[quote name='waldo21212']Pretty much this. People forget that it is still a business, not a charity.
Go buy 100 copies of Mirror's Edge at full price and make sure you get 100 more people to do the same if you want things to change. Vote with your wallet, not your whining on the interwebz.
For the record, I own and enjoyed both Bayonetta and Mirror's Edge (which was far too short IMO).[/QUOTE]
I don't understand why it's okay to whine about graphical or writing issues, but not something as serious as the dehumanization of women in media. If I simply insist on not purchasing a game, the game company won't magically know that I'm doing it because it's sexist, thus awareness campaigns or sexism articles are essential in addition to voting with your wallet.
I honestly would've bought Bayonetta new, if the game had a much less obnoxiously designed main character. I bought Mirror's Edge new at a high price, partly because it was a positive portrayal of women in games.
[quote name='Spokker']Nor is the video game industry sexist against women. Both industries have a target demographic and market their products in such a way that will be attractive to that demographic. [/QUOTE]
The average "hardcore" gamer is probably an adult male in his early 30s, not a teenage boy, so why shouldn't the industry reflect this? Speaking as an adult "harcore" male gamer, I don't enjoy or support games that dehumanize women. Even if you have no concern for the self-esteem of women, the male gaze placed in so many games is patronizing and distracting to the straight and bisexual men who care mostly about gameplay. It's also just embarrassing to play certain games around your partner, wife, sister, female friend, mother, or other women.
[quote name='Spokker']They complain about these things on tumblr but no one really listens.[/QUOTE]
http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2012/07/13/on-anita-sarkeesian-sexism-in-video-games-and-why-we-need-to-have-the-conversation-even-if-it-feeds-the-trolls/
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/173227/Opinion_Video_games_and_Male_Gaze__are_we_men_or_boys.php
http://www.themarysue.com/bioware-jennifer-hepler-announcement/
http://www.gamepolitics.com/2012/10/31/halo-4-developers-say-sexist-behavior-xbox-live-can-earn-you-lifetime-ban
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/111077-BioWare-Adding-Female-Shepard-to-Mass-Effect-3-Marketing