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Viva Piñata Apparently 'For Girls'
An anonymous reader writes "Bill Gates has demonstrated his unique public speaking skillset again, this time by further ostracizing gamers who grew to love one of the best Xbox 360 titles of last year - Viva Piñata. Comments made by Mr. Gates during an interview on the Charlie Rose show include the choice comment 'We have a thing called Viva Piñata that's for young girls, where you're tending a garden and these animals come along...'. His comment are carried by Eurogamer, who also provide a link to the YouTube video of the interview. For gamers who really appreciated this under-marketed and lovably quirky title, this is just another low blow."
Look ... Microsoft is good at a number of things. Your hardware is great. You make terrific peripherals. You made wise decisions in getting the Bungie and Epic guys to do their thing exclusively for your console. I would point out, though, that your stated goal for the 360 was to reach out to both non-gamers, and gamers that traditionally didn't play titles on the Xbox. This kind of crap, right here, with Gates calling Viva Piñata a 'little girls' game? It's what is making sure that you're not expanding the market. I really like my 360, but Sony and Nintendo are going to eat your lunch if you don't get with the program. Remember that Psychonauts thing you strung along and then dumped at the finish line? Games like that and Viva Piñata would go a long way towards getting to those 'Moms' you were talking about back in 2005. My name is Michael Zenke, and I'm a proud Dragonache owner. And, apparently, somewhat outside the 'intended audience' for a really, really great game.
Yes, in our narrow minded world it is a "girl game", just like Katamari Damacy and Sims were labeled "Girl Games" because they were fun and quirky and for some reason drew in the female demographic. I've played all of these titles and thought, "wow, a game thats easy to pick up, but challenging to master, and keeps my interest! I like this, and I bet my girlfriend will too!"
ok.. so heads you lose tails I win. right?
I have a 4 year old. The first time we saw a commercial for that game, I asked him if he thought that looks like a good game. He said, "Dad, that game's for girls."
I have no idea the quality of the game, but I wouldn't rip gates a new one for thinking it's a girl game.
Do not meddle in the affairs of sysadmins, for they are subtle, and quick to anger.
"For gamers who really appreciated this under-marketed and lovably quirky title, this is just another low blow."
Because there's nothing more insulting that having something in common with a young girl, the lowliest of life forms?
There may or may not be something fundamentally wrong with Gates pigeon-holing the game for a particular demographic, but how is this visceral reaction better? The only way a gamer can be unhappy with being associated with being "girly" is if being "girly" is a negative. And what does this say about your attitude concerning actual, you know, girls?
Methinks the people complaining are the same ones who didn't get a GameCube because it was too "kiddie." Go play some FPS or something until you feel comfortable with your sexuality, like a grown-up.
So what? It's not like he said something like "This game is for girls exclusively. Males shouldn't be playing this game at all.". As people have already stated, he was simply pointed out that it was marketted to a female audience. If Microsoft made another sequel to Halo (which I hope never sees the light of day) and said "It's for young men.", no one would care. Except, maybe, Germaine Greer.
I'm not exactly the most pro-Microsoft person out there but people having a hissy fit over this is obviously either too uncomfortable with their masculinity and/or takes broad comments, by someone they don't know, FAR too seriously.