[Column] Scarlet Blade: Scarlet Blade... Really?

SBFord

Scarlet Blade has been receiving a lot of attention lately, less for its gameplay mechanics than for its gratuitous use of cleavage. We take a look at the game and how we believe it's a huge step backwards for the industry. Read on and then weigh in with your thoughts in the comments.

Let me start by saying that a great deal of new games come across our desk on a regular basis. This company or that company is always trying to find some audience, some new source of income, so the new product will make a dent in the landscape and solidify its place among the hundreds of also rans.  When Areola Aeria games sent over news that they were going to launch a new free title called Scarlet Blade, I didn’t think much of it.  Hell, I didn’t even look too far into the title because a new F2P import isn’t exactly at the top of my radar these days.  Then I saw the first trailers. 

Read more of Bill Murphy's Scarlet Blade... Really?

Astropuyo

I'm with you on this. It really could be the best game ever, but this? This is too much for this one. It just presents it self as a joke, rather than a decent product. As we do in advertising. Sex sells junky products.

 

Look at godaddy.

Kelethar

Did someone say Hentai!?

BizkitNL

So, while curiously looking at the screens on their site, I'm seeing energy-powered nipple-guards?

I assume they made gear specifically for that uhm....."area"? Seems so.

bliss14

Leisure Suit Larry anyone?   This game is a breath of fresh air.  They are really pushing the boundaries.  Stretching them to their utmost until they almost break.  This game looks to be two or maybe three sizes bigger and better than any other.   No skimpy storylines here.  I hope they have ironed out all the kinks.

DashiDMV

I just listened to Invincible like last week.

 

Small world.

DJMantiss

Yeah I agree with the writer here. While the game might be "good" at something, it will be overshadowed by the perverted nature of the entire game. I'm all for something sexy in a game, but this is absurd. Does anyone even ask about the implications of an all female game where male players are all shaking it at the "dance club." WAY too creepy and something that I hope dies off quickly.

Perhaps the devs never got the memo, but porn is free, no need to sell it this hard in a game.

WereLlama

Soo, is it a Sandbox or Themepark?

Im going to go full monty on this one, if I cant full loot armored strings off the babes, it is not worth my time.

 

 

tordurbar

Once again I am amazed. Games that literally throw blood at the screen and no complaints. But babes in very skimpy bikinis - hang the developers! Very American. 

 

FARGIN_WAR

It was bad enough when these kinds of games started trying to paw my wallet. This one trying to paw both my wallet and my crotch is going way too far.

kaiserxxx

Exactly.No matter how much blood, gore, violence there is in a game it's still acceptable, heck even acclaimed. But show some boobes then this is the kind of column you get.

Really, hypocrisy at it's finest....

Icewhite

Originally posted by BlitzVF

Im going to go full monty on this one, if I cant full loot armored strings off the babes, it is not worth my time.

Preferably, in a mud pit. Lean mean fightin machine, Ox.

Four0Six

You rail against this game, but keep or used to keep Playboy mags in your closet?

I am the husband to a wonderful wife and a father to the most amazing daughter ever. I too agree that the objectifcation of women is in bad taste at a minimum.

But....untill I hear you decry SI and their swimsuit issue, or Playboy, or the GoDaddy.com adds, the claims you make against this or any other game that contains scantily clad women, are lip service paid to the cause. For shame. I say again For shame.

I like most all of what you have to say Bill Murphy, but I lean on a leg of integruity, either stand against all objectification, of hush up.

Po_gg

Well written and funny column. Favorite Song: "Invincible" by Pat Benatar, lol

But what's with the "more than just boothbabes" line? Boothbabes are very important and not only in gaming world, just check the Motor Show at Genève

Popori

Isn't this the Korean MMO that was supposed to have flat out topless women running around killing stuff?

I get that you're mocking it but I think they actually toned it DOWN to this point.

I think it was Queen Blade or similar originally.

Evenhope

No cares? Just slap an NC-17 rating on it and let the people who like this stuff have fun with it. It's certainly not a huge step backwards for the industry just because of scantily clad women. I'm sure it's just gonna be another generic Theme Park MMO grind fest with more sex appeal.

Regardless, this game will come and go just like the rest of them. *YAWN*

Vesavius

I don't care if the avatars are nude if the gameplay is good.

 

It's the only element really worth discussion tbh. All this hoohaa about a bit of human skin... it's silly.

 

Funny how we never see anyone kicking off about a super buff bronzed barbarian in a loin cloth, or question the armour class of his thong.

 

Aerowyn

Since I only enjoy games my PC is a direct extension of myself this is surely a MUST play:p

Grakulen

Originally posted by Four0Six

You rail against this game, but keep or used to keep Playboy mags in your closet?

I am the husband to a wonderful wife and a father to the most amazing daughter ever. I too agree that the objectifcation of women is in bad taste at a minimum.

But....untill I hear you decry SI and their swimsuit issue, or Playboy, or the GoDaddy.com adds, the claims you make against this or any other game that contains scantily clad women, are lip service paid to the cause. For shame. I say again For shame.

I like most all of what you have to say Bill Murphy, but I lean on a leg of integruity, either stand against all objectification, of hush up.

I would just like to point out in order to be a good editor Bill needs to read all kinds of publications. Trade journals, reference books, nudie magazines (but only the articles).

Popori

I can only hope it supports mouseless control.

Evenhope

And another thing. In Age of Conan you can run around fully naked and lob people's heads off. That aslectwas awesome, but the game itself was horrible. This should be no different...

Vesavius

Originally posted by Grakulen

Originally posted by Four0Six

You rail against this game, but keep or used to keep Playboy mags in your closet?

I am the husband to a wonderful wife and a father to the most amazing daughter ever. I too agree that the objectifcation of women is in bad taste at a minimum.

But....untill I hear you decry SI and their swimsuit issue, or Playboy, or the GoDaddy.com adds, the claims you make against this or any other game that contains scantily clad women, are lip service paid to the cause. For shame. I say again For shame.

I like most all of what you have to say Bill Murphy, but I lean on a leg of integruity, either stand against all objectification, of hush up.

I would just like to point out in order to be a good editor Bill needs to read all kinds of publications. Trade journals, reference books, nudie magazines (but only the articles).

 

 

AND I bet he never inhales?

Icewhite

Originally posted by Four0Six

You rail against this game, but keep or used to keep Playboy mags in your closet?

I am the husband to a wonderful wife and a father to the most amazing daughter ever. I too agree that the objectifcation of women is in bad taste at a minimum.

But....untill I hear you decry SI and their swimsuit issue, or Playboy, or the GoDaddy.com adds, the claims you make against this or any other game that contains scantily clad women, are lip service paid to the cause. For shame. I say again For shame.

I like most all of what you have to say Bill Murphy, but I lean on a leg of integruity, either stand against all objectification, of hush up.

Have you ever heard the expression "False Dichotomy?"

Your presumption here rests on one: America, you're cool with boobies as a selling gimmick, or you're hypocrites who love violence but hate sex.

Of course "bad taste" or "decorum" or "propriety" never occured to you as a basis for the objections, right? How about Misogyny, sexism, objectification?

Larry Flynt never quite grasped why the government went after him, but not Hefner.

Sovrath

Originally posted by tordurbar

Once again I am amazed. Games that literally throw blood at the screen and no complaints. But babes in very skimpy bikinis - hang the developers! Very American. 

 

Yeah, I kind of agree with you.

Oh sure, I can see the silliness in all of it but at the same time, one could easily point to gratuitous violence and shake their heads as well.

Personally I don't care if the game play is good. I will admit that my from the gut reaction is that they know that it will attract a good many male players and they are banking on that. at least in the short run.

since you like wikipedia, then here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonlinear_narrative

CrazKanuk

Originally posted by Four0Six

You rail against this game, but keep or used to keep Playboy mags in your closet?

I am the husband to a wonderful wife and a father to the most amazing daughter ever. I too agree that the objectifcation of women is in bad taste at a minimum.

But....untill I hear you decry SI and their swimsuit issue, or Playboy, or the GoDaddy.com adds, the claims you make against this or any other game that contains scantily clad women, are lip service paid to the cause. For shame. I say again For shame.

I like most all of what you have to say Bill Murphy, but I lean on a leg of integruity, either stand against all objectification, of hush up.

 

Wow, so apart from your lineup of disney games, what do you play? Saving maybe an FPS here and there, I have difficulties thinking of any game which doesn't objectify women to some degree. I really feel sorry for your daughter if your intention is to shelter her until such a point that you remove the blinders and open her up for complete culture shock. I also feel sorry for your daughter if she doesn't have a really good English tutor. 

 

I do agree that this is like totally over the top, but it's hardly the first time that we've seen scantily clad women in an mmo...... shoot it's probably not even the first time this week we've seen it. I've played lots of mmos and <insert any anime-style title here> has female classes which totally objectify women. Unfortunately, I think that regardless of the strength of story or character development this game might offer, it's only over-shadowed by.... well..... the boobs. I mean that armor is completely impractical to fight that robot, lol.

 

Either way, I won't play it myself. First of all, I have kids also and I wouldn't play anything that I couldn't explain to them or at least talk about with them, nor would I care to explain what an erection is. Secondly, my wife won't let me. 

 

tank-n-spank

The near-nudity would be a plus.  Unfortunately as an Aeria MMO it likely has the kind of boring, generic gameplay that no amount of sex can fix.