Update Dec 30, 2006: I’m admitting it straight up: I jumped the gun on this one and looked foolish because of that. I should have taken the time to frame it properly (examining why the preview program was this way, rather than addressing the Mii system, which wasn’t out yet) and then waited for the Wii to come out to do a comparison with the actual Mii system (which has its flaws as well as its good points).
However, my mistake is not an invitation to break the discussion rules. Commenters seem to be incapable of pointing out my flawed logic without calling me “stupid” or using terms like “whining” or “crying”. Since those kinds of comments are the only one this post continues to receive, I’m shutting off all comments. I’m not sure there’s anything else to be said on this issue, anyway, unless I make a new post that discusses the actual Mii system.
For those of you not in the gamer-know, one of the features that’s going to be available on Nintendo’s upcoming console, the Wii, is that you’ll be able to make an avatar of yourself, which will appear Mii channels and even represent you in some of the games. Sounds cool, right?
Well, not if you’re a glasses-wearing, green-haired loving, spiky haired woman who wants an avatar that even slightly resembles her. That’s right, folks, your resident blogger has checked out the Mii preview that was recently leaked.
Male-normative mindset, meet gaming avatar.
Since there is only one body type to choose from, the only ways I could signifiy my gender are long hair, eyelashes, and red lips. Every other combination I’ve tried resulted in it looking like a man. I’m not a man, I’m just not a wide-eyed, lip-puckering, long-haired girl. But that doesn’t make me any less female, or any less interested in having a Mii who, I dunno, looks even somewhat like me.
Since this is pre-launch, there’s still hope that they’ll introduce more body shapes. Maybe even some non-human ones (’cause sometimes I don’t want a freaky chibi-styled human to represent me, even if it did look like the correct gender). I’m hoping, because otherwise it’ll put a serious dent in my willingness to buy a Wii — especially if the avatar-using games are popular.
Eh, I got mine to look mostly like me, but I could wish for at least a fat type of body to choose from. The thinner eyebrows seemed to be the key to androgyny on mine. But given my choice, I’d rather be able to make a fat kitty to be my avatar.
Hello. I wish to make two points. First, that ‘leaked preview’ is a fan-made creation based solely, I believe, on already-released Nintendo video footage. Second, is it not a bit much to let such a minor detail like avatar customizability put a “serious dent” into your desire to buy a console? I, too, would like to see more variety in some of the options available, but I think that’s caring a bit too much.
Even fan-made, having it based on Nintendo’s already released footage doesn’t detract from my point — the avatars that have been seen so far are all male-looking and with only one body shape. It’s very likely that the final release
Read or re-read the discussion rules. Being dismissive is a no-no. This is your first, and only, warning.
Not to mention that maybe if you had grown up having to make do with avatars like you being underrepresented in the games that you played — women, when they appear in games, are most times second fiddle to the hero of the story and/or hyper-sexualized in a way that makes it clear that they’re main characters for the guys and not those of us who want to have avatars like us — you’d understand that, to some female gamers, having the ability to have an avatar that looks like us in chat and some games isn’t a small thing. And it’s not up to you to decide how people should feel about a matter that doesn’t affect you in any way.