"...a realignment of company focus"

[WanderingAries]

I feel I should <facepalm> for my entire gender just reading this...

*COUGHS*She Kicks High*COUGHS*
I take it nobody caught my reference earlier then?

[WanderingAries]

Not so sure it's that one sided, the male characters seem to be rather well done too.

OMG that soooo didn't read properly in my head the first time.  O.O  :-X   O>:-)

[WanderingAries]

The female character desperately needs some armor, if for no other reason than to keep herself from accidentally removing her ribcage with those gauntlets.

I realize it's a generalization, but I was always told that in video games atleast the Asian logic was that the less the female wore, the stronger her personal strength (think shielding, others fear hurting, etc) became.

[WanderingAries]

No, Victoria's Secret - I had never heard of Frederick's before either.

In VS you're more likely to find elaborate Lengere and perfumes. In Fredericks you're likely to find more, um, 'personable' clothing for both genders. The sorta stuff that makes you leave the store red faced. :-p

[Segev]

I have changed the "underwear outside their tights" phrase to "in their spandex uniforms."

Segev, if I may make one suggestion: It may help to instead have an in-game image of a female CoH character to provide a stronger counter-point to the second B&S image?

I would need somebody to provide such an image. I hesitate to do a google image search on the off chance I grab something incorrect, and am not good at taking in-game shots even if I did have it installed right now to get on.

But I would be happy to include one! Please find one that is not particularly "stripperiffic," obviously!

[SithRose]

Give me a moment or three and I'll have something for you, Segev. I've got a good Golden Age heroine costume that should work.

[Segev]

Here's a new draft of the press release. If I missed any corrections, please repeat them. Thanks to SithRose for the image of her heroine, used to attempt to better contrast a female Hero against the B&S lingerie model.



NCSoft to Customers: "We Are No Longer Producing Comics For Your Kids; We Hope They Enjoy Their New Subscription to Playboy!"

City of Heroes is, according to the official announcement that was the shocking first word of its impending closure, the "first and greatest" superhero online role-playing game. Employees of the studio producing its content and fans alike were stunned by the announcement from NCSoft, the company which publishes and owns the Intellectual Property rights to this family-friendly comic-book themed game, because by all measures it was a profitable product that more than pulled its own weight.

Explanation from NCSoft cites a "realignment of company focus" that was incompatible with City of Heroes. What is the new focus? In June of 2012, they released in Korea a new game called Blade and Soul, prominently advertising the art and style done by Hyung-Tae Kim in designing all of the visuals, particularly graphical exaggeration of the female characters that is extreme even by the standards of the Korean "manwha" style that already emphasizes their sexuality. Though the release date of this new game in the West is yet to be announced, it will almost certainly come in the fiscal year which starts with the final shutdown of the servers for City of Heroes (on Nov. 30, 2012).

As one person observed, it seems this realignment of focus is to replace this:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/b1hY1s3D7sDfYjKXVnc-f6IeA-t6_ZraCtNL5UhnPnsc3kedSCUIn4Qh7jUyOfl2hEgOP-TM8FM
...with this:

https://i.imgur.com/80RcX.jpg

While comic books have always had a spotty reputation with regards to their heroines' state of (un)dress, they have also had a reputation for wholesome messages and even the most swimsuit-model-esq super heroine was still an empowering figure, inspiring many girls as much as the muscle-bound heroes with their spandex uniforms inspired boys to fight for truth and justice. Even four-color villains are good, clean, cathartic fun, with plans so over-the-top that they're only taken seriously in a fictionalized context.

In the choices for which games to open and which to close in NCSoft's "realignment," some are concerned that they close the family-friendly game which attracts and empowers girl gamers as well as boys even as they open a salacious new title that objectifies women in extreme and unrealistic ways.

One blogger wrote, "As a parent, I will not be buying this game.  I do not want my children exposed to this kind of material.  I had no problems with them playing City of Heroes/Villains, but I refuse to allow them to even get a glimpse of this game.  I'm far from a prude, but this is just too far." Her blog referenced these two images, created by a fan of City of Heroes to emphasize the point:
https://i.imgur.com/wreWf.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/3aU9P.jpg

City of Heroes brings together fathers and sons; one player is particularly upset because he had to recently ground his child from the internet, which means they will likely miss their last chances to enjoy this game together.

Another player has cited the game as the only place she and her father (who is fighting cancer) can really spend time together. "I really hope we save this game because he loves it sooooo much and he doesn't get to see me except on it most of the time," she wrote in a forum post on a site dedicated to saving their game, "I don't live down the street and haven't had a car in years. This is the world we connect in and where he's a hero, not sick."

The sentiments from those who use this game as a community to connect with family and bridge the generation gap seem unanimous: comic books are a great way to bond, but this "soft-core porn" (as one player termed it) sends them, at best, "to their bunk." "What?" said one player somewhat shamefacedly, "It's evil, but it's sexy evil."

It is clear, however, that City of Heroes is, to its players, more than a game. It is a community. A community that crosses gender and generational lines in a way that would be inappropriate to impossible for them to share with the new "realigned" focus of NCSoft's products designed to be enjoyed but a narrower and more grown-up masculine demographic...in private.

[SithRose]

The first link's broken. You can copy those screenshots wherever works best for you. (We aren't going to mention that she's actually a Power-path Praetorian who went Villain. :)

[P51mus]

Well, here's some I have right now.

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p207/P51mus/HeraldOfMetal.jpg
http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p207/P51mus/HeraldOfMetalspikes.jpg
http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p207/P51mus/CrabPrincess.jpg
http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p207/P51mus/JoltingJoules.jpg
http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p207/P51mus/DJPheme.jpg
http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p207/P51mus/Pitho.jpg

I have the original screenshots of all but the crab princess one.  Of course, could easily take another shot with her.

[Segev]

Her visual is all that's needed. Fixed the link; I'll do some edit work to crop the image down a bit tomorrow.

Any volunteers to send out this press release? I'd really prefer this one came from somebody other than me, as I'm planning to send out a second.

I can, however, just send them both together if I need to. (I'll have to add some contact information and the like, in any event, so it might be for the best. It will lack the one-two punch I hope for, but for all I know my thoughts on the one-two punch are foolish. And time is becoming of the essence on the Media Day one.)

Well, here's some I have right now

Oh! More options! I'll work on getting one that is the closest to being "promotional" style tomorrow.

As before, if there are any last-minute suggestions, please share them. I am likely to make final adjustments and post for a final look-through less than an hour before I actually do the send-out, barring somebody else being willing to take over the send-out task on this one.

[V-Mink]

Awesome! This is one of many, many things I love about this community. :D

Segev, you probably already have some great pictures there, but as requested all the same, a female hero in as good an action shot as I could get.
Standard issue tanker hitting a Rikti Chief Mesmerist:
http://imageshack.us/a/img818/666/kittyclysm1.jpg

[Atlantea]

Here's some more. Including a couple that - although sexy, aren't nearly as exploitative.

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v28/Logan_Darklighter/City%20of%20Heroes/Lora_lai_09_20_12_zpsa521ee62.jpg

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v28/Logan_Darklighter/City%20of%20Heroes/Mythbuster_Kari_Steampunk_02.jpg

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v28/Logan_Darklighter/City%20of%20Heroes/Skye_over_Talos.jpg

An example of the female walk.

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v28/Logan_Darklighter/City%20of%20Heroes/Karawalk03.jpg

And by the way - remember that some of our signature characters are also quite attractive, and yet in NO WAY as distorted or ridiculous as those in Boobs and Shame!

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v28/Logan_Darklighter/City%20of%20Heroes/Ghost_Widow_screen_01.jpg

And of course, a classic "Flag" Suit.

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v28/Logan_Darklighter/City%20of%20Heroes/LastGleaming.jpg

[The Fifth Horseman]

And has all kinds of "Bizarre evil cults which will corrupt our children!" in it. (Circle of Thorns, Banished Pantheon...Freakshow...ALL of Dark Astoria...)

... Except the players fight against those cults. :)

[TimtheEnchanter]

https://i.imgur.com/80RcX.jpg

Yep... NC is trying to 'realign' something alright.

[Victoria Victrix]

https://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h232/victoriavictrix/SeraWings3.jpg

My beloved, favorite avatar, my fire tank.

https://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h232/victoriavictrix/VickieArmor.jpg

And my namesake, first character ever.

Larry's response to the first You Tube video was, and I quote "Holy sh*t.  Astonishing."  And he didn't mean it in any sort of a good way.

[Atlantea]

Will admit I have always had a soft spot for Ghost Widow...

Although I will admit, that some of the *other* shoots that the person has done in the past, are, well... shall we say, for the over 18's only?

Wait... what... Who? Other shoots? What are we talking about here? You lost me.

[Atlantea]

Oh - and proof positive - as if any were needed - that you can do a tasteful, respectful female character using Korean motifs and symbology without crazy stupid exaggeration of anatomy.

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v28/Logan_Darklighter/City%20of%20Heroes/screenshot_2006-10-14-04-44-08.jpg

[Merana]

I like it when my toons look good, of course. But i never created one that should fall on her nose when she walks because her front is too heavy. The proportions there are just wrong and i surely never would play a toon like that. And the walk is just ridiculous. My Defenders wear a short skirt or something a bit sexy too, but they don`t stand in the first line. I think what she wears must reflect what she does a bit, so the lonely scrapper i have wears body armor of course. Blade an Soul is not a game i would like to play, solely for the way females look there. I like to chat, but not, hm i`m lacking the right word i think, being hit upon? I had a bit of that when i played an entertainer in SWG, and didn`t like it at all. But then it was rare that a real woman was behind the toon. I remember the silence when i joined team speak for the first time.  :roll:
I like to choose myself how my toon looks. So no, I will never touch Blade and Soul, thank you.  >:(

[Knightslayer]

*COUGHS*She Kicks High*COUGHS*
I take it nobody caught my reference earlier then?

*snickers* Ah, Kasumi... she kicks high indeed... though the same could've already been said about Streetfighter's Chun-Li... =P
And nope, I didn't get it - I doubt that commercial ever made it over here, and even if it did, I cancelled my cable years ago.
I see what you mean though!

OMG that soooo didn't read properly in my head the first time.  O.O  :-X   O>:-)

LOL!

[Turjan]

Oh - and proof positive - as if any were needed - that you can do a tasteful, respectful female character using Korean motifs and symbology without crazy stupid exaggeration of anatomy.

Ah yes of course! Mirror Spirit - who, lest we forget, was added to the game specifically for the Korean launch.

So then, are we also to assume this "realignment of company focus" incorporates the following change in the representation of Korean culture to the west?

https://i.imgur.com/4xB4l.jpg

Does it mean the image at left "...no longer fits with our long-term goals for the company"?

This whole thing just gets seedier and seedier doesn't it? I wonder if the Korean press are aware of the Mirror Spirit representation of their country's iconography in CoH, and how NCSoft are getting rid of that portrayal in the west in favour of...well, whatever that creature in the right image is?