Not everyone at the developer Volition was thrilled with the use of adult actresses in marketing the Saints Rowseries, according to associate producer Kate Nelson in an interview with Edge, particularly in reference to an occasion when THQ suggested that porn star Tera Patrick had been a "special producer" for the project.
"Saying that someone who had no industry experience was in a role that is sexualized as a producer of our project, or saying the penthouse girls are our QA staff... I can see the humor in that angle of promotion but for me that's the line where it gets into reality," said Nelson.
A number of adult actresses were hired for the promotion of Saints Row 2, including Patrick who later voiced a character in the game's expansion pack. Sasha Grey, the former adult actress turned actress, was hired to play Viola DeWynter in Saints Row: The Third.
"In Saints Row 2 and Saints Row 3 there was an emphasis on the penthouse girls, and earlier Tera Patrick," Nelson continued. "I think it's important in marketing games to make sure that the essence of the game is what's being marketed, and I think the porn star angle didn't really fit in with what Saints Row is at heart, which is a parody. We like to poke fun."
Apparently THQ was taking the 'poking fun' literal, Nelson went on to defend the female characters in the series and the upcoming Saints Row: The Third as being inclusive and fair with female characters.
"You can be who you want to be in the game and you have powerful female characters written into the narrative. I think our game actually does represent women in a positive way, but the press will focus on, oh hey, there are strippers, or there's a dildo bat - it's unfortunate from my perspective that that doesn't come through."
Saints Row 4 is now being published by Deep Silver, we're sure Feminist Frequencymay have a different viewpoint on the series and we want to hear it.
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[Via Edge]
