Why aren't girls into gaming?

[Logan Westbrook]

If we're going to have this discussion, can we have this discussion and not pointless bickering or book reports. Thanks/

Fair enough, O Mighty One of the Golden Screen-name. (although I like the weird stuff)

The reason that girl gamers seem fewer is that men are by nature curious and adventurous. When new things come along it's always men who are making it and men who are using it. Thus it takes time for women to get into these things, partly because of a more sedentary intellect and partly because new fields are intitially male-dominated.

Sedentary intellect? I'm not the finest ice fisherman, but even I can see that you're on thin ice there. I don't think you can make generalisations regarding the nature of female intellect, nor male intellect either. Most people I know are people of habit, of routine. The adventurous types are few and fair between and are not restricted to either gender. I have to give you credit though, you do a good job of "boys like toys" sound like a lofty and noble thing.

I know you're a reader, so you might know the book Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson. There's one line in particular that I'll paraphrase here.

"Sexist men who think they are too smart to be sexist."

That's how your post reads. I don't mean to offend, but it's true.

 

[hellthins]

I recommend God Emperor of Dune by Frank Herbert. His insight into the fundamental principles of the male and female psyches is incredible.

Yeah, neckbeard sci fi books always offer the most incredible insights into the fundamental principles of the male and female psyches.

Also, check out Halo: Fall of Reach. You will gather some fantastic knowledge into the most foundational social differences between males, female AI's, and the Covenant.

I don't think Dune, a big series on our ecological impact in the world, how we must diversify to survive, and the need for acceptance of diversity, counts as neckbeardly. Neckbeardly is that fucking stupid -4 strength for women joke, or F.A.T.A.L. or Captain Kirk and the original Star Trek's series treatment of women and what they think deep female characters mean.

As for God Emperor being a good view on the male and female psyche, I'd say no. The Bene Tleilaxu are as manipulative as the Bene Gesserit, just less people are going to openly admit to liking them. The Honored Matres aren't what they are because they're women, they're what they are because they're human. Power hungry.

If anything, a lot of what Dune is saying genders aren't that difference and we need to stop judging ourselves and each other based on how physically different we are. That being said, the Fish Speakers are only all female because an all female army is less likely to rape due to certain physical difficulties, and the general long standing and constantly reinforced stereotype of men must be ravenous sex hounds. But I don't remember them ever being cast in a better light or even all that different of a light when compared to the jihadists from before.

And now that I've gone way off subject, I'm going to say I personally tend to view any one claiming to be a woman on a game very suspiciously. Not because "zomg teh girls dnt com to boyz clubz" but because when people openly speak about their gender it tends to be for one of two things. I'M A MANLY MAN OF MAN or HEY, GIVE ME THINGS, I'M TOTALLY A WOMAN.

 

[Mariena]

I would really enjoy to hear a females voice on an online game. What a nice change that would be. Maybe it could even happen on Xbox live?

I agree... it always makes me feel special to hear a sexy voice right in my ear... 8)

I'm going to sound older than I actually am by saying this, but I have done this in the past. Unfortunately, it was met by a lot of unwanted attention and all the stupid things that have already been mentioned before. Thus, I no longer do it.

 

[scnj]

I would really enjoy to hear a females voice on an online game. What a nice change that would be. Maybe it could even happen on Xbox live?

I agree... it always makes me feel special to hear a sexy voice right in my ear... 8)

I'm going to sound older than I actually am by saying this, but I have done this in the past. Unfortunately, it was met by a lot of unwanted attention and all the stupid things that have already been mentioned before. Thus, I no longer do it.

As unfortunate as it is, you're probably better off.

 

[D_987]

Why aren't girls into gaming?

Socialization

 

[Nikita89]

Because girls are terrified at the idea of being considered a "social outcast" or a "freak". Guess that's why most keep their hands off computer games.

 

[Phyroxis]

Why aren't girls into gaming?

Socialization

You have something there.

Females are typically, from early development on, more social than males. Gaming has been shown to be a compulsive habit sprung from a lack of social interaction, or as an escape from "real life" bullying.

Definitely not the case in all situations, but certainly a factor in some.

 

[searanox]

Why aren't girls into gaming?

Socialization

You have something there.

Females are typically, from early development on, more social than males. Gaming has been shown to be a compulsive habit sprung from a lack of social interaction, or as an escape from "real life" bullying.

Definitely not the case in all situations, but certainly a factor in some.

What a revelation. If only I had said it pages earlier in this very thread... oh, wait.

Seriously, though, that is the answer, and nothing more. Thread over.

 

[Phyroxis]

Why aren't girls into gaming?

Socialization

You have something there.

Females are typically, from early development on, more social than males. Gaming has been shown to be a compulsive habit sprung from a lack of social interaction, or as an escape from "real life" bullying.

Definitely not the case in all situations, but certainly a factor in some.

What a revelation. If only I had said it pages earlier in this very thread... oh, wait.

Seriously, though, that is the answer, and nothing more. Thread over.

Forgive me for not reading every post. At least we agree.

 

[Clemenstation]

I did some research for my Master's thesis on (sorta) this very topic. Findings across the board: girls and guys gamed almost equally until their teenage years. Then guys often kept playing while girls usually moved on to other interests/hobbies/etc. Then, when many of the female participants tried to come back to gaming in their twenties, they reported getting dominated by guys who had been playing all the while, and gave the medium up for lost since they saw themselves as dramatically behind the skill curve.

The fact that game genres and controller devices have become steadily more complex (NES: 2 buttons, 360: 8 buttons + analog sticks) in their iterations over the course of 10-20 years contributed largely to this, apparently.

Of course, socialization played a huge role in how attachment to gaming varied so dramatically between genders during teenage years.

 

[Hamano Ayumi]

Well most women aren't really into the whole headshot, cranial explosion, torture thing.

Sorry for the random bringing in of older statements, but excuse me? Nothing can be most satisfying that picking off a head in a random shooter game. A lot of women have a higher tolerance to blood compared to men, and just because we can get really emotional over something doesn't mean guys can't.

And as a girl gamer I resent the whole 'we're too shy to admit being gamers', if someone is talking about some sort of new or old game, I take a veeery large amount of pride by joining in the conversation and adding in a few tidbits. XD

Why aren't girls into gaming?

Socialization

You have something there.

Females are typically, from early development on, more social than males. Gaming has been shown to be a compulsive habit sprung from a lack of social interaction, or as an escape from "real life" bullying.

Definitely not the case in all situations, but certainly a factor in some.

Saddly true, but girls aren't without their own problems in the bullying department. I sometimes play games to escape too. The reasons why females are more 'social' is because of a) our history as women, b) our expectations in society, and c) our brains. It's be observed that men are, indeed, more likely than not to be mathematicians and heavy lifters, and that women are better at socializing. But there are always the few, or even many, who trump those observations and do the opposite. If no person can be the same, no girl can be the same and no boy can be the same. But that can all be scientific nonsense, really. =/

For sake of ranting, I do play many, many different kinds of games. I've been to Halo landparties all the time, I play online, take part in a few more shooter games. Call of Duty, Gears of War, you name it. I will admit, though, I am more into RPGs and games with storyline. I enjoy playing games that can read like a book, I enjoy gorgeous graphics, scrutinizing animations (though most of it's because I'm an artist), sequels and with great horror and distate frown upon things like "Barbie DS" and even "Grand Theft Auto" (not for its sense of freedom, I rather enjoy that, but it's disgusting portrayal of women). I'm an all around gamer, really, and my first console ever was the Super NES. (I was very, very young when it came out) I like guitar hero, but thrive in experting DDR no problem.

I think the most annoyance is that stereotype that girl gamers have to face. I get it from guys a lot, and even girls. Some of my female friends stare at me like I'm from another planet when I get all excited about new games like "Prince of Persia" or "Left 4 Dead". And I've got some guys who've never met a girl gamer in their lives! I told this random guy in my class I was playing Resident Evil 4 over the weekend and he was all surprised saying: "You like that sort of thing? I didn't know girls played games!" I got pretty frustrated about that, but there was nothing I could do, really.

Aaaaanyway, long post is long, so I'll stop here. XD Last thing, though: women don't have testosterone. Sometimes I wish we did. >_>

 

[CmdrGoob]

Why aren't girls into gaming?

Socialization

You have something there.

Females are typically, from early development on, more social than males. Gaming has been shown to be a compulsive habit sprung from a lack of social interaction, or as an escape from "real life" bullying.

Definitely not the case in all situations, but certainly a factor in some.

Oh really, where has that been "shown"? Given that a recent poll by Pew showed that over 50% of American adults play games, over 80% of adults aged 18-29 and over 95% of teens, I'd say gaming is a mainstream form of entertainment, and your crap about gaming springing from "bullying" and "lack of social interaction" is nothing more than some lame stereotype BS.

 

[Alone Disciple]

No one has perfected or captured the art and concept of gossip online.

This isn't meant to be a slam on females, but I think it may be widely accepted that females tend to be much more social. There aren't enough games that are actual 'social' orientated...and I don't mean social in the idea of throwing on a headset and listening to tweeners hurling racial ephithats or screaming 'noob' every 5 seconds.

Create a game that takes some of the 'Sims' mix it with some aspect of The Hills, Sex in the City, Gossip Girl...fashion, cosmopolitians...and make it a rewarding and not 'dumbed down bimbo' experience....and you may find mroe female gamers.

Again...I'm not trying to pigeon hole females, but I ask my wife why she doesn't want to play...and many of her female friends and neighbors why they don't play Xbox with their husbands or boyfriends. I hear the same thing over and over:

1) Too violent....why is there always so much blood?
2) Control schemes are complex...I don't want to read a manual...just pick up a game and play without memorizing all these buttons.
3) It's boring by myself.
4) I don't want to play sports or be competitive...I wanna game we can play as a group and talk during and take breaks.

 

[Chiasm]

Because for the longest time, and even nowadays, most of the games available were geared towards men.

I feel it was not just games but also society to at the same time.. Early gaming was a boy thing, Hell I remember only close family members even giving into my "tomboyish" gaming as a kid where distant relatives still sent clothes.

This is why now days you see in elementary school boys and girls both play games there is no separation based on sex's as games are now a known thing all children enjoy, Where as before the vast majority still saw gaming as something little Timmy liked but Suzie didn't.

P.S How come in every one of these threads does it come down to, Well girls are like this xyz or they enjoy that. Instead of looking at a far more overall sociological outlook. It's like if I said all men enjoy football,thin women, and getting drunk every night. Rather then looking at the different causes of sub-cultures of men.

 

[whyarecarrots]

P.S How come in every one of these threads does it come down to, Well girls are like this xyz or they enjoy that. Instead of looking at a far more overall sociological outlook. It's like if I said all men enjoy football,thin women, and getting drunk every night. Rather then looking at the different causes of sub-cultures of men.

Given a lot of people at my school, you could quite easily make that generalisation (especially as many of them seem to do everything in their power to be exactly like the rest of their 'clique'...)

Obviously there are exceptions (although in the case of the drunkenness, they seem to be incredibly few and far between; how people can see getting drunk as a past-time is beyond me), but these generalisations are often based on factual evidence, so in the majority of cases they're probably correct.

Sorry... that post sort of degenerated into a generalised (oh the irony) rant....
Please get someone to come round and remove the brackets keys from my keyboard if I do that again...

 

[Chiasm]

Sorry... that post sort of degenerated into a generalised (oh the irony) rant....

Generalizing does have it's place, but it is the focal point in any questioning of society one has to look at the source not the outcome. So for example the question in criminology is not "Why do people commit crime" but "why do some people commit crime and others do not" So using this for gaming it becomes "Why do some girls play video games and others do not" Which often comes down to either family,social, or personal reasons.

 

[MessiahOfPants]

The ratio isn't completely off.

http://edugamesblog.wordpress.com/2008/07/23/esa-survey-malefemale-gamer-ratio-is-6040-average-age-is-35/

I mean, the survey was in July, but I don't think that would make a huge difference. My biggest beef though, is when guys let it change them when there's a girl present in the room. The two things that usually happens is:
1) The guys get all heart-eyed and run around trying to protect the girl and "kind" things like that. I don't do this because I know I'm not going to be getting anything from a girl who lives all the way in Virginia while I'm in Texas.
2) The guys start attacking only the girl and after her death they proceed to t-bag/hump her (depending on the game).

I do have to admit, it does change me, but not so much in those ways. I get more talkative when a girls in the room.

 

[sallene]

Girls?

In games?

isnt that one the signs of the end of the world?
/sarcasm



I have met plenty of girls in games, and many can trash talk with the best of them and even put some guys who thought they were "hard core" to shame.

Though I will say for some reason i much prefer getting brow beat, trashed talked and heckled by a female gamer.

of course, that could just be my own warped psyche at work.

 

[geldonyetich]

All this talk about getting girls into gaming, yet precious little advice on how gamers can get into girls.