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Girls In The Game Chair
The site The Game Chair, which does interesting experiential reviews of game titles, has up an editorial from new reviewer Maggie. She once again brings up the oft-discussed topic of women in gaming, and tries to throw some new light on the subject. From the article: "I always bristle a bit at the idea of creating a game that 'appeals to women.' After all, no one game appeals to all people - so why in the world would one game appeal to all women gamers? Each of us is looking for different things in a game, regardless of sex. I don't play first person shooters because the movement of the camera makes me feel nauseous - not because I'm a girl."
" Each of us is looking for different things in a game, regardless of sex."
Duh. I have empirical data that says gaming and sex are mutually exclusive.
"Derp de derp."
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The big problem with discussing women in video game is the word "Sex". Why can't this topic be discussed using the word "Gender". That's where the big problem start or that's where the problem is.
OK, here's one for the grammar nazis. "Nauseous" means, technically "capable of inducing nausea", not "experiencing nausea" which would be "nauseated".
I wouldn't mention this, other than in the hope it may discourage people from asking with Maggie is hot, or asking for picture links.
Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
Please who tell other people how to talk are wankers. If we listened to them we'd all still be talking like Shakespeare. If you want some real pain, go read Neil Stephenson's Quicksilver. The majority of the book is set in the 17th century but every talks like they're on the cast of Friends.
How we know is more important than what we know.
I know A LOT of gamers. I mean, I probably know more hardcore gamers than 'normal folk'. But I also know a lot of 'normal folk' who play computer games. The hardcore gamers (of both genders), play a lot of different games and aren't seperated by gender. For example, some of the girls play FPS, but some of the guys play The Sims too. On the other hand, the 'normal folk' gamers are more clearly split and defined. The regular gaming guys play mostly FPS or RTS and most of the regular girls play mostly 'the sims' and other pacificistic games.
"Due to funding cuts, the light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off"
if a guy said these same things, about women gamers, it would probably be discredited, despite the fact that most of what she said is common sense (eg one whole gender doesn't all like one specific thing). The only reason why it was posted here on /. is the simple fact that a woman posted it (again, not bashing, just saying)
Anybody who plays mmo's who hasn't seen this video, google for leeroy.wmv. It's one of the funniest things you will ever see.
1.) Targetting Women is nothing big, they target blacks whites, christians, homosexuals etc.
It's a nod to your purchasing power and catering to you, if it feels like what they make is degrading perhaps you should be re-evaluating your presence in the group.
2.) Nausea - Several girls I know had this, there is talk of spacial awaareness. Claiming a weak stomach doesn't get your gender off the hook. WE WANT TO FRAG YOU COME ONLINE!.
3.) You aren't novel for being a girl who plays RPGs no one cares! Your boring! There are tonnes of you! You are a significant portion of the market, no one cares that girls play the sims no one cares they play RPGs (Except game production companies. A ratio of 1/5th RPG players isn't a problem a ratio of 1/50th of FPS and RTS players? Now that's a problem!
4.) Makeup, girls in the gaming age demographic spend TRILLIONS each year on cosmetics! The cosmetic companies are trying to get men involved in this shitpile but we resist (Axe body spray?, Men's Lipstick?, Expensive shirts? Etc... Ptuey! If we all look like bums they will break against us!)
Stop making games for girls make cosmetic purchasing, testing, organizing software! This could be a GENRE it even needs cutting edge hardware!
5.) " diversity and thinking outside the limits of games that are currently available" You're a FREAKING GENIUS let me bow down!
These girls who write these articles are all braindead, there are smart girls out there, let them make the games produce the critiques, draw the art, create the characters, define the gender roles and battle the sexist majority to bring gaming to women... It's not hard, make a mod or something. These evangelical feminist gamers are trying to get hits.
I hope your ego was worth wasting our time and adding rhinestones to your movement.
"I don't play first person shooters because the movement of the camera makes me feel nauseous - not because I'm a girl."
:)
Okay, the inner sarcastic bastard (picture Dave Foley on News Radio) just has to say this: Maybe you just feel nauseous playing FPS games *because* you're a girl?
Okay, I'm done--mod me down please. I'm gonna go back to being a responsible adult now. I just couldn't pass a set-up like that.
It reminds me of a move made by the Lionel toy train company back in the sixties. They made a train set where the locomotive and cars were molded in pastel colored plastics. They overlooked the possibility that the type of girl who would play with model trains probably didn't want them in exceptionally unrealistic pastel shades.
As a husband to a wife addicted to both Halos and PoP, I can say that there are plenty of women attracted to video games for the same reason your average slashdotter is.
(Or maybe I just got really really lucky...yeah, that's it).
The Secret of Life: Proteins fold up and bind things.
Wannabe grammar nazi (while blathering ad nauseum) utters the words: "asking with Maggie is hot"! :)
And as you tread the halls of sanity, You feel so glad to be, Unable to go beyond. I have a message, From another time..
Yeah, all of us are looking for sex....
right? Wow, that makes me feel...warm and...fuzzy.
To sell games, make good games, do not try to invent a game that appeals to an arbitrarily construed focus group.
But I assume, to be a columnist, you have to write at least 500 words per article.
There are no girls on the internet.
From your post:
some of the girls play FPS, but some of the guys play The Sims too
- and -
The regular gaming guys play mostly FPS or RTS and most of the regular girls play mostly 'the sims'
Please be consistant:
Male: "guys" Female: "gals"
- or -
Female "girls" Male: "boys"
Using "guys" with "girls" is sexist, although, to be honest, we don't know which way. Still, it's better to be safe than sorry.
--
Your friends,
The Politically Correct Dickwad
and
The Politically Correct Twatjuice
I once read an article about how the gaming industry needed the game equivalent of a "romantic comedy" to appeal to women.
The suggestion was made by a woman.
If they don't want gamers to go on a murdering rampage, then that should be avoided at all costs.
Ok girly, 2 things...
#1. The word is NAUSIATED, not noxious.
#2. First person shooters make you feel that way BECAUSE you are of the gentle sex.
HAR HAR, let the flames begin.
I'm not native English speaker, you insensitive clod!
Singularity: a belief in the "God" idea with the "demiurge" relation inverted.