The latest PBS Game/Show episode with Killscreen's Jamin Warren tackles the issue of extreme human bodies in video games, and it would be tricky to find a more loaded topic at the moment. My favorite early moment in the video is the slight hitch before he says the words "Dragons Crown."
But it's still a good topic, and this is a great look at why the issue is important if you don't want to wade through pages of flame wars and forum arguments. Sure, both male and female bodies are unrealistic and stylized, but the way the genders are shown to the player, from their design to how the virtual camera frames their bodies, is often very different.
Men can be any shape in games, and that shape is often designed to allow them do more things, and to be more capable in their role. Women tend to be much more limited in how their bodies are shown in games, and those shapes tend to be designed mostly for male consumption.
There are always going to be exceptions that prove the rule, but the trends in gaming are overwhelming, and it's something the industry has only recently begun to tackle.
