Everyone knows how to sexualize female characters in video games.
But how to sexualize male characters and do “fan service” for the female audience?

    • ashenone@lemmy.mlEnglish
      17·
      3 months ago

      Testicle cleavage and beer belly shirts. What’s the sluttiest hair style a man can have?

      • abigscaryhobo@lemmy.worldEnglish
        51·
        3 months ago

        Thinning on top with the “monk ring” style cut. Nothing gets the ladies going more.

        But serious advice for guys, know when to just shave your head man. People like full heads of hair, people like bald, nobody likes thinning. Make the call and save yourself the embarrassment. Bald is beautiful.

    • Kaligalis@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      2·
      3 months ago

      This basically is the stereotype I am coming from. So far, the answers don’t contradict it.

  • Aganim@lemmy.worldEnglish
    17·
    3 months ago

    But how to sexualize male characters and do “fan service” for the female audience?

    Easy, just add Caius Cosades to your game:

    • Holytimes@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      111·
      3 months ago

      That’s sexualizing men for everybody. He’s asking how to do it specifically for women! It may seem like the same thing but it is different.

    • GrantUsEyes@lemmy.zipEnglish
      7·
      3 months ago

      I’ve tried to get into Jojo so many times for the beautiful men, but I kinda get bored.

      Regardless ,thanks Araki. I still love the art.

      • YiddishMcSquidish@lemmy.todayEnglish
        3·
        3 months ago

        Strange, cause I’m a straight(ish) dude and it hooked me in season 2. Season 1 was cool, but the hyper batshit insanity of the following seasons hits.

        • GrantUsEyes@lemmy.zipEnglish
          1·
          3 months ago

          I think I never finished season 1… I don’t remember exactly but I felt it had a lot of filler. Might give it a chance again if season 2 is where it ramps up.

  • GrantUsEyes@lemmy.zipEnglish
    16·
    3 months ago

    I’ll cite some examples:

    Hades and hades 2 (all the characters) supergiant did it right in both fronts.

    Khazan. (protagonist)

    Elden Ring. Godfrey/ Hoarah Loux & Radagon. (Crumbling or whatever, I don’t care)

    Or give me a guy in full plate with a sexy gait, see: Demon’s Souls Penetrator.

    Or without sexy gait. See: DS1 Artorias

    I’m sorry I don’t make the rules.

    ETA: Halsin! (BG3) how could I forget?

  • Katana314@lemmy.worldEnglish
    142·
    3 months ago

    If it’s uncomfortable and disempowering for men, you’re probably doing it right. It’s often a power dynamic.

    But to draw back from a sour take: This will also turn off some people. Both ways. For instance: I love sexualized designs, but some games genuinely went too far. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and Nier Automata had genuine, serious stories to tell, but fell flat on some people for sexualizing their main (female) characters in such an objectifying way.

    I also think for women, the pure visual isn’t quite as important as their movements and actions. That part gets tricky since tastes vary.

    There’s a few gacha games out there designed for women that can give an idea of an extreme end to take it to. Again, keep in mind, there’s not one universal appeal for a whole gender (same for guys) so it will often turn out that the most universally appealing designs are the relatively safe ones you already see.

    • GrantUsEyes@lemmy.zipEnglish
      8·
      3 months ago

      I also think for women, the pure visual isn’t quite as important as their movements and actions. That part gets tricky since tastes vary.

      I find Wolf (sekiro) very hot in part because of how his movement is animated. BUT the man looks like he hasn’t bathed in weeks so… He’s more of a "hear me out’.

      And also not thinking about visuals… Yeah, a sexy voice can do a lot of heavy lifting for a character.

  • LurkingLuddite@piefed.socialEnglish
    10·
    3 months ago

    Just have to add on to all the preferences already described… don’t make them vapid idiots on top of the physical preferences, and you’ll be fine.

    As long as they’re a cohesive, fleshed out character, they could be an evil pile of shit and quite a few ladies will be thinking, “can I fix him?”.

    Same could be said for women characters, but it’s WAY easier to sell to a horny dipshit than a horny lady, since most said dipshits don’t think past hipthrust.

    • Jolteon@lemmy.zipEnglish
      8·
      3 months ago

      Just look at the sheer number of women who like Severus Snape of all people.

      • LurkingLuddite@piefed.socialEnglish
        31·
        3 months ago

        I cannot blame them. Snape is a cool character and not just because he was played by Alan Rickman in the movies.

  • jellyfishhunter@lemmy.worldEnglish
    10·
    3 months ago

    I think you need to check out the genre of Otome games. There’s hundreds of weird dating sim style games catered to women which feature a male cast.

    It’s debatable of how sexualized these characters are. But whatever they do appeals to their female audience.

  • DrPop@lemmy.worldEnglish
    7·
    3 months ago

    I saw screenshots of the new Resident Evil. Leon Scott Kennedy is definitely showing of for those that are into it. Capcom has at least figured it out.