Game Designers Lack An X Chromosome
heartless_ writes "GamerGod is running a response to a recent Chris Crawford article discussing Women and Gaming. The problem with identifying winning game elements lies not in the efforts of the game makers themselves; they can only work with what they have. It lies in the fact that most game developers lack one thing - the elusive extra X chromosome. As a result, we have men trying to decide what women most want to play." We linked to Crawford's piece when it was originally run.
Extra? Extra?! I think someone failed genetics.
:-)
James F.
There's nothing stopping a group of women from getting together and starting their own indy game company and making the kind of stuff they want to play. Female programmers do, in fact, exist. The other elements of games (such as art/sound/music) are often already created by women or with the help of women, so, really, where's the problem here? If the market isn't fulfilling your desires then START YOUR OWN COMPANY! Plenty of guys have done it. Girls can too.
Hexy - a strategy game for iPhone/iPod Touch
When people talk about how maybe there aren't greater numbers of women in engineering and science disciplines because they may think a bit differently, they get censured, lose tenure, and even get fired. But it's okay to say that male programmers can't make videogames that women would like, because they think a bit differently from women?
The trick to selling games to women is that you have to take your time. The male market is established quickly and fades fast after a game's release. On the other hand, the women's market takes alot longer to get started, but can go on and on, just think of the Sim's. You can rely on simple pictures and video from the internet to bring in the males. Since the female market isn't as easily swayed, it can often take repeated oral prodding from friends before they are ready.