We didn’t understand all the hype, really. While everyone was gibble-gabbling about Jade, we were so into the game’s Creative Director Patrice. We even learned his last name! (It’s Desilets.) Others focused more on Ubisoft producer Jade Raymond. MTV’s Multiplayer blog has an insightful interview up with game journo Jane Pinckard about women in the game interesting. We’ve been big fans of Pinckard’s blog Game Girl Advance for donkey’s yonks. Anyway, here’s what she has to say about the whole Jade Raymond media circus:
I don’t know exactly how it happened, but I think Ubisoft noticed the amount of press that she was getting, and they did what most companies would do, which is they exploited that. I like Ubisoft and all, but they don’t care about Jade as much as they care about their bottom dollar, and they’re going to do what they think works. And if the GameTrailers interviews that have Jade on them get like 20 times the hits as any other product that they put out, what are they going to do? They’re going to put her in front of the camera. I think they created a lot of resentment though, both internally and maybe externally. I think a lot of men were resentful of her stature, and maybe some of them thought she didn’t deserve it, and they deserved it more or whatever. It’s difficult. It’s complicated.I think that’s just the nature of who we are as human society. That’s why there is this celebrity culture and why we revere attractive people, and then also can’t wait to tear them down. [Laughs]I think it’s a confluence of factors. It’s the fact that Jade is attractive to the gaming press, of course you’re going to write about her. And once that happens Ubisoft is going to push her more because they realise she gets press and then she’s going to continue to do it because it’s her job, and as a producer what do you want? You want to sell copies of your game and make sure the game is successful. You do that by going out and doing interviews, representing your game. You know, you can’t fault any of them really for doing their jobs…
While we do appreciate Jane’s intelligent discussion and do hope you swing by Multiplayer to read the full interview, we’re also really happy that this post is yet another excuse to post a Patrice pic.
Pinckard Interview [Multiplayer]
Patrick
Thursday, December 13, 2007 at 12:21 AMI just want to say on this topic, that women will never be satisfied.
If they are treated as no different from a man, sent out to market said product, and the product does well. It must be sexist… But if the same thing were to happen because of a man, that would be normal. Women are just fucked up like that. Apoligies to any normal people out there reading this.. its just my opinion, as best as I could put it in writing.
Retort
Thursday, December 13, 2007 at 1:38 PM@patrick
join the “he man woman haters club”. they will side with you.
what you don’t understand is as long as us(yes i am male) men have eyes, there will always be a lack of equality between the sexes. it’s called “the male gaze” and women aren’t the one’s that offset this kind of sexism. i never would have thought this post-emo teenage “i hate all females” feeble minded mentality would spill out onto kotaku.
Didn’t mean to sound like flames, but come on, this is not a Coheed and Cambria forum.
also, how is what you said on topic?