A list of companies that brought "booth babes" to E3
In Games Industry - posted on Thu 7th June 2012 4. 10PM
Here is an incomplete list of companies that were represented by "booth babes" at E3.
I wont enter the debate around this issue, but I wish that billion dollar corporations would stop acting like horny fourteen year old boys, and remember that they are making a lot of people uncomfortable whilst damaging their own image. They are alienating more than 50% of their audience right off the bat.
I would also hope that developers themselves will take issue with their art being sold with sex. Maybe have a chat with your publisher to convince them to stop reducing the value of your brand and IP.
Developers:
Vigil
Digital Extremes
Crystal Dynamics
Cryptic Studios
Atlus
Grasshopper Manufacture
Playground Games
Wargaming.net
Bethesda
Yager Development
Darkside Game Studios
Neocore Games
Publishers
Atari
THQ
Nintendo
Namco Bandai
Square Enix
Sony
Ubisoft
Warner Bros
Microsoft
Zenimax
Onlive
2K Games
GREE
Press
The video games press is guilty of encouraging this behaviour. This creates a feedback loop that validates the broken thinking of marketing departments. Sites that have promoted the "booth babes":
Computerandvideogames.com
Feel free to send me any more to add to the list.
Update
Someone has been irritated enough by this article to pay hacker groups to attack my site, and also attempt to get hold of my emails. Its utterly unbelievable that someone would go so far. Such attacks are absolutely illegal and I will contacting relevant authorities.
-Si
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this blog are solely my own and not those of my employer, sponsors or research centre.
(19) comments :Comment by Daniel Cassidy on Thu 7th June 2012 4. 16PM
I think you just did enter the debate :).Fortunately, you’re dead right.
Comment by bob on Thu 7th June 2012 4. 23PM
Seriously?Cant you simply relax and enjoy the fun?
Comment by James on Thu 7th June 2012 4. 33PM
Hopefully in future we can have all our gender specific features removed before we go out in public so that we fail to offend anyone who might be put out by this.Also, those booth babes trying to earn some money? How dare they.
How dare they.
Comment by Everyone on Thu 7th June 2012 5. 26PM
Booth babes are for LOSERS.
Comment by Shirley on Thu 7th June 2012 5. 41PM
I'm a gamer, I go to cons, I buy stuff. I hate it when there are booth babes of either gender. Nvidia had girl BBs at Eurogamer, trying to sell 3D graphics cards, they knew very little about them. When I challenged the marketing reps, they said they were targeting their main audience, just as 2 girls talked to the BBs. Show me a 14 year old boy who has the buying power that I have and I'll eat a hat. Eurogamer told them to cover up. They did. Its just not necessary and can make girl/women gamers uncomfortable.
Comment by RobF on Thu 7th June 2012 9. 46PM
Is there a large market for 14 year old boys buying graphics cards now?
Comment by Simon Roth on Thu 7th June 2012 10. 03PM
Nvidia are terrible.At Siggraph... the CG industry event which is an academic conference, they turned up with a bus load of girls giving out lip balm.
I got my balm but then realised there was no-one on the stand who could actually talk to me about their new chips.
Comment by Woron on Fri 8th June 2012 8. 48AM
Such a long list of companies.But where are the pictures? We want visual proof! :)
Comment by InsanityBringer on Fri 8th June 2012 5. 46PM
funny how this is what I start seeing after much debate in other places about the dress of female characters in rpg games.It amuses me how many e3 photo albums quickly turn into porn albums because the only thing people thought to take pictures of was them. 3d realms was really guilty of this in the day, but I think that's to be expected by the company that made Duke Nukem 3D, heh.
Comment by Mike on Sat 9th June 2012 2. 56PM
> At Siggraph... the CG industry event which is an academic conference, they turned up with a bus load of girls giving out lip balm.Are you kidding me. Seriously?
Comment by nic on Mon 11th June 2012 1. 05AM
"Winners don't use booth babes."
Comment by Karohemd on Mon 11th June 2012 1. 12AM
Simon Roth: Hang on, isn't Siggraph an industry trade show that isn't actually open to the sweaty, pubescent public? I would expect a stand to be manned by techies or the very least marketing people who actually know what their products do.
Comment by Phil on Mon 11th June 2012 1. 21AM
Define "booth babe." Female? Male? Skimpy clothes? A special level of attractiveness? I don't mean to downplay the significance of using "booth babes," but then again, you're lumping in, and accusing, a lot of people of something you see as bad or even disgusting. You might at least define what you're judging them on.
Comment by James on Mon 11th June 2012 1. 43AM
Anyone who is made uncomfortable by "booth babes" shouldn't go to events such as E3. If their lack of knowledge offends you, don't engage them in conversation under the pretext of wanting the stuff they promoting.
Comment by a guy on Mon 11th June 2012 1. 53AM
50%? Really I think your numbers are a little off. And who cares every convention has them whether its a con for games, comics, cars doesn't matter either learn to deal with it or don't go.
Comment by Tracy on Mon 11th June 2012 3. 07AM
As a female gamer I feel like the industry is getting more inclusive of women who have all their clothes on. But it's still a huge boys club, plenty of my girl gamer friends also model and jump at the chance to work at cons and E3. The industry is a hard place for women to gain access and be taken seriously, I don't think booth babes help us at all, but I have a hard time judging any women who use that as their point of access to something like E3.
Comment by Mark on Mon 11th June 2012 6. 57AM
Just because a someone who is hired to work during a convention doesn't make them a booth babe. Most of the people at the Nintendo booth dress better than those who attend the show (and wear deodorant).
Comment by Viki on Mon 5th November 2012 11. 39PM
Personally I think "booth babes" are a waste of space, at the events I have been to where they have been present (this year's Gadget Show Live and Develop, in Brighton) they were almost an embarrassment, they knew nothing about the products they promoted, and failed at demonstrating them.How does that help anyone?
Comment by T.B.I.U. on Sun 21st April 2013 7. 18PM
Probably we're going to see more and more booth babes in future events, everytime wearing less and less clothes... the sex sells... and sells pretty damn good. Sadly, this the awful truth, we like it or not.