Hey the 1st trailer for Star Wars is out

Well this was a trailer...also lightsaber crossguard? I'm sure the 2nd trailer will have more stuff in it. 

The Nerd Asks: When Did Videogame Characters Have To Be Practical?

Yes she's in heels...so what?

Earlier this year there was a rather huge uproar over Samus wearing heels in the new Super Smash Bros, then it was a talk about "boob armor" and all these things and it got me thinking...why are we forcing real world practicality to videogame characters? I for the life of me cannot fathom why there is such emphasis on what the characters wear or how they do x while having y or z? Aren't video games a form of escapism? I understand that some games go for a bit more realism but it's still a game at the end of the day. Let's take Samus for example ( since I already mentioned her and I like her ok? She has a pew pew gun), people are losing it over the fact that she has high heels on. Why? Because how can she kick ass while in such high heels? By kicking ass while in high heels..because she is a 6'3 198lb Chozo infused lady with a power suit that weights about 200lbs..I think she can handle herself wearing jet pack heels. Another common complaint I hear is the whole boob armor thing. There are people who are furious that women are wearing armor that wouldn't really protect them in battle but again I have to ask why that's an issue. Take any fantasy game, for this purpose we will use Skyrim, and you'll inevitably see a character wearing a modest amount of clothing. Now, in this game you have magic and some of the magic is of the healing variety. In real life if a woman was wearing something like this

she would get totally murdered in battle; she's over exposed and offers very little protection from weapons or even the elements, but in real life if she were to get impaled by an arrow (not in the damn knee) she would probably die on the spot or bleed out whereas in the game she can either heal, eat food to gain health or just regen her health. If you exist in a world where you can walk around in loin cloths in below freezing environments with no ill affect, why would you care about what you wear? Sure you can take more hits in heavy armor but the fact that you do not instantly die from a sword lodged in your spine kind of makes armor itself sorta useless no? Speaking of heavy armor, let's talk about the male characters for a bit because they aren't any more practical. In the Final Fantasy series there are a host of male characters that are less than practical. One standout is Cloud Strife; he wields a sword that is bigger than himself and doesn't even have full armor, just like a bangle and one shoulder armor pad thing. How is that practical? Even if we say he has super strength, he isn't invincible so why isn't he clad in full body armor instead of a leather outfit? Don't think the leather can stop a bullet, or provide protection from swords or any other weapon. I could also talk about the impracticality of having a gunblade like the hero of Final Fantasy 8, Squall Leonhart.or how Dante from the DMC series only wears a long red trenchcoat for protection, how Mario wears no armor at all even though he goes up against a 9ft 2000lb fire breathing dragon turtle thing....are you starting to see a pattern here? 

Videogame characters should not be held to the same real world values when it comes to practicality because that defeats the escapism aspect of it. Samus can wear heels because she's a bad ass space amazon,  Mario can wear overalls for protection against fire because he's in a land called the Mushroom Kingdom where people with mushrooms on their heads exist, Tifa can wear a skirt and suspenders in battle because she can freaking suplex the Emerald Weapon with ease. With all the issues within the game industry, practicality should not be a focus...I mean come on it's Smash Bros, I can have Donkey Kong punch Mario in the face...why would I care about the fact that DK not having anything on to protect him from fireballs? Lemme just gorilla punch people off of Final Destination. 

So there's my two cents on the whole matter, feel free to chime in even if you're gonna yell at me or whatever.

Check out the extended Age of Ultron trailer

AVENGERS 2: AGE OF ULTRON - Official Extended Tra…: http://youtu.be/fk24PuBUUkQ

5 Of My Favorite Videogame Music Tracks

Lost in Translation: 5 Games That Transitioned Horribly To Other Media

Yes, yes I have

Bayonetta and the "Fighting F*&k Toy"

As the title may suggest, I am going to tackle the idea of Bayonetta being a FFT (it's easier to abbreviate) because I don't see why being attractive and kick ass is seen as a bad thing. I know that Bayonetta is a hypersexualized woman and a lot of men find her attractive...but so what? Her sexuality is a part of her and she doesn't exist purely for the sake of the "male gaze" ( hell she was designed by a woman and it's pretty hetero-normative to imply only men enjoy her). Are we that concerned with female sexuality that if it's not presented in a puritanical way that it must be something we condemn? Obviously I know the hot button issue in the gaming industry is the representation of women in the industry/gaming, but I think Bayonetta is reflective of modern women; able to be empowered enough to not shy away from her sexuality and also be able to kick ass with the best of them ( well probably better because most people don't fight angels and witches) all while being true to herself. I find it offensive to reduce her or any other woman to a FFT because, well it's a reductive term. You can think Bayonetta is a horrible example for women, you can think that she is a perfect example of a woman who is in control of her sexuality, both are fine opinions; however, when you say she is a FFT then you're saying that's all she is, that she exists as eye candy for men and that her personality and motives are irrelevant. How is that any different from a guy seeing a girl in a outfit that shows off her body and then calling her a whore? They are both viewing a woman negatively simply because they act/dress in a manner they think is unbecoming.

FFT in action

I think the bigger issue at play here this sex negative ideal of women, that women must act and dress a certain way otherwise they are setting the women's movement back, I vehemently disagree with that notion. It may seem like it's in the best interest for women but it's not, it's in the best interest of a select group of people who want the be the gatekeepers of what is morally acceptable and what it is not...that isn't helpful at all. I personally believe that we should praise characters like Bayonetta as much as we do characters like Samus or Alyx Vance because women, like all people, are not all the same and should be represented in as a diverse a manner as possible. Women can be cold and stoic like Samus (I am not counting other M because just no) or innocent and warm like Yuna (Final Fantasy X) or totally sexual like Bayonetta, I don't see this as a bad thing because we are showing women all across the spectrum.

Diversity isn't bad

Bayonetta, to me at least, is just the latest to fall victim to a  faux pc ( political correct not personal computer) movement that claims to want to make things better but is actually doing way more harm. She is being viewed through the lens of sex negativity and being reduced to a FFT simply because she behaves in a way that is deemed inappropriate or because men like it, which is basically saying women shouldn't do things because men like it (even though, as stated earlier, that's a hetero-normative stance)...which is just as bad as saying women should do things because men like it. Maybe I'm wrong here but I think we should stop trying to police a women's sexuality and let them decide for themselves what to do with it. I also think we shouldn't purposely frame said negativity as something bad and instead support different types of women because that's how you help, by showing people that a female character that's dressed and behaves like Samus is just as good as one who dresses and acts like Bayonetta, because at the end of the day what's wrong with kicking ass and looking good while doing it?