Microsoft Encourages Developers To Avoid Exaggerated Female Designs

Expert Verified By

Microsoft Aims To Avoid Negative Gender Stereotypes!

Story Highlight
  • Microsoft is against making women curvy in video games.
  • The gaming giant has provided guidelines not to make the designs exaggerated to avoid negative gender stereotypes.
  • A game like Stellar Blade takes the exact opposite approach.

Various female characters have played iconic roles in video games, such as Lara Croft, Bayonetta, and Ada Wong. Therefore, it is safe to say that females are a huge part of the industry, becoming fan favorites throughout the years.

However, some can often come with exaggerated designs. This is becoming less common in the industry today, and Microsoft’s Production Inclusion Actions help explain why. On its website, the gaming giant discourages developers from creating such characters.

Why it matters: With Sweet Baby Inc. becoming highly popular, inclusivity is more important than ever for developers and publishers.

Microsoft Encourages Developers To Avoid Exaggerated Women Designs
Microsoft Encourages Developers To Avoid Exaggerated Women Designs

As part of its inclusivity initiative, Microsoft has offered developers a list of questions to consider before creating their games. These include various stereotypes that the gaming giant believes are best left out.

Among other things on the list, Microsoft’s official website points to historically controversial character designs.

Are your female characters equipped with clothing and armor that fits their tasks?  Do they have exaggerated body proportions?

-Microsoft

The biggest example of such a character would be Bayonetta, where the character’s design is integrated into every facet of the game. It also plays a role in the gameplay, with Bayonetta utilizing her hair for combos.

Anyhow, Microsoft seems to argue in favor of more realistic character proportions. However, Stellar Blade, another game with a controversial design, has used a Korean model for its main character.

Screenshot from Stellar Blade
Eve From Stellar Blade is Based On A Real Life Model

Rated 18+, this game seems to be a throwback to female character designs rarely seen today. Protagonist Eve is based on a 3D scan of Shin Jae-eun, a Korean Model. Still, Microsoft appears to be against more curvy and intentionally designed females.

Fable, expected to ship in 2025, previously garnered criticism for the female character shown last year.

As an in-house studio, Playground Games likely follows these guidelines closely, highlighting a very different approach compared to the likes of Bayonetta or Stellar Blade.

Was our article helpful? 👨‍💻

Thank you! Please share your positive feedback. 🔋

How could we improve this post? Please Help us. 😔

Gear Up For Latest News

Get exclusive gaming & tech news before it drops. Sign up today!

Join Our Community

Still having issues? Join the Tech4Gamers Forum for expert help and community support!

Latest News

Join Our Community

104,000FansLike
32,122FollowersFollow

Trending

Intel Develops AI Tool To Evaluate Game Visuals And Measure Impact Of Upscalers In Real-Time

Intel has developed a new AI tool named CGVQM, making it easier to objectively evaluate game visuals and the impact of upscalers on them.

RoboCop Unfinished Business Review Roundup—Satisfying Gunplay Marred By Shoddy NPCs

RoboCop Unfinished Business reviews are out. The scores reveal that the gunplay has improved, but the game falls short in many other aspects.

Silent Hill Creator Confirms Work On His Next Project Has Begun Already

Keiichiro Toyama discussed the future of Bokeh Game Studios in a recent interview, confirming that work on the team's next game is underway.

Ubisoft CEO’s Son Appointed To Lead Tencent-Backed Subsidiary, Sparking Nepotism Concerns

Ubisoft is once again under fire, as its CEO has hired his son to lead the Tencent-backed subsidiary without the necessary experience.

Multiple New Lollipop Chainsaw Games Are In The Works At Dragami Games

Multiple new projects based on the Lollipop Chainsaw IP are now in the works thanks to a collaboration between Dragami and Nada Holdings.