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Not Just Playing House
RexDart writes "Tom's Hardware has posted an interview with the founders of PMS Clan, the high-profile, international female gaming group with the mission of 'providing a fun and competitive environment for female gamers in a wide variety of first person shooter' games. They speak out on topics from how to get started and what to play, clan organization, censorship, online harrassment, and the role of female characters in games. Plus, why and how they allow males in their group as well."
A clan of women makes sense. They are a significant minority in online games, and with the way males online tend to act with women, I can see how this kind of supportive group can work. This clan is giving a conflicting image, though. "We're women, we game, don't objectify us" gets a little fuzzy when you're posting Gen13-style art and Charlie's Angels silhouettes as representations of who you are.
I don't know about you, but my servers run on the power of cotton candy and happy thoughts. -Anonymous Coward
I seem to recall an article in PCGamer well before 2002 about game sites on the net, featuring News Site (Blue's News), MMOs (Ultima Online, Meridian 59), and clan pages. I recall there being a female Quake clan called "Clan PMS" in that article but I don't think these are the same people.
Insert Sig Here
There are a handfull of girl gamers on the server I play on. Some are even hot. But they don't try to exploit the fact that they are female. And I wouldn't have that much respect for them if they did. I have found that they prefer not to be treated different. They want to shoot things up, not answer asl's. Conversely, I've seen male players with seemingly female names greatly disappoint their teammates.
This is not insightful, it's obvious. Is there a mod for that?
Someone hates these cans.
I think I know who you'e talking about. It was a group of gorgeous, scantily clad, groping each other 'gamer girls'?
Now, I'm all for the diversification of my chosen sport, but come on, this is just ridiculous.
I think there are two kinds of female gamers:
First you have your 'girl gamers'. These are gamers who happen to be women. They like to play games. That's why they're gamers.
The other kind of female gamer is the 'gamer girl'. These are girls first, gamers second. Nothing wrong with that, but it's the same as macho gamers. They're frat boys, wrestling fans, and football junkees first, gamers second.
There's nothing wrong with either one, I would just rather play with the women who are more interested in shooting people in the head than discussing how they're objectified and downtrodden by males.
One last thing: The cliche 'OMG I'm a woman!' article in every gaming magazine and on every gaming site.
Can you just discuss things like normal people? We get it. You're women. OMG. Stop discussing how dumb women are in games. Stop discussing the 'female point of view'. Just talk about the games like other columnists.
It's women like this that are alienating themselves from the culture, not the other way around.
Whoever said: Can you just discuss things like normal people? We get it. You're women. OMG. Stop discussing how dumb women are in games. Stop discussing the 'female point of view'. Just talk about the games like other columnists. It's women like this that are alienating themselves from the culture, not the other way around. I dont think it could have been put much better, and I would never join a clan called PMS anything. Those women also make it *so* much harder for ones like me that just want recognized as a female gamer. No, I dont think most female gamers are lesbians, or transgender, a good % yes, more than 50% I doubt it. I am neither, but when I am online, I hardly use the talk feature, I dont specify Im female b/c thats not the point of the game. And yes, the girlie girls that are all 'ooo look at me' do ruin it for the rest of us. I still am female, I just dont broadcast it (and most never know the differance), I dont go 'O look I killed it' or 'eww thats nasty'. I dont flirt or expect a game area to be a chatroom base. I dont get freaked out if I break a nail when playing, and I dont just say I game to get points with the male gender. I game to game, to kill, & win. Said best: The player with the most frags wins. For the visual learners: http://www.jinx.com/scripts/details.asp?affid=-1&p roductID=201
Since I have yet to see any controls that require a male member to manipulate, I'd say no.
If these women so obsessed with being treated equally, why do they so deliberately differentiate themselves from the pack, and still expect to be treated just like one of the guys?
Mistake #1 - we don't WANT to be "one of the guys". To suggest that implies that gaming is your territory, and that we need your "permission" to be allowed to play. And that's total bullshit.
I want to make it clear I'm a girl so that guys can be aware that we do play. Some guys are fine with it, and it quickly becomes just my gamertag, and they don't even see it as an issue. And the ones that make a big deal about it, well, I'm happy to know they'll remember they were beaten by a girl, cause surely their ego needs such a beating.
Is this a case of women wanting to be more than equal?
Let's wait until we're at least equal before wondering about things like this, please.
"You know your god is man-made when he hates all the same people you do."