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I have an annoying habit of walking into video game stores. I do it all the time. I look at the new releases I already expected, become shocked by the prices I already knew and play the demos of games I already own. Gamestation, Game, Gametron… all of these established chains suffer at my unquenchable taste for the gaming retail environment. Yet this obsessive compulsive behaviour does have its upsides, I can watch the Gamecube section diminish week in week out, marvel at the latest, appalling, EA game that has made its way onto all the posters… oh and I can watch the gradual increase in female consumers.
I always pity the girl that has been dragged, often screaming, into a game shop by their inconsiderate boyfriend. I remember the pain of being forced to sit in Dorothy Perkins by my equally inconsiderate girlfriend. It is not a nice feeling. Nevertheless, as of late, women are not only looking at the games, but also playing my demos, chatting up the fella behind the counter and… believe it or not… buying games. Now watch on as games become geared to the fairer sex, as the sexism in magazines starts fading away and how women are advertising these produces, not because of their breasts or beaming smile, but because of their gaming ability.
Yet is this a good thing? Is the movement of women into video games an infringement on the last great pastime of the man? 360 gamer, Andrew Shiner, comments on how “the 360 is what I turn too after visiting my other half, she cannot call me whilst I am playing or speak to me over MSN, this is a male environment and she doesn’t belong in it”. Meanwhile his Girlfriend is happy with this arrangement, “Oh he can play his little war games, I’ll happily play my Pacman or Wario Ware”.
The rise of the female gamer maybe essential for the survival of the video game industry. With the industry apparently in recession new gamers are needed, and what better way than to encourage women in on the act. Nintendo, with their Nintendogs and other female orientated software, are attempting just that, a move into the female sector. Nintendo believe that to encourage female gamers into the market then the games need to become more accessible. Sony has demonstrated this fact over the past generation with the female orientated Dance Dance Euromix or Singster.
So what does this mean for Microsoft, a company whose console is firmly planted in the male hardcore gaming soil? Surely female gamers will not want to come here with the likes of Unreal Tournament and Gears of War? Or would they? Could we be chatting up the opposite sex over a vicious Halo 3 deathmatch? Or start seeing our beloved line up tainted with games about pets and dancing? Well no, because you see the female gamer is already here. Amy White’s favourite game is Silent Hill, “I just love it, I don’t think violent games are exclusive to men”. Indeed Female gamers love the X-box with the likes of Quake and Dead or Alive as much as we men do. Don’t believe me? Well just look at the X-box’s beloved online community and the recent bombardment of female gaming clans, clans that pride themselves on not only being gamers, but semi-naked ones at that.
Kim Rom, author of kimrom.info, has had a lot to say about these new female gaming clans. He believes “Male gamers outshine [Female gamers] in every way imaginable”, he admits there are exceptions (citing his wife as one) yet he believes these female clans rely on their appearance for sponsorship and not their skill as gamers. Indeed, after searching hotgamergirls.com I discovered a lot of scantily clad women but very little in the form of gaming discussion. Kim Rom also highlights “Girls of CS” as an example of this very issue by citing the following quote:
“Girls of CS is an online gaming community and nude pinup gallery. We are out to empower female gamers by eliminating the negative online stereotypes towards them. Online gaming has typically been dominated by men, but that is changing. By keeping our community mature, we hope to encourage more female gamers to enjoy their games with us.”
Kim is quick to point out that all the talk about changing negative online stereotypes is undermined by “posing nude”.
Yet a rival to Kim, Amber Night, has also joined in on the argument. She attacks Kim’s claims that men are inherently better at gaming than women and then points out that these female clans are actually set up and run by men, so it is their fault that these naked clans exist:
“We live in a society where Hugh Hefner and Larry Flynt are "cultural icons," but the women who made them successful are derided as bimbos and worse. It wasn't only the "girls" that created "Girls of CS," it was also the men who saw a market and an opportunity.”
Amber also believes that “Girls of CS” are not doing any favours for female gaming, and instead damage the female gaming image. Indeed these female clans could be preventing real female gamers, such as Amber Night, from gaining any form of credibility in such a male dominated society. Online clan “The Frag Dolls” also critique the male dominance in the gaming market, they believe that “the gaming industry as a whole has yet to fully recognise [Female] needs and interests” and that “when it comes to game content, marketing, publications, and websites, all are created largely by and for males.”
Regardless of who maybe right or wrong, these feminist online discussions underline one thing, women are not coming, they are already here. They could be the one that just thrashed you at Project Gotham 3 or destroyed you in Perfect Dark 0. The female army is here, just pop down to your local Gamestation and see for yourself.
I always pity the girl that has been dragged, often screaming, into a game shop by their inconsiderate boyfriend. I remember the pain of being forced to sit in Dorothy Perkins by my equally inconsiderate girlfriend. It is not a nice feeling. Nevertheless, as of late, women are not only looking at the games, but also playing my demos, chatting up the fella behind the counter and… believe it or not… buying games. Now watch on as games become geared to the fairer sex, as the sexism in magazines starts fading away and how women are advertising these produces, not because of their breasts or beaming smile, but because of their gaming ability.
Yet is this a good thing? Is the movement of women into video games an infringement on the last great pastime of the man? 360 gamer, Andrew Shiner, comments on how “the 360 is what I turn too after visiting my other half, she cannot call me whilst I am playing or speak to me over MSN, this is a male environment and she doesn’t belong in it”. Meanwhile his Girlfriend is happy with this arrangement, “Oh he can play his little war games, I’ll happily play my Pacman or Wario Ware”.
The rise of the female gamer maybe essential for the survival of the video game industry. With the industry apparently in recession new gamers are needed, and what better way than to encourage women in on the act. Nintendo, with their Nintendogs and other female orientated software, are attempting just that, a move into the female sector. Nintendo believe that to encourage female gamers into the market then the games need to become more accessible. Sony has demonstrated this fact over the past generation with the female orientated Dance Dance Euromix or Singster.
So what does this mean for Microsoft, a company whose console is firmly planted in the male hardcore gaming soil? Surely female gamers will not want to come here with the likes of Unreal Tournament and Gears of War? Or would they? Could we be chatting up the opposite sex over a vicious Halo 3 deathmatch? Or start seeing our beloved line up tainted with games about pets and dancing? Well no, because you see the female gamer is already here. Amy White’s favourite game is Silent Hill, “I just love it, I don’t think violent games are exclusive to men”. Indeed Female gamers love the X-box with the likes of Quake and Dead or Alive as much as we men do. Don’t believe me? Well just look at the X-box’s beloved online community and the recent bombardment of female gaming clans, clans that pride themselves on not only being gamers, but semi-naked ones at that.
Kim Rom, author of kimrom.info, has had a lot to say about these new female gaming clans. He believes “Male gamers outshine [Female gamers] in every way imaginable”, he admits there are exceptions (citing his wife as one) yet he believes these female clans rely on their appearance for sponsorship and not their skill as gamers. Indeed, after searching hotgamergirls.com I discovered a lot of scantily clad women but very little in the form of gaming discussion. Kim Rom also highlights “Girls of CS” as an example of this very issue by citing the following quote:
“Girls of CS is an online gaming community and nude pinup gallery. We are out to empower female gamers by eliminating the negative online stereotypes towards them. Online gaming has typically been dominated by men, but that is changing. By keeping our community mature, we hope to encourage more female gamers to enjoy their games with us.”
Kim is quick to point out that all the talk about changing negative online stereotypes is undermined by “posing nude”.
Yet a rival to Kim, Amber Night, has also joined in on the argument. She attacks Kim’s claims that men are inherently better at gaming than women and then points out that these female clans are actually set up and run by men, so it is their fault that these naked clans exist:
“We live in a society where Hugh Hefner and Larry Flynt are "cultural icons," but the women who made them successful are derided as bimbos and worse. It wasn't only the "girls" that created "Girls of CS," it was also the men who saw a market and an opportunity.”
Amber also believes that “Girls of CS” are not doing any favours for female gaming, and instead damage the female gaming image. Indeed these female clans could be preventing real female gamers, such as Amber Night, from gaining any form of credibility in such a male dominated society. Online clan “The Frag Dolls” also critique the male dominance in the gaming market, they believe that “the gaming industry as a whole has yet to fully recognise [Female] needs and interests” and that “when it comes to game content, marketing, publications, and websites, all are created largely by and for males.”
Regardless of who maybe right or wrong, these feminist online discussions underline one thing, women are not coming, they are already here. They could be the one that just thrashed you at Project Gotham 3 or destroyed you in Perfect Dark 0. The female army is here, just pop down to your local Gamestation and see for yourself.
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Chr1s wrote:
> While there's been definite progress in girls getting into
> gaming, I still think we're a long way off being able to walk up
> to a girl in a pub and saying "How's it going gorgeous?
> Played the new GTA?" and not getting laughed at.
To be fair you wouldn't start saying anything like that. But more women are getting keen on this kinda thing.
> While there's been definite progress in girls getting into
> gaming, I still think we're a long way off being able to walk up
> to a girl in a pub and saying "How's it going gorgeous?
> Played the new GTA?" and not getting laughed at.
To be fair you wouldn't start saying anything like that. But more women are getting keen on this kinda thing.
What's a pub?
I still think we're a long way off being able to walk up to a girl in a pub and not get laughed at.
While there's been definite progress in girls getting into gaming, I still think we're a long way off being able to walk up to a girl in a pub and saying "How's it going gorgeous? Played the new GTA?" and not getting laughed at.
So in summary, the Girls of CS decided to bring the big guns out, but they found they'd got a few knockers.
:)
But yes, some developers are embracing the possibility of extra sales from across the gender divide...
But yes, some developers are embracing the possibility of extra sales from across the gender divide...
I stand somewhat corrected.
keyword - some
pb wrote:
> Still, until the female demographic makes up 50% of gamers, some
> developers won't bat an eyelid.
XBox Live Arcade, Eyetoy/Singstar and Nintendogs are aimed at...
> Still, until the female demographic makes up 50% of gamers, some
> developers won't bat an eyelid.
XBox Live Arcade, Eyetoy/Singstar and Nintendogs are aimed at...
Kids into gaming grew up, got girlfriends and some of the girlfriends got into gaming from them. Others were drawn in through the relentless advance of technology in the house (resistance is useless) or thanks to Nintendo.
Still, until the female demographic makes up 50% of gamers, some developers won't bat an eyelid.
Still, until the female demographic makes up 50% of gamers, some developers won't bat an eyelid.
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