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I feel that the answer to the question of why women don’t play games as much as guys do must lie in the actual structure of the human brain, because the pattern of women staying away from games is so widespread. In all parts of the world.
I don’t care what nearly all statistics have said about women making up 40% of the gaming market. This is completely not true, and I can tell by just looking around my own surroundings and even the forums. Women are a very small percentage of the total game playing market, and there has to be a reason for this. I would like to propose a possible explanation, and a possible solution....
Gaming is a male hobby, look around the market and research into the future of gaming and you will find the answer, the males have evolved with gaming, just as we evolved from nature, gaming is now in our male instincts. A lot of what men and women feel, think and do is instinctive. Hunger, fear, anger, pleasure, etc.. are all behaviors that animals and humans have in common. Both males and females were born with these emotions and behaviors in order to help us survive, just like the other animals on this planet, including the monkeys...
The point I am trying to make is that the concept of ‘pleasure’ that we feel while doing certain things is a kind of action that nature has developed to get us to do the things that nature wants us to do. For example, nature wants us to reproduce, therefore sex is pleasant. On a less extreme level, we experience subtle but no less intense pleasure when doing gaming things, such as completing a game, or beating someone in a multiplayer bout, or even winning a gameaday. When males use expressions like "it was better than sex" we are trying to describe these intense feelings of pleasure we get from doing things that are not commonly thought of as pleasurable by the females.
Woman don’t seem to get this pleasure from games like males, they seem to play and have no emotional involvement in completing or playing the game, they seem to always scream? Gaming will continue to be a male dominated activity as long as males have larger emotional statis in the gaming world.
What needs to happen for the gaming world to bring the females into the games is attack them with advertising and products, maybe a game for just females in mind wouldn’t be that bad of an idea? As long as the females are playing and being a part of the gaming world, they will understand that to play properly and become attached to games, they need to have emotions.
Nature designed ‘play’ to help both males and females survive. In order to get us to play, nature makes it a pleasant experience. The majority of women find play and pleasure in babies, shopping bargains and clothes. The majority of men find play and pleasure in sex, gaming and sport.
Can this be changed, or is it just part of life?
I don’t care what nearly all statistics have said about women making up 40% of the gaming market. This is completely not true, and I can tell by just looking around my own surroundings and even the forums. Women are a very small percentage of the total game playing market, and there has to be a reason for this. I would like to propose a possible explanation, and a possible solution....
Gaming is a male hobby, look around the market and research into the future of gaming and you will find the answer, the males have evolved with gaming, just as we evolved from nature, gaming is now in our male instincts. A lot of what men and women feel, think and do is instinctive. Hunger, fear, anger, pleasure, etc.. are all behaviors that animals and humans have in common. Both males and females were born with these emotions and behaviors in order to help us survive, just like the other animals on this planet, including the monkeys...
The point I am trying to make is that the concept of ‘pleasure’ that we feel while doing certain things is a kind of action that nature has developed to get us to do the things that nature wants us to do. For example, nature wants us to reproduce, therefore sex is pleasant. On a less extreme level, we experience subtle but no less intense pleasure when doing gaming things, such as completing a game, or beating someone in a multiplayer bout, or even winning a gameaday. When males use expressions like "it was better than sex" we are trying to describe these intense feelings of pleasure we get from doing things that are not commonly thought of as pleasurable by the females.
Woman don’t seem to get this pleasure from games like males, they seem to play and have no emotional involvement in completing or playing the game, they seem to always scream? Gaming will continue to be a male dominated activity as long as males have larger emotional statis in the gaming world.
What needs to happen for the gaming world to bring the females into the games is attack them with advertising and products, maybe a game for just females in mind wouldn’t be that bad of an idea? As long as the females are playing and being a part of the gaming world, they will understand that to play properly and become attached to games, they need to have emotions.
Nature designed ‘play’ to help both males and females survive. In order to get us to play, nature makes it a pleasant experience. The majority of women find play and pleasure in babies, shopping bargains and clothes. The majority of men find play and pleasure in sex, gaming and sport.
Can this be changed, or is it just part of life?
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I know the feeling with three sisters I try to stay on top! (BUT I'M A BOY)! Just incase you were thinking other wise!
I personally to play games to finish them and become unbeatable at them. I must maintain my power over my brother to give him something to fight for.
Hooplah wrote:
> Gaming as we know it now is not about pleasure, it is about winning.
No it isn't it's about playing the game,
enjoying it and with most new games just looking at the gob Smacking graphics!
(Personally I think it's about winning too!)
> Gaming as we know it now is not about pleasure, it is about winning.
No it isn't it's about playing the game,
enjoying it and with most new games just looking at the gob Smacking graphics!
(Personally I think it's about winning too!)
turbonutter wrote:
> Goddamnit! I was going to say the exact same thing!
Yeah right, I bet you were...
:P
> Goddamnit! I was going to say the exact same thing!
Yeah right, I bet you were...
:P
Goddamnit! I was going to say the exact same thing!
Gaming as we know it now is not about pleasure, it is about winning.
It has become all about who is the best, the fastest, the smartest. The female of our species is not at competitively driven on the whole as men are (proven psychological fact). Men compete in almost anything they do, whether they admit it or not, they want to be better or feel superior to the next man.
It isn't difficult to see where this natural instinct comes from, people are animals and react as animals when pushed into that specific situation, fight or flight, procreation etc. These are a part of your Id and cannot be removed without extreme denial, which can be very damaging to people.
Each man looks to something that he is good at, gaming in this example. He competes against his friends, or people he has never met, directly or indirectly and then compares to see how well he has done against others. Being the best at something gives you a status, in the subconscious of the gamers mind it makes him attractive to the opposite sex.
Modern society does it's very best to take advantage of this fact, why do you think there aren't games that are obviously aimed at women? There aren't too many games about that don't involve either speed, violence, speed and violence or saving the girl. Why look, it's electronic Matchbox Cars and Action Man. The game has stayed the same, the way we play it has changed.
Unfortunately, as you may know, a large majority of women/girlfriends hate gaming, it takes up too much time so men who become way too proficient and intent on being better become lost. What's the point of being king of the castle if no-one wants in?
This is intensified by control. Computer games are essentially about control over your environment, even a digital one. ask yourself this,
'Who hold's the TV handset on a Sunday afternoon in my 2.4 child household?'
Then surprise me if it's your Mum or your sister.
The illusion of control breeds security and comfort. Games that challenge this idea (Silent Hill for example) and make you feel helpless as a player, that you have no control over what is going on. If you are in 'control' of your life then depending on the amount of gaming involved at that point depends on how important it seems to you. Companies target the young male population before this stage is reached in the hope that more emphasis will be placed on 'the game' as part of a mans life.
My advice is, read a book as well. Have other hobbies, socialise often. These companies have Marketing departments and they know all of this. They'll take your money and it will cost you your soul.....
Dramatic ending eh??
The views and opinions expressed in this e-mail do not necessarily represent the views of me, but may come from misogynist 'leaders' in the world of psychology.
It has become all about who is the best, the fastest, the smartest. The female of our species is not at competitively driven on the whole as men are (proven psychological fact). Men compete in almost anything they do, whether they admit it or not, they want to be better or feel superior to the next man.
It isn't difficult to see where this natural instinct comes from, people are animals and react as animals when pushed into that specific situation, fight or flight, procreation etc. These are a part of your Id and cannot be removed without extreme denial, which can be very damaging to people.
Each man looks to something that he is good at, gaming in this example. He competes against his friends, or people he has never met, directly or indirectly and then compares to see how well he has done against others. Being the best at something gives you a status, in the subconscious of the gamers mind it makes him attractive to the opposite sex.
Modern society does it's very best to take advantage of this fact, why do you think there aren't games that are obviously aimed at women? There aren't too many games about that don't involve either speed, violence, speed and violence or saving the girl. Why look, it's electronic Matchbox Cars and Action Man. The game has stayed the same, the way we play it has changed.
Unfortunately, as you may know, a large majority of women/girlfriends hate gaming, it takes up too much time so men who become way too proficient and intent on being better become lost. What's the point of being king of the castle if no-one wants in?
This is intensified by control. Computer games are essentially about control over your environment, even a digital one. ask yourself this,
'Who hold's the TV handset on a Sunday afternoon in my 2.4 child household?'
Then surprise me if it's your Mum or your sister.
The illusion of control breeds security and comfort. Games that challenge this idea (Silent Hill for example) and make you feel helpless as a player, that you have no control over what is going on. If you are in 'control' of your life then depending on the amount of gaming involved at that point depends on how important it seems to you. Companies target the young male population before this stage is reached in the hope that more emphasis will be placed on 'the game' as part of a mans life.
My advice is, read a book as well. Have other hobbies, socialise often. These companies have Marketing departments and they know all of this. They'll take your money and it will cost you your soul.....
Dramatic ending eh??
The views and opinions expressed in this e-mail do not necessarily represent the views of me, but may come from misogynist 'leaders' in the world of psychology.
Sniper wrote:
> This is about the oldest topic i've hear about again and
> again!
Yes but I tried it with a different approach...
Think Differ-ent.
> This is about the oldest topic i've hear about again and
> again!
Yes but I tried it with a different approach...
Think Differ-ent.
Iguana's pretty good at UT...she'll deny this, but she's too modest. Has problems with lag on the 'net though, and she seems quite good at Black and white too.
This is about the oldest topic i've hear about again and again!
Girls can play games if they want to, they aren't great at it but at least let them play!
Girls can play games if they want to, they aren't great at it but at least let them play!
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