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[Eddie-Griffin]

https://www.gamesradar.com/beauty-p...games-to-change-the-game-and-boost-diversity/

Beauty product Dove has launched a new partnership(opens in new tab) with Unreal Engine and Women in Games "to create a more representative, inclusive environment online".
A survey commissioned by the brand surmised that despite the fact women "comprise almost half (1.3bn) of the global gaming community", 73 per cent of female gamers "believe lack of diversity is an issue in games". It also concluded that "60 per cent of girls and women feel the current lack of diversity in avatars and characters has a negative effect on their self-esteem", with 74 per cent wishing "characters in video games looked more like women in real life."

"To paraphrase a line from its new campaign: Player One shouldn’t always have to be size zero," the company said.


To improve diversity, the coalition has launched the Real Beauty in Games training programme, an online, accredited course to educate "designers, creators and moderators about the beauty and diversity issues in gaming, and how to avoid unconscious bias across the stages of avatar and character development".

The project has also launched Super U Story on Roblox, calling it "the world’s first video game designed to build kids’ self-esteem". Super U Story is free and available now on Roblox across most platforms.

"Dove believes that beauty should be a source of confidence, not anxiety, in every aspect of life, both real and virtual," said Leandro Barreto, Dove's global VP. "Although the gaming industry has started to make significant strides in cultural and diverse representation over the last few years, progress needs to be accelerated to challenge the narrow definitions of beauty still visible among many characters and avatars."

https://www.dove.com/uk/stories/about-dove/dove-gaming.html

Introducing Real Virtual Beauty

Dove is partnering with gaming industry allies to level up the gaming world with the global launch of Real Virtual Beauty, a series of commitments challenging female representation in video games.

Together with our partners – Epic Games’ Unreal Engine and Women in Games, we’ll work to train game creators, developers and artists all around the world to create a broader representation of women in gaming and to help reflect the diversity we see in everyday life.

As a result of this training, participants will have the opportunity to showcase their work through the Real Virtual Beauty character art collection – hosted on Art Station, curated by Dove, and dedicated to broadening female representation in video games. To celebrate those who are participating in more creative ways to express individuality in the virtual world, we’ll deliver a series of grants and awards to the best Real Virtual Beauty collection creators - helping to fund and expand their work further.



Super U Story, now on Roblox

In partnership with female-led gaming studio Toya, the Dove Youth Board and experts from CAR, we’ve created the world’s first video game specifically designed to equip young girls with the tools they need to help combat negative self-esteem and build body positivity for teens.

Super U Story offers a first-of-its-kind, educational gaming experience that helps users to be their true selves, instead of aspiring to unrealistic beauty standards and gaming ideals. The game takes place in ‘The Academy’, a school for kids with superpowers that’s under siege by a group of rogue students spreading negativity.

Players can customise their avatars to experience a more realistic version of beauty, team up with friends to explore The Academy, earn power-ups, and complete quests.


Let’s change representation in gaming

We want to lead the way in transforming gaming into a positive place for women and girls. Together, we can help give girls the tools they need to build self-esteem, and ensure the virtual world is a diverse and inclusive place for everyone.

I'm surprised they didn't partner with Sony since they had similar ideas on this issue, given Horizon. I suppose they are working on a game using Ureal with one of their partners as the resaon for the engine partnership.

 

[ANDS]

. . .is that it? This is the story? More representation where it should be the most (i.e., digital representations of ourselves)?

Sounds good to me.

 

[ResilientBanana]

Holy God, I don’t even think their “models” want this.

 

[Bloobs]

 

[intbal]

That reminds me of the launch screen Microsoft once used when you downloaded their new upgraded Xbox Avatar function.
Luckily, I took a picture of it at the time because it was so ridiculous:

 

[jigglet]

I identify as a huge gaping asshole, where's my avatar?

 

[intbal]

I identify as a huge gaping asshole, where's my avatar?

 

[jigglet]

touche

 

[Deerock71]

Doesn't get much more lilly white than a bar of Dove soap.

 

[jigglet]

Avatars now, voice synthesizers next pls?

 

[kruis]

If women really want their avatars to look exactly as they do in real life, then why do almost all of them buy and use cosmetics to hide their flaws? This is what the cosmetics industry is built on.

 

[Lasha]

Maybe somebody affected could clarify me. Why on earth would you want a wheelchair in a game if you are confined to a wheelchair every day of your life? The old messaging was that people should never be defined by their disabilities then games like FH showed up offering prosthetics and hearing aids.

 

[ThatOneGrunt]

That reminds me of the launch screen Microsoft once used when you downloaded their new upgraded Xbox Avatar function.
Luckily, I took a picture of it at the time because it was so ridiculous:

What? Why is this so rediculous? I see a lot of things in this one picture that you could never do with Xbox Avatar creation prior.

 

[01011001]

Maybe somebody affected could clarify me. Why on earth would you want a wheelchair in a game if you are confined to a wheelchair every day of your life? The old messaging was that people should never be defined by their disabilities then games like FH showed up offering prosthetics and hearing aids.

to be fair I gave my Forza character a cool robot arm because why not?

 

[Outlier]

Doves meme game is so strong we can't even tell if they're serious or not.

 

[Drell]

But they're all white... Well there's a latina woman... But they have balls to show diversity these days without a black woman. And I hope for them there are trans and lesbians among them.

 

[Boneless]

Almost half of the gamers are woman... yeah I am going to call bullshit on that.

 

[ReBurn]

I don't see a single AsarI, Turian, Salarian, Krogan or Batarian. So much for video game diversity.

 

[Barakov]

https://www.gamesradar.com/beauty-p...games-to-change-the-game-and-boost-diversity/


https://www.dove.com/uk/stories/about-dove/dove-gaming.html

I'm surprised they didn't partner with Sony since they had similar ideas on this issue, given Horizon. I suppose they are working on a game using Ureal with one of their partners as the resaon for the engine partnership.

 

[AJUMP23]

Dove should just be getting some gamers to take showers.

 

[Hawking Radiation]

Avatars now, voice synthesizers next pls?

 

[Ozzy Onya A2Z]

Err, maybe I have blinders on, but did they just say they want more representation and put out an all-female/women launch? Why wouldn't you just balance everybody all at once e.g. men, women, non-binary, race/creed etc blah blah. Define the standards, not over correct.

This just reads like the usual over correction that is all too common with these modern progressions - "I want to bring balance, here's my agenda for one particular segment that we're going to put on a pedestal and flips the poles. If organisations like this were actually inclusive for all and not just pushing one agenda, I'd actually back/ally them. They need to raise them all to the same level, not strip the reigns from the leader to give it to last place all in the name of "fairness and diversity".

How many guys/others did they ask about representation in that research? I'm guessing that sample is pretty fucking biased to begin with.

My daughter and a whole smattering of girls play Sims, Roblox and generally games that give them character creator and roleplaying based games. This flies in the face of this campaign by Dove. There is also very little about how these types of games are designed for women over men. Dove really didn't assess the market well or execute something with maximised and meaningful impact.

Here's a point, was Bonnie Ross better at Halo than say Jason Jones? Would I choose Bonnie helming Halo over Jones and all that entails with programs like Dove's here? Fuck no. Give me JJs fucking Halo every time. Do I think Bonnie would do far better with a more "predominantly female demographic/franchise". Fuck yes I do.

Am I for the industry supporting more games, devs, diversity, characters etc? Fuck yes. That doesn't mean handing over Halo with its traditionally male zeitgeist right-of-passage in console gaming over to be the transformative force for diversity change and sticking to your guns for 20 years in the face of failure time and time again. 343 succeeded in terms of workplace diversity etc but failed fucking hard in terms of standing up to anything from the previous so called "male dominated" Halo games.

The opposite is also true, but I don't see any such things from Dove or these forces for change. SIMS is clearly built around women, or at least balanced better than gaming of old. The same goes for Farmville or Animal Crossing etc. What is wrong with specificity? It seems to it make more sense having guys helm bloke dominant games and women/others helm projects that align with their core values or games etc. Is it possible for the opposite to be true and women can spearhead games for guys or other identifying genders etc? Sure. Is it likely? Probably not and I think Bonnie/343/Halo really highlights things didn't align for Halo specifically.

Case in point my daughter would rather build her own characters and be empowered that way with flexibility to play different roles at any time. A fixed character design, while those may work for story or character-based games, isn't generally a lot of what is played looking at my own family/friends ladies and what they're playing over 10-25 years with generational differences too. I think Dove's attempt is open step forward and two steps backwards.

Dove is out of their depth but wanting to do something positive for gaming.

 

[Fbh]

That training programme sounds like a nice red flag to keep an eye out for when looking over resumes

Almost half of the gamers are woman... yeah I am going to call bullshit on that.

From 2017 but still:

They probably make up 50%, the problem is these types of claims used for campaigns like this are useless because they are usually based on studies and surveys that don't differentiate a match 3 mobile game from a $70 console release.

 

[ANDS]

Err, maybe I have blinders on, but did they just say they want more representation and put out an all-female/women launch? Why wouldn't you just balance everybody all at once e.g. men, women, non-binary, race/creed etc blah blah. Define the standards, not over correct.

Because it is a campaign specifically targeting women as their impressions of "representation in video games" is low. This is all in the first paragraph of the OP.

But they're all white... Well there's a latina woman... But they have balls to show diversity these days without a black woman. And I hope for them there are trans and lesbians among them.

There's a woman with Down's, a white chick in a wheelchair, an Albino and someone vaguely Hispanic. "All white. . ." isn't what I'd call the theme of that lineup.

 

[diffusionx]

Isn’t this just Battlefield V

 

[3liteDragon]

 

[consoul]

Dove once again virtue signalling while the rest of Unilever (who own them) continue undermining people's self-confidence to sell product.

 

[kingwingin]

Gears 6 Yankee squad

 

[Ozzy Onya A2Z]

Because it is a campaign specifically targeting women as their impressions of "representation in video games" is low. This is all in the first paragraph of the OP.

I think you're oversimplifying there a bit. Compared to what? Teen magazines? The adverts Dove themselves run with beautiful looking women and skin? I don't see them advertising soap remedies for those with Psoriasis and horrible skin optics that go with that for TV ads?

You get my point. Drive for character creators, why be forced by a dev for a particular avatar at all? One could even argue pushing female avatars onto young girls or devs stifles the progress for LGBTQ+ etc, what girls don't want to play a game being an alien? Or a game where you're Rambo? My wife loved Rambo movies growing up and hated Barbies.

It's a lovely idea on paper. Dove is way out of their depth in terms of making games or characters for the industry. Why don't we just leave it to organic game development and open markets? There's plenty of types of people making games, the opportunity to make your own game or character at home has never been easier or cheaper either.

As technology streamlines and enables game development pipelines and game services delivery systems you're going to see more of these dynamic characters or localised game versions handled autonomously and in real time. For example, many games now offer multiple protagonist genders or sexual preferences. Halo Reach for example your custom character goes through the entire game and cutscenes. Why limit that to a specific design? Character creator or tweaking allows players to insert their desires or real-life traits into a game world and through the lens of their character.

I'd rather see Dove or devs push more in terms of empoweing player choice and control managed from early in the game development process so the final product isn't just one thing for everybody. It also creates opportunities in terms of future scope and character developments. Characters could age within a game, start as a child and end up in the afterlife after a life journey. Dove has introduced zero creativity to a very creative field. It does nothing to innovate or inspire. It's just shits out a couple of avatar designs for representation. For me it's the equivalent of adding a rainbow badge to your hollow corporate logo.

 

[VAVA Mk2]

 

[Drell]

There's a woman with Down's, a white chick in a wheelchair, an Albino and someone vaguely Hispanic. "All white. . ." isn't what I'd call the theme of that lineup.

Yeah but as I said, they didn't put a black woman. And that was my joke. Today's inclusive media have an obsession with this: If there is no black woman, it will be flagged as racist.

 

[Bragr]

When women say they want more diversity, they dont mean a bunch of fat fucking chicks.

No one wants that, not even the fat ones.

 

[Northeastmonk]

I got a better idea for Dove.

 

[lh032]

 

[tommib]

That’s it. I’m ignoring Eddie’s threads. They’re all terrible.

 

[El Muerto]

 

[Topher]

 

[JonSnowball]

The fact of the matter is most people aren't exactly lookers, the exceptional few can coast by on their appearance and everyone else is between middling and fuck ugly to the degree of wearing hoodies and large sunglasses.

Now, with taking this into account, people don't want to see average or ugly people - they want to see aspirational characters, chicks with gigantic melons, you know - those real gargantuan milkers, and gorgeous faces, men with beefcake bodies and an athletes physique. The average and the ugly aren't under-represented, it's simply a fact that no one wants to see them in popular media. Would you advertise a restaurant by showing a bunch of borderline vagrants sharing a syringe in a circle while picking through their faces and eating baked potatoes, or by having someone with the appearance of a high-end prostitute consuming a large sausage in the most sensual of ways?

 

[jigglet]

The fact of the matter is most people aren't exactly lookers, the exceptional few can coast by on their appearance and everyone else is between middling and fuck ugly to the degree of wearing hoodies and large sunglasses.

Now, with taking this into account, people don't want to see average or ugly people - they want to see aspirational characters, chicks with gigantic melons, you know - those real gargantuan milkers, and gorgeous faces, men with beefcake bodies and an athletes physique. The average and the ugly aren't under-represented, it's simply a fact that no one wants to see them in popular media. Would you advertise a restaurant by showing a bunch of borderline vagrants sharing a syringe in a circle while picking through their faces and eating baked potatoes, or by having someone with the appearance of a high-end prostitute consuming a large sausage in the most sensual of ways?

exactly, that's why most normal people don't have mirror's in their homes. i haven't seen my own face in years

 

[Boneless]

That training programme sounds like a nice red flag to keep an eye out for when looking over resumes



From 2017 but still:

They probably make up 50%, the problem is these types of claims used for campaigns like this are useless because they are usually based on studies and surveys that don't differentiate a match 3 mobile game from a $70 console release.

This clearly shows woman would unlikely be 50% overall.

 

[Whitecrow]

True representation is not about physical appareance, is about having a bunch of mentallly ill people asking for the world to spin around them.

 

[TransTrender]

Came here for this

I got a better idea for Dove.

Following up with this

 

[jigglet]

ok i was just listening to this video entitled "50 facts you didn't know about the lord of the rings" and one of them was about how the academy awards didn't allow serkis to be nominated for best actor cause it was digital. years after they changed the rules because of "equality". I don't know if that was the narrator's assertion or the academy's, but either way...what the fuck does a digital actor vs real actor have to do with equality? i agree he should have been nominated, but that's beside the point; the reason he should be nominated has nothing to do with equality. this ideological thinking has become so strong people have become zombies with the way they recite these words. A CG character not being nominated is now the same as dividing races, genders etc etc? fuck me.

 

[FrozenFlame]

https://www.gamesradar.com/beauty-p...games-to-change-the-game-and-boost-diversity/


https://www.dove.com/uk/stories/about-dove/dove-gaming.html

I'm surprised they didn't partner with Sony since they had similar ideas on this issue, given Horizon. I suppose they are working on a game using Ureal with one of their partners as the resaon for the engine partnership.

Not to be an asshole but... What exactly is the purpose of the windshield for the wheelchair?

 

[Smokken]

Almost half of the gamers are woman... yeah I am going to call bullshit on that.

Indeed. It's just VERY creative statistics, kinda like the "gender wage gap". Journalism today is a joke.
Whenever I hear the word DIVERSITY, I puke a little in my mouth.

 

[Portugeezer]

Don't know what Dove has to do with video games, maybe trying to sell soap to certain gamers but this is not the way

 

[systemr123]

Not to be an asshole but... What exactly is the purpose of the windshield for the wheelchair?

To block the dirt spewing up from the wheelchair in front of the person created by another such awesome wheelchair?

 

[ToTTenTranz]

https://www.gamesradar.com/beauty-p...games-to-change-the-game-and-boost-diversity/


https://www.dove.com/uk/stories/about-dove/dove-gaming.html

I'm surprised they didn't partner with Sony since they had similar ideas on this issue, given Horizon. I suppose they are working on a game using Ureal with one of their partners as the resaon for the engine partnership.

If I had a physical disability why would I choose to have an avatar that replicates the same disability?
I mean I have huge problems with dust and pollen allergies but I don’t want an avatar who is constantly sneezing during spring.

 

[Little Chicken]

Diversity is a fat chick with downs who can't walk, apparently.

 

[ahtlas7]