Because of Dead or Alive, we have the term ‘jiggle physics.’ The series has a crass history of marketing itself in large part with the improbable physics applied to its female combatants, but Dead or Alive 6 aims to change that. Maybe. Early marketing for the latest in the series has toned down the sex appeal, but director Yohei Shimbori wants fans to know “breast movement” is still here.
Default outfits in DOA6 show a bit less skin than they have in the past, and some – like Kasumi’s – are made of a rigid material that doesn’t allow for much freedom. “We look at the way the body moves,” Shimbori says, “not just the breasts, but other elements, too. We are really looking to show more natural body movement.”
“It’s not something that we’re trying to put in people’s faces, ‘Oh, look at the breast movements!’ or anything,” he tells Game Informer. “However, it is an element of the game that fans of the series do tend to be geared toward. We’re working within our fan expectations, and we do want to dispel any rumors that there is no movement whatsoever. That’s been a misunderstanding.”
The first Dead or Alive 6 trailer showed a new vision for the series, with more realistic characters and less exaggerated sex appeal. But despite the suggestion that this game would be “less sexualized,” the marketing has been quite different in Japan, where a pricey special edition comes complete with boob mouse pads and saucy body pillow cases.
Whether this game follows through on its somewhat tamer promise, or if it’ll end up matching DOA5’s endless, expensive piles of bikini DLC, remains to be seen. Answers will come some time after the Dead or Alive 6 release date.
In any case, Shimbori hopes you don’t focus on the breasts too much. “We also hope people don’t just focus on a specific body part because we are putting a lot of effort into the entire character, right down to facial animations, bruises, scratches, and sweat.”