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There's been a lot of talk about fanservice in games lately, and one of the mainstays of those conversations is the Dead or Alive Xtreme series. I've been discussing this with a couple fellow gaffers for a while now, as well as on some other sites, but I wanted to gather all my thoughts in one topic. Basically, it's time that Team NINJA added some male characters to the DoAX series, and it's time that other companies step up their game as well and be more inclusive when it comes to offering fan service content in their titles. Now first off, what I'm talking about here is visceral fan service, aka flesh. I know there are many other ways to convey sex appeal, and I know not everyone finds enjoyment in seeing nearly naked bodies parading around their televisions, and that's great. Men, women, trans, non-binary, gay, straight, bi, asexual, etc. everyone is different. Games, just like any other type of creative medium, should strive to offer a multitude of varying experiences and perspectives. There is no "one size fits all" solution, nor should there be, and every game does not need to be set up to be a broadly received as possible, as that waters down creative intent, and doesn't serve anyone in the long run. I think this is something most everyone can agree on, or at least I hope it is.
Now that being said, I also think that it's pretty fair to assume that a large majority of the population likes to view some gratuitously sexual imagery from time to time. This is part of human nature for most people, and it's not shameful in any regard as long as it's being done in a respectful manner. And when it comes to the venue of video games, it's pretty obvious that female characters are overly sexualized, and suffer from an enormous dearth of proper, in-depth representation. This lack of meaningful representation for women, as well as for other minority groups, is almost certainly the largest issue facing gaming today. I'm saying all this to convey the fact that the basis of this topic is not ignoring those issues, not in the slightest. Anyone who is familiar with my posts here can tell you as much. But the focus of this topic is another angle. It's my personal belief that one way to combat the stigma surrounding sex in the medium is not only to provide more nuance in regards to female representation, but also to embrace the sexualization of male characters in a more balanced fashion. Of course there are numerous smaller/indie developers that are making ground in this respect, and sub genres like otome games are seeing increasing success, but as far as large companies and well known IPs, the idea of overtly sexualized male characters is not commonplace. (There are exceptions to this. Bioware for example.)
So that brings us back to the Dead or Alive Xtreme series. Anyone familiar with the spin-off will know that it unabashedly puts the IP's female characters on display in an embellished cheesecake fashion. The issue that I have with the game is not it's inherent dedication to fanservice, but the fact that anyone that who is more inclined towards the male form have no avenue to join in on the fun. Some people might say that the Xtreme series has started with women only, and should remain that way. Of course they're entitled to that opinion, and it's not necessarily born from a malicious or selfish place, because as I stated above, it's not the responsibility of every game to appeal to every player imaginable. But there are a few points those that hold that limited view are forgetting. Firstly, that the Dead or Alive series on a whole has always had male characters as well, and those characters have fans that deserve some content aimed towards them. (Team NINJA is already slowly becoming aware of this fact, as even though it was a long wait, the men finally got some swimsuits in DoA5, and certain characters like Ein and Eliot had beforehand received a non-incidental amount of fanservice attire.) Also, in the grand scheme of things, any gamer that likes to see attractive women in skimpy attire, displayed in an intentionally sexual fashion, are at absolutely no loss for options when they wish to indulge that desire. So when we consider this, it seems obvious to me that the Dead or Alive Xtreme series could make some room at the table for some beefcake content as well.
Now of course it's not simply the act of wanting something that justifies its existence. Games are created to make money, and of course developers are always mindful of this fact. Even though I'd love to see it happen, I don't think launching a stand alone, stud laden DoAX title would be the wisest choice right off the bat. The Dead or Alive moniker carries with it many preconceived notions, and those have to be taken into consideration. That's why I would suggest that in the initial offering of men for the series, that it should be done via DLC, and/or as a small addition to the currently planned product. While I think most rational gamers would have no problem seeing Ryu in a speedo alongside a bikini-clad Kasumi, there would inevitable be some backlash from people, mostly of the knee-jerk variety, that Koei Tecmo is trying to take away their fan service by shoving men down their throats, when in reality it's nothing of the sort. By having it be an opt-in expansion, the more uninformed players can gradually acclimate themselves to the idea, while everyone else can have some frivolous beach side fun. Thankfully the market for more inclusive offerings are only going to grow as time goes on, so companies would be wise to utilize the assets they currently have available in this sense, and Team NINJA has ample opportunity to do so. In addition to the positive benefits this would have for players wishing for this type of content, it also could provide the opportunity to earn some goodwill for the company and the brand. Dead or Alive Xtreme in its current state will most likely not garner that much attention from mainstream media other than some blurbs about the "controversy", and maybe a few reviews on niche sites. But were they to add some men into the mix, I'm pretty sure that would be a story that would gain some traction, partly due to the pure novelty of the act, and also because it shows they're willing to take a risk and offer something for a more expanded audience of players. It may even pave the way to an eventual western release. Regardless of your feelings on the matter, it would be a lot harder to disparage content like this if the developers are making an effort in good faith to be inclusive.
And while Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 is an obvious example, there are certainly numerous other series/companies that could benefit from this type of expanded fan service, and already possess the tools and resources to do so. Another instance that has already seen a very positive reception is the inclusion of the "Hot Ryu" DLC costume in Street Fighter V. Capcom has even directly confirmed that they've noticed the warm reception and plan to expand upon it further. The game is currently experiencing a myriad of launch issues at the moment, so I'll forgive them for not having made any progress in that regard since then, but once those are ironed out, they really do need to take it upon themselves to follow through. Even just yesterday, some mods of Hot Ryu striking the more provocative poses belonging to the female characters has been making the rounds, and they already have thousands of views/likes/notes on various social media sites. All in one day. I'm not saying that it's the exact route I'd like them to follow as there's more to consider than just some jiggling male butt cheeks, but at the same time it's not to be underestimated either. The best indicator that we're working towards a better gaming community is when everyone can have their (beef and/or cheese) cake, and eat it too. And that it's not a crime to enjoy some frivolous doses of gratuitous sex, as long as everyone has the opportunity to do so, and it comes part and parcel with other types of experiences that explore a full range of experiences and viewpoints. Some developer is gonna have a breakthrough when it comes to fan service of the male variety, and other companies are going to be wishing that they had pursued a similar course of action sooner. The only thing to wonder is, which big developer is going to really embrace this unstoppable trend and bring it to the masses.
Note: While representation should definitely extend to all different body types, this isn't about a specific type or fetish, more the general concept of male character fanservice. DoAX3 is used as a template because it's an obvious example, and they already possess the majority of the tools there to capitalize on it.
Now that being said, I also think that it's pretty fair to assume that a large majority of the population likes to view some gratuitously sexual imagery from time to time. This is part of human nature for most people, and it's not shameful in any regard as long as it's being done in a respectful manner. And when it comes to the venue of video games, it's pretty obvious that female characters are overly sexualized, and suffer from an enormous dearth of proper, in-depth representation. This lack of meaningful representation for women, as well as for other minority groups, is almost certainly the largest issue facing gaming today. I'm saying all this to convey the fact that the basis of this topic is not ignoring those issues, not in the slightest. Anyone who is familiar with my posts here can tell you as much. But the focus of this topic is another angle. It's my personal belief that one way to combat the stigma surrounding sex in the medium is not only to provide more nuance in regards to female representation, but also to embrace the sexualization of male characters in a more balanced fashion. Of course there are numerous smaller/indie developers that are making ground in this respect, and sub genres like otome games are seeing increasing success, but as far as large companies and well known IPs, the idea of overtly sexualized male characters is not commonplace. (There are exceptions to this. Bioware for example.)
So that brings us back to the Dead or Alive Xtreme series. Anyone familiar with the spin-off will know that it unabashedly puts the IP's female characters on display in an embellished cheesecake fashion. The issue that I have with the game is not it's inherent dedication to fanservice, but the fact that anyone that who is more inclined towards the male form have no avenue to join in on the fun. Some people might say that the Xtreme series has started with women only, and should remain that way. Of course they're entitled to that opinion, and it's not necessarily born from a malicious or selfish place, because as I stated above, it's not the responsibility of every game to appeal to every player imaginable. But there are a few points those that hold that limited view are forgetting. Firstly, that the Dead or Alive series on a whole has always had male characters as well, and those characters have fans that deserve some content aimed towards them. (Team NINJA is already slowly becoming aware of this fact, as even though it was a long wait, the men finally got some swimsuits in DoA5, and certain characters like Ein and Eliot had beforehand received a non-incidental amount of fanservice attire.) Also, in the grand scheme of things, any gamer that likes to see attractive women in skimpy attire, displayed in an intentionally sexual fashion, are at absolutely no loss for options when they wish to indulge that desire. So when we consider this, it seems obvious to me that the Dead or Alive Xtreme series could make some room at the table for some beefcake content as well.
Now of course it's not simply the act of wanting something that justifies its existence. Games are created to make money, and of course developers are always mindful of this fact. Even though I'd love to see it happen, I don't think launching a stand alone, stud laden DoAX title would be the wisest choice right off the bat. The Dead or Alive moniker carries with it many preconceived notions, and those have to be taken into consideration. That's why I would suggest that in the initial offering of men for the series, that it should be done via DLC, and/or as a small addition to the currently planned product. While I think most rational gamers would have no problem seeing Ryu in a speedo alongside a bikini-clad Kasumi, there would inevitable be some backlash from people, mostly of the knee-jerk variety, that Koei Tecmo is trying to take away their fan service by shoving men down their throats, when in reality it's nothing of the sort. By having it be an opt-in expansion, the more uninformed players can gradually acclimate themselves to the idea, while everyone else can have some frivolous beach side fun. Thankfully the market for more inclusive offerings are only going to grow as time goes on, so companies would be wise to utilize the assets they currently have available in this sense, and Team NINJA has ample opportunity to do so. In addition to the positive benefits this would have for players wishing for this type of content, it also could provide the opportunity to earn some goodwill for the company and the brand. Dead or Alive Xtreme in its current state will most likely not garner that much attention from mainstream media other than some blurbs about the "controversy", and maybe a few reviews on niche sites. But were they to add some men into the mix, I'm pretty sure that would be a story that would gain some traction, partly due to the pure novelty of the act, and also because it shows they're willing to take a risk and offer something for a more expanded audience of players. It may even pave the way to an eventual western release. Regardless of your feelings on the matter, it would be a lot harder to disparage content like this if the developers are making an effort in good faith to be inclusive.
And while Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 is an obvious example, there are certainly numerous other series/companies that could benefit from this type of expanded fan service, and already possess the tools and resources to do so. Another instance that has already seen a very positive reception is the inclusion of the "Hot Ryu" DLC costume in Street Fighter V. Capcom has even directly confirmed that they've noticed the warm reception and plan to expand upon it further. The game is currently experiencing a myriad of launch issues at the moment, so I'll forgive them for not having made any progress in that regard since then, but once those are ironed out, they really do need to take it upon themselves to follow through. Even just yesterday, some mods of Hot Ryu striking the more provocative poses belonging to the female characters has been making the rounds, and they already have thousands of views/likes/notes on various social media sites. All in one day. I'm not saying that it's the exact route I'd like them to follow as there's more to consider than just some jiggling male butt cheeks, but at the same time it's not to be underestimated either. The best indicator that we're working towards a better gaming community is when everyone can have their (beef and/or cheese) cake, and eat it too. And that it's not a crime to enjoy some frivolous doses of gratuitous sex, as long as everyone has the opportunity to do so, and it comes part and parcel with other types of experiences that explore a full range of experiences and viewpoints. Some developer is gonna have a breakthrough when it comes to fan service of the male variety, and other companies are going to be wishing that they had pursued a similar course of action sooner. The only thing to wonder is, which big developer is going to really embrace this unstoppable trend and bring it to the masses.
Note: While representation should definitely extend to all different body types, this isn't about a specific type or fetish, more the general concept of male character fanservice. DoAX3 is used as a template because it's an obvious example, and they already possess the majority of the tools there to capitalize on it.
