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Microsoft Urges Devs to Avoid ‘Exaggerated Body Proportions’ for Female Characters

 

Microsoft Urges Devs to Avoid 'Exaggerated Body Proportions' for Female Characters

Microsoft’s official support website for game developers has a note urging devs not to create female characters with ‘exaggerated body proportions.’

The Microsoft support page, titled ‘Product Inclusion Action: Help Customers Feel Seen,’ lists various considerations for developers to use when working on games. As pointed out by users, the list appears to  contain language condemning certain female characters as reinforcing ‘negative gender stereotypes.’

Here’s a bit under the ‘Questions to Consider’ section of the page:

Are you reinforcing any negative gender stereotypes?

  • Are you unnecessarily introducing gender & gender barriers into your code or design?
  • Are you creating playable female characters that are equal in skill and ability to their male peers. Are your female characters equipped with clothing and armor that fits their tasks?  Do they have exaggerated body proportions?
  •  When the story allows, do you show male characters who display a full range of emotions, including joy, sadness, and vulnerability?

Microsoft and other Western developers have been making an effort to fight the ‘objectification’ in games and cited games such as Stellar Blade for setting ‘unrealistic beauty standards’ despite the heroine being based on a real-life model.

In any case, developer SHIFT UP has yet to back down from the pressures of Western media standards and is looking to include plenty of sexy costumes for Stellar Blade, including some that look practically naked.

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