“It’s always been done like that before.” Is a really weak argument. Well, if the straight guy thinks the treatment of women is okay, then I guess there’s no problem! (Spoiler: I am also a straight guy.)
Larian has been okay in terms of gender roles before. In Divine Divinity, General Alix was head of the Ducal army, 3/5 of the Black Ring bosses were women. In Divinity 2 Rhode was the most powerful Dragon Slayer, some of the Black Ring generals were women, the final boss was a woman. But there are also questionable things too. Look at this interview about Dragon Commander.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=UBGtRTjIT6Y#t=807sCatherine is a general, who used to be a former queen. She is described as a feminist, a champion for equal gender rights... and her concept art, she’s wearing skintight leather with a goddamn cleavage window. Come on, now.
Do YOU have any GOOD reasons why not to change the art?
1. No it's not. I'm not here to argue the moral rights and wrongs but sales for games with a woman showing her cleavage on the front cover have always been dependent on the advertising and whether one likes what they see of the gameplay just like with all games. It's irrelevant IMO. Several people might boycott the game but everyone else will buy it anyway.
2. Part of Larian's humor if you ask me. Meanwhile if you look at the concept art for men there are several (in both DC and Original Sin) who have their bare chests showing. If the women showing cleavage are for men then the men showing their muscly hairy torsos are for women.
3. It looks good and aesthetic design shouldn't be sacrificed because some people can't handle a bit of skin. That is the woman's default armor in the game and I don't see anything sexual with it asides from the cleavage showing.
If you have ever read a woman's fashion magazine or at least opened one then you'll see that revealing female attire isn't just in the mind of men.
If it was a half-naked man on the front cover we wouldn't be hearing any outrage.
Again I'm not arguing for the moral rights or wrongs of revealing clothing but I see nothing sexual about the cover-art. I see a man and a woman holding hands and the woman isn't striking a sexual pose. I guess the real problem is with the cleavage showing but to think that that would stop people from buying the game is wrong if you ask me. The majority will decide based on the merits of the gameplay itself.
