It also is also called curiosity. Since girl gamers are so bloody hard to get by, the times one of them is located in a game it's all jolly interesting.Moroha said:
Girl Gamers
- Thread starter MikeyW
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I think I am the only girl to reply to this thread. But, you'd be right. Most girls are the pink loving freaks that think video games are a boy thing. Now, I can say for myself that I do like caring for others and family and girl stuff like that, but for one thing, I was introduced to video games right when it was becoming a big thing... like super nintendo and stuff. And now our family has more than seven systems in the entire house.
So really, I don't think it's a question of gender... I belive its a question of how a girl is brought up. I mean I had barbies and stuff like that, but I always played with my dino figures instead. I admit that I have more guy friends than girls who are my friends... but, I can see a major difference in how I was brought up than the rest of girls that I see.
Also... about a girl killing someone or the fear of doing so... you'd be surprised at how wrong that is. Most of the girls I talk to bent out their fustrations by punching a pillow, and I said, "would you like to kill people in video games?" They would say yeah... albet they were horrible at it, but they loved it... though when they went back to normal happy levels they would refuse.
Yeah, having a girl that likes video games is rare... but thank goodness I'm one of them and not the kind that just talks about guys 24/7... I cannot and would not survive in that type of enviornment.
So really, I don't think it's a question of gender... I belive its a question of how a girl is brought up. I mean I had barbies and stuff like that, but I always played with my dino figures instead. I admit that I have more guy friends than girls who are my friends... but, I can see a major difference in how I was brought up than the rest of girls that I see.
Also... about a girl killing someone or the fear of doing so... you'd be surprised at how wrong that is. Most of the girls I talk to bent out their fustrations by punching a pillow, and I said, "would you like to kill people in video games?" They would say yeah... albet they were horrible at it, but they loved it... though when they went back to normal happy levels they would refuse.
Yeah, having a girl that likes video games is rare... but thank goodness I'm one of them and not the kind that just talks about guys 24/7... I cannot and would not survive in that type of enviornment.
As a female I can say that girl gamers do exist. However... they're not nearly so plentiful as male gamers. I'm the only female in my weekly pen and paper RPGs, and my console-addict housemates are both male.
I'm more a PC gamer than a console gamer- I want customisation of a character and total freeform rpg so that I can be what I want and go where I want, and if necessary fireball the living daylights out of anything foolish enough to challenge me- though usually prefer diplomatic means of taking all their money. I'm not much on shooters or those linear rpgs where there is no freedom to explore and change the storyline and game ending (that said, I have played Zelda and enjoyed it).
Have also discovered a knack for thrashing people at Soul Calibur and Tekken if I can use a fast or unpredictable character, eg Assorted Japanese Schoolgirl #22, Voldo, Assorted Japanese Schoolgirl #23....
As for the Sims, I was the type to drown them all in the swimming pool, get bored, and leave the CD to gather dust.
I'm more a PC gamer than a console gamer- I want customisation of a character and total freeform rpg so that I can be what I want and go where I want, and if necessary fireball the living daylights out of anything foolish enough to challenge me- though usually prefer diplomatic means of taking all their money. I'm not much on shooters or those linear rpgs where there is no freedom to explore and change the storyline and game ending (that said, I have played Zelda and enjoyed it).
Have also discovered a knack for thrashing people at Soul Calibur and Tekken if I can use a fast or unpredictable character, eg Assorted Japanese Schoolgirl #22, Voldo, Assorted Japanese Schoolgirl #23....
As for the Sims, I was the type to drown them all in the swimming pool, get bored, and leave the CD to gather dust.
I'm in a Game Design class, so I'm at the forefront of girl gamers. Not only are they fairly common, they're also pretty normal (at least as normal as women are for me...I always seem to find the craziest ones out there!). My friend plays games more often then I do, and she can destroy basically anyone in Halo 3. The other gamer girls I've met are also pretty good, too.
My 2 (slightly zen) cents (hey it's a friday afternoon
Men are crazy
Women are Crazy
A slightly different crazy but more alike than most people think
(nearly) everyone likes to play it's just some people are brought up with pre-concieved ideas about it.
right i'm off to go find a mountain to meditate on...either that or i'll fire up gary's mod and make one....out of paint pots.
Men are crazy
Women are Crazy
A slightly different crazy but more alike than most people think
(nearly) everyone likes to play it's just some people are brought up with pre-concieved ideas about it.
right i'm off to go find a mountain to meditate on...either that or i'll fire up gary's mod and make one....out of paint pots.
I know a girl who's heavily into WoW. And D&D. But thats it. I've showed her half-life 2, which she liked for the story and setting, and the fun things you can do in Gmod, and she even played through the beginning of Half Life. But, she couldnt seem to get the hang of the controls (like Strafeing, or crouching), and I dont think she liked the stress of the first level. SHe got to the crashed elevator, fell off, died, realized that the game didnt autosave, and said she didnt want to continue. Didnt seem worth it to go through all that crap again i suppose, which I could understand.
She probably picked up bad habits from WOW, and not just the control scheme. In wow, you have a level of detachment and control, via the third-person view. in any semi-horror action FPS, full of scary things or shocking things, chase sequences, and in general, all the things that a good FPS has, it's YOU that being threatened. the horrible tentacle monster or galloping Hunter is flying right a Your FACE.
I think she plays games to relax, and sees FPS as a stress-inducer. Could this be revelaing of something, or is it just an isolated case?
She probably picked up bad habits from WOW, and not just the control scheme. In wow, you have a level of detachment and control, via the third-person view. in any semi-horror action FPS, full of scary things or shocking things, chase sequences, and in general, all the things that a good FPS has, it's YOU that being threatened. the horrible tentacle monster or galloping Hunter is flying right a Your FACE.
I think she plays games to relax, and sees FPS as a stress-inducer. Could this be revelaing of something, or is it just an isolated case?
Truth is, women do lean more towards games that can either be played on a whim or that have uber-lots of customization so that they can relate to what they are doing. I don't think it is really all about(a bit is) a matter of social conditioning. When the gaming generation first started, people said it was for children and it so happened that male children were the players, but why? Probably because games were about crudely shooting and blowing pixelated stuff all over the place and running around like a maniac from evil pixels that wanted nothing else than erase your heroic pixel. Yes. Male kids related to that.
I think it is more about the state of the game industry today; women just have a hard time relating to what we play because of how the content is carried out. You hardly have a competent woman that doesn't have big cans or likes to "be one of the guys". It's just how it is. Women do not relate to that on a primal level like we do. Fact. Men and women follow different thought processes; our brains just don't work the same way. Not sexism, Fact. Women by nature have our very same impulses but work them out differently. If women don't see something that they feel properly represents them they are either not interested or make their own(ergo the Sims). When gaming companies start including women in their mix with the intent of catering to women that's when things will change. Right now, with games about big guns and hot chicks in hot pants & g-strings, girls will just look the other way, and we'll be left with the few girls that LEARNED to like them and deal with them, and are enjoying themselves that way. But would really prefer to play with a capable, determined and emotionally motivated woman that knows how to get things done than some random steroid user, gun toting male out to kick ass, take names and write to santa.
(please, before you call me sexist, at least note that I never used a disparaging comment on anyone)
I think it is more about the state of the game industry today; women just have a hard time relating to what we play because of how the content is carried out. You hardly have a competent woman that doesn't have big cans or likes to "be one of the guys". It's just how it is. Women do not relate to that on a primal level like we do. Fact. Men and women follow different thought processes; our brains just don't work the same way. Not sexism, Fact. Women by nature have our very same impulses but work them out differently. If women don't see something that they feel properly represents them they are either not interested or make their own(ergo the Sims). When gaming companies start including women in their mix with the intent of catering to women that's when things will change. Right now, with games about big guns and hot chicks in hot pants & g-strings, girls will just look the other way, and we'll be left with the few girls that LEARNED to like them and deal with them, and are enjoying themselves that way. But would really prefer to play with a capable, determined and emotionally motivated woman that knows how to get things done than some random steroid user, gun toting male out to kick ass, take names and write to santa.
(please, before you call me sexist, at least note that I never used a disparaging comment on anyone)
There is something infuriating about female gamers, that they find the need to insert that they are INDEED a girl playing a game. I find the entire thing rather annoying.
The reason I say this is because if you think about it, what is so special about female gamers that they feel need to assert their estrogen encrusted bodies upon us.
And then I came up with my answer. Girls themselves think it's rare to be a gamer, so most don't play don't because "what girl does this?" and the other half are doing it because they're trying to be "different and against the grind"
It's like games take a backseat to both. Girls that are truly there for the games never state they're a girl. Then when they don't and the male gamer states it "WHOA YOUR A GIRL?" we make no progress at all.
I personally think this would all be solved if we simply shut up to begin with.
The reason I say this is because if you think about it, what is so special about female gamers that they feel need to assert their estrogen encrusted bodies upon us.
And then I came up with my answer. Girls themselves think it's rare to be a gamer, so most don't play don't because "what girl does this?" and the other half are doing it because they're trying to be "different and against the grind"
It's like games take a backseat to both. Girls that are truly there for the games never state they're a girl. Then when they don't and the male gamer states it "WHOA YOUR A GIRL?" we make no progress at all.
I personally think this would all be solved if we simply shut up to begin with.
Judging from what my experience in my slow quest to get my wife into gaming, the basic reason can be summarized as thus:
Socialization: Girls are taught, most of the time, to play differently, and with diffrent toys, than boys are.
When my wife and and I started dating, some ten years ago now, gaming wasn't really on her radar of "fun things to do." It's easy to forget how intimidating to newbies alot of games can be, and unless the person who is introducing her is somewhat patient, the intimidation factor can become higher.
Another consequence is that as some games have become increasingly complex, the learning curve to someone entirely new to the genre becomes more daunting. I saw her struggle with FPS type camera controls (the bread and butter for many types of games), and become very frustrated. It wasn't fun for her. Is it any wonder she didn't feel like playing more? Games with more intuitive interfaces (I diablo clone) she got into much more easily.
But again, to return to the earlier point, the socialization here is very important. By and large, girls are introduced into gaming by the men around them, and if the guy doesn't care, or is impatient, or whatever, it's not going to happen.
Socialization: Girls are taught, most of the time, to play differently, and with diffrent toys, than boys are.
When my wife and and I started dating, some ten years ago now, gaming wasn't really on her radar of "fun things to do." It's easy to forget how intimidating to newbies alot of games can be, and unless the person who is introducing her is somewhat patient, the intimidation factor can become higher.
Another consequence is that as some games have become increasingly complex, the learning curve to someone entirely new to the genre becomes more daunting. I saw her struggle with FPS type camera controls (the bread and butter for many types of games), and become very frustrated. It wasn't fun for her. Is it any wonder she didn't feel like playing more? Games with more intuitive interfaces (I diablo clone) she got into much more easily.
But again, to return to the earlier point, the socialization here is very important. By and large, girls are introduced into gaming by the men around them, and if the guy doesn't care, or is impatient, or whatever, it's not going to happen.
I agree about disliking women who make account names like "Grrlgamer4321" or something. This one girl(maybe) posted on another message board, "blah blah blah, a Girl Gamer's perspective" then began to lambast guy gamers for killing her...IN A MULTIPLAYER FRAGFEST! She said her account name was like that above.
The funny thing is, about girl and girl gamers... All guy gamers seem to want a female gamer...but most female gamers care little if their love interest does or not. Its really weird, IMO.
The funny thing is, about girl and girl gamers... All guy gamers seem to want a female gamer...but most female gamers care little if their love interest does or not. Its really weird, IMO.
The problem is that the media will never shut up about it. Every so often, you get a "Oh my God, I've got nothing relevant to write about!" article that could come from anywhere. It could be from the Internet or in a newspaper. The topic of that article? Females and . The articles are either written to imply a "glass ceiling", or they're written to imply that women are storming into "male-dominated" cultures, etc, and showing us how it's done.
If you're getting someone into gaming, never for the love of god start with an FPS. Even I remember the first time I was introduced to WASD strafing motions, and was like "How do you turn around???" Just start with a simple game where controls are easy and you can see the result. Something like Super Monkey Ball might be good.
Okay, okay...I give you the fact that there are a lot more men gamers out there. However, I am a girl and I love console games. I also have two other female friends who are in a gamers club at college and some girls I don't know so well are also gamers.
You just have to look for us. I also grew up with NES, so I had a upbringing. I'm currently on N64, and waiting for my 21st birthday as I get my xBox 360. I also have Guitar Hero III and I play Rock Band whenever I see my boyfriend who is an avid gamer along with his friends (those two girls I mentioned and some guys).
You just have to look for us. I also grew up with NES, so I had a upbringing. I'm currently on N64, and waiting for my 21st birthday as I get my xBox 360. I also have Guitar Hero III and I play Rock Band whenever I see my boyfriend who is an avid gamer along with his friends (those two girls I mentioned and some guys).
I've only ever met 1 female in my entire life who plays video-games as a regular hobby.
Most girls/women in my experience tend to only play/enjoy Guitar Hero, Wii Sports, Sims, Mario 3, etc.
But to be fair, I don't know a whole lot of guys who play games as a regular hobby, like I do. Sure, many men enjoy Halo 3 and own consoles, but they are rarely as 'into' games as I am. But those who are into games definitely outnumber the girls.
Most girls/women in my experience tend to only play/enjoy Guitar Hero, Wii Sports, Sims, Mario 3, etc.
But to be fair, I don't know a whole lot of guys who play games as a regular hobby, like I do. Sure, many men enjoy Halo 3 and own consoles, but they are rarely as 'into' games as I am. But those who are into games definitely outnumber the girls.
I've had a PC for as long as I can remember. Playing games was always a part of my life, be it on a games console (used to borrow my brother and my counsin's when they weren't looking) or on the PC.
I remember my dad bringing home Doom. I loved it! I also remember my grandad shaking his head and complaining loudly that I shouldn't be exposed to that sort of thing and questioning my dad's reasoning that I should be allowed to play games in the first place.
Now I'm all grown up and can spend my hard earned cash on whatever I want, I play games. As soon as I get home from work and all my waking hours at weekends. I tend to play mmorpgs and the like, but I can hand on heart say I have NEVER played sims lol.
And yes, I am a girl. People find it strange that I choose to spend my free time in front of my pc instead of but this is what I do.
We are out there boys, it's just a shame you don't think we exist when you meet us!
I remember my dad bringing home Doom. I loved it! I also remember my grandad shaking his head and complaining loudly that I shouldn't be exposed to that sort of thing and questioning my dad's reasoning that I should be allowed to play games in the first place.
Now I'm all grown up and can spend my hard earned cash on whatever I want, I play games. As soon as I get home from work and all my waking hours at weekends. I tend to play mmorpgs and the like, but I can hand on heart say I have NEVER played sims lol.
And yes, I am a girl. People find it strange that I choose to spend my free time in front of my pc instead of but this is what I do.
We are out there boys, it's just a shame you don't think we exist when you meet us!
My first impression of this thread that really prompted me to sign up (although I do LOVE ZP) - I must say, there's quite a bit of you men who seemed to be awfully misogynistic and/or just don't know enough women to know that we ought not to be generalized from YOUR realm of how many people YOU know.
Girl gamers' hardly made from social. I game (with 4 different platforms) - none of my brothers do. Nor do I sacrifice RL interaction with people to do it.
I think the question should be - Why does guys game MORE than girls:
Read here: http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/GadgetGuide/story?id=4243573&page=1
Girl gamers' hardly made from social. I game (with 4 different platforms) - none of my brothers do. Nor do I sacrifice RL interaction with people to do it.
I think the question should be - Why does guys game MORE than girls:
Read here: http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/GadgetGuide/story?id=4243573&page=1
As a girl gamer, I'd pretty much reiterate what Fullmetal X said: Society says that women must be dainty damsels or they will never get a man and men must be big though and grunting to get a women.
Luckily, I have awesome parents who bought me a Gameboy and N64 when I was the tender age of 8 or 9. I played Ocarina of Time and Smash Bros do death. Me and my sister enjoyed beating the living crap out of each other's characters; my parents even played with us when we were young. As I got older it's never occurred to me that I shouldn't be gaming, I enjoyed it, why would I ever stop?
I don't think it's a question as being hardwired from birth so much, more that is a question of what type of environment you're brought up in.
Luckily, I have awesome parents who bought me a Gameboy and N64 when I was the tender age of 8 or 9. I played Ocarina of Time and Smash Bros do death. Me and my sister enjoyed beating the living crap out of each other's characters; my parents even played with us when we were young. As I got older it's never occurred to me that I shouldn't be gaming, I enjoyed it, why would I ever stop?
I don't think it's a question as being hardwired from birth so much, more that is a question of what type of environment you're brought up in.