Further Discussion: gamer girls.

[Cypher8492]

i've never seen any signs like that..."games for girls" but it sounds like stereotyping to me...

i see no point in watching beyond 3 to 4 minutes, aside from being just sad, the game not the vid, she says herself that its very repetitive...

hey dice, and whatever other jerkwad helped with that game...u know what else is repetitive?

stop hittin urself, stop hittin urself, stop hittin urself!

its irritating, and i aint even a girl...sheesh

 

[Meta Like That]

So here’s my question, girls do you ever feel like I do? That we as gamers are a misunderstood minority whose skills are always in question and tastes are also misrepresented? And guys, what do you think when you see a chick with a DS in her back pocket or when you find out the dude you’ve been losing is actually a girl? Why is sexism running so rampant in the gaming world?

I think sexism runs rampant because...well, a lot of game devs are males, frankly. But there are also the people in charge who aren't gamers, but businessmen, and they most likely think "Okay girls want games about ponies, not ass kickin', make more pony games."
And "Dudes want chicks to be half-naked, make chicks in games half-naked and lure them in like that."

The sexism goes both ways.

Pretty much. The market has been this way since gaming started getting advertised to kids. Games for boys, games for girls, and their parents buy them accordingly. It's up to the next generation of female gamers to stand up and say they don't want My Little Pony Extreme by making games for themselves. On that note, even I don't know what would be marketable to a female gamer that doesn't like the junk being advertised for girls anyway. Everything they're into that doesn't conform to the stereotype is more or less something that breaks the mold of gaming in general.

And for guys... Who are we kidding? As long as there are jocks, frat boys, and nerds with hyperactive libidos buying them, there's gonna be a slew of sports, shoot 'em ups, and well endowed half-naked hardcore chick games pumped out every year.

 

[Gamer137]

BS Games for Girls LP [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AePpXSvoIb0&feature=channel_page]
Listen to the pain in her voice. Yes, things really are THAT bad for gamer girls.

For the first 20 seconds I felt bad for her, but she did not sound in pain for the rest of it. She did make some good points in the second half.

EDIT: Replaced a word with the correct one.

 

[setsunafseiei]

What I hate the most is when I'm going to buy a game you always get the 'look'. The look of "oh ho ho ho you silly girl this is a boys game" or the 'You not to old for this?' look despite the fact that I'm half the age of those old feckers(who are nearing 40) that still have the mentality of a 15 yr old. But the creme de la creme was the time I went for an interview for a game store. I was told I didn't have the right image, I was too young looking (I look about six years younger than I am) and *gasps* yes a long lanky pimply (male) youth got the job instead of me.

 

[bad rider]

If it's any consolation, stereotypes are fun.

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

As I guy, I have not felt your pain. But I have shared something similar. Other guys often walk up to me assuming that I know about sports, and I have to brush them off by telling them that "I don't fucking give a shit about your fucking team." More than anything, I hate sports fans.

 

[kiljoy712]

I know this sounds like I'm beating a dead horse, but that's stereotypes for you.

This world, pop culture, refuses to dig deeper than what is seen on TV, and what is seen on TV is what they think everything displayed "should" be. So there you see, everyone thinks that girls "should" be into the kind of games so displayed.

Honestly though, the girls who aren't, or more the exact opposite, I find sexy .

 

[Kiutu]

Whats wrong with Animal Crossing? And, to play devil's advocate, figure it like this. They are targeting girls who are not gamers. Guys play Gears of War and Dead or Alive Extreme Volly Ball, girls play nicer games. And then there are gamers, not bound by gender, race, or orientation or age. I am a gamer, and play games of various spectrum. Shooters, RPGs, occasional RTS, and tons of other types.

 

[Meta Like That]

And isn't that depressing?

It's just one more reason why the world needs to spontaneously combust.

 

[Chiasm]

Only thing I can add,Is enjoy the sexism while you can. Soon the female gamers of today we will look back and tell our daughters and granddaughters.How back in our day gaming was male dominated and we were the first ones who got into a position of power within in the industry.

Look at it this way in 1970's there was few if any female's in Law Enforcement, Or females who were in potions of power in major companies. Now in a short 30 years females make up a vast majority of Law Enforcement as well as CEO's, Not to mention how it is no longer uncommon to see women who have to travel and represent there business daily years ago that alone was unheard of.

P.S If you go into a elementary school or junior high you can easily see how it is no longer as polarizing as it once was, Where only guys had game boys, As now girls,boys,jocks, and nerds all play games.

 

[Charli]

Indifferent because for every sensible female who grew up on Sonic, Mario and Strategy/RPG/Adventure games on the PC like I did there was some whiny Barbie ridden brat child buying a gameboy to play 'PollyPocket Adventures' for 5minutes before disguarding the precious technology for good because they like following the masses.

Its a sad fact, girls are just as easy to fool in marketing schemes as boys at that age, and developers will gladly do any crappy 2D rubbish for toy companies for an easy buck.

I myself was no stranger to the Furby Fad, but I'm greatful to Pokemon for bridging the gap in my old gaming experiences onto less pathetic interests. I used to play Sonic, Monkey island and was a proud owner of the first ever Wario game, which used to keep me occupied for hours. I would watch my idolized neighbor (a boy of 16 who used to play smash bros with me) play through FF7 and 8 and Grandia 2. After Pokemon died down I started playing PC games again, I got hooked on playing Black and White when I was 12-13 and then my intrests in games were newly reforged and my interests anewed. =)

 

[Meta Like That]

And isn't that depressing?

It's just one more reason why the world needs to spontaneously combust.

I'm working on it, but it lacks spontaneity when I'm planning this carefully.

Just get it right the first time. I know perfection shouldn't be rushed.

 

[savandicus]

Sexism isnt running rampant in the gaming world only in the game development world. When i'm playing a game i judge other players on one thing only and that is there skill, and if anyone does otherwise then frankly their a morron.

It wouldnt suprise me if i've had my pixilated but handed to me hundreds of times by female gamers while playing online and nor do i really care and i'm sure that atleast 95% of the gaming population agrees.

Strong female characters in games like SSBB doing 'sexy' poses is probably one of the things that annoys me most about some games. Red alert 3 takes the cake with what they did, lets make our brilliant badass female character into a complete whore, brilliant idea. Because consistant characterisation in a game would be stupid, lets just add some breasts and it will be a great game!.

The sad thing is that people buy crap like this and that means that game developers dont try to make good games, they try to make games that will sell.

/end rant

 

[Lavi]

Even if it says 'girls' it's just as bad. When I was six, I played 007. I cheated only because I wanted to kill the infinitely spawning enemies so long that they stopped infinitely spawning.

Anyways, if people didn't fucking buy this shit we wouldn't have it!

 

[Matronadena]

growing up I was never into " girl toys" my toys as a little one were he-man ( eventually she-ra too), transformers, thunder cats, the original line of star wars figures,gi-joe, and nerf guns.

I Had ONE barbie growing up and that was an international barbie in full highland dress, and never came out of the box, it was more a decoration.

I've ALWAYS had swords, and other blades around the house for decoration and " yes use should the need arise"

even my art, be it a more scenic piece or a portrait seems to boarder on more male appeal, my work with comics and my manga series are " seen more directed for males in context "

which is how I write..." 2039rebellion"

when it comes to marketing it's been very split, and very few companies seem to want to bridge that gap. It's bad enough that to be half taken serious in the world of comics/manga that I had to adopt a male pen-name just to get the slightest attention half the time, even when the work itself has not changed.