Comments on: What does the digital you look like?

By: Sarina

Sarina — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 09:30:04 +0000

On WoW my main character looks a lot like me, and I change her hair colour etc when I change my own. My other characters I just make look pretty. I’m the same when I play the sims, I try and make one that looks like me, then I like making ones that look like characters etc.

By: Bad Tom

Bad Tom — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:53:34 +0000

It’s about a decade since I’ve played much in the way of video games, and back then most of the games I played either had a fixed character or none at all (e.g. first-person games), so making an avatar look like me wasn’t really an issue. I got used to the fact that I don’t look like Solid Snake or Lara Croft or some nameless marine.

I guess if I had to choose an avatar now, I would take the option to try being someone different. One might even say that every time I dress up in real life I’m making up an avatar and trying out being someone else!

By: johubris

johubris — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:02:14 +0000

but in most video games my character would be doing something that I’d never do in real life (fighting, driving, flying or playing sports), so why limit myself to looking like I really do?

That’s interesting point Tom. I guess for me because mostly all I play is Rockband, I’d like to think that a fat girl can look hot and rock the fuck out, like, for realsies. If that makes sense. And of course by “a fat girl” I mean me, because of course there are fat girls already who totally rock out already.

By: Amy

Amy — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:38:24 +0000

My avatars are a mix. I used to play The Sims soooo much, and at first I’d try to make them look like me which is too hard, so then I’d just make them look cool. My Rock Band avatar started out a bit like me but then I got bored and changed. And my Wii Mii is just way cute, as short and plump as I could make her.
When I first started playing games with avatars I was really self conscious, but I think my progression to now being so comfortable with making digital versions of me is a real sign of getting over myself.

By: Bad Tom

Bad Tom — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:37:24 +0000

The last time I created an avatar in a video game, it looked nothing like me. It had six legs, wings and horns, because it was in Spore.

But seriously, even if it weren’t a question of body image (and I’d certainly be tempted to edit out my gut and grey hairs in any avatar of mine), I don’t think I’d go out of my way to make my avatar look anything like me, even regarding race or gender as much as body type. For something like a Mii I can see the point of being recognisable, but in most video games my character would be doing something that I’d never do in real life (fighting, driving, flying or playing sports), so why limit myself to looking like I really do?