Television Still Needs to Adjust to Video Game Characters
Street Fighter V represents 20 plus years of fighting games. And Capcom hasn’t felt a need to change much about their characters since debut. However, at Evo 2017: an esports tournament held in Las Vegas, their long-time British fighter, Cammy, came under some broadcast scrutiny.
Tournament participant Ryota Inoue, aka Kazunoko, advanced to the Street Fighter V finals on accounts of his victories with Cammy. He would go on to compete against American player Du Dang, moniker NuckleDu. With the stakes as high as they were, Kazunoko found no reason to change characters. He stuck with Cammy. And as in many Street Fighter games, there’s the option to change costumes. Since none of them offer any kind of advantage, he casually stuck with the green, feature-hugging body suit. A classic, considering it’s the outfit that came with her debut back in 1993. Unfortunately, major broadcasting network ESPN found fault with this selection.
In the video above, we see Kazunoko engage in two matches with NuckleDu. But you’ll note that in the second match Cammy’s outfit has changed. A seemingly random change, right? It’s not something a competitive player considers during a break. There’s no benefit and no psychological effect to be had.
Well, at the 7:06 mark, a representative can be seen talking to Kazunoko. And after a brief moment of confusion, he gives the representative a thumbs up. Well, turns out ESPN was broadcasting Evo 2017 and made the request for Cammy to appear in a different outfit per “broadcast standards.” Apparently, the green suit is just too provocative for their audience.
Yes, Cammy’s outfit does show a lot of skin, but ESPN critics argue the same is true of those worn by actual female athletes. In this case, however, the network cites the practical use of outfits in real sports whereas Street Fighter V is a video game.
As media attention toward e-sports grows, we may see similar events play out. Different outlets will begin witnessing many of the images gamers and fans have grown accustomed to, thus possibly influence the scene in a way that’s hard to predict. In other words, expect more such requests from ESPN or a network of the like.
Are Street Fighter V outfits too provocative or does ESPN need to cool it? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.