Thaindian News

Washington, Mar 27 (ANI): A new videogame, set for release this spring, has received harsh criticism for its depiction of women.

‘Duke Nukem Forever’ that requires gamers to abduct women and give them a ‘reassuring slap’ if they freak out has caused uproar within the feminist community.

The game’s 1996 precursor Duke Nukem 3D - which sold 3.5 million copies, made millions for its developers and transformed the entire world of video games - depicted women as strippers and prostitutes.

The new iteration of the game takes sexism to a new level - starting with Duke receiving implied oral sex from twins in school uniforms.

“It was offensive then and it’s even more offensive now,” Jamia Wilson, vice president of the Women’s Media Center, told FoxNews.com.

“These depictions of women are extremely harmful, especially to young women,” she added.

Duke Ferris, editor-in-chief at gamehelper.com, said sexism is an intentional part of Duke Nukem Forever.

“The game is meant to objectify women — that’s the point,” he said.

Gearbox Studios bought the rights to the game last year, following 15 years of delays and disappointments that made the Duke a running joke among gamers.

They described an especially controversial multiplayer mode called ‘Capture the Babe’ in an interview with the Official Xbox Magazine.

The magazine described it as ‘more goofy than offensive’.

“The ‘Babe’ will sometimes freak out while you’re carrying her (somewhat understandably we’d say), at which point you have to hit a button to gently give her a reassuring slap,” wrote the magazine.

Meanwhile, Gearbox announced Thursday yet another delay to the overdue game’s release.

‘Duke Nukem Forever’, which had been slated for release May 3, is now scheduled for June 14. (ANI)