the boobies at those other types of shows. stereotype? yep. are there enough examples to warrant it? yep. is it going to change any time soon? nope. the gaming industry needs to grow the fuck up. until it does, this will be perpetuated every single goddamned year. and btw, Mister Au is a sexually repressed hack with very little clue. count the frustrated sexually charged statements in his "work" on E3. somebody needs to see a therapist, i think. well, yeah, i do too, but that's how i can spot someone that does. oh and btw, if you're reading this, Steve Bauman, i love the new CGO. bout time, man. ;) |
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zarathustrian Don't get me wrong, I have read about and seen pictures of E3, and *should* have been prepared--but this was amazing...If over the top. I think it was out of hand... Heh. Well, they are out of hand...but, the true secret of the show is that the PR girls are better looking than even the booth babes...well, some of them at least. |
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I don't think there is anything "wrong" with having booth babes, But I do think it is a sad statement on society. |
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From Au's article about Looking Glass: Hardcore gamers usually describe Carmack as the talented half of the former Romero/Carmack team, but it's always been unclear, besides technical proficiency and a knack for commissioning artwork-pretty explosions, what exactly Carmack's talent is. I am beginning to understand the OMM animosity... |
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I'm really suprised about the number (and amount of drooling coverage) of booth babes at E3. It seems like the relic of a dying era. I've been at most of the NAB (national association of broadcasters) convention over the last decade or so, and there are almost no booth bunnies now. NAB is a very technical show - it's about gear - and is as heavily male as I imagine E3 to be, but the number of babes is quite low, especially considering that it's in Vegas. There are often cute chicks in the booths, but they are usually low-level marketing/sales types, not just models. There are a always a few models in the japanese camera exhibits, but there has to be somebody to check skin tones on, so they usually don't talk (they just sit there to provide a focal point). Seven or eight years ago, there were a lot of professional babes out there, giving away popcorn, getting business cards, bringing attention. There was also a lot more swag back then too - tshirts, balls, whacky giveaways, etc. But I guess that it turns out that babes, like swag, don't bring in the RIGHT people - buyers. Let's face it; people go to NAB to know what equipment is out there so they know what to buy. You can always go into strip clubs, or buy tshirts, but you can't always relentlessly quiz every company about capabilities, release dates, upgrades, etc, and see a lot of demos in a short time. I don't see why E3 should be different. As much as I like strippers, I can't imagine that a stripper will get you business from a single distributor or retailer that you wouldn't have already. People may develop games for love and money, but I think they only sell them for money..... |
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What the hell is this but some guilt ridden writer for Salon.com trying to put everyone below him for attending a show with "dorks" and "people that stare at booth babes". He's obviously above such things, and he tells you again and again. |
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#36 "Darkseid-D!" wrote... whats the difference between E3 booth babes.. They do tend to be a it better at the major shows for other things (for example yes you will see booth babes at the major car shows but most at most of the big stuff they're more likly to be dressed in something you'd see on Wheel of Fortune not Real Sex, again the automotive aftermarket and some europen shows tend to have a much higher E3 like babeige). Plus their not selling to some 17 year old store manager or web guy, but generaly much older press people. |
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If you must pay a woman cash money so she will hang out at your show/booth/party, you are lame. If you think that the transaction will somehow elevate you/your product/organization in the public eye, you are an idiot, or just lying to yourself. I'm not making this up. It's in the bible or something. |
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Dry brambles blow through the forum.... |
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Ok, Wagner James Au isn't qualified to be writing about games. Particularly for such a vast amount of people. I can't wait for OMM to lay into him again...maybe someday he'll actually see it? nah... But I must jump to Salon.com's defence. It's a fantastic site that's in some rocky surf right now financially, but they consistently come out with some high quality, readable journalism. |
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I am proud to say I am a nerd. Does anyone really care if gaming becomes mainstream? I guess all the industry people do, because more money is a good thing, but what about the gamers? I am a gamer and I say fuck the mainstream. If you had a choice between strippers and models or no women, what would you choose? I would choose the women. Don't worry about the perception of gaming, worry about the games and the games will attract the people. Plus all those horny 13 year olds that apparently are the focus of the advertising, they do age, you know? Grab them now and once they grow up, you will have the mainstream. Kids, they are the future! #0 "Chris Abele" wrote... The gaming industry can never be legitimate as long as it sells to the lowest common denominator. And something that this reminded me of here. |
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I think that the booth babes are awful awful awful. The hookers are supposed to work outside the convention hall. If developers want to draw attention to themselves, there's better ways. Those that lack the imagination to do so indicate to me that their product will be similarly lacking. I could pay $1,000 a day to some woman with no talent save her looks to stand in front a booth, but all that says about the game is that money has been set aside to put a girl in front of a booth. Hoo-fucking-ray. How about spending some of that money to get your character's eyebrows to move, Mr. Miller? |
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I like boobies |
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Haven't seen any women commenting on this yet, so I'll jump in. This was my second E3 (and there were a lot more booth babes at last year's), and I cover it as a writer. It's almost as much for me to watch my male coworkers react to the booth babes as it is for them to actually watch the booth babes. People often ask me what I think of the booth babes as a woman on the press side of the industry. On a personal level, it actually makes me really uncomfortable to have to stand next to one of them while I'm trying to talk seriously about a game with the development team. I've never been able to pinpoint why exactly, but I'm sure it's on a subconscious self-esteem level. If I'm trying to discuss the per-polygon detection system of SoFII's GHOUL II tech with someone while a bubble Wolfenstein booth babe is fawning over a bunch of guys next to me, I feel like...funny. I can't quite explain why. For this reason, I would be happy to see no booth babes at events like E3, but that doesn't mean I'm opposed to having them there. I'm not prudish. I'm a heterosexual woman, and even I'll admit that booth babes are simply very eye-catching and many of them are stunning to look at, even for me. I've always kind of thought of them as harmless eye candy that no one really takes seriously. They are pure, unabashed entertainment, and E3 is nothing if not about entertainment. It also knows its target audience, which are horny guys who want to play games. Basically, I think there's a time and a place for everything. Porn, half-naked women (and men), I'm all for it -- in the proper place at the proper time. I've always felt torn between the need to kind of stand up for my gender and say, "this makes us non-booth babe women feel excluded" (because it does feel that way to me in a small way) and the honest feeling I have that it's really just harmless entertainment that no one takes seriously. In the end, it's all about the games, and that's what people remember. I find it just as entertaining to watch women in vinyl 70's style catsuits promoting a game as the guys do, but I find it entertaining in a different way. I just wish that when I was trying to seriously cover a game and talk about it with the developers, I didn't have to compete for attention spans with the booth models. |
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Random thought of the nanosecond: I think the fact that we're thinking and talking about this issue means that there's still hope for the games industry. And now I'm off to bed. :( - Morn |
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It's a good article but it also represents the computer industry as a whole. Even your standard computer exhibition/show has booth babes. Still would it be otherwise ? When you see some of the people who attend E3 (I have seen many photos with huge bearded men and skinny translucent underweight guys who probably haven't seen the sunny side of a woman in five years) I guess the booth babe is the perfect attraction. Some of the "professional" gaming press are also to blame. How many times have I read journalists eagerly discussing their freebies and drinking junkets as the sole reason for attending E3. It is a wonder anyone finds any real information at E3. I will never forget one of the computer exhibitions I had to manage for my company where we had run out of press kits (which included a free organiser) and a journalist demanded she get her free kit or else she would never review another one of our products. I have no respect for some of these idiots. |
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In the end, it's all about the games, and that's what people remember. I find it just as entertaining to watch women in vinyl 70's style catsuits promoting a game as the guys do, but I find it entertaining in a different way. I just wish that when I was trying to seriously cover a game and talk about it with the developers, I didn't have to compete for attention spans with the booth models. And there is an important point. And looking at the evil avatar forums, so many developers don't actually understand. Hey, I'm italian, when I'm not thinking about sex, I'm thinking about sex. But it has little to do with games, unless they are a hell of a lot better than anything I've seen of late. Eye candy - c'mon, program your eye candy, and go find a real date. You can't buy either. LPMiller Chief News Editor Got|Apex? |
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Money spent on marketing generally does not come from the development budget. E3 is a marketing circus. Exhibitors are there to be noticed. Nothing more, nothing less. If booth babes get people to stop and spend a few minutes playing your game, then mission accomplished. It's not Scott Miller or Marketing Drone #39221's fault that the public are so shallow that they'll take Hot Chicks™ over Real-Time Tesselated Ass Hairs™. |
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#6 "Gabe" wrote... And the point of the press is to convey the information to the public. Well, I don't know about you, Gabe, but when I was writing my E3 updates, I was focusing on the games and the systems, not on the booth babes. The only time I can think of that I mentioned babes at all would be in discussions of the "Promised Lot", and only because G.O.D. seemed to be stressing 'party' a lot harder than they were stressing 'games'. |
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[quote[That means no clawing after t-shirts being thrown into a crowd of sweaty Funco and EB managers and their buddies by the hottie Eidos girls. I also know well that I'm not the only journalist who actively *avoids* booths with an overemphasis on booth babes.. Absolutely. Something about my gig being taken so seriously by the presenters there made me behave like a much more serious journalist than usual, and for me, serious means not posing with booth babes when there are press kits and business cards you still haven't gotten for companies you want to cover in the upcoming year. On a tangental E3 note - anyone have any tips for minimizing foot agony? I could really use a couple of those for next year. Yeowch! |
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Argh. Proofread before you click post, Quatoria... |
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From the article: A creative director for a leading development team cheerfully described to me how its Q.A. team made a prostitute sport a game's logo on her body during a combination gonzo video/gangbang session. Hey Chet, maybe Warren is right. You don't see this a lot in corporate IT. - [g.man] |
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