What's better than a booth babe? A booth babe who actually plays games, says Yvonna Lynn, who founded a modeling agency called Charisma +2 that specializes in providing floor models who are also gamers.
While working at an exhibit at Nintendo's E3 booth in 2005, Lynn noticed that most of the floor models had no interest in the games they were presenting. While she used her breaks trying to see as much of the show as she could, most of the other models would spend their downtime hiding in the back. "I was appalled to find that so few of the girls played videogames," she told CNBC. "I decided then that it would be really fun to run an agency that offered models who are also gamers."
Last year she was finally able to pull it off, launching Charisma +2, an agency that caters exclusively to the videogame industry. Models from the agency appeared at E3 this year and will also turn up at QuakeCon and Comic-Con. Several of the models, including Lynn herself, were asked to pose for a "girl gamer" issue of Playboy; although Lynn declined the offer, five others decided to take part.
Lynn says that while eye candy is nice, models who are knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the product they're representing are far more interesting to the average gamer. "The gamers love the idea of a booth babe who actually knows how to play games," she said. Charisma +2 currently represents over 100 models, mostly students, who earn $20-$25 per hour at shows, although "specialty models" who wear particularly revealing clothing, give game demos or have other "particular skills with a game" can earn more. And all are required to be genuine gamers.
"I ask them to tell me what their favorite games are," Lynn said. "They don't have to be good. They just have to know it and have a passion for it.. The girls who aren't into [gaming] typically aren't interested in being with Charisma+2."
While modeling at trade shows for a few extra bucks is nice in itself, Lynn said the greater purpose is to help people get an inside track on the industry. Charisma +2 offers other services including voice and motion capture acting; she provided voice work for id's online shooter Quake Live and a former model now works in the studio's QA department. "The main idea is to help these guys and girls get their foot into the door in an industry they normally would not have access to," she said. "That's especially true with the ladies, because this is such a hard industry for women to break into."
Also A girl who can game and knows that you need to shoot the cyberdemon until it dies is more appealing/seemingly obtainable. Unless she plays FPS games as a sniper. Then she's as attractive as the other boothbabes. Which is still very.
I'd type more but I'm staring at the picture right now, please leave a message after the beep.
Curtmiester: ...(Looking at picture) I'm sorry, I totally forgot what I was going to say.
All I can think of is. I like motorcycles...a lot.
So then I'm not the only person here who suddenly got the inexplicable urge to ride a motorcycle. odd. Maybe I should continue staring at the picture of the... motorcycle... until I can figure it out...
EmileeElectro: Wow.. XD I hope it's not games like Cooking Mama... Shame I'm not a size 8 blond in America, eh?
Size 8? The current standard for models is size 2, preferably size 0.
While I think having booth babes that actually know and understand games is wonderful, any girl hoping to "get into the industry" this way may want to think twice. It's very hard to unring the "look at my boobs" bell.
EmileeElectro: Wow.. XD I hope it's not games like Cooking Mama... Shame I'm not a size 8 blond in America, eh?
Size 8? The current standard for models is size 2, preferably size 0.
While I think having booth babes that actually know and understand games is wonderful, any girl hoping to "get into the industry" this way may want to think twice. It's very hard to unring the "look at my boobs" bell.
uk dress sizes 6,8,10,12
is what emi meant =3 don't know how it translates to American sizes though T_T
Umm I don't suppose Charisma +2 want to offer a escort service? I mean that would be so hot bringing a person you know you would have a common ground to start with and have fun bringing to a game event.
Size 8? The current standard for models is size 2, preferably size 0.
While I think having booth babes that actually know and understand games is wonderful, any girl hoping to "get into the industry" this way may want to think twice. It's very hard to unring the "look at my boobs" bell.
Agreed it is very hard to enter the video game industry at a professional level when your previous experience is considered the "Low-end" part of the spectrum. I could see this as a good idea for women who want to get involved in marketing, modeling and possibly event management. Great for television, radio events and of course sports.
I like the idea of this company because people who fake the passion or has no knowledge is never fun for the attendee. We like our women with brains and passion when we talk to them.
EmileeElectro: Wow.. XD I hope it's not games like Cooking Mama... Shame I'm not a size 8 blond in America, eh?
Size 8? The current standard for models is size 2, preferably size 0.
While I think having booth babes that actually know and understand games is wonderful, any girl hoping to "get into the industry" this way may want to think twice. It's very hard to unring the "look at my boobs" bell.
I know, it's awful :/ Sizes are a bit different in England, size 8 would be size 4 over there I think, which is still too fat it seems! Same goes for models who go into acting, they always have the 'only good for getting her tits out' label.
EmileeElectro: Wow.. XD I hope it's not games like Cooking Mama... Shame I'm not a size 8 blond in America, eh?
Size 8? The current standard for models is size 2, preferably size 0.
While I think having booth babes that actually know and understand games is wonderful, any girl hoping to "get into the industry" this way may want to think twice. It's very hard to unring the "look at my boobs" bell.
uk dress sizes 6,8,10,12
is what emi meant =3 don't know how it translates to American sizes though T_T
Ah, ok, Euro sizes are a whole other thing. No idea what the correlation is. Carry on!
Okay, I'm bookmarking that page. When I actually, you know, have money to pay people it may help to have a place full of seemingly laid-back models I could actually use for a photo shoot when I need them for once...
Hmmm.. not exactly sure what to make of this, sounds like a good thing Arendt said, it does sound better than the old "look at my boobs" bit they normally would have do.
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Charisma +2: A Better Kind of Booth Babe
What's better than a booth babe? A booth babe who actually plays games, says Yvonna Lynn, who founded a modeling agency called Charisma +2 that specializes in providing floor models who are also gamers.
While working at an exhibit at Nintendo's E3 booth in 2005, Lynn noticed that most of the floor models had no interest in the games they were presenting. While she used her breaks trying to see as much of the show as she could, most of the other models would spend their downtime hiding in the back. "I was appalled to find that so few of the girls played videogames," she told CNBC. "I decided then that it would be really fun to run an agency that offered models who are also gamers."
Last year she was finally able to pull it off, launching Charisma +2, an agency that caters exclusively to the videogame industry. Models from the agency appeared at E3 this year and will also turn up at QuakeCon and Comic-Con. Several of the models, including Lynn herself, were asked to pose for a "girl gamer" issue of Playboy; although Lynn declined the offer, five others decided to take part.
Lynn says that while eye candy is nice, models who are knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the product they're representing are far more interesting to the average gamer. "The gamers love the idea of a booth babe who actually knows how to play games," she said. Charisma +2 currently represents over 100 models, mostly students, who earn $20-$25 per hour at shows, although "specialty models" who wear particularly revealing clothing, give game demos or have other "particular skills with a game" can earn more. And all are required to be genuine gamers.
"I ask them to tell me what their favorite games are," Lynn said. "They don't have to be good. They just have to know it and have a passion for it.. The girls who aren't into [gaming] typically aren't interested in being with Charisma+2."
While modeling at trade shows for a few extra bucks is nice in itself, Lynn said the greater purpose is to help people get an inside track on the industry. Charisma +2 offers other services including voice and motion capture acting; she provided voice work for id's online shooter Quake Live and a former model now works in the studio's QA department. "The main idea is to help these guys and girls get their foot into the door in an industry they normally would not have access to," she said. "That's especially true with the ladies, because this is such a hard industry for women to break into."
Now that's hot.
via: VE3D
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