Before I start, let me point out that these are, very literally, my first thoughts on the topic. I am open to other points of view, and encourage them. So yeah, thanks and enjoy reading.
'Bros Before Hos.' The phrase often used to guilt a buddy into hanging in the man-cave, rather than going out to dinner with his girlfriend. To those who don't know, however, it is also the title of a Playstation 3 Trophy for God of War: Ascension. This particular trophy is awarded for brutally boot-stomping one of the Furies heads into a pulp. Apparently, it's one of the most graphic scenes in video games to-date, but with God of War, that's to be expected. GoW has always had this sense of grandeur, of epicness, of violence. But this one trophy, three simple words and a ding, awarded for committing an act of violence, pushed it over the edge for many people and loyal fans. I'm hear to share my immediate thoughts on the topic, and explain why, for me, it didn't cross the proverbial line.
Pure misogyny is probably the first phrase that comes to peoples' minds when they see this trophy or read about it. The simple, albeit brutal, act of bashing the Furies head in was completely transformed when the player saw the title of the trophy, into something nasty and evil. No longer were they simply killing a fictional beast, but they were murdering a woman. And not only were they murdering a woman, they were being rewarded for it with a ill-titled trophy. I'm sure a lot of people put the game down right then and there, just too appalled to continue.
What upsets me, however, isn't the gore for which the trophy is awarded, or even the title of the trophy. It makes me sick that so many people can be so hypocritical of what just happened when they got the trophy. Like all of the people playing it have never said anything that bashed someone in one way or another. It begs the question of how people would have reacted if that trophy would not have been in place. Would people still be appalled? Because obviously the tone changed immediately for people when they saw the title of the trophy, and not for the better. Would they still have ranted about how wrong the scene was? Getting a poorly titled trophy, seemingly, made everyone realize just how brutal and violent GoW can be. Why are they just now becoming concerned with what they see and do in a GoW title? In God of War 3, Kratos snaps Hera's neck like a twig and the Internet didn't explode over it. And finally, why is the phrase, 'Bros Before Hos,' cutting so deep, when most people have used it jokingly in regular conversation? It's a stretch, but maybe it's possible that Santa Monica Studios was also using it jokingly.
Now, I'm not condoning misogynistic behavior in the slightest. Woman are obviously equal to men and, often times, they surpass men. But I think people and gamers alike are taking this trophy a little too seriously. Yes, it is awarded right after the death of a woman. And yes it has a title that could be interpreted as woman-bashing and hateful. I think that gamers shouldn't take the news of this trophy as hurtful or wrongful, but simply as a game studio using a popular phrase as a joke. Now, if a person playing this game is upset with the content for which the trophy was given, I completely understand and they have the right to be upset (although, GoW is sort of know for violent content). But, honestly, if a gamer is only disgusted with the content after the trophy was awarded, then they should come down off their pedestal and be a little more reasonable. Everything is taken in context and people who are desperately looking for misogynistic behavior are, more than likely, going to find it.
GSC Game World has shared a new gorgeous trailer of STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl, as well as a few screenshots.
Thank you Xbox for saving this game from development Hell.
This is what contributing to gaming looks like.
Keep doing this. THIS is good for competition. *This* is good for all gamers, regardless of platform.
Stellar Blade’s combat may take some getting used to at first, but when it gets going Eve becomes an unstoppable force in the PS5 RPG.
only one hour in after I played the demo. So the sword play is definitivelly slower then DMC or Bayonetta. Once we unlock some extra moves things open up a bit. So far less frenetic then the two aforementioned titles (not necessarelly a bad thing). Eve's movement is a bit stiff all around the edges but not a deal breaker.
"The Jyväskylä-based (Finland) indie games developer Act Normal Games today announced with great delight and thrill that their isometric post-apocalyptic point-and-click adventure “Rauniot“, is now available PC (via Steam, GOG, and GMG." - Jonas Ek, TGG.
" But, honestly, if a gamer is only disgusted with the content after the trophy was awarded, then they should come down off their pedestal and be a little more reasonable"
Lol, yeah, I agree.
*Bashes the face of a woman into a bloody pulp*
Oh man! This game is so brutal! :D
*trophy pops up a moment later*
Now that's just sick!
Personally I imagine had I not read this blog or heard of the trophy, I'd have thought nothing of it and continued with the game. Maybe even would have gotten a slight laugh out of me. I don't know what that say's about me, maybe people view that as wrong, but that's probably what I'd do
I thought women wanted to be treated equal so that also means getting ripped to shreds by Kratos lady´s.
Is it true Santa Monica added the trophy in after feminists tried to force Santa Monica studio to remove female enemies from the game on the grounds of 'being sexist' and this was the developers way jokingly poking fun at them? I read a few user say this but couldn't find anywhere when Santa Monica have confirmed it.
Either way, I honestly don't see it as that big a-deal. It's tongue in cheek. What irked me more was Adam Sessler saying that the violence on a woman was 'borderline'. I don't get that. Why is it more shocking if its violence on a woman than on a man? Do we not live in a more equal time? Suddenly a big boss (that happens to be female) gets beaten to death and suddenly that's 'borderline' bad but crush Hercules' head until its mush, that's all gravy apparently.
The thing is, it's those words that set him off. He practically states that it's the trophy that crosses the line because everything before that was "borderline".
Sure, the trophy is juvinile in name, but if it takes a juvinile comment to make you realise how "horrific" the things you are virtually doing are, you need to take a look at what you consider to be too violent and reconsider your position on the subject as a whole.
Adam is just another mangina, aka white knight. A pussy whipped man that desperately needs female approval.
Mangina's annoying me even more than rabid feminists.
Apparently a woman's life is of much higher value than a man's.
"That woman was completely defenseless!", you say? You think a man is any more capable against Kratos? You think he feels any less pain? Of course not.
So, Adam, please stop throwing your gender under a bus and understand the simple concept that a man's life is just as equal as a woman's life.