Am I Missing Something...? (A discussion of female gamers and the Zelda franchise)

[Moonlight Butterfly]

snips

Wow really nice view of women's intellect there. /sarcasm.

:|

If anything Link's blank slate persona is nice for women because we can forget that he's a guy almost and become more immersed.

Skyward Sword has been the only Zelda game I've seen that has outright suggested romance. Hell, for a while I thought (erroneously) they were brother and sister in OOt due to the start sequence.

I suppose it's completely unthinkable that we would actually like and enjoy the games rather than be fakers or have some sort of crazy fanfiction attachment...

DIDN'T YOU READ MY DISCLAIMER?!?!!?

Humorous overreaction aside. So it's perfectly alright to point out that lots of men/boys/males play certain games because of tits. But the minute someone points out a plausible reason why a lot of women like game X. All of a sudden it's generalisations and sexism because I insinuated women like trashy pandering as much as men? I mean it's not like romance novels are big with women. Or romcoms or period romances etcetera etcetera etcetrea.

No sir, I don't believe I ordered this hypocrisy pie. Can you please return to sender?

Also, atleast read what I said. I didn't say women couldn't like something without "some sort of crazy fanfiction attachment". I was suggesting a reason it resonated with women more than men. And denying that a lot of women like romance and whimsy is like denying teenage boys watch porn.

Just because you write something like 'omg don't call me out on my post!' on the bottom doesn't mean someone isn't going to say something -.-

There is no hypocrisy, if you read what I said women are actually capable of playing games for enjoyment the same as men. I have never said in my life that men only play games because of tits = no hypocrisy from me.

Hell I have even defended men from being accused of being immature man children for playing video games.

It just seems the moment women like a game it can't possibly be because we like gaming...

Case in point. If I write OMG PLAYING SKYRIM I LOVE IT! on my facebook page....immediate reaction: Oh that girl is just a faker trying to get attention from men. Whereas if a guy writes it he just likes Skyrim...

I'm kind of sick of that attitude.

 

[TheLazyGeek]

I don't think there will ever be a mono-gender fanbase of anything.

Yeah I meant more that those games seem to have a larger proportion rather than they are the only ones girls like.

That's what I seem to have experienced anyways.

Ahhh, okay. Even then I don't see it, or maybe I just don't pay attention as much as I thought. Or maybe everyone I hang around are aliens.

 

[Something Amyss]

I see no gender bias in gaming.

So many girls go on about CoD and Skyrim, which are shooters and a fantasy RPG. Those genres are hardly "girly".

And women flock to COD and Zelda in equal numbers/proportions, so that's totally a valid comparison.

 

[Kuriko]

I'm a female and I hate Zelda. I'd rather play Killing Floor or TF2..

 

[Auron225]

Ive heard it mentioned before but the only evidence Ive seen is the one gamer friend I have that's a girl likes Zelda. My sister says she likes watching me play it particularly more than other games... thats one thing I'll never understand - watching someone play a game. I understand taking turns, etc. But to be happy to sit down and watch someone else play a game with no intention of trying it yourself? I dont get it 0.0

EDIT: I just like the feeling of finally getting through a temple =P TAKE THAT PUZZLES!

 

[CrystalShadow]

snips

Wow really nice view of women's intellect there. /sarcasm.

:|

If anything Link's blank slate persona is nice for women because we can forget that he's a guy almost and become more immersed.

Skyward Sword has been the only Zelda game I've seen that has outright suggested romance. Hell, for a while I thought (erroneously) they were brother and sister in OOt due to the start sequence.

I suppose it's completely unthinkable that we would actually like and enjoy the games rather than be fakers or have some sort of crazy fanfiction attachment...

Hmm. I think, as always, trying to establish a 'reason' why a large group likes something is inherently a massive generalisation, that's going to be contradicted as often as not, even if it did have any truth to it.

Funny though about OOT, since that seems to involve suggestive stuff with just about every female character you interact with for more than about 5 seconds...

Zelda, Princess Ruto, Saria, Malon... That's most of them...

Anyway... Not that it matters. >_>

 

[Moonlight Butterfly]

.

Zelda, Princess Ruto, Saria, Malon... That's most of them...

Anyway... Not that it matters. >_>

I get what you mean about the side characters but I never got a Link loves Zelda vibe from that game. It all felt rather platonic to me.

 

[Smeggs]

It's the ears.

Girls love the pointy ears. That's why Legolas has so many fangirls in the LOTR movies.

 

[ImperialSunlight]

I have seen this as well (outside of this thread). Many of the female gamers I have met are like this. Perhaps it's that they are a very vocal minority or that they are attracted to the more story/puzzle/etc. aspects of the game (don't kill me, feminists). I don't know. Then again, I could be considered a fan of the Zelda series myself and I'm male. Maybe it's just because it's a very popular long-running series and many people in general like it. Yes, that works.

 

[CrystalShadow]

.

Zelda, Princess Ruto, Saria, Malon... That's most of them...

Anyway... Not that it matters. >_>

I get what you mean about the side characters but I never got a Link loves Zelda vibe from that game. It all felt rather platonic to me.

I guess it all depends on how you think about it. I wouldn't think much of it compared to the rather blatant stuff involving other characters, but the ending scenes in particular always made me think there was something going on between the two of them, but neither really wanted to admit to it.

But I guess there's other possible interpretations, since it's all to do with subtle expressions. (Which is quite a feat when the graphics and animation are so primitive.)

 

[Smeggs]

.

Zelda, Princess Ruto, Saria, Malon... That's most of them...

Anyway... Not that it matters. >_>

I get what you mean about the side characters but I never got a Link loves Zelda vibe from that game. It all felt rather platonic to me.

I guess it all depends on how you think about it. I wouldn't think much of it compared to the rather blatant stuff involving other characters, but the ending scenes in particular always made me think there was something going on between the two of them, but neither really wanted to admit to it.

But I guess there's other possible interpretations, since it's all to do with subtle expressions. (Which is quite a feat when the graphics and animation are so primitive.)

I never got that feeling either.

I think the only time I've ever gotten the vibe of love from the games was the end of Twilight Princess. Midna obviously loved Link, and he sure wasn't happy when she shattered the mirror.

 

[Mr Somewhere]

I don't think it is a thing. All the females I personally know happen to be fans of the series, but on the other hand the women I talk to on the interwebz a rather indifferent to it.
And... that's all I have to add.

 

[ms_sunlight]

That said that's only the stereotypical nerd girls (the type who dress with gaming related accessories and go on and on about games etc)

Gaming related accessories, eh? I've got a Mass Effect T-shirt and a Minecraft T-shirt. Do they count? No Zelda stuff, though.

I'm over Zelda. I loved Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, and quite liked Wind Waker, but found Twilight Princess disappointing. At least Wind Waker tried a few new things; Twilight Princess just felt like a big fat rehash. I'm not going to bother any more.

 

[Moonlight Butterfly]

snip

I think I'm going to have to apologise and admit that I kind of read your post the wrong way, I think the wording could have been a bit kinder. It sounded like you were saying all women could only function if everything was a Twilight clone

As for the facebook thing I kind of meant it in regards to yours and chemical horses response. It's awful, now I know about the girl gamer thing I'm like worried about putting cheevos or anything on facepage lest people will think I'm a 'gurl gamer'. Ugh.

As for gaming related accessories I have various stuff Joker's Normandy hat, Wind Rider Cub from WOW, Yoshi plushie and an Illidan statue (don't ask) among other things. Oh and my cats are named after the Assassins Creed characters if that counts xD

 

[CrystalShadow]

.

Zelda, Princess Ruto, Saria, Malon... That's most of them...

Anyway... Not that it matters. >_>

I get what you mean about the side characters but I never got a Link loves Zelda vibe from that game. It all felt rather platonic to me.

I guess it all depends on how you think about it. I wouldn't think much of it compared to the rather blatant stuff involving other characters, but the ending scenes in particular always made me think there was something going on between the two of them, but neither really wanted to admit to it.

But I guess there's other possible interpretations, since it's all to do with subtle expressions. (Which is quite a feat when the graphics and animation are so primitive.)

I never got that feeling either.

I think the only time I've ever gotten the vibe of love from the games was the end of Twilight Princess. Midna obviously loved Link, and he sure wasn't happy when she shattered the mirror.

OK, but again, that's much more obvious.

Here, I'll show you what made me think that back when I first played it.

At about 2:20 or so into the video, you see it... When she asks link to hand back the ocarina...

Now, I can't say It's obvious what's going on from that scene, but neither seems particularly happy with it.

I must say I didn't so much get the idea that they 'loved' eachother, but it seemed very much like they didn't want to be parted.

Edit: By the way, I would also point out that despite the vast differences in the complexity of the animation, the scene feels very similar to the one with midna in Twilight princess. Considering Zelda implies they have to part ways now, and will probably never see eachother again...

Of course, this is then put in contrast by the last few seconds where we see young link showing up in the castle courtyard again... Which seems to be quite a surprise to the young Zelda...

Kind of shows how much Twilight Princess resembles a reworking of the plot from Ocarina of time...