Poll: Why do female gamers like the Zelda series so much? *now with more political correctness!*

[RaDeuX]

DISCLAIMER: The thread title is just a generalization. It's only written the way it was to spark some interest.

The vast majority of female gamers that I've talked to love the Zelda franchise. I do too, but I don't obsess over Zelda like some of them do. One of them actually has a Triforce tattoo on her forearm. I'm not saying every female gamer likes LoZ. I'm just saying that it seems to be the case from what I've asked/heard/seen from other people IRL, and I just wanted to know what the Escapist community's opinion is.

Maybe it has something to do with Link always saving the princess? Or perhaps it's because Link is the strong, silent type? *Mind you, these are merely wild presumptions*

Edit: I'm not saying it's bad for female gamers (or anyone else) to enjoy the Zelda franchise. I was only wondering whether or not there are specific attributes of the series that female gamers find enticing.

Double edit: Long post about female gamers here: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.267510-Poll-Why-do-female-gamers-like-the-Zelda-series-so-much-now-with-more-political-correctness?page=5#10242270

 

[Bon_Clay]

As a guy I can't know for sure, but I'd say probably the same reason so many guy gamers like it. Its damn good.

I guess its a good introduction game as well, provides some fun challenge without being impossibly hard or having a crazy learning curve. The story is also very important to it, and it isn't overly violent. So that helps to not scare off people who wouldn't normally be into mainstream games.

 

[SirDeadly]

I'm the strong, silent type. Does that mean girls like me more?

Anyway, it could be anything. I don't understand the female mind.

 

[xHipaboo420x]

Because it's awesome and girls are the only ones with the necessary clitoral mass to enjoy such a rapturous cavalcade of deified videogaming.

[sub]Or maybe it's because some of the gamers you've talked to enjoy Zelda games, and maybe some of them are girls. Just a thought. Just an idea. You feel free to disregard them at will[/sub]

 

[hayaineko]

No one knows...

 

[Saxm13]

Cause it has a princess in the title?

 

[DustinLiang]

I doubt it's either. There are a lot of strong silent guys saving the princess type games without nearly as much love.

I'm guessing it's the Elven Hero archetype. Like Legolas.

 

[Deleted]

I think its because the series is easy to get into. I don't know too many "gamer girls" that have been gaming since before playstation 2/gamecube, but if they did then Zelda would have a nostalgia factor added in. Its pretty much one of the faces of Nintendo, all gamers know who Zelda is.

Another possibility is because link has great hair.

 

[Genixma]

Erm....get their fanfic on? I know not all girls write fanfic but...I dunno I'm poking at the dark...or more accurately
"I'm attacking the darkness..."

 

[death525]

its because Zelda herself is a fairly strong female heroine(at least in most of the games) and lets face it Link himself is very feminine

 

[NeutralDrow]

Well, the games themselves are great. That's probably a large part of it.

Also, adult Link tends to be hot and the character interactions overall (especially stuff like Link/Malon and Link/Midna) are often rather entertaining.

 

[SL33TBL1ND]

There's no such thing as a gamer girl. You mean girls who are gamers.

 

[Souplex]

For the same reason everyone else enjoys it: Because it's awesome.

 

[Osaka117]

You know, I have a really close female friend that is absolutely obsessed with the Zelda series, but I never actually asked her why she loves it so much. I think I will the next time I see her.

Then again, I also have a male friend who is absolutely obsessed with the Zelda series, so it could just be that they think the games are the most fun games ever.

 

[RaDeuX]

There's no such thing as a gamer girl. You mean girls who are gamers.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=gamer+girl

 

[Avientine]

Well, here's a girl gamer giving an insight to why I love Zelda the way I do.

I love researching and learning about ANYTHING, so video games are sometimes a wonderful treasure trove of information for me (so the Elder Scroll series is also one of my favorites). Back when I was way younger, round 12 or so I was caught in the middle of a horrible custody battle between parents and I was reminded by my mother's side of the family after it was all over that everything was my fault and I will never amount to anything, etcetera. I tried to kill myself but luckily something clicked in my tiny brain and I stopped myself. I had to find something to get my mind off of doing bad things to myself.
And that is when Zelda came into play.
I had been playing it with my nana since I was little, but I never knew the tiny things that made those games the way they were. Yes, the story is basic "guy saves girl", and yes it has an elven race, but the tiny things like Miyamoto basing the dungeons from caves he explored as a kid added something for me.

Plus I really like the music a lot.
And yes I have two zelda tattoos, the Hylian crest and the Shiekah's eye.
Deal with it. B)

 

[SL33TBL1ND]

There's no such thing as a gamer girl. You mean girls who are gamers.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=gamer+girl

You're new here so I can understand you thinking this is true. But why should there be a distinction between male and female gamers?

 

[Machiavellian007]

BECAUSE ALL GIRLS LIEK TEH ELVES, OR WRITING TEH FANFICS, OR LOL THEY HAVE VAGINAS SO THEY MUST EMPATHISE WITH ALL FEMALES NO EXCEPTIONS LOL.

No. Wrong.

I think you need to expand your test group. I, quite personally, as a girl, with a vagina and all that, find the Zelda games to be very boring. I won't say that they're not good in their own right, just that I don't enjoy playing them. Now, give me an mystery-based action-puzzle game, or a FPS that isn't horror or based in Vietnam or otherwise glorifying an American war that was in reality quite horrific, or a fighting game, or a RPG or, hell, even a JRPG on occasion...

 

[Daedalus1942]

I am actually not that great a fan of the Zelda series.
I liked the old ones on nes and snes.
I liked wind waker, and the Gameboy colour ones (also Link's awakening DX).
I hate ocarina of time (except for the Water Temple), and Majora's Mask really annoyed me.
I didn't bother finishing twilight princess and I'm not the least bit interested in Skyward Sword.
-Tabs<3-

 

[RaDeuX]

There's no such thing as a gamer girl. You mean girls who are gamers.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=gamer+girl

You're new here so I can understand you thinking this is true. But why should there be a distinction between male and female gamers?

You have a higher post count than I do, so I can understand why you think I'm wrong. Because there are biological differences between the two genders, both physically and mentally. The latter has the potential to affect the types of games they want to play.