Three Ways Women Unlearn Their Love Of Video Games

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The three ways women unlearn their love of video games? Boys are mean. Men are dicks. Women are forbidden from making games because the system holds you down. :rolleyes:

For my sister, and so many girls and women like her, the gaming marketplace begins and ends with these mainstream visions of gaming, and the mainstream stores like Game Stop that sell them. “It’s obviously for boys. The nudity of course, but even the colors. From what I see, they mostly hire boys.” We discuss the posters and cardboard stand-ups we’ve seen in their windows: stubbly white men cradling bricks of oily black weaponry, or half-naked voluptuous women with pouting, glossy lips inviting the onlooker to ogle. Be the hero, over and over again, in a million monochrome worlds: crush the bad guy, f*ck the woman, do a whole lot of shooting in between. Games are fantasy and fun, the marketing tells us. Fantasy and fun built upon our backs.
 
I just quickly perused the article, but it seemed largely spot on and blamed marketing for the standard triple A titles for eclipsing and hiding the girl friendly games. I bet if Steam had a girl-approved category, a lot of these complaints would go away.
 
Long read, but I read a little bit.

It sucks they had a bad experience. It's nice they say it doesn't happen to all women. Sounds like she just grew out of games, like many men and women do. If you're not a nerd, then gaming looks like a childish behavior. If you're into gaming or a nerd, then it's very acceptable, even if you're a woman. Some people I grew up with that loved video games don't really play anymore. They 'grew up' and find it childish these days.

Gaming isn't all glitter and rainbows. We're brutal to men, women, children alike. Guess what? They fucked my Mom, I'm a fag, I get teabagged, etc.. Welcome to some people on Call of Duty. Find a better game or server (or a clan) and it's all teamwork. Still some trash talk, but it's very tame compared to others.

You'll find assholes in any group. For some, they judge the whole group based on those assholes. For others, they fight long enough to see the good people and those that respect them.

If a woman want to make a game, play a game, work at Gamestop - DO IT! They are welcome to, and most people would have zero problems with it.

But, gaming is what it is. People from all ages playing games. If it's online, then you get that Internet mentality (see various forums, Facebook, etc.) - anonymous shit talking, so they go to the extreme at times. I accept it. I ignore it or move on to a better server.
 
Ur_Mom said:
You'll find assholes in any group. For some, they judge the whole group based on those assholes. For others, they fight long enough to see the good people and those that respect them. ...
But, gaming is what it is. People from all ages playing games. If it's online, then you get that Internet mentality (see various forums, Facebook, etc.) - anonymous shit talking, so they go to the extreme at times. I accept it. I ignore it or move on to a better server.
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All of your comments only apply to multiplayer. I experience none of that as I either play with friends or single-player.
 
Like life itself.......sometimes shit just isnt fair.

You can deal with it or move on.

This victim mentality gets old. Lets find someone to blame......or sue.
 
magoo said:
Like life itself.......sometimes shit just isnt fair.

You can deal with it or move on.

This victim mentality gets old. Lets find someone to blame......or sue.
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I learned that shit back in the late 80's in elementary school. School have bullies and are dicks and life is full of dicks and bullies. Period.

Parents fucking pamper/protect their kids too much from the "harshness" of the real world to the point of almost denying it exists. Fucking gag me.....
 
If I wanted to make a game about pink flying unicorns, would I put smiling and happy young girls on the cover or excited young boys on the cover? The girls, of course.

My point is that the gaming industry will target that group which spends the most money on games - and that group just happens to be guys from the mid 20s down to pretty young.
 
cybrsage said:
If I wanted to make a game about pink flying unicorns, would I put smiling and happy young girls on the cover or excited young boys on the cover? The girls, of course.
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SHHHHH!! DON"T SAY THAT!! BOYS AND GIRLS ARE THE SAME!!! WE ARE NOT DIFFERENT!! SO SAY THE FEMINISTS!!
 
Game stop... good example.
Same reason there are women only porn shops.
Similar food, different type of restaurant.
"And that’s certainly what we need: more games featuring women, made by women..."
Yep she is right...
 
DocSavage said:
I just quickly perused the article, but it seemed largely spot on and blamed marketing for the standard triple A titles for eclipsing and hiding the girl friendly games. I bet if Steam had a girl-approved category, a lot of these complaints would go away.
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No. They would not go away, they would go to the next level because appeasement invites aggression and their objective is power and cultural subjugation, not "games 4 grls or womyn or whatever it is this week".

"She wants to play games where women make the world beautiful, save the day, make friends, or romance boys. She wants to play games without killing, without rape, without weaponry. She wants to play games that don’t assume you grew up on GameFAQS or have hundreds of dollars to shell out on hardware upgrades. She wants games on her phone. She wants game in her browser. She wants to live in a world where games are just as aligned with girlhood as boyhood, and where no one bats an eye at a girl like her loving video games alongside One Direction fanfiction and scented candles.

In a way, it's simple; she just wants games to be for her exactly what they are for boys and men: easy to love. Why does that have to be so hard? "

Read that a few times - read it carefully and let it sink in.

And while I'm at it, which games are full of rape?
 
DoubleTap said:
N

"She wants to play games where women make the world beautiful, save the day, make friends, or romance boys. She wants to play games without killing, without rape, without weaponry. She wants to play games that don’t assume you grew up on GameFAQS or have hundreds of dollars to shell out on hardware upgrades. She wants games on her phone. She wants game in her browser. She wants to live in a world where games are just as aligned with girlhood as boyhood, and where no one bats an eye at a girl like her loving video games alongside One Direction fanfiction and scented candles.
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Hello Kitty Island Adventure? Mario on Wii U? Zelda? Pokemon? Seriously, did this women not do any research?
 
I read the article as well, and while I do somewhat agree on the points given, there are a ton of games that are fun for all, and are geared in that direction. Such as Angry Birds, Candy Crush, etc.

It does seem that marketting can give some explanation as to why the writer feels this way. However he does not seem to recognize or mention it in any major way.

Triple A titles are geared towards men, and a sexualistic, violent nature. But there are plenty of games that are not geared in that fashion. Which are for lack of a better term 'kids' games.
 
BlueSaber80 said:
Hello Kitty Island Adventure? Mario on Wii U? Zelda? Pokemon? Seriously, did this women not do any research?
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her other point was that these games are derided as not being real games....

by whom I don't know. She never really points out anything in particular, just makes vague and nebulous suggestions.
 
natos said:
I read the article as well, and while I do somewhat agree on the points given, there are a ton of games that are fun for all, and are geared in that direction. Such as Angry Birds, Candy Crush, etc.

It does seem that marketting can give some explanation as to why the writer feels this way. However he does not seem to recognize or mention it in any major way.

Triple A titles are geared towards men, and a sexualistic, violent nature. But there are plenty of games that are not geared in that fashion. Which are for lack of a better term 'kids' games.
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I'm not aware of any popular games that have you raping people and I wouldn't be ok with it, but I object to the way she casually tosses that out there - like men just want to play games with weapons (yes), violence (yes) and rape (WTF?).

So guys, what's your favorite murder and rape simulator?

Right?
 
DoubleTap said:
I'm not aware of any popular games that have you raping people and I wouldn't be ok with it, but I object to the way she casually tosses that out there - like men just want to play games with weapons (yes), violence (yes) and rape (WTF?).

So guys, what's your favorite murder and rape simulator?
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GTA series is where I assume this mindset comes from....
 
Interesting read and far more balanced than I thought. As a new father-of-a-daughter, I can't but help thinking that I want my son and now my daughter to be into video games. I want them to experience the things I have, and the value the stories in games can have. And of course the fun.

But I WILL have to deal with this with her if I want her to be into games. The Author is completely correct... what games do we see advertised on TV? The Sims has long ago fallen off the air, and as a result, we are left with the abhorrent Game Of War ads, thoroughly guy-oriented Call of Duty ads and... nothing. Which begs the question... why? Where 's the ad revenue for great non-gender oriented games any more? Where is the advertising for the new Mirror's Edge? Even Tomb Raider (and the upcoming sequel) lacked any real TV advertising presence.

And the same holds true for stores like Game Stop, and any video-game only store. I hate going in those places simply because I feel like I've fallen into a digital version of some crappy mall teen-oriented chotchky store. The sales reps are idiots, the place smells like, and crawls with, self-entitled tweens, and the advertising is terrible. (I'm so old at 32). I've started buying my console games (few as I do) at Best Buy simply because the employees, though nearly as clueless as GameStop employees) aren't total tools and are usually a bit older and better washed, the place is well lit and ventilated, the games are easy to find and are in alphabetical order, and the advertising is essentially nonexistant (except for the odd endcap or new-release display).

When my daughter comes of gaming age, I know which I'd rather take her to if I want to engender a sense of "this is cool for me."
 
Modred189 said:
As a new father-of-a-daughter, I can't but help thinking that I want my son and now my daughter to be into video games.


And the same holds true for stores like Game Stop, and any video-game only store. I hate going in those places simply because I feel like I've fallen into a digital version of some crappy mall teen-oriented chotchky store. The sales reps are idiots, the place smells like, and crawls with, self-entitled tweens, and the advertising is terrible. (I'm so old at 32).
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Yeah, you just completely fell out of the "cool gaming crowd" with that duo of aging lol
 
erexx said:
Game stop... good example.
Same reason there are women only porn shops.
Similar food, different type of restaurant.
"And that’s certainly what we need: more games featuring women, made by women..."
Yep she is right...
Click to expand...

Well there you have it. It's simple. If the customers are there it'll get made and it will sell. Or it will flop. All it takes is for these people who obviously believe that there is a market that exists to get off their ass, risk their cash, and make it happen.
 
If they bothered to do their research they would find most of those triple a titles had a women as the producer calling the shots. Most of the people making the decisions these days are women who do not play video games but can look at numbers and see aggressive small minded little boys who never grew up will spend ten times as much money to one up their bros... so sex sells, violence sells, pettiness sells. People vote with their wallets. If you want to work in the industry you are making someone else's dreams happen not yours unless you are funding it then you can make what ever you want. I see this again and again people complain that the companies only make the triple a titles but if you ask how many indie games they have they say they are not any fun to play... I have a dozen titles that are almost chick games but I have almost a thousand games that are not...

If their was a steam category that say chick games no one would ever agree what to put in it, since most of the women I know play the same games I do or they only play social games.
 
Yeah, they don't really make mainstream games for me either.

I don't demand a special store for people who love strategy, mathematical and engineering puzzle games though.
 
From my experiences, software developers in general are arrogant jerks who think they can do no wrong, especially game developers. They're especially hard on women. I'd like to see more women in the software development world, but they're too verbally and emotionally abused by the men in it to stay. There are some good men in software development, but the arrogant ones tend to be noticed by management more often, even if they typically aren't any better than others, and management tends to listen to those they see more often. (It's stupid, but many managers aren't good at conflict. They give into the aggressive, arrogant types with almost no resistance. I know this well because of experience in being less aggressive.)

The only way women are going to make inroads into software development and game development, and through that into gaming, is to have backbone and stand up to the arrogant jerks. The only way to move forward and get rid of the arrogant jerks is to outwit them at their own game. Those companies and teams who refuse to listen can do without their help, and will curl up and die because of it. Teams ruled by aggressive devs with little to no talent will produce sub-par products, and people won't buy them. The ones who get the talented people who aren't as aggressive or arrogant, and are willing to admit and fix their mistakes, will make much better products and flourish.

Until we get more women with backbone into the industry, it will be an unfriendly place for women in general.
 
Sometimes I feel like all of these more modern gamers just simply forgot about the entire genre known as ADVENTURE games.

Adventure games were the KING of video games in the mid-late 90's. I grew up playing a ton of them, and you know what? Many of them had strong female characters or even leads.

Gabriel Knight
Syberia
The Longest Journey
etc.

All of these debates at games and having females that aren't simply eye candy or such I just feel like people either ignore the adventure genre or most of the people talking weren't even playing games back then.

Even more modern adventure games, like Gone Home? Female lead with a great story. Walking dead? Again, strong female characters.

But hey, lets just think the only genres in modern gaming are fps games or things like that.
 
Modred189 said:
And the same holds true for stores like Game Stop, and any video-game only store. I hate going in those places simply because I feel like I've fallen into a digital version of some crappy mall teen-oriented chotchky store. The sales reps are idiots, the place smells like, and crawls with, self-entitled tweens, and the advertising is terrible. (I'm so old at 32). I've started buying my console games (few as I do) at Best Buy simply because the employees, though nearly as clueless as GameStop employees) aren't total tools and are usually a bit older and better washed, the place is well lit and ventilated, the games are easy to find and are in alphabetical order, and the advertising is essentially nonexistant (except for the odd endcap or new-release display).
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So why not just buy stuff on amazon or newegg and have it shipped? What could you possibly want to ask best buy or gamestop employees about? I long stopped going to stores for games and just order them online or get them at steam.
I dunno if it's just me, but even at off hours buying things from worse buy is a hassle. Their organization sucks, most of the employees are completely clueless about everything. They usually have one or two lines open so that even if off hours you have to stand in a line and if you buy almost anything, they ask you if you want an extended warranty on it or have one of their credit cards, etc.
So do yourself a favor, do a little bit of research on what you're trying to get before hand, go to best buy or gamestop to look around if you must, but order what you want online.
 
Because children don't/can't shop online? Because I HATE doing returns online. Because I live next to a Best Buy, and they price match.
 
I dunno, my gf an I play mostly borderlands2, call of duty, and mortal kombat. I mean she will use pink skins on her toons when she can but yea, that is about as far as that goes. As far as multiplayer goes, I wont let her use a mic, i don't want to get banned LOL
 
If a person truly enjoys playing video games, I don't think they would ever be bothered by the gender of the protagonist, the gender of the people who made those games, or the gender of the store person who sold them the game (really? wtf)

There are many different kind of video games out there, even software and hardware emulators for anyone who prefers retro games. Just look for something that fits your preference.
 
I like Life Is Strange

I like Bioshock Infinite.

Isn't there room enough for both on this planet? Oh wait no, unless the world goes exactly your way, you have a right to complain :rolleyes:
 
natos said:
Triple A titles are geared towards men, and a sexualistic, violent nature. But there are plenty of games that are not geared in that fashion. Which are for lack of a better term 'kids' games.
Click to expand...

Because that's what sells the most. These businesses are making money. They create games to sell to those that will buy. Those people throwing the most money at them are men. Easy stuff there.

spintroniX said:
her other point was that these games are derided as not being real games....
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I don't play them, but they are real games. Who is telling her otherwise? They are an idiot. My wife has beat every Paper Mario in the series and kicks ass at Mario Kart. No, they aren't Call of Duty or anything (she sucks at it, but she's played it), but gaming is more than just the AAA titles.


It just sounds like she had a bad experience and is writing based on that experience and generalizing that the whole gaming base is like that.

Single player is better, of course. I could lock myself in the basement and play single player games all day and not have a single issue (sounds like fun for a little while!). But, it sounds like they want acceptance for being a gamer. Most of us don't. We just play games and have fun. My wife doesn't consider herself a gamer, but she loves our 3am Mario Kart duels. And Paper Mario. And the classics (emulated these days...). And the mobile games.
 
A lot of this is the recent trend of large publishers trying to target everything at the fans of the most popular game at the time. Call of Duty is #1? Then we need to target Call of Duty fans! Who are mostly age 12-17 and male. I'm not saying older games were perfect either, just that's it has gotten worse recently. All of these cynical, shallow, over-focus-tested crap games are really not helping this matter.
 
dgingeri said:
From my experiences, software developers in general are arrogant jerks who think they can do no wrong, especially game developers. They're especially hard on women. I'd like to see more women in the software development world, but they're too verbally and emotionally abused by the men in it to stay. There are some good men in software development, but the arrogant ones tend to be noticed by management more often, even if they typically aren't any better than others, and management tends to listen to those they see more often. (It's stupid, but many managers aren't good at conflict. They give into the aggressive, arrogant types with almost no resistance. I know this well because of experience in being less aggressive.)

The only way women are going to make inroads into software development and game development, and through that into gaming, is to have backbone and stand up to the arrogant jerks. The only way to move forward and get rid of the arrogant jerks is to outwit them at their own game. Those companies and teams who refuse to listen can do without their help, and will curl up and die because of it. Teams ruled by aggressive devs with little to no talent will produce sub-par products, and people won't buy them. The ones who get the talented people who aren't as aggressive or arrogant, and are willing to admit and fix their mistakes, will make much better products and flourish.

Until we get more women with backbone into the industry, it will be an unfriendly place for women in general.
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Well, from my experience, sitting here in a development shop full of men and women, (at a casual glance it's gota be close to a 50/50 split), I don't see what you are talking about. This is a serious environment and these people are working on software for Army Intelligence systems, it's a classified environment. The support staff, seven of us, we are all male. But the developers, they have all the girls. I've worked with some of them before over the last 18 years and they are still here swinging, making bank.

I'm not saying you don't know what you are talking about. I am saying one's experience may vary and when it comes to software development, the entertainment industry is a small part of the whole. Two weeks ago I had to meet with the new regional manager for NetApp here in Arizona. She's a nice girl, pretty good looking actually. And she knows what she is doing from what I can see. I met here once before about a year ago before this newest promotion of hers.

I am just going to reiterate my point from above. If the market for girl oriented gaming was big enough then the product lineup and development industry would be there to sell to them. Too many people want to look for excuses to a simple situation while completely ignoring the most obvious truths. The industry is more pro-profit then it is anti-female. It may not be fair, but that's how it is.

Now where did I put my copy of Scooby-Doo and the Spooky Swamp ?
 
This is like me being a Star Trek fan leaving Star Trek behind because nobody gives it enough attention/advertising.

Which is fucking stupid.
 
spintroniX said:
her other point was that these games are derided as not being real games....

by whom I don't know. She never really points out anything in particular, just makes vague and nebulous suggestions.
Click to expand...

That's the one part I actually agree with the article. Gamers are incredibly arrogant in the sense of trying to separate casual gamers from hardcore gamers. You're not a gamer if you play Candy Crush, but you are a gamer if you play Grand Theft Auto.

But in a sense, it's both women and men who promote this idea. There's still a stigma of women being gamers, so some don't want to be associated with playing games, even if they spend way too much time on their phone playing Angry Birds or Candy Crush. They're more than happy that we men don't consider them real games. And men are happy that they're not considered real games so that we can call ourselves hardcore. The only real people who suffer are women who want to be considered gamers, who are not the "Look at me, I'm a woman!" type which seem to permeate the landscape.
 
I play a lot of destiny PVP. Our "clan," all adults in the tech industry, has a fair number of women. Anytime they're solo and join the team chat with randoms the amount of shit they get is insane. Form the typical "OMG UR A GUUURL??!?!?!?!" to the vile misogynistic bullshit. And holy crap, when they start schooling scrubs the vile bullshit just goes to 11.
 
DocSavage said:
I just quickly perused the article, but it seemed largely spot on and blamed marketing for the standard triple A titles for eclipsing and hiding the girl friendly games. I bet if Steam had a girl-approved category, a lot of these complaints would go away.
Click to expand...
They have a category called "female protagonist" for whatever reason. I usually stay away from any games that cater to the nut jobs wanting this.
 
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