5 reasons why Sony had the best “booth babes” at TGS

I hate the term “booth babes,” and I am sure I’m not the only one.

It worries me that even in 2014 the games industry feels the need to adorn its booths with human jewelry, an act which serves little purpose other than to titillate male gamers. There were some cool costumes, but the overall feeling was that the less clothing they wore, the “hotter” the booth babe— an so the more interest she could attract. Tokyo Game Show has had a reputation for its high numbers of “booth babes” for a while now, so I was mentally prepared for an onslaught of flesh. As you can see from our gallery, this turned out to be a serious onslaught.

(See: Meet the booth babes of Tokyo Games Show)

Despite this, there was one company that actually seemed to do a good job when hiring booth assistants, and managed to avoid pandering to sexist douchebaggery: Sony.

Here are the 5 ways that Sony kept it classy at Tokyo Game Show:

A presentable, professional uniform

Let’s face it, when you think of booth babes, it’s tough not to think of half naked women with clothes that may, or may not have been sprayed on. Whether they are wearing camouflage mini-skirts, or just specially made underwear, the last word that springs to mind is “professional.” And this is a shame. While people will often claim that they don’t treat people differently because of what they are wearing, I’d happily challenge these people to go to Mcdonalds in their underwear.

Not suitable attire for Mcdonalds.

On a more personal level, I cannot have a conversation with a stranger in their underwear. Male or female. I don’t know where to put my eyes, I don’t know what to say and I find it difficult to interact normally. When I am playing a game that requires serious focus, the issue is compounded.

This is why I loved Sony’s booth so much. Sony’s booth assistants wore clean white dresses, like what you would expect from a flight hostess. I was much more comfortable around them and the assistants themselves seemed far happier to engage with those around them. Talking with them was easy, professional, and made both parties more comfortable. There also weren’t photographers interrupting them every thirty seconds!

Have a purpose

No one at the Sony booth was doing nothing.

There were no girls wandering around outside aimlessly handing out unwanted leaflets, and so no neck-less security guard needing keep half an eye on them at all times. Everyone had a job to do and they were doing it very well. The Sony booth was by far the busiest single booth during the press days, with queues of over an hour to play games like Bloodborne and The Order.