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Who is the Beyoncé of gaming?

Meg Cherry

Meg Cherry

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Oct 25, 2017
7,552
Seattle, WA
This came up on an episode of Giant Bomb's Voicemail Dumptruck yesterday, and it's a question I haven't been able to stop thinking about since.


View: https://youtu.be/kUy513a-u6k?t=1230

The question is inspired by a Marvel 3 commentator at EVO saying "Morrigan is the Cardi B of Gaming." The question then asks who the Beyoncé of gaming is.


220px-Morrigan%28Darkstalkers%29.png


The podcast brings up Geoff Keighley, Kirby, Bayonetta, Rogue the Bat, and Kirby as possibilities - but never hit on a satisfying answer. Gaming doesn't have a ton of feminine icons who physically resemble her - so we're left to ask who best manifests her spirt, while standing toe-to-toe with her in status.




I pondered it a bit, and eventually came to an unexpected answer that I actually found satisfying.

FwdO9M9aMAMkL6T


It's Link. The hero of time. An icon for nearly 40 years, an immediate breakout star in the medium itself. Who better could match Beyoncé's influence on culture? Who else could look themselves in the eye, and say they are worthy to be compared? There's simply no other option.

Every move they make, the industry quivers. Visual albums. Innovative open world design. Album drops. Z-Targeting. They aren't the subject of the conversation. They are the conversation.

Agree/Disagree?
 
Slayven

Slayven

Never read a comic in his life
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Oct 25, 2017
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Peach or Chun Li

Even the unwash masses know them
 
BrickArts295

BrickArts295

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Oct 26, 2017
14,780
Lara Croft
Lara-Croft-Tomb-Raider-Infographic.jpg

Edit: I'll admit though, she had her ups and downs so maybe not the best one to compare to Beyonce 🤔
 
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julia crawford

julia crawford

Took the red AND the blue pills
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Oct 27, 2017
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could someone pls explain Beyoncé to me

reasonably I mean, explain it reasonably, I'm very out of this
 
Jasonstation

Jasonstation

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Nov 10, 2019
9
It's the persona series (hear me out).
Started out as a spin off of a larger franchise at the time (SMT & Destiny's Child)
Is now wildly more popular than any other SMT/Destiny's child alumni
Every subsequent release is marked by an unmistakable style revolution
 

Deleted member 61531

Banned
Nov 19, 2019
10,231
its tricky, cuz i think the morrigan-cardi b comparison is like…this character is this person.

the link-beyonce comparison is like…this IP is this person. so its a different frame of comparison.

Anyway Kratos is Beyonce.
 
BrickArts295

BrickArts295

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Member
Oct 26, 2017
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Jasonstation said:
It's the persona series (hear me out).
Started out as a spin off of a larger franchise at the time (SMT & Destiny's Child)
Is now wildly more popular than any other SMT/Destiny's child alumni
Every subsequent release is marked by an unmistakable style revolution
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Alright /thread, this is the one.
 
OP
OP
Meg Cherry

Meg Cherry

Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,552
Seattle, WA
julia crawford said:
isn't that David Byrne? is Beyoncé the Beyoncé of David Byrne?
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David Byrne was unaware that he was presumptively performing as Beyonce during the P.B. (Pre-Beyonce) era.

Jasonstation said:
It's the persona series (hear me out).
Started out as a spin off of a larger franchise at the time (SMT & Destiny's Child)
Is now wildly more popular than any other SMT/Destiny's child alumni
Every subsequent release is marked by an unmistakable style revolution
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
This is also a very good answer.
 
Stencil

Stencil

Mailing Out Their Business
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Oct 30, 2017
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Pokémon. They're both unstoppable juggernauts with more money than god.
 
Hilarious_Bearious

Hilarious_Bearious

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Nov 4, 2017
7,922
Yeah Beyonce is great and all, but who's the Kelly Rowland of Gaming? Maybe it's like 3D Zelda is Beyonce and 2D Zelda is Kelly? I love me some Kelly Rowland.
 
Unknownlight

Unknownlight

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Nov 2, 2017
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If the standard we're using is "became wildly more popular than their original group", then Mario is by far the biggest example. The series is a Donkey Kong spin-off.
 

Mau

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Oct 25, 2017
3,167
So who is Rihanna then? More popular than Bey, cooler and less concerned with perfection (or releasing with any kind regularity)?
 
Simba

Simba

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Nov 25, 2017
2,599
if you want to go oldschool

there was The Supremes.

Then it became Diana Ross and The Supremes

Then Diana Ross became her own thing.

Who is the Diana Ross of the game industry?
 
ArjanN

ArjanN

Member
Oct 25, 2017
10,678
Brawly Likes to Brawl said:
Bayonetta? We've had threads where people speculate what songs will be represented in her upcoming games.
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Lady Gaga is Bayonetta.

Mau said:
So who is Rihanna then? More popular than Bey, cooler and less concerned with perfection (or releasing with any kind regularity)?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Joanna Dark

Simba said:
if you want to go oldschool

Who is the Diana Ross of the game industry?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Pauline
 
ventuno

ventuno

Member
Nov 11, 2019
3,064
Link works, but so does Pikachu because his star power was always there from the start and has arguably eclipsed his famous, prominent (platonic) partner in pop culture despite said partner also having a major legacy.
 
arimanius

arimanius

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Oct 27, 2017
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If it's a character that transcends video games then I would say Mario, Master chief, or Lara Croft. They are all recognizable figures outside of video games.
 
Puggles

Puggles

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Nov 3, 2017
3,141
It's sad I can't immediately think of a single powerful black woman in video games
 
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