Game girls in Playboy and society

We here at Blogma try to avoid reporting on the obvious, like that some gamers are titillated by news of their favorite digital dames featured in next month's issue of Playboy. A similar pictorial tested out last year apparently did so well, Hugh Hefner's magazine is going for round two.

More interesting to us, are the bloggers who are analyzing the phenomenon and what it says about our society.

Some see the idea as harmless, and might even be out buying the issue as it hits the stands today. Others, however, see it as an illustration of everything from society's objectification of women to the end of the world as we know it.

Blog community response:

"So I was a little concerned to learn that Playboy was going to publish naked pictures of video game characters. But this is the second annual spread devoted to pixilated booty...This has been your weekly 'End of Civilization as We Know It' update. As always, we suggest selling all of your stocks and bonds, buying gold, burying it in your backyard, and stocking up on guns."
--Jiggsblog

"How can you, a game company, claim to offer strong, independent models of femininity (think Bloodrayne) when, in fact, your characters are the type to take it all of for a centerfold and a few bucks? It's alienating to women, it exacerbates standing issues, it represents everything that's off about gender roles in gaming...Beyond all that, it's just damn weird."
--Heroine-Sheik

"With regards to nude game babes...what does it matter? As long as it gets into the hands of those who want it and are mature enough to view--not minors--what is the problem? Maybe it will be damaging for the games industry as a whole, maybe not. Maybe it will be just like the movies: Some are tasteless, some are erotic, some are quality, some are adult, some are ridiculous--but they are all judged (hopefully!) on their own merit"
--A reader at Edge Online