Jeremy
MyGaming Alumnus
Crystal Dynamics backs further away from rape fiasco
The scene is merely “physical intimidationâ€
The scene is merely “physical intimidationâ€
Tomb Raider rape scene is purely physical intimidation
- Thread starter Jeremy
- Start date
OmegaFenix
The Legendary Troll Hunter
I honestly dont get this, not the attempted rape scene in the game, but the reaction to in by the net. Was it the way the guy said it, the whole "make the player want to protect her" thing? I saw the vid & this was no hot coffee incident, looked to me to have been done in good taste and with a very important thing in mind, building the character and her struggle. Why is there this universal outrage? Yet with GTA V on the horizon you dont head people filling the forums with desperate please to not allow players to kill prostitutes to get their money back? Or to give some sort of meaning to the countless acts of senseless violence players will no doubt commit during their time with the title but one ATTEMPTED rape scene in which the protagonist, the player character, over comes her attacked and kills him and the internet erupts with this, this BS. I find it fucking hypocritical, and please understand me full before you respond, in no way am I condoning rape or attempted rape or saying its fine but as a tool to build a narrative or a character it can, if done correctly, work. Recent Example: Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Listbeth's sexual assault at the hands of her new guardian is deeply disturbing but it does give you insight into her as a character later on & this makes her eventual revenge all the sweeter. Other examples include Rob Roy & Brave Heart.
Give us big bouncy tits in skimpy outfits and we will love you, but dont you dare try and give us a deeper narrative with some serious issues in it because we will crucify you. IMNSHO (In My Not So Humble Opinion) the reaction to this is a slap in the face of the medium and may even be more sexist that the bloody Dead or Alive 5 Pre-order bonuses. I guess score one for the legion.
Give us big bouncy tits in skimpy outfits and we will love you, but dont you dare try and give us a deeper narrative with some serious issues in it because we will crucify you. IMNSHO (In My Not So Humble Opinion) the reaction to this is a slap in the face of the medium and may even be more sexist that the bloody Dead or Alive 5 Pre-order bonuses. I guess score one for the legion.
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Dan
Makhulu Silverback
QFT.
Tomb Raider is just the unfortunate scapegoat here. In the recently released Ghost Recon: Future Soldier there is an actual attempted rape scene that the player must foil by killing the rapist: has that got even a single mention anywhere in the media?
Venom
New member
I agree with you completely bud , I saw it and I was damn thats a good way to connect with the player . They should have stuck to there guns and played it out now they look like fools .
Graal
New member
I haven't really followed this story, so I'm not too clued up on all the details, but it does seem to look like people are making of noise over nothing. It's part of the narrative, so I don't get what is supposed to be inherently sexist about it. Many other videogames and movies have attempted rape scenes. Mafia 2 had an attempted gay prison rape scene, but nobody said a word about that.
If anything, I actually think the Tomb Raider series is going a step in the right direction with this reboot. It went from being a series about two boobs shooting people, dinos and all manner of nasties to a game that seems to be intently focused on a mature narrative experience, and not just sex appeal.
If anything, I actually think the Tomb Raider series is going a step in the right direction with this reboot. It went from being a series about two boobs shooting people, dinos and all manner of nasties to a game that seems to be intently focused on a mature narrative experience, and not just sex appeal.
OmegaFenix
The Legendary Troll Hunter
And there in lies the problem, the Legion doesn't want maturity, it wants boobs and violence and brainless "fun" because thinking isn't "cool" or "hip" and neither is anything that might drag them kicking and screaming out of darkness of ignorance trying to shine the light of anything new in their eyes. Lets make Call of Duty 17 rather.
Wurnman
New member
Well said. Actually calling games nowadays "Video Games" is an insult. Games aren't mainly played by kids under 16yrs of age anymore. The majority of gamers are over 25yrs and as far as i know are called adults.
Therefore games can now be played as adult contented games, played by adults. To me the evolution of games has been from a video game (arcade style) to a playable movie. The AI have become more than mere playable avatars, they grab you and hold on long after you have completed the game. Lara's been such a character for me long time ago. So also Geralt of Rivia etc.
No if the rape scene builds the game character so much that she is more than a avatar anymore then i say go for it. What is disturbing is when a gaming company put you the user in control of raping or interrogating/killing a prisoner like one of the Call of Duty games did (if memory serves)
Im not for that. Tarryns article is a typical polical bs stand on men and women. Im sorry but I allways play with a girl character when the game allows. Women kicks ass just as much as men, especially in games. I use a women character for many many reasons not just to help out a women just because im her manly saviour. I agree i dont see the hype on the net over the rape scene.
Therefore games can now be played as adult contented games, played by adults. To me the evolution of games has been from a video game (arcade style) to a playable movie. The AI have become more than mere playable avatars, they grab you and hold on long after you have completed the game. Lara's been such a character for me long time ago. So also Geralt of Rivia etc.
No if the rape scene builds the game character so much that she is more than a avatar anymore then i say go for it. What is disturbing is when a gaming company put you the user in control of raping or interrogating/killing a prisoner like one of the Call of Duty games did (if memory serves)
Im not for that. Tarryns article is a typical polical bs stand on men and women. Im sorry but I allways play with a girl character when the game allows. Women kicks ass just as much as men, especially in games. I use a women character for many many reasons not just to help out a women just because im her manly saviour. I agree i dont see the hype on the net over the rape scene.
OmegaFenix
The Legendary Troll Hunter
MOnk
New member
Meh usual Internet tantrum. The source of the tantrum is usually irrelevant it's merely an excuse for people to go rant about things. It's almost like a competition about who can get their high horse highest. Complaining about stupid stuff just means that real complaints get lost in the noise.
Wurnman
New member
Yah i read all the articles regarding the Rape scene...(even the source as you pointed out). I was just put off by Taryn's stupid comments. Sorry if i missed her humour or sarcasim in her article. Just tired of Politicians and their ilk trying to tell everyone else on what to do and say, when they all say the same s&*t over and over. Here in Saffaland we know all about this.
I saw the rape scene and would not call it a rape scene at all. It's the same Americans spoiling it for everyone else again.
I saw the rape scene and would not call it a rape scene at all. It's the same Americans spoiling it for everyone else again.
OmegaFenix
The Legendary Troll Hunter
Oh good its not just me, for a second there I thought I was misunderstanding the dude. Why I didn't respond with my usual wit...
Azimuth
New member
The majority of gamers might be over 20, but the mentality of most video games is still very much around 15. Games simply are not mature enough (yet?) to present a scene of attempted rape with anything even remotely near the level of sensitivity it requires.
There's also the very real issue of triggering, and erring on the side of not inadvertently traumatising the one in four women playing the game who have been raped at least once in their lifetimes.
But whatever, I'm sure it's much easier to sit there, as a bunch of guys who have never been victims of sexual assault, and say that showing an attempted rape scene in a video game so players can feel some cheap, contrived, vicarious sense of protectiveness is no big deal.
There's also the very real issue of triggering, and erring on the side of not inadvertently traumatising the one in four women playing the game who have been raped at least once in their lifetimes.
But whatever, I'm sure it's much easier to sit there, as a bunch of guys who have never been victims of sexual assault, and say that showing an attempted rape scene in a video game so players can feel some cheap, contrived, vicarious sense of protectiveness is no big deal.
OmegaFenix
The Legendary Troll Hunter
For me it has nothing to do with protectiveness I just think it would be a good step towards a more mature narrative. Ignoring the issue and hoping it goes away will solve nothing. Use is as a freaking soap box if you have to, put up a screen asking people to support centres for abused women or aid groups and/or provide contact info for said groups. This medium is a powerful tool that can be used to reach alot of people, what if they did include this screen and a girl/woman (even if just 1) who was the victim of such an assault and who was previously too afraid to speak out about it ends up contacting one of these support group or better yet feel empowered to actively fight back or draw some sort of strength from watching a character fight back then it would have been worth while and some good would have come out of it.
MOnk
New member
I'm sorry but to me this is yet another case of double standards. Books have rape (not even attempted) scenes, movies have rape scenes, TV series have rape scenes, even rape/murder scenes but when a game just hints at it OMG violation! I watched the scene and it honestly was only mildly suggestive, compare that the Sanza's attempted rape scene in Game of Thrones or even the marital rape scene in Homeland.
You can't just say "Oh it's a video game therefore it can't handle being mature" that is a load of bullocks, since the evidence is right in front of us showing the contrary but because it's in a medium which people deem immature the topic must therefore have been handled immaturely. It's a circle-jerk self fulling prophecy.
Now I'm not saying we should take rape lightly and just throw it around as some kind of character building tool for every women but given that fact that just as you said, this is a topic which affects many women, it seems silly to lock it behind some kind of 'maturity' wall not to be spoken of until your industry reaches the designated level of 'adultness'.
Azimuth
New member
The pinnacle of sexuality presented in mainstream video games so far is probably in Mass Effect - that's two people, fully dressed, moving awkwardly around each other on a bed after making the correct sequence of dialogue choices. Out of the mainstream, it's stuff like RapeLay.
Don't even try to compare sexual themes in video games with sexual themes in movies and films. Maybe one day games will be better equipped to deal with that sort of thing, but now? Definitely not. I mean, games are still using boob physics as a marketing feature. Let's get over that first.
Don't even try to compare sexual themes in video games with sexual themes in movies and films. Maybe one day games will be better equipped to deal with that sort of thing, but now? Definitely not. I mean, games are still using boob physics as a marketing feature. Let's get over that first.
OmegaFenix
The Legendary Troll Hunter
It is never going to change if attempts to transcend this are lambasted every time they pop up but not a peep is made when said boob physics sinks to new depths by offering bathing suits, FUCKING BATHING SUITS, as pre-order incentives. Like I said before, ignoring the issue and hoping it will go away solves nothing.
'Wise man say if you stick your head in the sand all you get is sand up your nose.'
Azimuth
New member
And I don't think including a rape scene in a video game is the way to do it. At this point, it would be like teaching a toddler about gender and sex by showing them porn.
An adventure game is not the appropriate place for any sort of discourse about sexual violence against women. The whole context just completely trivialises it.
An adventure game is not the appropriate place for any sort of discourse about sexual violence against women. The whole context just completely trivialises it.
Wurnman
New member
Ai.....Why is it that i am so many times not understood!
I was refering to your original message, not your "Source" comment post Hence my reference to Taryn's article. I was not even talking about the post you were refering to but rather referring to another posted article.
SO dude, before you (and M0nk) have to wip out your "Wit" as you call it, read what i am saying. Also i dont see how i insulted your post?
http://mygaming.co.za/news/news/39638-crystal-dynamics-subjects-lara-croft-to-an-attempted-rape.html
I was refering to your original message, not your "Source" comment post Hence my reference to Taryn's article. I was not even talking about the post you were refering to but rather referring to another posted article.
SO dude, before you (and M0nk) have to wip out your "Wit" as you call it, read what i am saying. Also i dont see how i insulted your post?
http://mygaming.co.za/news/news/39638-crystal-dynamics-subjects-lara-croft-to-an-attempted-rape.html
Wurnman
New member
I cant agree with you at all. What makes this "rape" scene so horrible for you, where shooting or knifing an AI player is now considered trivial? Age restrictions on games are way to low. I really believe with this new Lara game they want to move with the age of the player who played the original way back. In other words an older audience, hence the building up of the character.